I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (studio album) by Richard & Linda Thompson

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight by Richard & Linda Thompson
Year: 1974
Overall rank: 1,065th   Overall chart historyOverall chart history
Average Rating: 
80/100 (from 293 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution   Average rating historyAverage rating history
Accolades:
Award Top 20 albums of 1974 (18th)
Award Top albums of the 1970s (228th)
Award Best albums of all time (1,065th)
Product Details
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Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - 7" Vinyl
Condition: Used


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Richard & Linda Thompson : I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight CD
Condition: Very Good


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RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON i want to see the bright lights tonight LP EX/EX vinyl
Condition: Used

$112.88


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Richard & Linda Thompson bestography

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight is ranked as the best album by Richard & Linda Thompson.

Richard & Linda Thompson album bestography « Higher ranked This album (1,065th) Lower ranked (1,610th) »
-I Want To See The Bright Lights TonightShoot Out The Lights

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I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight track list

  Track ratingsTrack ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 81 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight rankings

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight collection

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight ratings

Average Rating: 
80/100 (from 293 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 293 ratings for this album.

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35/100
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03/24/2024 01:39 Proto  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 76644/100
 
80/100
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02/14/2024 06:31 Fevernova  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 3,00282/100
 
65/100
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01/06/2024 01:08 OldToad  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,19574/100
 
95/100
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11/19/2023 18:42 Efren  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1283/100
 
80/100
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11/16/2023 15:29 rafaelcalazans  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,02453/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 2% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 79.8/100, a mean average of 78.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 80.1/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.7.

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I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight comments

Showing all 10 comments |
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Rating:  
70/100
From 08/03/2021 12:20
folky rockish with an ample sampling of life in England strong effort all around
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 03/02/2021 02:50
More melancholy than I usually go for, but I really dig their voices and the timeless quality of the songs.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 08/16/2019 00:24
Favorite Tracks:When I Get To The Border, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, The Little Beggar Girl, End Of The Rainbow
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 04/14/2018 22:10
I bought this after reading William Ruhlmann's review in the All Music Guide. "It seemed like a set of songs unearthed from the Dark Ages, and argued that those times had never really left." Life might disappoint, but this album doesn't.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 07/21/2017 06:49
Reminds me a lot of The Magnetic Fields. Yes, it's sad, but even more it's dainty and english.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 05/09/2016 17:13
I want to see the bright lights tonight, is my personal favourite out of all Richard Thompson albums, with or without Linda. Thompson brings a pop mentality to the tracks but still retaining his folky roots. When i get to the border, is a stunning opener, and the record never lets up from there. The cavalry cross, would become a ten minute epic in it's live incarnation. Highlights are the absolutely brilliant, the end of the rainbow, as well as, the great Valerio, withered and died, and, down where the drunkards roll. The title track is a great singalong, and, has he got a friend for me, is perfect for Linda. Why this superb didn't have more success is incredible, but as far as i'm concerned it's a seventies classic, an essential album.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 10/06/2014 16:05
Thompson's first album with wife Linda listed as a full partner, "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" remains one of his best albums.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 08/06/2013 18:14
An album that really grew on me. Many very sad songs but all the songs are good.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 06/18/2012 15:13
When Richard Thompson released this album, his first with his wife Linda, he had already a relatively long recording career behind him. As a founder member of Fairport Convention he was the group on their first five albums. His characteristic guitarplaying style can also be heard on Sandy Denny's early solo albums and he had released his own soloalbum "Henry the Human Fly" in 1972.

During his time with Fairport Convention Thompson matured a lot as a songwriter and many of the band's early favourites were either written or co-written by Thompson. His inspiration by traditional British music also became still more clear. Many of the songs on "Henry" and "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" actually sound like they were traditional folk-songs.

His collaboration with Linda lasted for 8 years and resulted in 6 great albums. This their first is often regarded as the strongest with Richard's songwriting extraordinary inspired and varied, and his distictive voice blends beautifully with Linda's on these great songs.

The terrific opener "When I Get to the Border", sung by Richard, is catchy with optimistic lyrics. A little unsual for Thompson, whose lyrics often are dark and sad. Equally catchy ( and optimistic ) is the title track which deserved to be hit beautifully sung by Linda. Heartbreakingly beautiful is also the sad ballad "Withered and Died", sung by Linda in way that makes you think of her friend Sandy Denny.

The dark side of Richard's songwriting become apprent on songs like "Down Where the Drunkards Roll", "Has He Got a Friend For Me" and especially "The End of the Rainbow" . Even the catchy "We'll Sing Hallelujah" has some pretty dismal lyrics. The budget for this album was supposedly very limited, but it does show anywhere. Great arrangements, crisp sound and best of all strong songwriting and palying from first track till the closer "The Great Valerio".

The bonus-tracks found on some versions are three 1975 live-recordings - nice to have but some may find that they disturb the very consistent feel of the original album, which I won't hesitate to call a masterpiece.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 08/27/2010 01:49
Richard talks of drunkers, loneliness, poverty, working class.... with sapience. And Linda sings with an exquisite taste these hard stories. Enormous guitars and the help of Fairport's troupe.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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Best Albums of 1974
1. Red by King Crimson
2. On The Beach by Neil Young
3. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis
4. Crime Of The Century by Supertramp
5. Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt
6. Court And Spark by Joni Mitchell
7. Sheer Heart Attack by Queen
8. Here Come The Warm Jets by Brian Eno
9. Diamond Dogs by David Bowie
10. A Tábua De Esmeralda by Jorge Ben
11. Queen II by Queen
12. Mirage by Camel
13. Radio City by Big Star
14. Autobahn by Kraftwerk
15. Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan
16. Kimono My House by Sparks
17. Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) by Brian Eno
18. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight by Richard & Linda Thompson
19. No Other by Gene Clark
20. Country Life by Roxy Music
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