Richard Thompson Band - Hard On Me

[MsBleuOrchid]

RT is so freaky awesome! He could serenade me 24/7/365!!!! Merry Christmas!!! Sending in millions of kissesssss..... <33333....

[armel551]

RT's playing is wonderful but this solo is not one of my favorites. What I really like about the song though are the lyrics and his interpretation of them.

[PaulJayReynolds]

My God! - The Richard Thompson Army is after me again! I bet you all wear the same hats. It was a bloody joke - how many years ago? We sent messages out to a few different artists to see who would react the most. You did. He's brilliant - really wonderful! Is that okay!

[farnishk]

@PaulJayReynolds Which is why you are now blocked. That's called trolling.

[blsorenson]

I first hear this tune on NPR Chatt., TN (WUTC) They have consistently amazed me with their programming choices. I have to admit that i was deep in the throes of withdrawals when first i heard "Hard on Me". It gave me a sort of psychotic hope, and something to wrap my mind around. Richards long,perfect.dissonant lead was Exactly what I was feeling in that moment. He may well have saved my questionably worthwhile life. Bless us all... stratoblu

[blsorenson]

I first hear this tune on NPR Chatt., TN (WUTC) They have consistently amazed me with their programming choices. I have to admit that i was deep in the throes of withdrawals when first i heard "Hard on Me". It gave me a sort of psychotic hope, and something to wrap my mind around. Richards long,perfect.dissonant lead was Exactly what I was feeling in that moment. He may well have saved my questionably worthwhile life. Bless us all...

[powellallan]

There's a good explanation by RT on his site about guitar solos, he can and does play out of key but seems to resolve the phrasing into a harmonic balance with the song (if that doesn't sound too pratty). He explains it better I of course, read the site it's very enlightening cheers to all allan

[joynthis]

Steve Martin was right -- talking about music is like dancing about architecture. That said, you're still wrong. So, how do I join this RT mafia? Does it come with a suit, or do I have to buy my own?

[DukeStreetBill]

The solo is certainly an excursion into the abstract, and as such, it's cohesive. I suppose it's also intended to be a reflection of what things being hard on one might actually feel like. I think it's something of a distraction for posters to bring their need for self esteem to discussions of music; it makes their posts more like useless pissing contests than potentially useful explorations of music.

[MITCHWILD]

Quite remarkable....in a good way, in case you were wondering. Or how about "Blistering"..... yeah...i like that...."Blistering" if you don't get it, that's your loss I'm afraid!

[TomRAFC]

The solo is outside the box just like most of richards solos in the last 10 years, embrace them, let them get inside you and soon nothing else will do

[danalogue]

Sorry, just boring mish mash to me. You wanna see a great solo by a truly overlooked guitarist? Roy Buchanan playing Sweet Dreams live. Puts this dude to shame, IMHO.

[andycoombes]

Danalogue - I just checked out Roy Buchanan (well respected) playing Sweet Dreams - it was dull and utterly one-dimensional - but so are all your other musical likes on your channel. You just don't get it, do you? Too complicated.

[Mulwany]

buchanen was one of a kind master, so is richard. Check out some other stuff and listen carefully. this is a boring tune.

[oppie1945]

Brutal! Obscene! Brilliant!! Several years ago he caused me to quit playing the guitar, 'cause I figured, "What's the point?" But I realized that would be like giving up studying Economics after reading Keynes' "The General Theory".

[threemilechild]

When I saw him live, someone had asked him, "How did you get so good?" and he said, "If I told you, you'd all be doing it!"

[Thelittleonesaid]

you are right, there are much better reasons to give up econmics!

[IpkisStanley]

you might become a banker for one. A real BANKER!

[marvy1118]

What I think when I hear his soloing is, "How does he think this stuff up?!"

[marvy1118]

Just a note...  someone should post "That's All" from Mock Tudor.

[FuriousE]

I was gonna bring up Coltrane as well, it's a good comparison. Anyone that doesn't understand what RT is accomplishing in this solo better stay away from improvisation heavy music, you are only making a fool of yourself critiquing one of the greatest musicians alive!

[fluxedo1]

Really, this solo is great in the same way that Jon Coltrane's solos are great. Teetering on the edge of dissonance but always resolving in the end.

[PaulJayReynolds]

I'm tired of getting nasty comments from the Richard Thompson mafia. It was my son who posted the stupid comment! He should have qualified the comment - so I will. Richard has done some really good things, but this solo is awful! There's no context. The phrases don't relate. It's a bit like hearing a student playing 10 or 12 new licks. This is the only posting I will ever do! You all scare the shit out of me. Do you all dress like pretend revolutionaries too ?- just a joke! Great musician-solo x

[farnishk]

I've removed the personal comments - opinion is fine, but commenters should stick to commenting rather than having a pop at each other.

