Front Parlour Ballads

Reviewing the album for The Guardian, Robin Denselow said: "Recording at home suits him. Even with the over-dubs, this set has the vitality of a live performance, and he clearly feels relaxed enough to take chances with the sometimes elaborate songs, delivering both the expected guitar skills and some fluid, difficult vocals. As with Dylan, Thompson's singing is something of an acquired taste; here it ranges from the wild and declamatory to slow, brooding and often complex ballads... Thompson has always mixed humour with a bleak sense of impending danger, tragedy and anger (it was only appropriate that his retrospective compilation was titled Watching the Dark) and the songs here are often more bitter than sweet." ==Track listing==

All songs written by Richard Thompson. • "Let It Blow" • "For Whose Sake?" • "Miss Patsy" • "Old Thames Side" • "How Does Your Garden Grow?" • "My Soul, My Soul" • "Cressida" • "Row, Boys Row" • "The Boys Of Mutton Street" • "Precious One" • "A Solitary Life" • "Should I Betray?" • "When We Were Boys At School" ==Personnel==

Musicians • Richard Thompson – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, accordion, bass guitar and vocals • Debra Dobkin – percussion Technical • Producer – Simon Tassano, Richard Thompson • Mixing – Simon Tassano • Mastering – Jim Wilson • Package design – Tornado Design • Art direction – Al Quattrocchi, Jeff Smith • Cover illustration – Lou Beach • Photography – Ron Slenzak & Associates == References ==