I have given some thought to compiling this post because it is possible it could be considered heresy.
Recently I have seen Richard Thompson and Richard Hawley in quick succession (one week apart).
In 1974 aged 18 I had a brief relationship with a girl called Angela – I was smitten more than she was.
During our fleeting relationship I was introduced by her brother to his record collection. In that collection was I want to see the bright lights tonight by Richard and Linda Thompson – my introduction to the solo work of Richard (I was vaguely aware of his work with Fairport). Withered and died acted as a strange balm when our relationship inevitably ended no more than 4 months after it started.
Since that time I have been a big fan, have bought every officially released album, most unofficial albums and have perhaps seen him more than any other artist possibly save Elvis Costello although it would be a close run thing.
I have always regarded him as one of our best current lyricists and his guitar playing has always been inventive and at times astonishing. Following an unusually long gap since his last album his recent release Ship to Shore was well received (With good reason) and the accompanying tour also garnered great reviews. I saw said tour when it rocked up in Birmingham and have to say I was a little underwhelmed. It was good by most other artists standards but it lacked the fire that I have previously witnessed. A subdued atmosphere and perfunctory guitar solos (Except hard on me) lead me to conclude this was not the best RT gig I had ever seen or anywhere near it. Zara Phillips was okay but couldn’t match either Linda or Christine Collister and Dave Mattacks is safe but hardly matches the excitement of say Michael Jerome.
I will still buy each subsequent RT album and get tickets for any new tour he announces but some of the sheen has gone.
A week later I was lucky enough to see Richard Hawley at Wolverhampton Civic. I have been a fan since Lowedges and have bought each album released in the intervening years. Some I have liked much better than others – Coles Corner and Standi8ng at the Sky’s Edge for example are preferred to Further.
I had never seem him live – was at Black Deer when he was there but I left early due to inclement weather so never got to see him.
Anyway this night at Wolverhampton Civic was a delight from start to finish. His guitar solos were incendiary and on occasion when he sparred with second guitarist Shez Sheridan they very nearly lifted the roof off the place.
He was also cool as fuck and extremely funny in between songs. Announcing that the latest album was number 5 in the hit parade he expressed incredulous amusement. ‘Number one is Taylor Swift, Number two Billie Eilish, numbers 3 and 4 two K-Pop artists. Number 5 A hard drinking, foul mouthed gobshite from Sheffield’.
The concert was astounding with a lot of variety. It left me thinking that I would have a higher level of expectation for any future Hawley gig over Rt which is a massive surprise to me.
The Emperors new clothes and all that.
Guess things change.
A tale of two Richards
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FWIW, RT has long since lost his attraction for me, lacking any real interest since, oh I don’t know, maybe Mock Tudor or possibly Front Parlour Ballads after which his forward motion seemed to fall away, while RH has thundered into view over the last couple of years with a series of great releases. Maybe its just the inevitable difference between an artist still in the explosive upward phase of a career and an artist on something of a plateau of excellence but without innovation and change (dare I utter the word: progression).
I have seen and enjoyed both live in the past but haven’t seen either on this tour. What you say doesn’t entirely surprise me though. RT looks to be pretty fit and judging from the latest album the voice and guitar chops are in very good nick for a man of 75. And therein lies the rub – his age. There comes a point with almost everyone that they run out of genuinely new ideas, which is what the new album suggests to me, and also slow down a bit. Hawley has 18 years on him. 18 years ago, Thompson was still great live and producing records like Sweet Warrior, one of the best of his latter albums.
Good to hear Hawley was on form though; must check out the new record.
I saw the Longpigs in 2000ish and, not that long after, Richard Hawley open the (2001?) Fleadh at Finsbury park. I thought he was the best thing on that day, which included some incredible stuff (John Martyn) and bought his debut mini-album. I pretty much gave up after Coles Corner.
In summary: I prefer the early stuff.
You should give In This City a go, F. It’s very similar in style to CC.
