Shoot Out the Lights (2-Disc Deluxe Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)They should have called their concert appearances to support this album "The Divorce Tour" or "Break Up Tour. "Shoot Out the Lights" remains a seminal 80's album and one of Richard and Linda Thompson's finest achievements. Although it wasn't written about their martial discord, "Shoot Out the Lights" certainly reflected the aftermath of failing marriage. A spare, brilliantly written/performed/produced album and one of the Thompson's towering achievements.
When this review was written it was still cheaper to order this through Rhinohandmade.com
As many fans know this was the second attempt to make the album the first was with Hugh Murphy (and Gerry Rafferty)and Richard wasn't happy with the result. He, Linda and producer Joe Boyd started all over again. The first disc is the original album (unfortunately none of the earlier tracks are here and "Living in Luxury" hasn't been added back to the CD. It was never on the album but was a b-side to the single).
The second disc consists of the surviving live recordings taken from the multitracks for the San Francisco, Santa Cruz appearances and from soundboard cassetttes. The multitracks were damaged for most of these performances (some of them irrepairably)but Ed Haber working with the Rhino team managed to restore some of these for this set. Sound quality is surprisingly good given the various sources and damaged state of some of these tapes and Haber along with input from Richard and Linda Thompson has assembled the best surviving performances for an 11 track CD:
1. Dargai
2. Backstreet Slide
3. Pavane
4. I'll Keep It with Mine
5. Borrowed time
6. Did She Jump or Was She Pushed?
7. I'm A Dreamer
8. Honky Tonk Blues
9. Shoot Out the Lights
10. For Shame of Doing Wrong
11. Dimming of the Day (and a "hidden" track at the end of the CD--"Price of Love"--from a cassette recording so the quality does fall a bit).
All of these have never been released before and since the only other full length concert recording is from a 1975 show, it's nice to have these tracks as well. Sadly, Joe Boyd DIDN'T record the L.A. shows which were by all accounts outstanding so this is all we have with good sound (at least "offically").
The CDs are housed in an oversized hardcover book with a deluxe booklet including comments/interviews from the Thompsons' band, Haber as well as Joe Boyd. The original lyrics are also included presented in the same typeface and design as on the inner sleeve for the original vinyl album (and on the booklet for the earlier CDs as well). It's kind of big to store with your regular CDs but you could do what I did and just rip the songs from the CDs for listening in the car. I'm sure some folks might not like the design but I did--it isn't as big as most "boxed sets" and it adds quality to it in my opinion.

While I think this is a terrific two disc set, it's a pity that Rhino couldn't (or wouldn't due to cost concerns)license the material from the aborted first attempt to make the album. The few tracks that have turned up were on the "Watching the Dark" third disc anthology that Ed Haber put together and "Dreams Fly Away". I would have loved to see those tracks here as part of a third disc. It's also possible that Richard or Linda nixed the idea of including these tracks but I suspect it was more a licensing/cost issue since some have appeared before.
Early editions of this album on CD also include the bonus track so you can find "Living in Luxury" there.
The inclusion of this material would have made this the ultimate edition of this great album. These minor quibbles shouldn't prevent you from buying this though as it is worth it for fans if only for the second live disc AND the exceptional packaging of the set.
Highly recommended.

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Lock and load with a high-powered chronicle of one couple's failed marriage. Shoot Out The Lights is Richard and Linda Thompson's final album together and, ironically, the folk-rock couple's most artistically acclaimed and commercially successful. The album was recorded, scrapped, and rerecorded before finally emerging in 1982, arriving just around the time that the couple split up. Despite the separation, they embarked upon a U.S. tour to promote the album, delivering emotionally charged performances at every turn.
Rhino Handmade reissues the couple's legendary swan song as a two-disc deluxe edition that includes the original album along with a bonus disc of 11 unreleased live performances from the tour.
Track listing:
Disc 1
1. Don't Renege On Our Love
2. Walking On A Wire
3. A Man In Need
4. Just The Motion
5. Shoot Out The Lights
6. Back Street Slide
7. Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed?
8. Wall Of Death
Disc 2
1. Dargai (live)
2. Back Street Slide (live)
3. Pavanne (live)
4. I'll Keep It With Mine (live)
5. Borrowed Time (live)
6. Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed? (live)
7. I'm A Dreamer (live)
8. Honky Tonk Blues (live)
9. Shoot Out The Lights (live)
10. For Shame Of Doing Wrong (live)
11. Dimming Of The Day (live)

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