- Hand of Kindness
Infobox Album | Name = Hand Of Kindness
Type = Studio album
Artist = Richard Thompson
Released = June 1983
Recorded = 1983
Olympic Studios ,London
Ocean Way Studios ,Los Angeles
Genre = Rock
Length = 41:15
Label =Hannibal Records
Producer =Joe Boyd
Reviews = *"Rolling Stone " Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/richardthompson/albums/album/312160/review/5942681/hand_of_kindness link]
Last album = "Strict Tempo!
(1981)"
This album = "Hand Of Kindness"
(1983)
Next album = "Small Town Romance "
(1984)|__NOTOC__"Hand Of Kindness" is analbum by Richard Thompson recorded and released in 1983.After the "Tour From Hell" to promote "
Shoot Out The Lights " Richard Thompson resumed a solo career as a recording and performing artist."Hand Of Kindness" is a distinct departure from the albums that preceded it. Thompson biographer Patrick Humphries observed that with this album Thompson "left the darkness behind him and walked out into the light". This is one of the most straight forward and up tempo rock albums in the Thompson catalog. The mood is generally exuberant and Thompson's vocals and particularly his guitar playing are confident and extrovert. The one exception is the very dark and melancholy "Devonside", a track which Thompson rarely plays live, occasionally joking that he doesn't want to depress the audience.
Several songs feature the dual saxophones of
Pete Zorn and Pete Thomas, and for about 18 months after the release of "Hand Of Kindness" Thompson toured with his "Big Band" that featured the two sax players prominently.The album opens with "Tear Stained Letter", which was later a Top Ten hit when
country music artistJo-El Sonnier recorded it on his 1987 album "Come On Joe".Patty Loveless also covered it on 1997's "The Trouble with the Truth ".Track listing
All songs written by Richard Thompson
#"Tear Stained Letter"
#"How I Wanted To"
#"Both Ends Burning"
#"A Poisoned Heart And A Twisted Memory"
#"Where The Wind Don't Whine"
#"The Wrong Heartbeat"
#"Hand Of Kindness"
#"Devonside"
#"Two Left Feet"Personnel
*Richard Thompson -
guitar , vocals
*Dave Pegg -bass guitar
*Dave Mattacks - drums
*Pete Zorn -saxophone , backing vocals
*Pete Thomas -saxophone
*Simon Nicol -guitar
*John Hiatt ,Bobby King andClive Gregson - backing vocals
*John Kirkpatrick -accordion ,concertina
*Aly Bain -violin
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