[mink61]

@PaulJayReynolds Thompson is not necessarily about logical melodic progressions....it seems to me that visceral expression is just as valid as anything else, and sometimes it is more so; without it you eliminate the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, MC5, Hendrix and so on, from rock’s illustrious and varied past. Finally, I am intrigued to know when you last heard the average student composing a song such ‘Withered and Died?’

[mink61]

@PaulJayReynolds I really think people should be allowed to say whatever they like within reason, they should also expect to be disagreed with once they have done so, like this....you are obviously familiar with Thompson’s music, and so the fact that you find his approach to ‘the solo’ not as you feel they should be played, seems to me a little odd. Maybe the way you see guitar playing is a little conservative?

[PaulJayReynolds]

This has got to be the stupeidest solo I have ever heard! Well done. What a legend! I think?

[farnishk]

In what way?

[thehellhecould]

This is a really original solo.RT is SO distinctive a player. You must have cloth ears not to appreciate his virtuosity. That said I saw him play this even better a few years ago at Birmingham Symphony Hall. A true original.

[hippietrucker67]

wow...

[dunringdill]

Unbelievable. It feels like Richard was Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa at one time in one body, on this performance. Espacially reminds me of wicked Zappa's solos. As much as i like guitarist like Clapton, nowadays they wouldn't dare to give a solo like this one. I'm not saying that they couldn't , they are just used to playing same numbers, same way, afraid of experimenting like in the 60's. Nevertheless they are still great.

[marvy1118]

I saw him do this song on the Mock Tudor tour (when it was fresh) and believe it or not it was even better and more passionate than this performance, which is sort of lame by comparison (sorry, but it's true). Can't blame him, by this time (2007) he's been playing the song for several years. But THAT night I was effing dumbstruck. I seriously could not believe what I was witnessing, :-O guitar playing from some other dimension. I wish that night were on YouTube so I could revisit it.

[Pragjag]

Yeah, the MT concerts were astonishing - but this is still sublime! I was at Cropredy that year, and there is something special about hearing RT cut loose beneath the Oxfordshire sky. Those spiralling solos reach the very heavens - a concert hall couldn't contain them.

[RatherLargeAllan]

@Pragjag I was there too and my overriding thoughts were SAD - I was thinking of all the young guitarists who must feel like giving up when they hear RT play like this. It is grossly unfair of RT to continue to improve whern he should be doing the old folks circuit at his age!

[JackStraw65]

Sick jam.

[Usurped]

Reminds me of the bass solo by The Ox in 5.15!

[Usurped]

Brilliant! amazing playing!

[ragozhin]

this solo is beyond the beyond!!!!!!!!!!

[ragozhin]

(slack jawed WOW!) !!!!!

[ulinbach]

Richard Thompson ist unerreicht!

Gruß

Uli

[Pragjag]

Ah! That wonderful I was there feeling!

[HullBloke1313]

Me and my mates were unable to get tickets this year, but we went anyway, venturing down to the festival field when we'd had enough of the awful wall-to-wall blues/rock at the pubs. Listened to this on a farmer's parked trailer, and was blown away. Couldn't see RT but it sounded great.

[eddielogic]

Nice steady hand footage, obviously no drink or drugs taken, what camera did you shoot the footage with? excellent post!!

[farnishk]

Cheers. It's just a Sony DV Handycam. I'm lucky to have steady hands, even though a few pints of Glorious 40 :-)

[fulltuneguitar]

...rock'n roll

[Pragjag]

I remember watching this through binoculars to watch RT's hands, but I couldn't keep focused because I was literally cackling with joy. A highlight of a terrific set.

[Myk70]

Any RT is great but what happened to RTs middle solo and DTs solo..I'd love to see the complete version...and yeah it was a fantastic set.

[farnishk]

I wanted to watch it without a video camera on my eye for a while. That's all.

[Myk70]

Can't blame you for that...it was very intense..anyway cheers for the clip..like I said any RT is good RT.

[AshesRising1]

Thank you for posting this gem.... just wish I had known about this dude sooner. The close-ups of his jams provide tremendous insight how the masters "dust off those rusty strings." Thank you.

[Pragjag]

Stunning! Thanks for posting.

[hizzert]

Thanx, My favorite electric song of RT. I,m looking forward to the gig in Paradiso in oct.

[olimandolin]

This solo reminds me of his solo on Reno, Nevada from a 68 French TV show, with FC. Then he was only 19. But, boy he can still play. I was there too, it was amazing, one of the highlights of the weekend.

[britpeach]

Kudos - excellent quality recording.

[geoffstout]

brilliant! I woz there at Cropredy and at Sheffield on Aug 7th where the guitar solo went on even longer! Jerome on the drums kicks ass!!

[cliveypants]

but was up with the audience at sheffield. u r allowed to dance on some of the rockier tracks surely!!!

[thirdfloorit]

fantastic thanks you mr Farnishk!