{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox album| | name = Acoustic Classics II | type = Studio | artist = Richard Thompson | cover = Richard_thompson_acoustic_classics_II_album_cover.jpg | alt = | released = 10 August 2017 | recorded = Rumiville Studio, Austin, Texas | venue = | studio = | genre = Folk rock | length = 54:24 | label = Beeswing | producer = Richard Thompson and Simon Tassano | prev_title = Still | prev_year = 2015 | next_title = Acoustic Rarities | next_year = 2017 }}
'''''Acoustic Classics II''''' is the seventeenth solo studio album by British singer-songwriter Richard Thompson. It was released by Beeswing Records on 10 August 2017.
==Background==
Acoustic Classics II is the second acoustic compilation album by Richard Thompson. The songs range from his time in Fairport Convention, as half of a duo with Linda Thompson and as a solo artist.
The album was released on vinyl, CD and digital download.
==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings | MC = 78/100<ref name="meta">{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/acoustic-classics-ii/richard-thompson| title=Acoustic Classics II – Richard Thompson | work=Metacritic | accessdate=19 March 2018}}</ref> |rev1=AllMusic |rev1score={{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="AM">{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/acoustic-classics-ii-mw0003071177 | title=Richard Thompson Acoustic Classics II | work=AllMusic | accessdate=19 March 2018 | last =Deming| first =Mark}}</ref> |rev2=Financial Times |rev2score={{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="FT">{{cite web | url=https://www.ft.com/content/83594af0-7b0b-11e7-9108-edda0bcbc928 | title=Richard Thompson: Acoustic Classics Vol. II — ‘better than the first’ | work=Financial Times | date=11 August 2017 | accessdate=19 March 2018 | last=Honigmann | first=David}}</ref> |rev3=Folk Radio UK |rev3score=Positive<ref name="folkradio">{{cite web | url=http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2017/08/richard-thompson-acoustic-classics-ii/ | title=RICHARD THOMPSON: ACOUSTIC CLASSICS II | work=Folk Radio UK | date=1 August 2017 | accessdate=19 March 2018 | last=Kimpton | first=Glenn}}</ref> |rev4=The Guardian |rev4score={{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Guard">{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/10/richard-thompson-acoustic-classics-ii-review-fiery-beautiful-gems-of-song | title=Richard Thompson: Acoustic Classics II review – fiery, beautiful gems of song | work=The Guardian | date=10 August 2017 | accessdate=19 March 2017 | last=Rogers | first=Jude | author-link=Jude Rogers}}</ref> |rev5=The Independent |rev5score={{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="inde">{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-reviews-kesha-rainbow-david-rawlings-richard-thompson-the-cribs-mike-lal-waterson-5-billion-in-a7884951.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810211909/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-reviews-kesha-rainbow-david-rawlings-richard-thompson-the-cribs-mike-lal-waterson-5-billion-in-a7884951.html |archive-date=2017-08-10 |url-access=limited |url-status=live | title=Richard Thompson, Acoustic Classics II | work=The Independent | date=10 August 2017 | accessdate=19 March 2018 | last=Gill | first=Andy |author-link=Andy Gill}}</ref> |rev6=Record Collector |rev6score={{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="RC">{{cite web | url=http://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/acoustic-classics-vol-two | title=RICHARD THOMPSON – ACOUSTIC CLASSICS VOL TWO | work=Record Collector | date=September 2017 | accessdate=20 March 2018 | last=Staunton | first=Terry}}</ref> | rev7 = ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' | rev7Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|edition=4th|isbn=978-0195313734|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref> |rev8=The