Richard Thompson and 1000 Years

[kenjari]

On Friday, Other Kenjari and I had the pleasure of seeing Richard Thompson in concert. He's touring with a show that goes through 1000 years of popular music, starting in the 1200s and going right up to stuff from the early 2000s. Right around the turn of the century, Thompson was asked by some magazine (Playboy, Rolling Stone, something of that ilk) to give a list of the top 20 songs of the millennium. He knew they really meant "pf the last thirty years", but he took them at their word and submitted a list that spanned the entire 1000 years. The magazine didn't publish it, but Thompson started performing the songs in concert, eventually putting out a double CD plus DVD set that began with "Sumer Is Icumen In" and ended with "Oops I Did It Again" (plus three encores). Thompson and his ensemble are touring with this concert (more or less - the songs vary from the ones on the recording), and they played the Berklee Performance Center.
It was a wonderful, fun show. Richard Thompson came on stage playing a hurdy-gurdy, thus earning even more of my undying music-nerd affection. Other highlights included "Three Ravens", a very old traditional song about three ravens discussing the consumption of a recently killed knight; "Blackleg Miner", a 19th century British song about striking mine workers; "See My Friends", a less well-known but beautiful Kinks song; the Abba song "Money Money Money"; and a Nelly Furtado song with a section done translated into Latin and rendered into 14th century style polyphony.
Thompson is a really good performer. Engaging and charismatic without any pretentious posturing. I'm so very glad to have finally discovered him, and I must go about getting more of his CDs.

Comments

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

I had a fictional character named Rick Thompson ages ago. (age 16-ish I think.) He was also a musician. He blew his brains out. Oops. I hope the real Richard Thompson has a less drama-filled story.

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

The real Richard Thompson had a messy divorce in the 1980s, but thankfully no known suicide attempts or anything like that.

[ladybird97.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! I've heard about that CD, and I've been meaning to check it out for ages - I love the concept, and I think it would be fascinating to hear such a wide range of music. Did he perform in chronological order?

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

Yes, both the CD and concert were in chronological order, except for the encores. And the medieval songs were sung in Middle English.

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

As an encore at the concert, he did a song written by Richard I while he was in captivity, about how he missed his friends and why didn't they come bail him out already. That's relevant to your area, I think?