Eagle Rock Entertainment / 2011 / 145 mins / NR

THE FILM:
Considered one of the finest guitarists of all time, Richard Thompson has been making music and entertaining audiences since the 1960’s. For this, his very first Blu-ray release, the musician has gathered together Michael Jerome on drums, Taras Prodaniuk on bass, Joel Zifkin on violin and mandolin and Pete Zorn on guitar, flute, saxophone and mandolin for a whopping two-hour and 25-minute set that covers his legendary repertoire from his very first album (1972’s HENRY THE HUMAN FLY) through to his current release, DREAM ATTIC. Recorded in January of 2011 at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow for the Celtic Connections celebration, Thompson and company’s set list here includes:

1. The Money Shuffle
2. Among The Gorse, Among The Grey
3. Haul Me Up
4. Burning Man
5. Here Comes Geordie
6. Demons In Her Dancing Shoes
7. Big Sun Falling In The River
8. Stumble On
9. Sidney Wells
10. A Brother Slips Away
11. If Love Whispers Your Name
12. The Angels Took My Racehorse Away
13. Can’t Win
14. One Door Opens
15. Al Bowlly’s In Heaven
16. I’ll Never Give It Up
17. Wall Of Death
18. Tear Stained Letter
19. Take Care The Road You Choose
20. A Man In Need

Thompson has divided this concert into two sections; the first concentrates entirely on songs from his new record DREAM ATTIC while the second delves into his seemingly limitless wealth of older material. His laid back style hides a wonderfully acerbic attitude, which he frequently aims at his audience when they don’t respond as he would like. His voice and guitar playing, as well as his band, are in prime condition. There isn’t a single weak moment musically in this massive set and fans of Thompson will want to run out immediately to pick this up.

THE DISC:
The concert was shot in high-def and the anamorphic 1.78 transfer is mostly solid. Hot lights are the only enemy on this disc as they frequently blow out detail like Pete Zorn’s hair. Close-ups offer extremely clear images and for the most part clarity is sharp. Colors are well saturated and bold.

More importantly, the sound mix is excellent. The DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1 surround mix is what this disc is all about and it delivers an exceptionally immersive experience. The music is all encompassing without losing the spaciousness of the auditorium and the sense of a live event.

THE EXTRAS:
The only supplements are two additional songs filmed at the 2011 Cambridge Folk Festival: “Uninhabited Man” and “Johnny’s Far Away.”

MY SAY:
An excellent concert and an excellent disc, THE RICHARD THOMPSON BAND LIVE AT CELTIC CONNECTIONS is sure to please the several generations of his fans.

Reviewed by Jeff Allen