You? Me? Us? Richard Thompson

• 1 Razor Dance 02:42
• 2 She Steers By Lightning 02:23
• 3 Dark Hand Over My Heart 03:55
• 4 Hide It Away 04:23
• 5 Put It There Pal 06:15
• 6 Business On You 02:50
• 7 No's Not A Word 04:23
• 8 Am I Wasting My Love On You? 02:58
• 9 Bank Vault In Heaven 04:38
• 10 The Ghost Of You Walks 03:40
• 11 Baby Don't Know What To Do With Herself 03:32
• 12 She Cut Off Her Long Silken Hair 05:01
• 13 Hide It Away 04:33
• 14 Burns Supper 03:50
• 15 Train Don't Leave 02:20
• 16 Cold Kisses 04:26
• 17 Sam Jones 03:57
• 18 Razor Dance 02:29
• 19 Woods Of Darney 05:43
• Total Runtime 01:13:58

Info for You? Me? Us?

„On the surface, you? me? us? appears to be a major statement from Richard Thompson. Spread out over two discs, the budget-priced album features 19 tracks, separated into an electric ('Voltage Enhanced') disc and an acoustic ('Nude') disc, which each runs around 40 minutes; 'Razor Dance' and 'Hide It Away' appear on both discs. Despite its appearance, you? me? us? isn't one of Thompson's major works. What sinks the album isn't the songs -- as always, Thompson has written a handful of gems -- but Mitchell Froom's production. Froom's gauzy, pseudo-experimental approach masks the songs in an impenetrable haze, which neither Thompson's guitar nor his voice can cut through. There is no texture to the album's sound -- it is mushy and colorless, which cuts away at the heart of Thompson's direct, emotional songs. If the songs on you? me? us? were given the simple, direct production they deserve, it would have been a completely different, more compelling experience. As it stands, it's a wildly uneven and unengaging listen, like the great majority of the Froom-produced Richard Thompson records.“ (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG)

'...Thompson's special genius is in the way the slightly bassy warmth of his voice and his singular style of earthy pop classicism humanize all the hurt and mistrust...' (Rolling Stone)

You? Me? Us? was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Richard Thompson, guitar, vocals, mandolin, hurdy-gurdy
Additional musicians:
Mitchell Froom, keyboards
Tchad Blake, guitar
Simon Nicol, guitar
Jerry Scheff, bass
Pete Thomas, drums
Jim Keltner, drums
Christine Collister, backing vocals
Teddy Thompson, backing vocals
Danny Thompson, double bass
Suzie Katayama, cello
Sid Page, violin

Recorded February 1996 at The Sound Factory, Los Angeles
Engineered by Tchad Blake
Mastered by Bob Ludwig
Produced by Mitchell Froom, Tchad Blake

Digitally remastered

Richard Thompson
Named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the Top 20 Guitarists of All Time, Richard Thompson is also one of the world’s most critically acclaimed and prolific songwriters. He has received Lifetime Achievement Awards for Songwriting on both sides of the Atlantic - from the Americana Music Association in Nashville to Britain’s BBC Awards as well as the prestigious Ivor Novello. In 2011, Thompson received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) personally bestowed upon him by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. In the USA Thompson has been nominated at the Americanas for both “Artist of the Year” and “Song of the Year”. HIs recently released CD, Still was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy which reached #6 in the UK charts (just ahead of Taylor Swift)!

Having co-founded the groundbreaking group Fairport Convention as a teenager in the 60’s, Richard Thompson and his mates virtually invented British Folk Rock. By the age of 21 he left Fairport to pursue his own career, followed by a decade long musical partnership with his then-wife Linda, to over 30 years as a highly successful solo artist who tours both solo acoustic and with his electric trio.

A wide range of musicians have recorded Thompson’s songs including Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, REM, Del McCoury, Bonnie Raitt, Patty Lovelace, Los Lobos, Tom Jones, David Byrne, Don Henley, Robert Earl Keen and many others.

Thompson’s massive body of work includes over 40 albums, many Grammy nominations, as well as numerous soundtracks, including Werner Hertzog’s Grizzy Man.

As an in-demand live performer, the past two years saw Richard Thompson headlining dates around the world as well as co-headlining shows with Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell as well as the Americanarama Tour with Bob Dylan, Wilco, and My Morning Jacket - which culminated with Dylan himself performing RT’s classic song “’1952 Vincent Black Lightning”.

Thompson’s genre defying mastery of both acoustic and electric guitar along with dizzying energy and onstage wit continue to earn Richard Thompson massive new fans and a place as one of the most distinctive virtuosos in Folk Rock history.

“Genius appears early. Legends are earned. But history’s greatest never stand on their laurels. This is the artistic arc for Richard Thompson!”

This album contains no booklet.