The second in a triumphal three-record run of masterpieces released between 1974 – 1975, Hokey Pokey finds Richard and Linda firing on all cylinders over the course of an ebullient, tragicomic set of debauched character studies and soaring spiritual ruminations. From the jaunty, thinly veiled ice cream double entendre of the opening title track, to the jaw-droppingly lovely penultimate ballad “A Heart Needs A Home,” there is rarely a false note present. Amongst the many highlights is the frighteningly raw confessional “I’ll Regret It All In The Morning” (“Whiskey helps to clear my head/ Bring it with you into bed/ If I beat you nearly dead/ I’ll regret it all in the morning”) and the rueful waltz “The Sun Never Shines On The Poor.” Full of sharp writing and energetic, engaging performances, Hokey Pokey brilliantly invigorates the traditional music that undergirds all of the Richard Thompson catalog. That it is only the third-best record they would release in an 18-month period is testimony to just how high a level the duo were working at during the mid ’70s.