RICHARD THOMPSON - Can't Win (LIVE at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2018) | FIRST TIME REACTION

[@Pwecko]

The song is about parents telling their kids that they're never going to get on in life. The first line "I started to cry, they put gin in my cup" refers to what used to be a common way of getting babies to sleep. A little gin in their bottles at night would knock them out. There are lots of people who dont like to see others succeed, especially those close to them. Sad but true. The guitar solo on this song is brilliant. I saw the band on this tour. They were excellent. Put It There Pal and If Love Whispers Your Name are two other tracks with superb extended solos. Actually, most of Richard Thompson's songs are brilliant. You can't go wrong with him.

[@JamieBarton1984]

Isn't it just people telling you what to do - at all stages of your life?

[@richardmaguire9536]

My wife was from Trinidad and had a different knowledge of music to me, it was fun sharing each others influences. I got tickets to see RT at a favourite venue, she said she had heard him and I was surprised she was not very enthusiastic. We went on the night and she was blown away, he was on fire and the love in the hall was tangible. On the way home she confessed she thought it was The Thompson Twins we were going to see and that I had gone mad.

[@babylonsister118]

Love Richard, also! I am a big fan of the song Meet on the Ledge! Incredible songwriter!

[@RubesGoodBrainCoffee]

In a guitar magazine interview I read him say how, when he was at home practicing, he got lazy about switching from using a pick to fingerpicking; so he got to the point where he would just fingerpick without putting down his pick -- and that's how he developed that technique.

[@jkoff76]

Richard is great.

[@27thangel23]

Yeah, it was Vincent Black Lightning, 1952. LOVE Richard and his work. Greetings from Canada. Peace, love and bellbottoms.

[@kevinkuschel2457]

One of my favorite artists. From Fairport Convention to now. Remarkable. Seen him many times and always fantastic and quite humorous as well.

[@outernothingness1177]

If you write songs this good, you're not supposed to be able to sing this good If you sing this good, you're not supposed to be able to play the guitar this well. If you play the guitar this well, you're not supposed to be able to be this inventive in your solos. If you're this inventive in your solos, you're not supposed to be able to write songs this good. And somehow this guy pulls it off. Bob Dylan hasn't made his way past 25% of that. Nor has most of the rest of the world.

[@mamaflush9945]

Hello brother, I sure did enjoy listening to this beautiful tune again. Here's another song by Richard Thompson, if interested. "Richard Thompson - Beeswing" this song was released on Thompson's album "Mirror Blue" which is the eighth studio album and released in 1994. And if you'd like to listen to, he and his wife Linda Thompson together, then check out "Linda & Richard Thompson - A Heart Needs A Home" (by the channel: Cleapatr) this is a live performance, and the quality is pretty decent too. Richard Thompson first released "A Heart Needs A Home" on the album "Hockey Poke Y" released in 1975 one of the six studio albums he recorded with Linda Thompson. I have decedents from the Scots from Ulster and grew up listening to these lovely tunes.

[@bendancar]

Great suggestions. Both of those songs are fantastic.

[@01Waller]

I've seen him play this song twice live with a band. He soloed for about 10 minutes each time and pretty went into a trance.

[@glynjones7158]

See him live, it's a religious experience. The song is about small-minded people keeping their own down. They hate to see their kind succeed; they'll cut 'em down to size if they try. The mother puts sand in the eyes of her own sons, ice on their tongues. He's a superbly literate lyricist.

[@StefanPina]

one of my favorites, great songwriter and a great guitarist

[@dmn23]

His electric playing is pretty different from his acoustic stuff but he always sounds like Richard and it's instantly recognizable. Weird intervals and bends with lots of tension. The electric stuff is usually more dissonant hellfire, and when he's acoustic it's almost always solo and he's creating a massive sound with alternate tunings and the hybrid picking. The hybrid picking thing shows up more frequently with country players. Albert Lee is a master of that technique, check him out sometime. But with those guys it's usually just another tool in the toolbox. Richard plays like that all the time and his right hand is a freak of nature. It's difficult to describe to non-musicians how crazy it is. I'd be less impressed if he levitated and fired laserbeams from his eyeballs.

[@philmus1]

Concert started with Richard blowing the tubes in one of his amps!

[@intothesunset3]

Great request and reaction♥

[@resineheadresearch]

Amazing mate 💯

[@timarmstrong3251]

His other great electric guitar virtuoso is a cover of Donovan's Season of the Witch. You'll love it. And Mark Knopfler is hugely influenced by Richard Thompson. He used to deny it, but now seems happy to acknowledge that.

[@JohnGauld]

But I will win. I am. Thanks Richard muchas. Choice quality.

[@larrysmac]

If you appreciate well worn equipment check out Jaco Pastorius' bass.

[@stephenbouchelle7706]

That old(ish) man can rock the bejeezus out of guitar.