For a guy who has been saddled with impressions of writing “gloom and doom from the tomb” by his own fanbase, there are an awful lot of light moments on “Hokey Pokey.” It may even qualify as the breeziest album of Richard Thompson’s career, although I must admit that there isn’t much competition for that prize in his catalogue.

As the original lead guitarist for Fairport Convention, Thompson mastered the art of interpreting traditional English balladry, songs that usually focus on death and violence in large measure, while writing songs of his own that fit comfortably within that same framework. As a solo artist, and most potently, when teamed with wife Linda, he ratchets up the body count significantly and personifies more despicably nasty characters than any other songwriter bar none, including Randy Newman.

“Hokey Pokey” has plenty of moments like this, but more often than not, the malevolence comes with a wry sense of humor. As the saying goes, it’s all fun and games until someone puts an eye out. Thompson can make a listener laugh out loud about a character’s physical deformity (“Smiffy’s Glass Eye”), or he can mix metaphors about ice cream and sex with unashamed delight (“Hokey Pokey”). He’s like a giddy misanthropist, taking pleasure in the horrors of human behavior, like a drunken fatalist spitting toward the heavens. “I’ll Regret It All in the Morning” is particularly intense, capturing an alcoholic wife beater in what must be a rare moment of self-reflection. “Georgie on a Spree” turns the table, as the female protagonist basks in her ability to wile cash from her boyfriend. Distrust of humanity is the theme that stitches the album together, and yet you have plenty of opportunities to chuckle while Thompson pours on the horror.

“Mole in a Hole” is the thematic surprise of the album. At the time the record was released, both Richard and Linda were converted to a form of Sufism, a religion about which I know next to nothing except that it demands that your actions be directed to God. Apparently, this song was written before his conversion, since “Mole in a Hole” plays like a frank and slightly bemused dismissal of all organized religion, implying that religious conviction can only lead to an untimely death. Linda sings her husband’s words with incredibly believable empathy when required (“Never Again” and “A Heart Needs a Home”) or with a wry wink and a smile (“Smiffy’s Glass Eye, “Georgie on a Spree” and “Mole in a Hole”). She’s thoroughly believable and adds an emotional depth that transcends Richard’s ability to express his own words. “Hokey Pokey” plays like a theme album for a couple whistling past the graveyard, acknowledging fate but enjoying their time together, nonetheless.

Featured tracks:

Hokey Pokey (The Ice Cream Song)

I'll Regret It All in the Morning

Smiffy's Glass Eye

The Egypt Room

Never Again

Georgie on a Spree

Old Man Inside a Young Man

The Sun Never Shines on the Poor

A Heart Needs a Home

Mole in a Hole

April 1975 – Billboard Did Not Chart