Hand of Kindness
| Hand of Kindness | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:RT Hok.jpg | ||||
| Studio album by Richard Thompson | ||||
| Released | June 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1983 Olympic Studios, London Ocean Way Studios, Los Angeles |
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| Genre | Rock, folk rock, zydeco | |||
| Length | 41:15 | |||
| Label | Hannibal Records | |||
| Producer | Joe Boyd | |||
| Richard Thompson chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone |  [2] |
Hand of Kindness is the second solo studio album by Richard Thompson recorded and released in 1983. It is his first solo album since 1972's Henry the Human Fly.
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 straightforward 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 on the country music charts when Jo-El Sonnier recorded it on his 1987 album Come On Joe. A second country music cover of this song was later recorded by Patty Loveless on her 1997 album The Trouble with the Truth. The song also appeared on the 2005 album, Into the Harbour, by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
The album's cover photo features Thompson holding an acoustic guitar made for him by American luthier Danny Ferrington; the same guitar which appears on the cover of Thompson's next release Small Town Romance.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Richard Thompson.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tear-Stained Letter" | 4:42 |
| 2. | "How I Wanted To" | 5:12 |
| 3. | "Both Ends Burning" | 3:51 |
| 4. | "A Poisoned Heart and a Twisted Memory" | 5:25 |
| 5. | "Where the Wind Don't Whine" | 4:09 |
| 6. | "The Wrong Heartbeat" | 3:15 |
| 7. | "Hand of Kindness" | 6:03 |
| 8. | "Devonside" | 4:46 |
| 9. | "Two Left Feet" | 3:53 |
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 and Clive Gregson - backing vocals
- John Kirkpatrick - accordion, concertina
- Aly Bain - violin
References
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- ↑ Rolling Stone review
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