Hokey Pokey is the second album by the British duo of singer Linda Thompson and singer/songwriter/guitarist Richard Thompson. It was recorded in the autumn of 1974 and released in 1975. Listeners keen to try to find connections between the albums by the Thompsons and their personal lives may be confused by the delays between writing, recording and release of the early albums. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight was conceived and recorded prior to the Thompsons' embracing of Islam, but the album's release was substantially delayed. By the time that album was released the Thompsons were living in an Islamic commune in London. In the meantime, the Thompsons had toured as a trio with Fairport Convention guitarist Simon Nicol. Nicol recalls that period: So much of the material on the Hokey Pokey album was written sometime before the album was recorded and even predates the conversion to Islam. To add to the confusion the release of the eventual album was again delayed and so the song and the themes of the album lagged behind the development of the Thompsons's personal lives. The album is thematically cohesive for the most part. The first eight songs present a bleak world view with constant images of people living a shallow existence and seeking some kind of gratification - often in drugs or sexual encounters, or experiencing a hard and cruel life with the cruelty often being dealt out by their fellow humans. "Never Again" portrays an old man looking back on a life devastated by the unexpected loss of loved ones. "A Heart Needs a Home", the ninth song, serves as Richard Thompson's declaration of faith whilst also harking back to the unfulfilling existence portrayed in the preceding songs:
...I came to you when No one could hear me I’m sick and weary Of being alone Empty streets and Hungry faces The world’s no place when You’re on your own A heart needs a home.
In terms of musical style Thompson's songwriting on this album reflects a number of British styles despite not being in the English folk-rock style of "Bright Lights": Music Hall, English hymns, traditional brass bands, pub sing-alongs and even the double entendres of George Formby are all discernible. In many cases, Thompson juxtaposes an upbeat tune with a bleak lyric. It was voted number 604 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.
Track listing
All songs written by Richard Thompson except as noted.
