On the Shelf 107: Linda Thompson

Richard and Linda Thompson's 1982 album Shoot Out the Lights is amazing.

I bought it in 1993 when Ryko reissued it, and listened to it all summer of my 19th year. I was en-tranced by it, and would check out richard's solo work as well as the duo's other albums like the equally classic I Want to see the Bright Lights Tonight.

I probably should make a nod to Richard who still is making great albums, but I have to mention Linda's new disc.

It's a family affair with Linda's son Teddy and her two daughters as well as an appearance by Richard on "Love is for Babies and Fools". Also, on board Eliza and Martin Carthy, and songs co-written by Ron Sexsmith. This collection of originals and standards stands up to Linda's best work from back when.

Linda suffered from nervous dysphonia which has affected her voice, and so Thompson won't tou, and this is only her third album since 1985. So, it is a bit of an event, and the selection of songs and Linda's performance makes it quite the work of art.

"Paddy's lamentation" was featured in Gangs of New York and finds a home on the album, blending in works of personal reflection and traditional folk songs about longing and stance.

"" (Watch on YouTube)

"" (Watch on YouTube)

I was born a poor, black child.

It's eight years this week that Eddie Guerrero died. Guerrero from El Paso's most pro famous wrestling family, had a saying in his Heel days- "Cheat to Win".

It's a sentiment that fellow Texan Dave Wilson surely appreciates. Wilson, a white Republican eeked out a victory in a strong Democratic Houston district that's predominately African-American.

This guy:



Won with this flyer.



Wilson won by 26 votes by portraying himself as a black man. 

Wilson sent out fliers that featured almost exclusively Black people, all of them smiling. On it, he added the call to action: “Please vote for our friend and neighbor Dave Wilson.” Only the faces are not Wilson’s friends or neighbors, but rather just pictures that he stole off of various websites.

Hey, who needs friends when you have Google Image Search?

He also claimed an endorsement from his cousin Ron Wilson.  Ron Wilson is a prominent black area politician.

Dave now happily says the Ron Wilson he meant was his cousin in Iowa.

One of his mailers said he was "Endorsed by Ron Wilson," which longtime Houston voters might easily interpret as a statement of support from a former state representative of the same name who's also African-American. Fine print beneath the headline says "Ron Wilson and Dave Wilson are cousins," a reference to one of Wilson's relatives living in Iowa.

"He's a nice cousin," Wilson says, suppressing a laugh. "We played baseball in high school together. And he's endorsed me."

Wilson's opponent did say he did counter with his own mailers that included Wilson’s face and warned voters that he was a “right-wing hatemonger” who “advocated bringing back chain gangs to clean highways.”

Wilson is an anti-gay activist who took advantage of the worst case of opportunism ( I recall  the 1986 Illinois election where the ethnic-named candidates lost to LaRouchites) , but hey, I gotta say, now that he's won the election, he's honest.

Wilson says his lies were really no different than any other lawmaker’s lies. “Every time a politician talks, he’s out there deceiving voters,” Wilson admits