The third and (to date) best of Richard Thompson's side releases, 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 hope 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 electifying 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 inclusion 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 ofTim Finn and Richard Thompson's 'Persuasion'.
Father and son also team up - with Teddy on guitar and backing vocal - 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 and 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'.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turning of the TideRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 03:35 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 2 | How Will I Ever Be Simple AgainRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 03:34 | 8 MB | 18 MB |
| 3 | Why Must I PleadRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 04:30 | 10 MB | 23 MB |
| 4 | Poor Ditching BoyRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 5 | When the Spell Is BrokenRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 04:52 | 11 MB | 26 MB |
| 6 | Last ShiftRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 03:29 | 8 MB | 18 MB |
| 7 | Keep Your DistanceRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 03:50 | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| 8 | Walking on a WireRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 04:35 | 10 MB | 26 MB |
| 9 | A Heart Needs a HomeRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 04:08 | 9 MB | 21 MB |
| 10 | She May Call You up TonightMichael Brown, Steve Martin | Richard Thompson | Play | 02:17 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 11 | PersuasionTim Finn, Richard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 04:18 | 9 MB | 24 MB |
| 12 | Razor DanceRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| 13 | Beat the RetreatRichard Thompson | Richard Thompson | Play | 04:43 | 10 MB | 25 MB |
| 14 | Pharaoh | Richard Thompson | Play | 04:44 | 10 MB | 25 MB |
| 55 mins | 127 MB | |||||
| 55 mins | 312 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Brown | Composer |
| 2 | Tom Dube | Engineer, Mixing, Photography, Producer |
| 3 | Tim Finn | Composer |
| 4 | Lauren Herman | Art Direction, Photography |
| 5 | Steve Martin | Composer |
| 6 | Dave Mattacks | Drums (Snare), Hi Hat |
| 7 | Simon Tassano | Engineer |
| 8 | Richard Thompson | Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 9 | Teddy Thompson | Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals |
| 10 | Jonathan Wyner | Mastering |
| 11 | Sian Wynne | Coordination |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |