This week on Murder Ballad Monday, Ken tackles Richard Thompson's classic "1952 Vincent Black Lightning."

1952 Vincent Black Lightning - A fine motorbike, and an excellent song to explore for this week at Murder Ballad Monday, as Ken begins a week with Richard Thompson's "1952 Vincent Black Lightning. Today, a discussion of Thompson's live performances and his commitment to risk-taking as an artist and performer.

Down to Knoxville? - T for Texas and T for Tennessee. "A" for America and adaptation. Ken continues his road trip with Richard Thompson, James Adie, and Red Molly, as the song undergoes the "folk process" in earnest, on its way to becoming a bluegrass standard in only its second decade. In this post, the bluegrass arrangement from Del McCoury that launched the rest, and an excellent performance by a couple of relative youngsters, the Other Favorites. Also, Reckless Kelly provides a Texas Country performance guaranteed to get the whole bar's attention.

He smiled to see her cry - Our next installment on "1952 Vincent Black Lightning," in which Ken tries to take Billy Collins's advice; listens to the Cory Heydon Band and the Uptown Savages; attempts to follow Greg Brown's lead; and, with Dick Gaughan's help, finds a surprising key (symbolic, of course) to unlocking another possibility in one of the song's crucial scenes.

A girl could feel special - In a final post for the week with "1952 Vincent Black Lightning," Ken listens for other voices. Performances this time around from Beth Wood, Mary Lou Lord, Christy Jefferson, and Aoife O'Donovan--plus a link to a Spotify playlist for more rides with James Adie and Red Molly.