Henry the Human Fly

by Richard Thompson

Overview

Fans and critics alike seemed to have a difficult time getting a handle on Thompson's new direction, which, for the most part, eschews the electric guitar that had been an integral part of the British folk-rock he had helped forge with his former band Fairport Convention. With the exception of a couple of short instrumental breaks and various electric shadings, Thompson's Stratocaster defers to accordions, fiddles, whistles, dulcimers, harps, and his own acoustic guitar. The songs, which are more idiosyncratic than his Fairport output, are the primary focus. Cuts such as "The Poor Ditching Boy," "The New St. George," and "The Old Changing Way" have the timelessness of the best traditional material Fairport had been mining in the past, while "Roll Over Vaughn Williams," with its swirling electric guitar, and the accordion and electric guitar interplay of the folk-rocker "The Angels Took My Racehorse Away" are prime examples of Thompson's vision of fusing the old and the new. At the time of its release, Henry the Human Fly, with its fresh, yet eccentric take on folk and rock, along with tales of "poor ditching boys," racehorses, tinkers, "painted ladies," and weddings where "nobody's wed" was not a fashionable record, but like the bulk of Richard Thompson's work, it transcends times and trends. Linda Peters (Thompson), Sandy Denny, Ashley Hutchings, and John Kirkpatrick guest. ~ Brett Hartenbach

Product Details

Release Date:	05/05/2023
Label:	Proper Records / Proper Uk
UPC:	0805520240307
Rank:	58878

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Richard Thompson   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Jeff Cole   Primary Artist,Trombone
Sandy Denny   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards
Timi Donald   Primary Artist,Drums,Vocals,Percussion
David Snell   Primary Artist,Harp
Pat Donaldson   Primary Artist,Bass,Vocals
Sue Draheim   Primary Artist,Fiddle,Violin
Linda Peters   Primary Artist,Vocals
Clay Toyani   Primary Artist,Trumpet
John Defereri   Primary Artist,Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)
Andy Roberts   Dulcimer
Barry Dransfield   Fiddle,Violin
John Kirkpatrick   Accordion
Linda Thompson   Vocals
Ashley Hutchings   Bass,Vocals

Technical Credits

Jeff Cole   Performer
Sandy Denny   Performer
Richard Thompson   Composer,Producer
Timi Donald   Performer
Al Jackson, Jr.   Composer
Denis Blackham   Remastering
Phil Smee   CD Package Design
Albert King   Composer
David Snell   Performer
Pat Donaldson   Performer
John Wood   Engineer,Producer
Linda Peters   Performer
Keith Morris   Photography
Clay Toyani   Performer
Ann Sullivan   Original Design Concept
John Defereri   Performer
Fran McManus   CD Graphics
Tim Chacksfield   Research,Project Coordinator