Press |rev8score={{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="York">{{cite web | url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/music/15525313.CD_review__Richard_Thompson__Acoustic_Classics_II__Beeswing_______/ | title=CD review: Richard Thompson, Acoustic Classics II | work=The Press | date=9 September 2017 | accessdate=19 Mar 2018 | last=Taylor | first=Spencer}}</ref> |rev9=The Times |rev9score={{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="times">{{cite web | url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/pop-review-richard-thompson-acoustic-classics-vol-ii-jjp00898z | title=Pop review: Richard Thompson: Acoustic Classics Vol II | work=The Times | date=11 August 2017 | access-date=19 March 2018 | last=Hodgkinson | first=Will | author-link=Will Hodgkinson}}</ref> |rev10=Uncut |rev10score={{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="uncut">{{cite journal | last=Thomson | first=Graeme | title=New Albums | journal=Uncut | issue=September 2017 | page=38}}</ref> }}
On the ''Metacritic'' website, which aggregates reviews from critics and assigns a normalised rating out of 100, ''Acoustic Classics II ''received a score of 78, based on 1 mixed and 4 positive reviews.<ref name="meta" />
Among the critics that gave the album positive reviews, ''Uncut'' called the album "an unalloyed treat" adding that "there's something fundamentally satisfying about Thompson unplugged".<ref name="uncut" /> Andy Gill writing in ''The Independent'' states that "there’s no dip in quality here as Richard Thompson revisits material"<ref name="inde" /> and ''Folk Radio UK'' call the album "one to treasure".<ref name="folkradio" /> David Honigman of the ''Financial Times'' writes that "this second volume Richard Thompson has recorded of acoustic cover versions of his own songs works better than the first"<ref name="FT" /> and Jude Rogers in ''The Guardian'' praises Thompson's "authoritative, confident voice" and "pearl-bright guitar-playing".<ref name="Guard" />
==Track listing== All tracks written by Richard Thompson except "Crazy Man Michael" by Thompson and Dave Swarbrick:
{|class="tracklist" |- ! # ! style="text-align:left; width:35%;" | Title ! style="text-align:left; width:65%;" | Original version on ! Length |- |{{right|1.}} | "She Twists the Knife Again" | ''Across a Crowded Room'' (1985) |{{right|2:48}} |- |{{right|2.}} | "The Ghost of You Walks" | ''You? Me? Us?'' (1996) |{{right|4:41}} |- |{{right|3.}} | "Genesis Hall" | ''Unhalfbricking'' (1969) |{{right|3:30}} |- |{{right|4.}} | "Jet Plane in a Rocking Chair" | ''Pour Down Like Silver'' (1975) |{{right|2:29}} |- |{{right|5.}} | "A Heart Needs a Home" | ''Hokey Pokey'' (1975) |{{right|3:26}} |- |{{right|6.}} | "Pharaoh" | ''Amnesia'' (1988) |{{right|4:25}} |- |{{right|7.}} | "Gethsemane" | ''The Old Kit Bag'' (2003) |{{right|5:13}} |- |{{right|8.}} | "Devonside" | ''Hand of Kindness'' (1983) |{{right|3:05}} |- |{{right|9.}} | "Meet on the Ledge" | ''What We Did on Our Holidays'' (1969) |{{right|3:05}} |- |{{right|10.}} | "Keep Your Distance" | ''Rumor and Sigh'' (1991) |{{right|3:35}} |- |{{right|11.}} | "Bathsheba Smiles" | ''Mock Tudor'' (1999) |{{right|3:33}} |- |{{right|12.}} | "Crazy Man Michael" | ''Liege & Lief'' (1969) |{{right|4:23}} |- |{{right|13.}} | "Guns Are the Tongues" | ''Sweet Warrior'' (2007) |{{right|6:05}} |- |{{right|14.}} | "Why Must I Plead?" | ''Rumor and Sigh'' (1991) |{{right|4:06}} |}
==Personnel== Richard Thompson – guitars and vocals
===Others=== * Artwork: Ben Bowdler * Guitars: George Lowden
==Chart performance==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! Chart (2017) ! Peak<br />position |- |{{Album chart|UK|24|artist=Richard Thompson|album=Acoustic Classics II|accessdate=20 March 2018}} |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Richard Thompson}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Richard Thompson (musician) albums Category:2017 albums