Richard Thompson: The Biography

If you're reading this it's probably because you are a Richard Thompson fan. And if you are a real fan, you should get this because: 1) There are no other Richard Thompson biographies (books) 2) It has good reference material in the appendices (although inevitably it's out of date) 3) No one's going to get rich off of writing a Richard Thompson bio, and we should support whoever makes the effort, espcially when it's not THAT expensive 4) You will find out something(s) you didn't know [Afghanistan & "Shoot Out the Lights"; scrabble; "Walking on the Wire" was before the breakup] 5) This book looks like it might be going out of print. Get it while you can. HOWEVER: A good biography makes the person come alive; it succeeds as a story on its own. This doesn't make it on that level. (Yeah, it does have an index [required] but the index didn't have Pentangle, mentioned several times in the text...) SO there's my Caveat Emptor. The passersby could bypass this with no worry; but if you're a fan....

Although most likely meant for his small cadre of fans, "Richard Thompson: A Biography" will not disappoint anyone unfamiliar with the name or the art of Herr Thompson. Learning about the personal life of an artist can swiftly degenerate into a cesspool of false modesty and self-aggrandizement, not to mention a "That song came about because..." mentality that can weary terrifically even a die-hard fan. Humphries' book shys away from this and actually focuses on the subject, and not just his work. Although I didn't see much use in his reviews of each Thompson album, his exhaustive interview material with both Mr. Thompson and his lovers/friends/family/colleagues is priceless in trying to come to some sort of understanding of someone who normally shirks from any sort of self-revelation. Not the best musician biography ever written perhaps, but essential for Thompson fans, and a good read for any fan of rock n' roll.