Recorded live at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia on November 3, 2003.

Richard Thompson - 3 November 2003: Alexandria, Virginia

Disc 1

  1. Watch Me Go
  2. Boys Of Mutton Street
  3. Jack O'Diamonds (Dylan/Carruthers)
  4. Meet On The Ledge
  5. Walk Awhile (Thompson/Swarbrick)
  6. Nobody's Wedding
  7. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
  8. The Great Valerio
  9. Hokey Pokey
  10. I'll Regret It All In The Morning
  11. For Shame Of Doing Wrong
  12. Banish Misfortune
  13. Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed?
  14. Keep Your Distance

Disc 2

  1. I Feel So Good
  2. Beeswing
  3. Crawl Back (Under My Stone)
  4. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
  5. Outside Of The Inside
  1. Gethsemane
  2. A Love You Can't Survive
  1. Alexander Graham Bell
  2. Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen

What can you say about these shows - just look at the setlist! Two entirely new songs kick of the first of the "retro" gigs (or "Conti-" shows as they now seem to be semi-officially dubbed, for "Continuity") in which Richard revisited a whole wealth of early material in chronological order. There are new lyrics to many of the old songs. Perhaps the most drastic is Walk Awhile, which is completely reworked into an anti-US foreign policy piece, with reference to brothers George, Dick and Donald.

A few of these gigs have occurred since, although apparently the less-than-exuberant reaction to the earlier material means they may be less likely in the future. A real loss, if that's the case.

The sound quality's not exceptional (a little "boomy") but when the concert itself is this intriguing who cares.