Richard Thompson - Mock Tudor
List Price:
Our Price: $5.21
You Save: $11.73 (69%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Music CD Cover
Artist: Richard ThompsonEdition: Music CD
Format: Import
CD Release Date: 1999-08-24
Music Label: EMI Europe Generic
Soundtracks:
- Cooksferry Queen
- Sibella
- Bathsheba Smiles
- Two-Faced Love
- Hard On Me
- Crawl Back Under My Stone
- Uninhabited Man
- Dry My Tears and Move On
- Walking The Long Miles Home
- Sights And Sounds Of London Town
- That's All, Amen, Close The Door
- Hope You Like The New Me
Free Music Notes for Mock Tudor
Free Music Review: One of Thompson's best ever...
Hit: 5 Stars
Richard Thompson's last album for Capitol Records was one of his best (arguably vying for first place with 1991's "Rumor and Sigh"). But what a way to go out. 1999's "Mock Tudor" contains incredible songs and poingant lyrics that revolve around a theme of growing up in the London suburbs. Consequently, the album, like much of Thompson's work, swims with Briticisms that might elude Americans.
That leads to "Cooksferry Queen" the album's scorching bluesy opener. It builds to an infernal creshendo replete with frenetic guitars, blasting harmonica, and Thompson's intensifying plea that "She's my Cooksferry Queen!" So what's "Cooksferry"? Internet searches suggest that the song was inspired by a jazz, R&B, and blues pub from Thompson's formative years in North London. The bluesy feel of the song supposedly sets the scene. The song also contains the great reference to a woman's "pre-Raphaelite" curls.
"Sibella", an extremely catchy song, waxes on a bizarre love affair where the narrator finds himself "strangely true" though "we don't make sense together". "Bathsheba Smiles" probably fits the mold of "hit" more than any other song on "Mock Tudor". It seems to explore the seductiveness of women with reference to the famous Biblical woman with whom King David committed adultery.
"Two Faced Love" bounces along happily and contains the great lines: "You don't make my blood run cold / You don't fit my jelly mold". "Hard on Me" features an anvil-pounding rhythym, teeth-gritting vocals and an unforgettable angst. Supposedly Thompson wrote it with his father in mind.
Next comes the album's most seriously funny song, "Crawl Back (Under My Stone)"; a claws-open rip at class society: "I want to be middle class / floor and ceilings made of glass / I just want to be free". "Uninhabited Man" darkly and broodingly continues the theme of insignificance and alientation. Not much humor in this one.
The next two songs deal with one of Thompson's favorite on-going themes: lost or broken love. Nearly every mortal ever born can identify with the heart-breaking "Dry My Tears And Move On". But thankfully we can bounce back from such dire episodes, as "Walking the Long Miles Home" reminds us.
"Sights and Sounds of London Town" is just what its title suggests. A series of lyrical vignettes about the life experiences of Londoners (lots of London references here). The appropriately dour "That's All, Amen, Close the Door" was written for English singer Sandy Denny (a former Fairport Convention member who died in 1978).
The album's closer sticks like glue: "Hope you Like The New Me". Thompson wrote this about those who had stolen music or money from him. The song's stark grim seriousness suggests Thompson's seriousness (though the song also has a dark humorous edge to it).
Surprisingly, after such a brilliant album, Thompson and Capitol split ways. Sadly, Thompson's sales have never been stellar (though he still has a very faithful following). Which goes to prove that sales and quality are totally different beasts. Luckily, "Mock Tudor" remains in print after most of Thompson's Capitol albums have disappeared from circulation. Most can easily be obtained from online auctions or used bins. Happily, Thompson perseveres and continues to record with smaller labels. Major label fallout could never stop a songwriting powerhouse like Thompson.
