Henry the Human Fly

• Artist: Richard Thompson
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1972
• Total Time: 36:26
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

Fans and critics alike seemed to have a difficult time getting a handle on Thompson's new direction, which, for the most part, eschews the electric guitar that had been an integral part of the British folk-rock he had helped forge with his former band Fairport Convention. With the exception of a couple of short instrumental breaks and various electric shadings, Thompson's Stratocaster defers to accordions, fiddles, whistles, dulcimers, harps, and his own acoustic guitar. The songs, which are more idiosyncratic than his Fairport output, are the primary focus. Cuts such as "The Poor Ditching Boy," "The New St. George," and "The Old Changing Way" have the timelessness of the best traditional material Fairport had been mining in the past, while "Roll Over Vaughn Williams," with its swirling electric guitar, and the accordion and electric guitar interplay of the folk-rocker "The Angels Took My Racehorse Away" are prime examples of Thompson's vision of fusing the old and the new. At the time of its release, Henry the Human Fly, with its fresh, yet eccentric take on folk and rock, along with tales of "poor ditching boys," racehorses, tinkers, "painted ladies," and weddings where "nobody's wed" was not a fashionable record, but like the bulk of Richard Thompson's work, it transcends times and trends. Linda Peters (Thompson), Sandy Denny, Ashley Hutchings, and John Kirkpatrick guest. ~ Brett Hartenbach, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Roll over Vaughn Williams	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(4:09)
Nobody's Wedding	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Sue Draheim, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(3:13)
The Poor Ditching Boy	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Sue Draheim, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(3:01)
Shaky Nancy	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(3:26)
The Angel's Took My Racehorse Away	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(4:01)
Wheely Down	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(3:00)
The New St. George	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(2:08)
Painted Ladies	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(3:31)
Cold Feet	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(2:26)
Mary and Joseph	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(1:38)
The Old Changing Way	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(3:55)
Twisted	Richard Thompson	Sandy Denny, Jeff Cole, John Defereri, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Linda Peters, David Snell, Clay Toyani	(1:58)

Credits

Tim Chacksfield (Project Coordinator), Clay Toyani (Trumpet), Andy Roberts (Dulcimer), Linda Thompson (Vocals), Sue Draheim (Fiddle), Sue Draheim (Violin), Pat Donaldson (Performer), Clay Toyani (Performer), Tim Chacksfield (Research), Ann Sullivan (Original Design Concept), Linda Peters (Vocals), Barry Dransfield (Violin), Barry Dransfield (Fiddle), Richard Thompson (Guitar), John Wood (Producer), Timi Donald (Percussion), Timi Donald (Performer), Sandy Denny (Performer), Jeff Cole (Performer), Ashley Hutchings (Vocals), Richard Thompson (Composer), Linda Peters (Performer), Denis Blackham (Remastering), Ashley Hutchings (Bass), Sandy Denny (Piano), Pat Donaldson (Bass), Sandy Denny (Vocals), Phil Smee (CD Package Design), Keith Morris (Photography), Richard Thompson (Producer), John Defereri (Sax (Tenor)), John Kirkpatrick (Accordion), Sandy Denny (Keyboards), John Wood (Engineer), David Snell (Harp), David Snell (Performer), John Defereri (Saxophone), Richard Thompson (Vocals), Jeff Cole (Trombone), Fran McManus (CD Graphics), John Defereri (Performer), Pat Donaldson (Vocals), Timi Donald (Vocals), Timi Donald (Drums)

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