At the age of 61 most people are beginning to consider retirement plans. Some pick up a new hobby, most plan to spoil their grandchildren, but legendary songwriter Richard Thompson has decided to remodel the recording process during his twilight years.
Apparently, the British folk-rocker wanted to continue transforming an industry that he has quietly dominated for 40 years. Thompson has written hits for artists ranging from Del McCoury to R.E.M, received the Orville H. Gibson and Ivor Novello awards for extraordinary accomplishments in acoustic guitar and compostion, respectively, and BBC Radio presented him with a lifetime achievement award in 2006. Plus, the man has a knack for curating festivals.
Thompson decided to forego the studio all-together for his upcoming release Dream Attic. Attempting to challenge the current trends of high-cost, perfection-driven music production, Thompson recorded the album’s 13 new tracks while touring the West Coast in February. However, Thompson didn’t restrict his creativity to help simplify the live-recording process. Writing the arrangements prior to deciding to record on the road, the album highlights Thompson’s ability on electric guitar and includes a saxophone, flute, violin and mandolin.
Thompson quickly discovered two points during the process: it’s as expensive to record on the road as in a studio and tracks sacrifice accuracy for energy. Producers cannot Autotune vocals or enhance string sections, but Thompson’s 4-piece outfit found that a live audience is the perfect incentive to perform each track spot-on.
Not set for release until August 31 via Shout! Factory, Thompson will be playing bits and pieces of Dream Attic during his summer tour. He will promote the album in the States starting in October, but no cities or dates have currently been announced. As previously mentioned, Thompson is also curating this year’s Meltdown festival in London. Taking place June 12-20, the line-up includes Elvis Costello, Broken Bells, and Paulo Nutini, amongst many others. A complete track listing for Dream Attic follows, as well as an updated tour schedule.
Dream Attic Tracklist:
01. The Money Shuffle
02. Among the Gorse, Among the Grey
03. Haul Me Up
04. Burning Man
05. Here Comes Geordie
06. Demons in Her Dancing Shoes
07. Crimescene
08. Big Sun Falling in the River
09. Stumble On
10. Sidney Wells
11. A Brother Slips Away
12. Bad Again
13. If Love Whispers Your Name
Richard Thompson 2010 tour dates:
05/28 – Camp Mather, CA @ Strawberry Festival
05/29 – Napa, CA @ The Uptown Theater
06/11 – London, UK @ Royal Festival Hall
06/14 – London, UK @ Queen Elizabeth Hall
06/19 – London, UK @ Royal Festival Hall
06/27 – Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
06/30 – Deurne, BE @ Open Lucht Theater
07/02 – Kent, UK @ Hop Farm Festival
07/10 – Belliver, ES @ Waiting for Waits Festival
07/13 – Chesterfield, UK @ Winding Wheel
07/16 – Liverpool, UK @ Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
08/14 – Cooper Mountain, CO @ Guitar Town Festival
08/15 – Lyons, CO @ The Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
08/16 – Albuquerque, NM @ Museum Amphitheater
08/22 – Schwenksville, PA @ Philadelphia Folk Festival
08/24 – Middlebury, VT @ Town Hall Theater
08/25 – Brownfield, ME @ Stone Mountain Arts Center
08/26 – Waterville, ME @ Waterville Opera House
08/27 – Portsmouth, NH @ Prescott Park Arts Festival
08/29 – Fall River, MA @ Narrows Arts Center
08/30 – Brownfield, ME @ Stone Mountain Arts Center
10/10 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
11/29 – Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Eindhoven Airport Zaal
12/06 – London UK @ Cadogan Hall