Shoot Out the Lights

Shoot Out the Lights

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Real life intruded on Richard and Linda Thompson and turned Shoot Out the Lights into a harrowing masterpiece. The collection was difficult to create. Tracks from an aborted first attempt to record the album ended up on the Richard Thompson anthology Watching the Dark and the history of Linda Thompson Dreams Fly Away. It also became their final record together, lending extra poignance to such classically grim Richard Thompson titles as "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed" and "Wall of Death." The combination of Richard's inventive guitar work; his ragged vocals; and Linda's fragile, beautiful singing, all suffocatingly emotional, backed for the most part by longtime Thompson associates from Fairport Convention, make Shoot Out the Lights essential. --David Wolf

Tracks:

Don't Renege On Our Love
Walking On A Wire
Man In Need
Just The Motion
Shoot Out The Lights
Back Street Slide
Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed?
Wall Of Death

Amazon.com essential recording

Real life intruded on Richard and Linda Thompson and turned Shoot Out the Lights into a harrowing masterpiece. The collection was difficult to create. Tracks from an aborted first attempt to record the album ended up on the Richard Thompson anthology Watching the Dark and the history of Linda Thompson Dreams Fly Away. It also became their final record together, lending extra poignance to such classically grim Richard Thompson titles as "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed" and "Wall of Death." The combination of Richard's inventive guitar work; his ragged vocals; and Linda's fragile, beautiful singing, all suffocatingly emotional, backed for the most part by longtime Thompson associates from Fairport Convention, make Shoot Out the Lights essential. --David Wolf

Customer Reviews:

Dark but Strong Farewell!.......2007-07-02

"Shoot Out the Lights" was Richard and Linda Thompson's 1982. comeback album after two slightly disappointing albums released on the Chrysalis label in 1978 and 1979. Unfortunately this was also to be their last, as both their marriage and their artistic partnership was falling apart at this point. Quite a paradox as the album is as strong as their finest albums recorded for Island in the mid 1970's.

Musically more rocking and less folkish than their Island albums; lyrically at least as dark as "Pour Down Like Silver". Titles "Walking on a Wire", "Shoot out the Lights" and "Wall of Death" indicate the general dark tone of the album.

Richard who takes the lead vocals on the more rocking tracks like "Don't Renege on Our Love" and "Man in Need", while the two great ballads "Just the Motion" and "Walking on a Wire" have Linda in front. Along with the two outstanding closing tracks "Did She Jump" and "Wall of Death" the Linda ballads are my favourites on the album.

Strong songwriting by Richard and tight playing from the band, which besides Richard on guitar consists of old Fairport friends like Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg and Dave Mattacks, make the album one of the most consistent in Richard Thompson's long career.

Produced by another old Fairport friend Joe Boyd, who produced the first five Fairport albums and several later Richard Thompson solo albums.

A sombre masterpiece.......2007-05-22

The final album that Richard and Linda Thompson recorded as a duo is one of their best and certainly a classic English rock album. There had always been long shadows in their music but this album all seems to take place after nightfall. Even the prettiest ballads turn out to be meditations on loss and grief if you give them more than a cursory glance.
The couple split after the release of this album and comparisons could perhaps be made with "Rumours" by Fletwood Mac, as songs like "Don't Renege On Our Love" and "Walking on a Wire" seem to refer to the breakdown of relationships. Yet overall the material on "Shoot out the Lights" explores much darker territory than you will ever find Fleetwood Mac exploring. The title track refers to a real life serial killer who explained his crimes by saying he wanted to "shoot out the lights". The album closer "Wall of Death" has a sweet, singable melody until you realise that the song is more about the sense of urgency and preciousness that death gives life than the amusement park ride it takes its name from. But the payback for listening to all this melancholy is some very moody and atmospheric songs that are rooted in real emotion, however sad at heart. Richard Thompson was in some sense one of the last great craftsmen in rock in that songcraft is always at the fore in his records. This music is not especially innovative but the songs are beautifully put together and performed and it is definitely a record that you can keep coming back to discover new shades.

Just The Best.......2007-01-17

This is not a soft cushion but anyone who has been disappointed in love will recognise themselves in this album. The last collaboration between two great musicians each of whom has gone on to produce much more great music. They also produced Teddy Thompson who has himself produced 2 excellent albums. also check out the first solo albums by RT (Daring Adventures) & LT (One Clear Moment) where they further vent their spleens.
Buy it and then buy everything else. You won't love everything but you won'r hate anything either.

