Richard & Linda Thompson: Hard Luck Stories (1972-1982) [8CD Box Set; 11th September 2020]

Look, you could 100k for a system that sounds super-good, but telling someone to "use your ears" in such a case is a tad silly, no? If the difference is only there on hugely expensive systems, then for most of us it's an irrelevance. I take it for granted the sound improves as you spend more on your system.

As for this set - I'm a little confused over the gripes about unreleased material. This set appears to be centered about a remastering of the original albums, a couple of which have become hard to find, along with some curated bonus material. On top of that, the packaging looks to be pretty good. You can't release material that doesn't exist or wasn't available.

I've bought many of these albums 4 times already. First Light and Sunnyvista twice (I have never been able to enjoy Sunnyvista, truth be told). Yet I've pre-ordered this because I love the music, and this looks to have enough new to justify it. Griping about the lack of things seems like sour grapes.

 

In ten years or so, dealing with Importcds, this is the first year when there is no across-the-board 10% discount available in July, I guess because of the plague.. They usually have the sale twice a year, in July and again just prior to Black Friday. I got a copy of the Come All Ye box in July 2017 for $40 USD using their sale. Disappointed.

 

You are unusual. Few people hear a HUGE difference. Even those with v. expensive systems. I have done MANY such tests on systems at MANY different levels of quality and to date NOBODY has heard a HUGE difference - which does not surprise me, if you study digital audio you would not expect it.

Tim

 

Linda’s vocal on End Of The Rainbow is superior to the released version on IWTSTBLT. The verse Richard sings sounds exactly like the released version. Linda should have sung the whole thing and that should have been the official version: the purity of her voice brings out the bleakness of the lyric.

 

I've got a new OPPO 205 which for me historically would be a budget player so I'm not sure what your point is?

Also, I was making a general point based on what some sound engineers have said, not solely what my tin ears are telling me.

The definition of high quality well remastered material is also highly subjective.

 

Not really, no. "Sour grapes" has a very specific meaning, deriving from an Aesop fable in which a hungry fox desperately wanted some grapes but was unable to reach them. Having been defeated, the fox then concluded that it didn't really want them in the first place as they were probably sour.

In the case of this new boxed set, I'd have liked a bit more unreleased material before I spent £70 on purchasing new versions of six CDs I own already (in four cases, more than once). However, I would have liked one of the very first run of 50 copies with the signed lithograph from a collectors' standpoint, but I missed out by a couple of hours. I've consoled myself by concluding that it's £10 cheaper to buy the set on Amazon, that I can't play a signed lithograph and that the cover artwork isn't that attractive anyway.

Thus, complaining about the lack of unreleased material isn't sour grapes. Concluding that the edition with the signed lithograph isn't worth the extra £10 is sour grapes, as I would have liked one.

 

I look at it like this. This set contains all R&L's albums very nicely remastered (and they needed it) together with a rather nice book. That alone is worth the purchase.
The rest, to me, is a bonus.

 

There is no more unreleased material available - that R and L would approve anyway. I think this box has plenty of wow factor! I will be looking into the high res download option.

 

The Thompsons most certainly have a vote, and I think additional deluxe editions of individual albums highly unlikely

 

I couldn't believe my ears when i found it- I remember reading they sometimes swapped who sung what, but this was the first time i came across it in a studio session. (Richards verse isn't the released one- although he does do it in a very similar way.) I love Linda's singing when she does these hollowed out vocals. Her coldness and emotional restraint make it all the more devastating.

 

some more Book pages for you all

 

Thanks Andy, I am currently enjoying the Bobby Gentry set which arrived Tuesday, the book which accompanies the set is excellent and the sq of the CDs to my ears is so far excellent. If the R & L set is as good I think most people here will be very happy. The pricing is also very fair unlike a number of other box sets, yes you Sir Paul!! Flaming Pie is a Flaming disgrace price wise for 5 cds and 2 DVDs!!

 

Exactly, Andy – you've done your best here, and Richard's refusal to allow the complete Rafferty sessions to be included, whilst disappointing, is insurmountable and nobody's fault. It's just that it's resulted in a set about which I'm on the cusp – I have most of the contents already, don't desperately need a coffee table book about the Thompsons, and might end up deciding to stream the bonus tracks (if the set is released on Qobuz) rather than buying the box. However, if the box were streaming at CD resolution but available for purchase in hi-res, that would be a different matter – particularly if a PDF copy of the book were included (though my preference would be for a hybrid hi-res/physical product such as a USB with a box and paper copy of the book).

 

Yet he has no problems with it that I have to buy 8 albums for a second or third time.
And please stop badmouthing the previous cds. Some of them sound very good.
A rarities box would have been very reasonable, but I know, this is the new way of milking people.

 

Maybe you missed it? They had a 10% off sale in June. I used it on an order Jun 19...

 

I’ve never really appreciated just how attractive Linda is before.

 

Thank you Andy for the info and sneak peeks!

 

You don't have to buy anything. You have a choice.

The previous R&L CD's were by no means audiophile quality. I'm not saying these remasters will be either but they will be much better than what we have had before.
That's why I'm buying this set.

 

When you've got a cash cow like Richard & Linda Thompson fans, you squeeze them for every dollar. Gotta keep that sweet, sweet 70s-folk-rock cash flowing. Looking forward to the 18-disc "Hokey Pokey Immersion Set."

 

Presumably that's the real reason why the Hokey Pokey disc only has two bonus tracks.

 

You don't have to buy anything! I'm also pretty sure sure that Andy doesn't care whether you do or don't!

 

RT always pulls out of his league!

 

Richard Thompson’s sales have never been stellar and I doubt whether he ‘s going to buy a new holiday home or pay for his grandchildren’s education out of the profits from this box set, so I don’t think it’s entirely appropriate to talk about ‘milking’ in this context.

 

If everyone just clicks "ignore" for the one dissenting voice, then it makes this thread so much nicer.

@AndyB, your work here looks stellar and I look forward to owning and enjoying this set.

 

Honestly, what are you on about? Are you really unfamiliar with the whole idea of a "complete" box set that collects an act's albums and supplements them with outtakes/live material? It's not exactly a new concept. Your posts could be cut and pasted into hundreds of other threads on this board.

It's particularly weird that you'd single this particular box out for abuse, considering that these recordings have never received Class A treatment during the entire CD era. The '80s Carthage issues are ok (decent but somewhat thin sound, bare bones packaging) and the Island remasters from the 2000s are quite poor. And First Light and Sunnyvista have been out of print for 30+ years.

I mean, it's fine if you've got the old CDs and don't want to spend on a new box. But to complain bitterly when there are thousands of fans who can't wait to get their hands on this set is just absurdly self-centered.