Up Front and Down Low
 | Verve Forecast, 2007, Audio CD Customer Rating: 28 reviews Recommend |
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Teddy Thompson's self-produced Upfront & Down Low features his angelic voice in distinctive and heartfelt readings of beloved country classics: George Jones' "She Thinks I Still Care" Ernest Tubb's "Walking the Floor over You" and Merle Haggard's "My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers." It also includes Dolly Parton's bittersweet "My Blue Tears" and the Elvis Presley chesnut "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone."
Yes, Teddy Thompson's parents are renowned folkies Richard and Linda Thompson. And, sure, he's spent the past few years touring the world with his good friend Rufus Wainwright, who recently wrote a song about their inimitable relationship called "Nobody's off the Hook." But it's Thompson's rich, twangy voice that deserves the spotlight. After turning out two thoroughly underappreciated albums of original material — it would be pushing it to even call them cult favorites — the lovelorn singer-songwriter takes on a dozen classic country tunes on Up Front and Down Low. It's a good fit, the bitter sentiments the inform his own work paired with the sterling melodies of Ernest Tubb's "Walking the Floor Over You" and Elvis Presley's "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone." Thompson gives each of the tunes a masterful makeover, polishing them up with an all-star cast of players that includes Iris DeMent, Tift Merritt, and Marc Ribot. Wainwright offers string his own "Down Low" into the mix without breaking the mood. It's the kind of stuff that could represent a breakthrough moment, as long as nobody gets distracted by the fact that he was born and raised in a Sufi commune. — Aidin Vaziri
- Change Of Heart
- Touching Home
- Walking the Floor Over You
- From Now On All My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers
- I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone
- My Heart Echoes
- The Worst Is Yet to Come
- My Blue Tears
- Down Low
- You Finally Said Something Good (When You Said Goodbye)
- She Thinks I Still Care
- Let's Think About Living
- Don't Ask Me To Be Friends
Title: Up Front and Down Low
Sales Rank: 48228 in Music
Artist: Teddy Thompson
Label: Verve Forecast, 2007-07-17, Audio CD, 1 Disc
Item Dimensions: 0.2 pounds
Package Dimensions: 5.59 x 4.65 x 0.39 inches, 0.18 pounds
- Great Renditions of Great Songs!!
- Heard one song on satelite radio, went to amazon to check Mr. Thompson out, and was so pleasantly surprised to find beautiful country songs done...............Perfectly!! No watered-down country or country lite here. Absolutely gorgeous, can not get enough. I want more!! Hope he does a follow-up… More reviews
- Teddy Thompson
- Teddy comes from talented stock -no wonder he is so good. This is a great CD if you like a touch of country.… More reviews
- A Real Winner from the Second Generation
- I love Linda Thompson, Teddy's mother and I love Teddy's parents Richard and Linda Thompson together (sadly, they're divorced and no longer perform together). After hearing Teddy on the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack, I fell in love with his voice as well. In his new CD, a collection mostly of cover songs by such Nashville (and Bakersfield) legends as George Jones, Ernest Tubb,… More reviews
- What's the Point?
- I first heard Teddy Thompson's Separate Ways while visiting my sister and didn't stop playing if for about 3 months straight. FORTUNATELY I listened to Separate Ways first. Had it been Up Front I probably would have stopped there.
Remakes of b-side country songs...What's the point. It doesn't show off his songwriting and incredible voice at all.
Pass on this one… More reviews
- Fresh approach and emotional interpretations.
- Judging by the quality of his two previous solo albums, Teddy Thompson's "son of folk legends Richard and Linda Thompson" tag will soon become redundant: he's a singer and songwriter of very high quality in his own right, with a rich voice and some choice songs that moves easily between pop, folk and rock.
On this… More reviews