Was this really Richard and Linda's best?.......2006-12-28

This was the last of the RT and LT partnership albums and their most popular and accessible. There's less of a folk influence here and more pop. It does seem to me that RT was striving for commercial success with some of these tracks, something he had always refused to pander to with any of his past work. The 2 most commercial tracks are the galloping opener 'Don't renege on our love', which bore all the hallmarks of a hit single. 'Wall of death' likewise could have also been a single, if a little less obvious (See a superb live version on YouTube). But the problem I have with this album is that some of the songs lack the depth of of his previous work. The most obvious examples are 'Man in need' and 'Back street slide' which are more ordinary fare compared to RT's usually very high standards.

Before this album was made, I remember the music critics complaining that Thompson's work was far too gloomy and dark for general public taste. RT was indignant about this criticism and SOTL was probably his reaction to it. However the ballads 'Walking on a wire' and 'Just the motion' are well up to usual expectations, and are not exactly cheerful songs either. Finally the title track is the album's 'angry' song and includes one of RT's more manic guitar solos. The track bears a resemblance to Link Wray's instrumental, 'Rumble'.

To sum up, SOTL is hardly RT/LT's best album IMO, despite its popularity. It was after all the first RT album to be plugged in the US, however it does serve well as an introduction to RT's talents. But if you are looking for something a bit rarer and more special from the RT and LT collection, try the albums 'I want to see the bright lights tonight' and 'Pour down like silver', the latter being RT's most melancholic and spiritual effort, but both are excellent nevertheless (and readily available on amazon.co.uk without paying through the nose). And as with all RT albums including this one, they require repeated listening to appreciate them properly.

Great folk rock album.......2006-12-17

Just don't trust the first listening. Maybe, as it happened to me, you will think it's the "usual" folk-rock cd. Let it play for a second time, it's enough: you'll enjoy the rare match between subtle spleen and energy of its tracks. A great album, a milestone.
My favorite song? Difficult choice, but, well, I say "Just The Motion".

Average customer rating:

One of The Thompson's Best--And Says A Lot
Excellent but with one qualification
A CLASSIC!! CLEAN, ECONOMICAL, ROCK!!!
Excellent Sound, Great Album, Why not 5.1 Surround?

Shoot Out the Lights
Richard & Linda Thompson
Manufacturer: Hannibal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00027JCKA
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Tracks:

Don't Renege on Our Love
Walking on a Wire
Man in Need
Just the Motion
Shoot Out the Lights
Back Street Slide
Did She Jump or Was She Pushed?
Wall of Death

Album Description

Now remastered for Super Audio! This Hybrid SACD plays on CD players and SACD players.

"Absolutely perfect, an album for which even five stars seems not enough." - Rolling Stone Album Guide

"A meditation on love and loss in which beauty, passion and heady joy can still be found in defeat." - All Music Guide

"This record has no contemporary equal." - Time

Customer Reviews:

One of The Thompson's Best--And Says A Lot.......2007-01-21

RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON are prolific artists whose talent has spanned several decades and is still going strong. They are proficient in any number of styles--folk rock, blues, Cajun, etc. Both have distinctive, appealing voices and their lyrics convey a refreshing honesty.

Excellent but with one qualification.......2005-11-14

This cd runs 38 minutes, way too short. it seemed over before it began and I wanted more. However, this being my first cd with Linda, I fell in love with her singing. Richard Thompson, however, is familiar and I love him. Great is too modest an adjective for him. The songs are great although not as shocking as I had heard. His songs are truly on the dark side, although some of them are downright hilarious and fun. Did She Jump or Was She Pushed is a very unusual song and I wonder what inspired that but then he has a great imagination. Linda's singing was a wonder but I wished there was more of her on the cd. Now I have to get more of her solo albums as well as the two of them together.

It amazes me that they are not more well known and popular while other mediocre or less talented performers are on top of the charts and famous! I'll take Thompson over Clapton (not to denigtrate Clapton but Thompson has it all over him in singing, guitar playing and songwriting.

A CLASSIC!! CLEAN, ECONOMICAL, ROCK!!!.......2005-09-24

This is an album I've had for sometime. I have it in the regular format, a gold disc, and then had to hear it in the hybrid format. It was worth every penny and them some. The hybrid version is definitely the cleanest, bringing out every nuance of voice and instrument.

Any criticism of the content of the CD would simple be ludicrous. This album is one of the best in rock. Walking on a Wire, Just the Motion, Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed, and the Wall of Death are strong statements about humans and their behavior, and the conditions that brings.

This album is as clean and economical as they come. No note is here that doesn't need to be (economical) and nothing is lost in the mix. I strongly recommend "Shoot Out the Lights" as an essential part of any music collection. 6 stars.

Excellent Sound, Great Album, Why not 5.1 Surround?.......2004-06-24

A classic album. But a big disappointment that this is just a hybrid sacd stereo and not a 5.1 surround.

