I feel guilty for saying this, but it's the truth, so here goes: the lockdown (wherever it is, taking different forms as it does internationally) has brought with it absolute treasures in terms of fabulous stuff appearing on-line that probably wouldn't have got there otherwise. Has that made the misfortunes and downright suffering of so many worthwhile? No. Absolutely not. But it's a small truth in a huge picture of many truths jostling against each other for attention.
And when that small truth manifests in the form of the great Richard Thompson performing Facebook concerts from the comfort of his home it looms large in the consciousness of RT fanboys like myself. Funnily enough though, I haven't managed to watch one all the way through yet. Will be putting that right soon, you can bet. But I have managed to watch bits of all of them, and today's bit served as a reminder of the astonishing range of his catalogue.
He begins Facebook Live Concert #3 with a lovely version of Sam Jones, a song I've never heard him do outside of the album version. I'd sort of forgotten the existence of the song to be honest. It's ages since I've played you? me? us? the album it appears on (on disc 2, the acoustic nude CD.) And when I heard this earlier today (goofing off for 10 minutes ahead of doing a bit of teaching) it suddenly brought back to me just good you? me? us? actually is. And here's the strange thing: I seem to be one of the few people (RT fans included) who think so. Generally it got reasonably appreciative but low-key almost tepid reviews when it came out. Which means my feeling for it as a master-work - a feeling that has grown over time, rather than diminishing, and grew a little more today - is probably wrong in some way, which is deeply puzzling given my pretty much perfect taste in these matters.
That's the thing about genius. It overwhelms. Even the supposedly minor stuff can become major, if you allow it.
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