There are story songs, and then there are story songs.  Rumor has it that at one time, Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” was THE most requested song in the history of NPR radio since it’s release in 1991 on his Rumour and Sigh album.  The subject matter is something we can all identify with:  boy meets girl and they fall madly in love until his dangerous ways catch up with him and he meets an untimely death.  On his deathbed he expresses his love for the girl with the “red hair and black leather” and gives her the keys to his beloved motorcycle, which was the centerpiece at the start of their relationship that sets the tone during the first verse of the song.

So if you’ve never heard this song before you may think I’ve spoiled it for you by giving you the whole story upfront.  It’s not just the story and the fantastic lyric to go with it, it’s the passion in the vocal and the incredible guitar work from Richard Thompson.  Normally I just put up a link to the studio version of these songs but in this instance I’ve decided to put up a couple of live versions just to catch the utter brilliance for your own eyes.  What is amazing to me is how someone can sing so passionately and also play with so much emotion and expression, not only handling his own rhythmic accompaniment in his finger picked style but with such rich melody lines as well.

Even though this feels like folk or Celtic music, it’s hard to pigeonhole Thompson solely into either of those styles as he also ably fits into more electric guitar environs as well.  The man has had a varied career since the ’60s as a member of Fairport Convention through his years performing with his wife Linda up until today as he continues to put out new material every few years.  Though he has a large body of work “1952 Vincent Black Lightning”, in my own humble opinion, ranks at the very top of that vast catalog.