Decades of eclectic songwriting, guitar mastery have earned folk rocker Richard Thompson cult status
It’s an article of faith among music geeks that Richard Thompson is one of the most underrated guitarists of all time. While no one has ever crowned him a deity and scrawled his name across London walls, Rolling Stone magazine did anoint him one of the 20 best guitarists ever. Thompson has carved out a career through his fiery fretwork and by churning out great songs.
His most recent release, 2007’s “Sweet Warrior,” features some of his most trenchant songwriting in years. He continues to challenge a rabidly faithful following with everything from-not-yet-recorded material to his popular “1,000 Years of Popular Music” shows, incorporating both “Sumer Is Icumen In,” which was likely the first song ever written in the English language, and Britney Spears’ “Oops, I Did It Again.”
Thompson will headline this weekend’s Thirsty Ear Festival along with singer/songwriter Patty Griffin. He’ll take the stage at the Eaves Movie Ranch at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
A nimble banterer, Thompson infuses his best work with both wit and pathos between deliciously eclectic solos.
“I’m always working on two or three things at once,” he said. “I find that I’m just more productive that way.”
His current projects include another electric album and a musical.
“It’s somewhere between a song cycle and a musical play,” he said.
While based in London as part of a European festival tour that includes stops in Spain, Finland and Sweden, as well as Britain, Thompson spoke with the Journal by telephone, saying his Thirsty Ear show will feature material from the ’60s as well as unrecorded new songs. Between solo shows, he’s spending his time on the other half of the pond visiting family and London’s parks, museums, river trips and Kewe Gardens.
“It’s like Dr. Johnson said: ‘When a man’s tired of London, he’s tired of life,’” he said.
He answered questions with both grace and aplomb.
1. Rolling Stone called you one of the 20 best guitarists of all time. Name your favorite.
“I have a lot of dead favorites,” he said. “Django Rhinehart or Les Paul; people I grew up with. I don’t listen to a lot of contemporary guitar players, probably out of fear of being incestuous.”
2. What’s the greatest album of all time?
“The one that comes out so often is ‘Revolver.’ Also, the first Left Bank album and some older stuff.”
3. Which member of Spinal Tap are you?
“I’d probably have to be Nigel, I suppose. I respect his attitude.”
4. Which masterpiece of songwriting do you wish you’d written?
“I wish I’d written ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ or ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ by Leonard Cohen — ‘Pancho and Lefty’ by Townes Van Zandt. If I’d written those three, I’d really be something.” 5. What’s your favorite brain food? “Apart from spinach or something? Probably going to the opera or doing the crossword or playing Scrabble. Or just walking.” 6. What is your greatest musical guilty pleasure? “I do like Abba. It’s kind of smart pop music.” 7. What’s your version of stress management? “I write a song, probably. A song is sort of a revenge form of stress release. Otherwise, exercise is just fine — playing tennis, swimming.” 8. Essential to life: coffee, vodka, cigarettes or chocolate? “I had to give up coffee, which was just terrible.” 9. What’s your ideal home environment?
“I could live in a lot of places. I really like London. I could live in France or Spain. I live in L.A., where I’m very happy. The place I’d like to live in is a cloud forest — a high-altitude rain forest or a botanical garden.”
10. Who is your ideal dinner guest?
“Well, let’s see, I’m looking around and I see Newton, there’s Marie Antoinette ...
“In the real world, it’s nice to have dinner with other musicians. On the road, you don’t really see each other.”
11 . What would you like to say to President Bush?
“I’d say, ‘Look behind you.’ I’d love to see him impeached and subsequently prosecuted. He’s a smug bastard ... seeing him rotting in hell and reduced to watching endless reruns of ‘Lawrence Welk.’”
LINEUP
TODAY
Main Stage, Friday: doors open at 6 p.m.
6:30-7:30 p.m. Bill Hearne’s Roadhouse Revue
8-9 p.m. Pleasure Pilots
9:30-10:30 p.m. Santa Fe Allstars
Side stages: Round Mountain, Joe West
SATURDAY
Main Stage, Saturday: doors open at 1 p.m.
1:30-2:30 p.m. Little Freddie King
3-4 p.m. Hundred Year Flood
4:30-6 p.m. Shemekia Copeland
6:30-8 p.m. Richard Thompson
8:30-10 p.m. Ryan McGarvey Side stages: Laurianne Fiorentino, African Drum Trio, Ken Valdez, Tone & Company, African drumming for kids, Zydeco dance classes
SUNDAY
Main Stage, Sunday: doors open at 1 p.m.
1:30-2:30 p.m. Samuel James
3-4 p.m. Junior Brown
4:30-6 p.m. Alex Maryol Band
6:30-8 p.m. Patty Griffin
8:30-10 p.m. Buckwheat Zydeco
Side stages: Roger Landes, The Random Family, Samuel James, traditional Irish, African drumming for kids, Zydeco dance lessons
If You Go
WHAT: Thirsty Ear Music Festival
WHEN: Tonight through Sunday
WHERE: Eaves Movie Ranch
COST: $70/two-day pass. Friday only, $2 plus two cans of food for charity. Saturday only, $45; Sunday only, $45. Three-day camping pass $30. Kids younger than 12 free.
CONTACT: 988-1234 or www.thirstyearfestival.com