Although sacd is an improvement over a regular cd, what makes the new format compelling is the 5.1 surround.

Tracks:

Don't Renege on Our Love
Walking on a Wire
Man in Need
Just the Motion
Shoot Out the Lights
Back Street Slide
Did She Jump or Was She Pushed?
Wall of Death
Living in Luxury [*]

Album Description

This deluxe edition is imported from Japan by Rykodisc. It includes the Bonus Track "Living In Luxury" and is packaged in special "album sleeve" style packaging.

Customer Reviews:

Classic album in classy miniature LP package with great bonus track.......2006-02-16

A perfect looking replica of the original 1980 release on vinyl, "Shoot Out the Lights" sounds terrific on this remastered CD. The real find, though, is the remastered b-side "Living in Luxury" which was on the original first edition CD issued in the US. The sound here is crisper and cleaner with better definition. The label on the CD itself looks a bit different than the one on the original vinyl version I owned many moons ago.

Although folks discuss how "Shoot Out the Lights" reflects the failing marriage of the Thompsons, the songs were actually written two years before (in fact there are early recordings of some of these tracks on the Richard Thompson Anthology produced by Gerry Rafferty and Hugh Murphy)this album was ultimately recorded. From the galloping guitar that opens "Don't Renege on Our Love" we immediately know that this isn't your typical album of love songs. Although there's a concept behind the album and the album is generally unified in terms of its subject matter (basically a failing marriage/love affair/relationship), "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed" is about former Fairport Convention singer Sandy Denny. "Wall of Death" which uses a rollercoaster as a perfect metaphor for the ups and downs in a relationship. It was the last album the duo made as their marriage crumbled shortly after the release of the album.

You get the a miniature inner sleeve with the lyrics printed on them and a sheet with the lyrics in Japanese and English. Although I didn't see any note as to who did the remastering, I imagine it came from the same master that was used for the SACD-stereo hybrid issued earlier. My only complaint with the hybrid edition is that for all its great sound, it's a stereo hybrid not a 5.1 version. No doubt Hannibal/Ryko will issue that again later and make us buy it all over again.

Last reviewer said "decent enough album"....NO one of the greatest rock alsbums of all time!.......2005-09-20

The music, the guitar playing, the lyrics, the sound quality are superlative in every way on this amazing RT album. Of course experiencing RT live is a whole other ball of wax, run to the nearest gig--he's touring now in fact--you will be knocked off your feet with every aspect of the experience--unless you are a staunch political conservative in which case, well maybe you'll actually learn something...this album is more than just the best of the guitar player's guitar player, it hasn't a false note, an extraneous lyric or note. Visceral, elegant and eloquent on all levelsm, a deeply engaging musical creation, moving, dark and soulful all at the same time.

Shoot Out the Lights-Richard & Linda Thompson.......2005-08-13

Decent enough album. I don't regret purchasing it.

Average customer rating:

Classic Thompson album remastered in miniature sleeve

Shoot Out the Lights
Richard & Linda Thompson
Manufacturer: Video Arts
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0006B9ZBS
Release Date: 2005-01-03

Tracks:

Don't Renege on Our Love
Walking on a Wire
Man in Need
Just the Motion
Shoot Out the Lights
Back Street Slide
Did She Jump or Was She Pushed?
Wall of Death
Living in Luxury [*]

Album Description

Japanese remastered reissue of 1982 album, packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. Vall. 2004.

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase.

Customer Reviews:

Classic Thompson album remastered in miniature sleeve.......2005-08-18

Average customer rating:

This is truly the way to hear this terrific cd

Shoot Out the Lights
Richard & Linda Thompson
Manufacturer: Hannibal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

British Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Hannibal Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000003OVA
Release Date: 1994-08-16

Tracks:

Don't Renege on Our Love
Walking on a Wire
Man in Need
Just the Motion
Shoot Out the Lights
Back Street Slide
Did She Jump or Was She Pushed?
Wall of Death

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

This is truly the way to hear this terrific cd.......1998-08-24

One of the best cd's in folk/rock music just got better. The sound is stunning with tremendous clarity and depth. The sonic detail makes one feel as if he or she is in the room during the recording of these emotionally powerful songs.

Richard and Linda's last stand as a duo has finally received the treatment it deserved on cd. This cd actually sounds better than the original vinyl version, as well as, the first cd issue. The only complaint--it would have been nice to reissue this with the bonus track from the original cd issue(a b side for one of the singles).

A terrific first introduction to the Thompsons!

Shoot the Lights Out
Average customer rating:
Shoot the Lights Out

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000BRQ7I6