Already a couple, Richard and Linda Thompson decided that they’d start performing together as well. When their record label lost interest in their exploits, they decided to record together. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight arrived in 1974, bearing the first fruits of their professional relationship. Featuring Richard’s piercing songs and Linda’s aching vocals, the album soared. It’s too bad that it took a while before most of the world noticed how high.
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‘Lights’ and Action
Richard Thompson seemed poised for a breakout solo career. Having already proven himself as a singer, songwriter, and ace guitarist with Fairport Convention, he left that band and released his debut album, Henry The Human Fly, in 1972. The record befuddled critics and sold next to nothing.
By the time the album arrived, Thompson had already started seeing Linda Peters, a budding singer. They married in late 1972 and also started performing together in clubs. Often, they performed material that Richard was writing for his next project. When it came time to start recording, Richard, without telling his record label, included Linda in the process.
In fact, he handed out more than half of the lead vocals to her. Because most of the songs had already been battle-tested live, the tracking of the record took just a few days. Wanting the songs and the stories within them to stand out, Richard mostly steered clear of the guitar heroics of which he was so capable.
When the album was finished, Richard and Linda submitted it to their label (Island). The label refused to release it, citing a vinyl shortage. It was only when the duo inherited a new A&R rep, one who liked what he heard, that I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight was released in 1974 after about a year on the shelf.
Even then, it only secured a proper release in the United Kingdom. As a result, the album didn’t receive its deserved due till about a decade or so later, when it finally earned release around the world. Better late than never, as I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight now stands out as one of the finest albums of the entire decade, regardless of genre.
Exploring the Music of ‘I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight’
A smattering of lighter moments comes to the fore on I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight. “When I Get To The Border” opens the album up on a hopeful note. And a brass band adds some buoyancy to the title track. But for the most part, the album delivers hard truths about life’s ephemeral pleasures and constant letdowns.
Richard Thompson hit his stride as a songwriter on these downcast tracks, while Linda proved the ideal vocalist to deliver them. Her voice possessed a naturally tremulous quality that allowed her to mostly deadpan the words and still bring emotion to them. Look no further than “Withered And Died” for how this works.
“Down Where The Drunkards Roll” doesn’t shy away from the damage done to a crew of tipplers, but it never strips them of their dignity. “End Of The Rainbow”, sung by Richard, tries to do a child a solid by telling the truth about the horrors of the world. “The Great Valerio” ends the album on a dizzying high note, literally and figuratively. A tightrope walker acts as a metaphorical stand-in for humanity’s perilous quest for spiritual answers. Linda’s vocals on the track thrillingly walk right out on the wire with the title character.
The album began a decade-long musical partnership between Richard and Linda Thompson. After going out on top with Shoot Out The Lights in 1982, they went their separate ways, both personally and professionally. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, their peerless debut, shines with a rare beauty, even as it often confronts how ugly the world can sometimes be.
Photo by Alan Messer/Shutterstock
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