Audio CD review:
Maddy Prior, Martin Carthy, Shawn Colvin, Loudon Wainwright III, Beausoleil, David Byrne, Syd Straw, Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M., June Tabor - Beat the Retreat: Songs by Richard Thompson

Maddy Prior, Martin Carthy, Shawn Colvin, Loudon Wainwright III, Beausoleil, David Byrne, Syd Straw, Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M., June Tabor - Beat the Retreat: Songs by Richard Thompson

Band: Maddy Prior, Martin Carthy, Shawn Colvin, Loudon Wainwright III, Beausoleil, David Byrne, Syd Straw, Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M., June Tabor Title: Beat the Retreat: Songs by Richard Thompson Rating: Release Date: 04 October, 1994 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Shoot out the Lights - X 2: Wall of Death - R.E.M. 3: When the Spell Is Broken - Bonnie Raitt 4: Turning of the Tide - Bob Mould 5: For Shame of Doing Wrong - Evan Dando, Syd Straw 6: Down Where the Drunkards Roll - Los Lobos, Los Lobos 7: Beat the Retreat - June Tabor 8: Genesis Hall - June Tabor 9: I Misunderstood - Dinosaur Jr. 10: Madness of Love - Graham Parker 11: Just the Motion - David Byrne 12: Valerie - Beausoleil 13: Heart Needs a Home - Shawn Colvin, Loudon Wainwright III 14: Dimming of the Day - The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, The Five Blind Boys of Alabama 15: Farewell, Farewell - Martin Carthy, Maddy Prior 16: Great Valerio - Martin Carthy, Maddy Prior

Customer Reviews Reviews 64) - 3 Stars - Good - ". Rolling Stone (3/9/95, p. . . Over a nearly 30-year career. . . Richard Thompson has established himself as a guitar virtuoso and extraordinary songwriter. BEAT THE RETREAT contains some energized renditions of his material. . . " Q (11/94, p. 126) - 4 Stars - Excellent - ". . . The range of performers involved here underlines the reach of Thompson's art. . . . BEAT THE RETREAT achieves a continuity of mood that places it above most `tribute' albums. . . " Dirty Linen (12/94-1/95, p. 62) - ". . . BEAT THE RETREAT shows just how much a great song can ignite the creative spark within even the most mainstream artists. . . " Option (3-4/95, p. 93) - ". . . does justice to a darkly masterful songwriter and guitarist. . . " . For Shame of Sequencing Wrong This album rates high, but in my estimation it is saddled with deeply flawed track sequencing. It's a definite tribute to a songwriter when the strength of their writing shines through, and is even complimented by a diversity of interpretive styles. Hence, 4 stars. I brought a copy home from the library initially and noted the high points. Here was the proverbial embarrassment of riches, yet something felt amiss. When I got my own copy I put it in the PC and reordered the tracks until it gelled. I humbly submit the following resequencing as more palatable: Turning of the Tide / For Shame of Doing Wrong / Shoot Out the Lights / Valerie / When the Spell is Broken / Beat the Retreat / Down Where the Drunkards Roll / Wall of Death / Just the Motion / Genesis Hall / A Heart Needs a Home / The Madness of Love / Dimming of the Day / The Great Valerio. Omitted were 2 tracks: I felt that Sandy Denny owns Farewell, Farewell; plus, Dinosaur Jr. seemed a little out of place here with I Misunderstood. While regarding REM highly, Wall of Death sounds phoned-in compared to the R&L Thompson original, rating just okay. Being partial to Los Lobos, I feel that the apparently understated arrangement of Down Where the Drunkards Roll is actually rich in sonic detail and ultimately transcendant. The remainder of this album is very fine and deserving of a listen by not only Thompson devotees. . A Fitting - and Excellent - Tribute Richard Thompson, a founding member of Fairport Convention who has had a devoted cult following both here in the States and in his native Britain, is a formidable songwriter, not to mention one of the best folk and rock guitarists alive. This gets my vote as my favorite tribute album of all time, and in my opinion it's one of the best ever put together. He is one of those musical talents who has unjustifiably been denied large-scale commercial success. But he probably would consider the admiration of his peers more important than that anyway, and it's shown in abundance on this collection. Contrary to the track record of most tributes, this one hasn't a weak song on it. Packed with talent, it represents a variety of styles, from the crunchy rock of Dinosaur Jr. , Bob Mould and X to the quiet folk of Martin Carthy and Maddy Prior (co-founders of another classic Brit folk-rock band, Steeleye Span). Everyone grafts their own style to these songs, and mostly they are quite successful. Graham Parker's "The Madness of Love" is a highlight, as is Bonnie Raitt's "When the Spell Is Broken" (backed by the gospel greats The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, who also do a goosebump-raising version of "Dimming of the Day"). Another Brit-folk great, June Tabor, turns in a fine rendition of the title track, and David Byrne gives a restrained but effective reading of "Just the Motion". National treasure Beausoleil does a "bontemps" version of "Valerie" (which was also a country hit for another artist whose name escapes me). The closest to missteps here are from two of my favorite bands. Los Lobos' "Down Where the Drunkards Roll" is so low-key as to be almost somnambulant; and in R. E. M. 's version of "Wall of Death", Michael Stipe's phrasing seems clumsy to me - I much prefer Nanci Griffith?s cover of that tune. Overall, though, this is an affectionate and well-conceived tribute to an artist who easily deserves it. . You can see a complete list of all Maddy Prior, Martin Carthy, Shawn Colvin, Loudon Wainwright III, Beausoleil, David Byrne, Syd Straw, Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M., June Tabor discography, or go back to the Maddy Prior, Martin Carthy, Shawn Colvin, Loudon Wainwright III, Beausoleil, David Byrne, Syd Straw, Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M., June Tabor tabs