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Front Parlour Ballads
 
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Front Parlour Ballads

~ Richard Thompson (Artist)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
Price: £8.98 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Front Parlour Ballads + The Old Kit Bag + Sweet Warrior
Price For All Three: £25.34

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  • This item: Front Parlour Ballads ~ Richard Thompson

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • The Old Kit Bag ~ Richard Thompson

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    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Sweet Warrior ~ Richard Thompson

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Product details

  • Audio CD (8 Aug 2005)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Cooking Vinyl
  • ASIN: B00069I7B4
  • Other Editions: Vinyl
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 16,636 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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1. Let It Blow
2. For Who's Sake?
3. Miss Patsy
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5. How Does Your Garden Grow?
6. My Soul, My Soul
7. Cressida
8. Row, Boys, Row
9. Mutton Street
10. Precious One
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12. Should I Betray?
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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Front Parlour Ballads is almost entirely acoustic, with all instruments but percussion played by Thompson. Despite the basic approach, however, this is not a sparse album.­ Thompson's guitar playing is as complex as ever, and the songs stand comparison with any of his best.

The opening track, "Let It Blow", is a funny account of a relationship conducted in the grubby glare of the tabloids, "For Whose Sake?" and "Miss Patsy" are sterling illustrations of Thompson's ability to frame modern sentiments and stories within time-served folk idioms. "Boys Of Mutton Street" starts with a riff which is ­ surely intentionally ­ an echo of Thompson¹s previously best-known acoustic song, "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", and "Solitary Life"{ sounds like it might be Thompson's take on Radiohead's "Fitter Happier".

There has been bizarrely little recognition of the possibility, but after the resounding classics Mock Tudor and The Old Kit Bag, Front Parlour Ballads suggests that Thompson may well be in the prime of his long and extraordinary career. --Andrew Mueller



CD Description

'Front Parlour Ballads' is a solo album by former Fairport Convention member Richard Thompson. It contains the best elements of British folk, and harks back to his work with Fairport Convention and his early solo material. It is his first solo acoustic album since the early 1980's.

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, 21 Aug 2005
By Roberto Galvez "polaco fan forever" (Lima,Peru) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I agree with the former reviewer in which RT's new CD consists of demanding songs . But we RT fans know that Richard will always walk in the borders of light and darkness,or accesibility and avant garde. While 'Mock Tudor' and 'The Old Kit Bag' were really good, what I love about this new offering is finding a sense of unity that was the flaw of many RT's previous work ,even if you will find his usual eclecticism of celtic, blues and classic influence (like Debussy for instance).You won't hear the usual 'guitar solos' that,while excellent,have been a trademark in RT's career.However, this time RT offers pure naked songs that shine in the beauty of simplicity.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars RT in fine fettle, 18 Sep 2005
By Mr. B. Senior "Athelstan" (East Yorkshire, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Simply superb guitar playing and the singing's not bad either.
This stripped down acoustic approach really suits Richard Thompson and his playing is simply sublime.
Long regarded as a guitarist's guitarist, this album reinforces that opinion.
If you are a RT fan this is an essential. If you have never heard him before, you won't be disappointed.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Which do you prefer?, 2 Jan 2007
I would guess that most people have a strong preference either for Richard Thompson solo (and usually acoustic) or with the electric band. (Perhaps this is why his double album, 'You? Me? Us?', has one acoustic and one electric CD.) I would also guess that most people's rating of this solo acoustic album depends almost entirely on that preference. For myself, I prefer the stripped down, one man and his guitar RT. The songwriting on this album is his best for years. A mixture of styles include traditional English-sounding songs, the usual RT gritted teeth doom and gloom, and parlour song. Some lyrics are rather more oblique than usual, but I like that - gives pause for thought. And on this album RT is exploring new directions, which every artist needs to do. Stand still and you stagnate. An excellent listen that sounds great first time and then still improves with every listen.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars cd to collection
It's about of cd particularly exstraordinary - beautiful
Any songs are simple but in the same time raffined. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Massimo Dal Borgo

5.0 out of 5 stars Former Fairport Member
I have not heard the above album but I'm sure I will enjoy it when I do. What I am writing is why do people still say Richard Thompson formerly of Fairport Convention. Read more
Published 20 months ago by D. Parker

5.0 out of 5 stars A great contemporary folk album
As some of the other reviews indicate, this album splits RT fans down the middle- those who prefer the Ferringtoncaster'd rock with the Richard Thompson Band, and those who have... Read more
Published on 2 May 2007 by RAJ Cardwell

2.0 out of 5 stars Not one to grab you
I always look forward to a new RT album, but I have to say that Front Parlour Ballads is a bit of a disappointment. Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2006 by Mr. N. Harvey

2.0 out of 5 stars Too clever by half
I have followed RT's musical career for years, and have always been amazed by the stunning musicianship and great lyrics; so this was a big disappointment. Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2006 by David Laws

5.0 out of 5 stars One of his finest albums
I bought this album as soon as it came out, as I am a great RT fan. I was a little apprehensive as his previous album Old Kit Bag took a while to get into and is not one of his... Read more
Published on 17 Feb 2006 by damon_peters

5.0 out of 5 stars One of his best in years
This is a very short review of a truly great album.

I bought this at Cropredy festival just after it came out last year and my first introduction to some of the tracks was... Read more

Published on 10 Feb 2006 by Mr. Matthew Hughes

2.0 out of 5 stars Not his best
I'm a big RT fan. But for every five great albums, he makes one dud. This is one of them. Yes there is some good guitar work. Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2006

2.0 out of 5 stars Not one of his best
I'm a big RT fan. But for every five great albums he makes there is one duff one. This is one of them, I'm afraid. The songs are dreary and monotonous. Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars Lean, mean and perfectly formed
OK, I'm biased. Richard Thompson has long been, in my view, the best guitarist in the world, bar none (If you aren't convinced, get hold of a copy of his acoustic album, Strict... Read more
Published on 6 Sep 2005 by A.lan Stevens

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Front Parlour Ballads
67% buy the item featured on this page:
Front Parlour Ballads 4.0 out of 5 stars (14)
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