Mock Tudor Poster
RICHARD THOMPSON Mock Tudor (1999 UK 12-track CD album produced by Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf whove worked with Beck and the Foo Fighters. Many of the tracks chronicle Thompsons time spent growing up in and around London in the 60s picture sleeve)A literate songwriter and fearlessly talented guitarist, Richard Thompson is also a complete bust when it comes to romance. Or so Mock Tudor, which details love gone wrong from an early age to present, suggests over and over. Fortunately, Thompson makes his troubles worth our concern, thanks to his mix of wounded perseverance ("Dry My Tears and Move On") and all-out bile (the vindictive but ultimately self-destructive "Hope You Like the New Me"). --Keith Moerer
Few musical charms compare with those of Richard Thompson's better albums. Mock Tudor easily ranks amongst them, thanks in part to inventive producers Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf, who help strike a melodious balance between Thompson's genre-hopping instrumental subtleties and the gritty rave-ups that characterize his full-flail live shows. Together again with Fairport drummer Dave Mattacks and bassist Danny Thompson (and with help on guitar and vocals from son Teddy), Thomspon is set free. There's a delightful, modal minisolo on "Sibella"; "Uninhabited Man" finds the former student of Sufism holding down a Led Zep-ish Eastern groove; and every other song is a subtle, midtempo, sure-fire hit in an alternate universe. Lyrically, Thompson sticks to dark-side-of-the-street subject matter; the majority of the songs describe a relationship gone over the edge or about to (Elvis Costello is Thompson's only peer when it comes to charming, post-Dylan misanthropy in song). Women are goddesses ("Cooksferry Queen"), a bad match ("Sibella," "Two-Faced Love"), evil temptresses ("Bathsheba Smiles," "Hard on Me"), and about to dump the protagonist any second now ("Crawl Back Under My Stone")--and that's just the first six songs! In "Cooksferry Queen" when Thompson sings, "People speak my name in whispers--what higher praise can there be," the singer-songwriter might well be describing himself. --Mike McGonigal
Folk Music CDs
Music Genres
Top music charts in Folk Music CDs
Margie Adam - Another PlaceRelease date: 1994-07-26; Music CD
Best price: $11.99
Price in other shops:
Ann Reed - Road of the HeartRelease date: 1994-06-29; Music CD
Best price: $29.99
Ann Reed - Back & ForthRelease date: 1994-07-26; Music CD
Best price: $2.00
Price in other shops:
Kay Gardner - Rainbow PathRelease date: 1994-07-26; Music CD
Best price: $12.58
Price in other shops:
Joanne Rand - Grant Me EyesRelease date: 2001-08-02; Music CD
Best price: $9.96
Price in other shops:
Betty - Hello Betty!Release date: 1994-03-21; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Kay Gardner - AmazonRelease date: 1994-07-26; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Stage 2: Human HeartRelease date: 1997-04-11; Music CD
Best price: $14.95
Price in other shops:
Cyntia Smith, Ruth Barrett - Heart Is the Only NationRelease date: 1996-07-17; Music CD
Best price: $96.66
Giants! A Colossal Collection of Tales and Tunesby Jim Weiss
Greathall Productions, Inc.; Greathall Productions; Published: 1996-11-01; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $8.68
Price in other shops:
Top Rated Albums
Richard Thompson & Linda - Shoot Out the LightsThomson; Release date: 1991-07-01; Music CD
Best price: $7.24
Price in other shops:
Richard Thompson - Front Parlour BalladsRelease date: 2005-08-09; Music CD
Best price: $3.96
Price in other shops:
Richard Thompson - Dream AtticRelease date: 2010-08-31; Music CD
Best price: $8.49
Price in other shops:
Richard Thompson - AmnesiaRelease date: 1991-07-30; Music CD
Best price: $5.71
Price in other shops:
Richard Thompson - Mirror BlueRelease date: 1994-02-08; Music CD
Best price: $5.11
Price in other shops:
Richard Thompson - Sweet WarriorRelease date: 2007-05-29; Music CD
Best price: $9.14
Price in other shops:
Richard Thompson & Linda - I Want to See the Bright Lights TonightRelease date: 2004-09-28; Music CD
Best price: $6.28
Price in other shops:
Richard Thompson - The Old Kit BagRelease date: 2003-12-17; Music CD
Best price: $1.68
Price in other shops:
Richard Thompson - Action Packed: Best of the Capitol YearsRelease date: 2001-03-27; Published: 2001; Music CD
Best price: $4.05
Price in other shops:
Richard Thompson - Rumor & SighRelease date: 1991-05-21; Music CD
Best price: $4.93
Price in other shops: