Veteran singer/songwriter Richard Thompson [ tickets ] returns to North America this fall for a new round of shows behind his latest album, "Sweet Warrior," with dates stretching into 2008.

The first leg of the British performer's latest US trek kicks off Sept. 7 in San Francisco, with Thompson and his eponymous backing band hitting 10 cities, all on the western side of the continent. Thompson will then return, sans backup, in December for three nights of solo acoustic performances, Dec. 6-8 in Saratoga, CA.

The tireless troubadour will return yet again in January for three weeks worth of "1,000 Years of Popular Music" performances, with accompaniment by percussionist Debra Dobkin and vocalist Judith Owen. The piece, which literally attempts to provide an abbreviated overview of the last thousand years of popular music, was captured on a 2003 CD of the same name, and a DVD released last April. Footage for the DVD was shot at Thompson's February San Francisco appearance. Dates for all of Thompson's upcoming North American shows are listed below.

Thompson's latest record, "Sweet Warrior," hit stores in May. The set, his first electric album since 2003's "The Old Kit Bag," mixes some of his most memorable recordings with a batch of new songs, including the politically charged "Dad's Gonna Kill Me."

The Grammy-nominated performer's career stretches back to the late '60s, when he co-founded British folk-rock band Fairport Convention. In the '70s, Thompson recorded several albums with his then-wife, Linda Peters, including "Shoot Out the Lights," which regularly makes critics' lists of the Top 10 records of all time.