The third and best of
Richard Thompson's side releases to date,
Celtschmerz is a terrific 16-song sampling of his 1998 solo acoustic tour of the U.K. Like the first two releases, the album was sold primarily by mail-order and at shows, in hopes of discouraging fans from turning to bootlegs for a concert tour souvenir. The record serves as a good representation of
Thompson's solo shows, which can frequently be as electrifying as his sets with a full band -- showcasing his stunning guitar playing as well as the breadth of his writing in a stripped-down setting. A surprise treat is the addition of
Richard's son
Teddy Thompson, who opened the shows.
Teddy, whose clear, rich voice seems to owe more to his mother
Linda Thompson than to his father, trades verses on his parents' classic "A Heart Needs a Home" and a beautiful rendition of
Tim Finn and
Richard Thompson's "Persuasion." Father and son also team up -- with
Teddy on guitar and backing vocals -- on four more tracks, including a lively take on
the Left Banke's "She May Call You Up Tonight" (a song that turned up from time to time in
Richard & Linda's earliest live shows). Other highlights include the aching "Why Must I Plead," the Celtic rock of "When the Spell Is Broken," a searing "Turning of the Tide," and
Richard and
Teddy's duet on
Shoot Out the Lights' joyfully dark "Wall of Death." ~ Brett Hartenbach