Wrote a review about a month ago about the album and show which is
Still here somewhere
Have tried with the most recent RT album but it’s a bit “meh” im(ns)ho
I definitely have Lady’s Bridge and I’m sure I – ahem – acquired the others but how many RH albums do I really need?
See also: RT – I stopped listening after Mock Tudor. NY – Harvest Moon. VTM – Day Like This. Etc, etc… Cripes, I sound like DD…
There’s the makings of an ace compilation in that list, F
The 1990s… are you George Bernard?
Not Shaw
Never seen RH live, saw RT at a festival about 5 years ago. It was okay, but am not a big fan and don’t really like his voice very much. His guitar playing was great though even with a bit of showing off at times
I suppose if you have ability like his, you’re going to show it off. Why wouldn’t you? It’s what a big chunk of the audience have come to see.
Even if he always says that soloing has to be in service of the song.
FWIW, if we were playing Rock Star Top Trumps, with points for longevity, songcraft, variety, virtuosity and so on I think the winner would be Richard Thompson and it isn’t even close. He’s the greatest of them all. I have a musical itch that he can scratch like no one else. But he’s also 75, though working far harder and creating far better work than anyone of that age might be expected to.
I like Richard Hawley, and if I hadn’t been seeing Richard Thompson at the Royal Albert Hall that night I might have been tempted by his Hammersmith gig (especially as Thea Gilmore was support) the same night, but he’s a narrow furrow. I can imagine myself seeing them on consecutive nights and even enjoying Hawley more than Thomson on those occasions, but for the depth of catalogue and the pleasure each has given me over the years there is no competition – Thompson wins.
Sure. There was one particular song where he deliberately went through many different styles of guitar playing, it was clever and extremely impressive, the song wasn’t much cop though. That may have been the point though. I didn’t know the song, I only have about 4 albums. either FC or with L.
Guitar Heroes? I really don’t care for that one. He does have failings of course, and one is that he isn’t always the best judge of his own material.
Yes, that’s the one
Not one of RT’s better ones
Bill Kirchen does a similar song* showing different guitar styles, of the two I prefer Kirchen’s.
*Hot Rod Lincoln.
Can’t attach a video.
Here’s one!
I prefer Kirchens too.
Saw RH on Tuesday in Pompey. Exactly as @SteveT says, it was a fantastic gig. The setlist leant heavily on the new (excellent) album but included plenty of the hits, (“not that we’ve ever had any fucking hits,”) especially those in the outstanding West End musical which uses his songs, Standing At The Sky’s Edge.
The audience were hugely enthusiastic and he seemed genuinely chuffed at the reception, especially to the new stuff. The band were exceptional and the guitar playing from Shez and Richard was incendiary. A brilliant night.
I – for one – am glad to note that no-one has lowered this thread to the level of toilet humour.
With two Richards, there is never a third.
Interesting to see Zara Phillips doing some of the vocal duties for Richard Thompson. It must certainly be less perilous than jumping over a series of high fences on a bloody great horse.
I saw Richard Hawley play in Sheffield in December 2022. Having been a big fan of Coles Corner, I was disappointed when he only played one song from
the album. It was the last of his three nights at the Leadmill, in fairness, so I’m assuming he varied the set list over the residency.
I definitely recall quite a few grumbles, however, as most of the gig seemed to contain songs barely anyone knew. I’ve got four of his albums, and I struggled to recognise most of the songs. He also did a sort of extended jam with one song, and I truly hate that sort of thing – the band onstage enjoy it, whilst everyone else is yawning and checking train times.
That said, I’ve generally got a lot of time for both Richards: it’s not kids’ music. RT is a superb lyricist, as well as a wonderful guitarist. I read that Hawley is headlining a stadium gig in Sheffield next year; I’m not convinced he’s a stadium act at all.
There’s no doubt that Richard Hawley is a good performer and writer but his stuff has never gelled with me, somehow. Not like prime-era Richard Thompson did.
Having said that, Thommo’s current output is not all that, is it?