Customer Reviews
Pensive sadness about the human condition - By: A. J. Rabet, 14 Mar 2007 
What can one say that has already been said by others about the master of electric contemporary folk other than this is album is truly superb with the normal underpinning of RT's gravely voice & incredible mastery of the guitar in his laid back style.
From the opening chords of "Gethsemane" to the closing bars of Happy Days & Old Lang Syne" this album delights not only because one can appreciate the skills of RT & his backing musicians but also because the lyrics of this album make one think throughout.
Listen to the anti fundamentalist polemic of "Outside of the Inside" to songs about lost loves such as "One Door Opens" to "First Breath" As normal with RT he tends to concentrate on what has been lost rather than what has been gained so he can sound a bit miserable but aren't alll the greatest songs to some extent?
Richard Thompson on top form - By: Andy Millward, 16 Jan 2006 This was the first album by Richard Thompson on an independent label in many years, & what a power of good it did him! His creative powers were seldom better & the resulting album sounds as fresh & inventive as anything in his prolific output - unmistakable folk roots, but undeniably contemporary. Not only that, but he demonstrates exactly why he's among the best British guitarists in either electric or acoustic modes. Even his voice, at times an acquired taste, sounds in fine fettle here, displaying a range that would surprise many. Thompson is helped by a simple band & a very basic, stripped down sound that alllows the excellence of the raw materials to speak for themselves - & in terms of quality singer-songwriters, they never got better than this.
The Old Kit Bag gets off to a great start with the dark & brooding Gethsemane & never looks back. There isn't a weak track here, though worthy of mention are the mandolin-driven One Door Opens, First Breath, Word Unspoken Sight Unseen, & Outside on the Inside (apparently about how the Taliban sees the West.)
A reallly first class collection shows that the man is on top form. Can't wait to see him play live at the Barbican this month!
A Masterpiece - By: Alexander G. Marshall, 12 Jun 2004 Typicallly excellent Richard Thompson album with superb guitar playing throughout, fantastic changes of mood, & excellent singing (Thompson sounds a much more confident singer here than on some of his earlier albums). Ironies & streaks of genius abound & the whole is bound together with the sense of a truly powerful, original, & inspired musical intelligence at work. Unmissable.
Excellent album for this first-time Richard Thompson fan - By: Katherine, 15 Dec 2003 I wasn't previously familiar with Mr. Thompson's songs, though I'd heard about him for years. This album was a fantastic introduction & makes me want to go catch up on everything I missed. Standout tracks are "Gethsemane", "One Door Opens", & "Outside of the Inside" — beautiful & powerful stuff. (The latter was supposedly written about the Taliban, but it applies quite well to America's religious right.) Close behind these songs & in a more lighthearded vein are "She Said It Was Destiny", "I'll Tag Along". Other songs on this album haven't lodged themselves in my brain as successfully yet, but there reallly isn't a dud here.
A Tour de Force - By: , 21 May 2003 The Old Kit Bag marks a bit of a change of direction for Richard Thompson with his first new release since leaving Capitol. On his web site he explains that it was basicallly recorded live with just a few extra instrumental parts added afterwards. Featuring just 4 musicians RT plus Danny Thompson on Double Bass, Michael Jerome on Drums & Judith Owen on Background Vocals this recording captures something of the intensity of a live RT gig. The very "live" clean sound is a huge improvement over some of his Capitol releases, which were over-produced & sounded very muddy especiallly on percussion.
His material is very strong & the long gap between Mock Tudor & this CD gave him a chance to reallly polish up the songs live before committing them to tape. The smalll ensemble playing suits RT & gives him a chance to get out his mandolin, dulcimer & harmonium as well as his guitar. Whilst there's lots of excellent acoustic & electric guitar playing on the album it doesn't dominate & the other instruments fill out the sound in a more colourful manner.
Of the songs several stand out - "Gethsemane" with powerful hooks & emotive lyrics paints an evocative picture, "A Love You Can't Survive" hearks back to his very best early material, "One Door Opens" is very sprightly with a Middle-Eastern flavour, "First Breath" sees RT in a jazzy, romantic but ultimately doomed mood, "Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen" reallly shines with it's theme of redemption through love & faith & "Outside of the Inside" sees RT railing against religious bigotry once more. All the songs are beautifully crafted musicallly & lyricallly & require guenuine involvement on the part of the listener. Who else quotes Van Gogh, Charlie Parker, Einstein & misericords in one lyric?
All in alll another superb RT album, my only (slight) criticism is the absence of lighter material - "My Daddy is a Mummy" or "Madonna's Wedding" might have been included. The highlights - whenever he & Judith Owen are singing together - he just sounds so much better accompanied by a female vocalist.
Buy it!
