Hand of Kindness

"Hand of Kindness" is the second solo studio album album by Richard Thompson recorded and released in 1983. It is his first solo album since 1972's Henry the Human Fly. After the "Tour From Hell" to promote Shoot Out the Lights, Richard Thompson resumed a solo career as a recording and performing artist. Hand of Kindness is a distinct departure from the albums that preceded it. Thompson biographer Patrick Humphries observed that with this album Thompson "left the darkness behind him and walked out into the light". This is one of the most straightforward and up-tempo rock albums in the Thompson catalog. The mood is generally exuberant and Thompson's vocals and particularly his guitar playing are confident and extrovert. The one exception is the very dark and melancholy "Devonside", a track which Thompson rarely plays live, occasionally joking that he doesn't want to depress the audience. The album opens with "Tear Stained Letter", which was later a Top Ten hit on the country music charts when Jo-El Sonnier recorded it on his 1987 album Come On Joe.