Originally released in 1991, Richard Thompson’s sixth solo album arrived during a pivotal period in the English folk-rocker’s catalog. His third collaboration with producer Mitchell Froom (and engineer Tchad Blake), the 14-song collection continued an experimental blending of Thompson’s Celtic roots and the polished, mutant rock ’n’ roll that Froom had also applied to music by Los Lobos, Crowded House, and Elvis Costello. Some fans and critics detected commercial motives; others appreciated weird, multilayered atmospherics. MoFi’s two-LP Original Master Recordings reissue takes the digital edge off the 1991 CD sound, widens and deepens the soundstage, and arrays the instruments more cleanly, although Froom and Blake did build in a certain wooliness. While there is enough mind-blowing electric and acoustic guitar work to support RT’s guitar-god reputation, and the singing was his most soulful to date, it’s not the sound but rather the yield of Thompson repertoire staples—including “I Misunderstood,” “Mystery Wind,” “Keep Your Distance,” “I Feel So Good,” and especially “1952 Vincent Black Lightning”—that makes Rumor and Sigh a timeless classic. And this is the way to hear it.