Richard Thompson

May 9 - 16, 1 9 9 6

YOU? ME? US?

Funny that people are still scratching their heads about why Richard Thompson isn't a big star yet. It's easy: Thompson isn't a big star because of albums like this two-disc set, which pushes the limits of bitterness (disc one) and morbidity (disc two) farther than he has in a while. Unlike 1994's Mirror Blue, which made a few token stabs at commercial appeal, this one (which could have fit on one disc without edits) is by turns haunting, creepy, and deliciously nasty. That last applies to the electric "Voltage Enhanced" disc, which runs the very idea of romance through the wringer ("Razor Dance"), offers a happy song about a stalker ("No's Not a Word"), and spews pure venom on "Put It There Pal" -- a song that will never get on adult-contemporary radio no matter how much the format loosens up. Dark beauty takes over on the acoustic "Nude" disc, which deals with insanity, foreboding, tragic love; on "Woods of Darney," there's all of the above. Think of disc one as the temper tantrum, disc two as the good cry afterward. The guitar playing's pretty good too.

-- Brett Milano

*** Richard Thompson

YOU? ME? US?

(Capitol)