I got this when it came out in 1982. I'm pretty sure it was a review in a copy of The Times we had at school (by Richard Williams? I'm just guessing) that caught my attention. I already had, and liked, the first Fairport Convention album by then, but whether I made the connection between that and Richard Thompson, I can't remember.
I think I was fairly non-plussed by the album at first. In 1982 I was listening to what? Japan, King Crimson, Tangerine Dream, and by the end of the year, Captain Beefheart — lots of people who were meddling or 'innovating' with the structure of songs and with the standard rock and pop arrangements. So a record that traded just on the quality of its songwriting, and was relatively traditional in terms of its presentation, was kind of unusual for me. Then there was what the songs were about — the break-up of a marriage — not something I was particularly bothered about at 16 (compared with metaphysics, ghosts and why war is such a bummer)).
But I persisted with it. When you only had 50 records or so, you were bound to. It's the songs that Linda Thompson sings that I liked first, and, ever since, I've tended to follow her stuff more closely than Richard Thompson's, even though he's understandably feted for being both an astonishing guitar player and a great songwriter. It's the grain of Linda's voice that really gets me. Having said that, when I put this record on, Don't Renege on our Love (with Richard singing) grabbed me immediately. I'm pretty sure it was the first time I'd come across the word renege.
The album was produced by Joe Boyd and has the Watersons on backing vocals, all of whom I went on to become fans of — but this was my first encounter with any of them.
I have this horrible memory of Richard giving me this album about five years later, and I just gave it back to him and said, "I've already got that; can you give me something else, please?" What an ungrateful, barely house-trained, little shit.
 MusicBrainz entry for this album
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