Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Onward And Upward, 30 Aug 2008
Mr Reader and I appear to have been listening to two entirely different albums.
A consistently good songwriter, Mr Thompson here mines his creative motherload
deeper still.
The laconic style of which we have become increasingly enamored finds a
new kind of energy in 'A Piece Of What You Need'.
The eleven songs on this most recent release display an upbeat
self-assurance to some degree absent from his previous work.
Mr Thompson seems to have found himself and on this evidence seems
to be happy with what he has found.
'The Things I Do'; 'What's This ?!!' and 'In My Arms' kick proceedings off
in fine rocking style before the gorgeously lilting 'Where To Go From Here'
with it's warmly wonderful brass arrangement demonstrates the development
in this young man's writing skills. It's a real beauty.
'Don't Know What I was Thinking' is another fine song with a strong melody
and memorable singalong chorus.
The ghost of Mr Presley must have been smiling in the wings while
'Can't Sing Straight' was being recorded. Our hero here showing off
the seldom heard lower register of his voice to fine effect.
Another belting brass arrangement on this one.
'Slippery Slope' is perhaps the album's highpoint. One of the loveliest
compositions in his career so far. The elusive chord changes and
painfully self-revealing lyrics enhancing this jewel of a song.
The grand scale of 'Jonathan's Book' presents us with an unusual
diversion. Music of wry humour and cocky bravado.
'One Of These Days' is a four-square rocker and nothing wrong with that.
'Turning The Gun On Myself' is another masterful piece of writing.
It's loping, timeless melody is curiously affecting.
'A Piece Of What You Need' completes this commendable project in upbeat style.
('The Price Of Love', a sneaky bonbon, will also be revealed if you are patient).
I find it impossible to agree with Mr Reader's earlier comments about Mr de Vries'
superlative production.
The collaboration seems to me to have been an extraordinarily
fruitful one.
Certainly, on my own sound-system, Mr Thompson's vocals are always well forward
in the mix and never overwhelmed by the superb arrangements.
It's all a matter of taste in the end.
The somewhat reined-in intimacy of his earlier work is given a larger stage here
and I have no reservation in endorsing the development and recommending this
cracking little album wholeheartedly to you.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Piece & Love, 28 Dec 2008
Although this is his fourth studio album, this is the first Teddy Thompson album I have purchased and, I have to say, that I am surprised by how good it is. Even though I'd been an admirer of his father for quite a while, there had just never been any real reason for me to check out Teddy - until I happened to chance upon a great live performance by Teddy on British television, together with Martha Wainwright. As it turns out, although I'm sure that comparisons with his father probably wouldn't be welcomed by Teddy, he has certainly inherited his parents' musical talent and ability to write a finely crafted song with depth and flair.
Thompson's voice is rich, aural honey, with an impressive range that soars when he hits the high notes and caresses when he's at the lower end of the scale. Like a country-tinged, soulful mixture of his father and Jackson Browne, it is undeniably very pleasing to the ear indeed, especially when he is at his most unrestrained, such as on the glorious 'Don't Know What I Was Thinking' or the fragile beauty of the magnificent 'Slippery Slope'. The full breath of his vocal talents are on display here - 'Can't Sing Straight' even sees him treading the same moody, bluesy, rockabilly path of Johnny Cash, which also makes fine use of a punchy brass section.
This album is a cracker from the first song to the last. Perhaps as the pick of the bunch, 'In My Arms' is one of the most joyful, instantly likeable tracks on 'A Piece Of What You Need', but it really is an album packed full of memorable, melodic compositions which, although radio-friendly, all have warmth, intelligence and integrity. Beautifully produced, arranged and difficult to categorise in any particular genre, Teddy Thompson has released an album that truly is a piece of what we all need in our lives.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Teddy's best to date, 31 Aug 2008
Possibly the best TT album so far, A Piece Of What You Need is typically Teddy but with new layers. It's dark, light, funny and melancholic all at the same time. Highlights for me are the opening two tracks, which are opposite sides of the same coin. 'The Things I Do' expresses self-loathing (a fairly constant theme throughout Teddy's work), while the wickedly funny 'What's This?!!' sees him being surprised and bemused at being happy. The words and the music fit perfectly together, and it's all quite poetic... "One night out away from the therapist's couch - ouch!" There's a hint of country and western in some songs - notably "Can't Sing Straight", which you can almost hear Johnny Cash singing.
A Piece of What You Need is a good introduction to Teddy Thompson's music, but a little experience of his catalogue will give an extra dimension to your listening.
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