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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Don'T Renege On Our Love |
| 2. Walking On A Wire |
| 3. A Man In Need |
| 4. Just The Motion |
| 5. Shoot Out The Lights |
| 6. Back Street Slide |
| 7. Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed? |
| 8. Wall Of Death |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Real life intruded on Richard and Linda Thompson and turned Shoot Out the Lights into a harrowing masterpiece. The collection was difficult to create. Tracks from an aborted first attempt to record the album ended up on the Richard Thompson anthology Watching the Dark and the history of Linda Thompson, Dreams Fly Away. It also became their final record together, lending extra poignance to such classically grim Richard Thompson titles as "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed" and "Wall of Death". The combination of Richard's inventive guitar work; his ragged vocals and Linda's fragile, beautiful singing, all suffocatingly emotional, backed for the most part by long-time Thompson associates from Fairport Convention, make Shoot Out the Lights essential listening. --David Wolf
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Their final album together, and a masterpiece. After scrapping tracks produced by Jerry Rafferty, Richard & Linda re-recorded the entire album in a few days. Its got it all - anger, pain, misery, death, heartbreak, malice, backstabbing, falling, leaving, darkness. The darkness of the songs is reinforced by some of Thompson's most violent guitar and counterpointed by the beauty of Linda's vocals. If anyone tells you Richard & Linda are 'folk' singers, play them this. It makes Lennon's 'Plastic Ono Band' or Springsteen's 'Darkness at the Edge of Town' look like a sunny day in the country. However at the end, there is a glimmer of hope: "Let me take my chances on the Wall of Death". As the album ends with the cruching closing chords of Wall of Death, you too will be stunned by this album. Five stars? Should be Six.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I will no doubt incur the wrath of many devoted fans by saying that this album, which is often hailed as one of the best of the 1980s, is to my mind just a little over-rated. It's great compared with much of the typical early 80s fare, undoubtedly, but in comparison with the best of Richard and Linda Thompson's work it doesn't quite make the grade for me. This is perhaps because as their partnership dissolved into acrimony, the empathy between the Thompsons declined, to the detriment of the music. As singers, they tend to be heard apart on this album, whereas in their best earlier work they complemented each other. It may also be because the mastering quality of this release is not in the same league as the recent Island remastered editions of the duo's first three albums - in fact in one song there is an odd edit which sounds as though half a bar has been cut out, which is unnerving for the listener. I am a devoted Thompsons fan, and value all their work, as well as Richard's prodigious solo output. However, I feel that the very best of Richard and Linda is contained in 'I want to see the bright lights tonight' and 'Pour down like silver' rather than 'Shoot out the lights'.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is probably the best of Richard and Linda Thompson's albums.
Each song is perfectly crafted and performed, with Linda's voice at its finest on tracks such as "Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed?" and Richard's guitar playing at its most visceral on the title track.
I had searched for some Richard Thompson albums after hearing a REM cover of "Wall of Death" (the last track on this CD). I was floored by the perfect structure of the song and delighted by the clever, effective lyrics. When I listened to Thompson's own work and the work produced with Linda Thompson I found that that consistently high level of craft, guile and subtlety was common throughout. A visciously sharp wit is revealed on occasion too.
If you've heard good reports on Richard & Linda Thomson and you're looking for a place to start, look no further. For Richard on his own, try Rumour and Sigh.
Each song is perfectly crafted and performed, with Linda's voice at its finest on tracks such as "Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed?" and Richard's guitar playing at its most visceral on the title track.
I had searched for some Richard Thompson albums after hearing a REM cover of "Wall of Death" (the last track on this CD). I was floored by the perfect structure of the song and delighted by the clever, effective lyrics. When I listened to Thompson's own work and the work produced with Linda Thompson I found that that consistently high level of craft, guile and subtlety was common throughout. A visciously sharp wit is revealed on occasion too.
If you've heard good reports on Richard & Linda Thomson and you're looking for a place to start, look no further. For Richard on his own, try Rumour and Sigh.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
It's OK, I suppose
This album disappointed me. It feels like a contract-filler, and the songs need more development and variety. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jellydoo
Outstanding Album
I went to see RT recently and decided to dig out some of the old albums. I was so impressed with SOTL the I downloaded it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Simon A. Robbins
Shoot Out The Lights
A classic album from Richard and Linda Thompson with standout tracks, "Walking On A Wire", "Wall Of Death" and "Shoot Out The Lights". Read more
Published 15 months ago by LordRoyle
shoot out the lights.
Not a review as such, but was not First light the final Richard and Linda Thompson album. It was also a very good one, as I am sure this one is.
Published on 22 July 2008 by D. Parker
Listen when happy and sure of yourself
Richard Thompson is one of the great guitarists of the last 50 years but his misanthropic take on life as well his superb playing is fully demonstrated on this album accompanied by... Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2007 by A. J. Rabet
blows you away
supreme guitar work - RT is the best I've heard in almost 50 years of listening - incredibly beautiful vocals and songs I wish I'd written. Read more
Published on 20 Nov 2004 by telelover
Melancholy masterpiece
This is a very somber album with powerful songs about separation and love gone wrong. It contains some of Thompson’s most poetic lyrics and the playing is brilliant... Read more
Published on 1 Jan 2003 by Pieter
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