THOMPSON SAVES MILLENNIUM'S BEST FOR LAST.

Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor

After a night of fun and at times brilliant music, the most inspired moment in Richard Thompson's concert at the Getty on Friday, ``They Could Have Been Hits: One Thousand Years of Also-Rans,'' was the encore.

The show was put together as follow-up to a concert last year in which Thompson wryly surveyed ``One Thousand Years of Popular Music.'' On Friday the singer-songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire moved from the droning sounds of the Middle Ages to the funk of Prince. Along the way we heard murder ballads, folk tunes, an English music hall song (complete with an audience sing-along), a piece from the 17th-century English composer Henry Purcell, and one from Gilbert and Sullivan's ``Mikado.''

For the 20th century, there was Hoagy Carmichael's ``Rockin' Chair,'' and the classic Julie London torch song ``Cry Me a River,'' on which vocalist Judith Owen simply sizzled as Thompson provided tasty guitar backing. He then moved to songs by The Who and Squeeze.

Early in the evening, the transplanted Englishman made reference to America's current travails, saluting his current home with a gorgeous rendition of ``Shenandoah.'' For the encore he made an even more poignant reference to it without saying anything in his choice of ``You'll Never Walk Alone'' from Rodgers and Hammerstein's ``Carousel.'' A song that has too often been turned into schmaltz in the past, Thompson, joined by Owen and former Doors drummer John Densmore, made the song what it was meant to be - poignant and inspirational. A perfect ending.

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In concert, acclaimed singer, songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson spans 1,000 years of popular music.