Dreams Fly Away: A History Of Linda Thompson

Linda Thompson, of course, is Richard Thompson's ex-wife and performing partner, and her retrospective is most appealing when she's soberly intoning his bleak and brusque admissions. "For Shame of Doing Wrong" and "Walking on a Wire" are perfect forums for Linda Thompson's stately, weary vocals. She never found quite so sympathetic or prolific a source of songs after her marriage to Richard broke up. Attempts to modernize her surroundings met with mixed results, but Dreams Fly Away sifts through the chaff to come up with 20 worthy and frequently rare Linda Thompson tracks. --Steven Stolder