listening to a song by Richard Thompson, Vincent Black Lightning 1952 (hit Listen To Him Now link). the studio version is scintillating, this live version likewise. my eyes popped out when I saw him sing it in concert. he is of course a wonderful guitarist but the vocals really get me. his voice is something to get used to. it's kind of odd, and there can be a snarl in it that's a bit too direct. however he's made the most of it. like Clapton his vocals have gotten better over the years. there's a lot of strength in them now. more importantly, there's a lot of feeling. much singing is an effort to put the song across, there's a kind of push, a mechanical process. I think RT commits to something authentic. but me no buts about the use of the word authentic. we live in a world in which we believe in things. a lot of poetry is written mechanically, with some kind of push towards the reader. that's unavoidable, I know it. I just want to acknowledge the okay emotion. this song just now brought tears to my eyes. it did the same last night. this is just where I am. I'm a little tender now. I don't want to write about that. I don't want to write with that. I do want to feel it can be true to what prevails. I guess I'll leave I at that. don't forget to catch RT live, whether solo or with his always dynamic group.