― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 25 March 2004 01:49 (9 years ago) Permalink
― duke convention, Thursday, 25 March 2004 03:28 (9 years ago) Permalink
Ian Matthews is the most underrated member of Fairport Convention, yes?Holy shit are his record good. I think "Valley Hi" is an incredible album, even if there is some "filler" the playing throughout is great and should be more than enough to keep you interested, if you're a fan of Gilded Palace or similar fare.
― ian, Friday, 24 October 2008 02:24 (4 years ago) Permalink
Everyone needs to fucking hear his version of "These Days."It doesn't look like it's on last.fm unfortunately.
― ian, Friday, 24 October 2008 02:25 (4 years ago) Permalink
if you don't have the plainsong record, in search of amelia earhart, that was reissued with a "lost" second record and tons of extra tracks, get it now. there is another guy in the band who sings some songs and he's not as good as matthews but the good stuff on it is matthews' best imo
― velko, Friday, 24 October 2008 02:29 (4 years ago) Permalink
http://lineout.thestranger.com/2007/12/ian_matthews_british_folk_alsoran
I'll definitely have to keep an eye out for the Plainsong reissue!
― ian, Friday, 24 October 2008 02:35 (4 years ago) Permalink
I don't understand how Tigers Will Survive can be so nondescript when If You Saw Thro My Eyes is so amazing. I blame the backing musicians.
I need to hear Valley Hi and the Plainsong record.
I think he's a tie with Hutchings for most underrated in Fairport, I far prefer H's bass style to Pegg's more trad sound.
― sleeve, Friday, 24 October 2008 02:37 (4 years ago) Permalink
Tigers Will Survive was kinda forgettable for me too. I own it, but I don't think I can sing ya the hook to any of the songs on it. Have you heard "Later That Same Year"? That one's great too.
You might be right about Hutchings.
― ian, Friday, 24 October 2008 02:38 (4 years ago) Permalink
jeez, allmusic lists like 25 albums for Matthews! I have heard three. The other one is that SOmetimes You Eat The Bear record, which I have only given one listen and remember nothing about (dollar record).
― sleeve, Friday, 24 October 2008 02:42 (4 years ago) Permalink
Sometimes You Eat The Bear is not that great. I think I've probably only listened to it once or twice. The good ones IMHO are
valley hilater that same yearif you saw through my eyesjourneys through the gospel oaktigers will survive (yeah not so memorable.)
and the plainsong record.
― ian, Friday, 24 October 2008 02:43 (4 years ago) Permalink
oh, and i just looked and i also have Second Spring. I guess you can file that along with Tigers Will Survive as "pleasant but nothing special." I will re-listen to it though and report back.
― ian, Friday, 24 October 2008 02:47 (4 years ago) Permalink
am relistening to Bear album now, it has covers of Tom Waits, Danny Whitten, Gene Clark, and Steely Dan. and what looks to be a bunch of session dudes in the band.
― sleeve, Friday, 24 October 2008 02:52 (4 years ago) Permalink
there was a real good one cd comp of the elektra years, including plainsong, called "the soul of many places"out of print but it shows up in used stores. good starting point for the uninitiated
― velko, Friday, 24 October 2008 03:00 (4 years ago) Permalink
I'm enjoying Second Spring. Halfway through side one I'm detecting more of a grateful dead feel. There are jammy instrumental passages but also nice studio technique in a folk rock/rural pop setting a la American Beauty.
― ian, Friday, 24 October 2008 03:14 (4 years ago) Permalink
I was not as taken by Sometimes You Eat The Bear. those damn slick sidemen ruin everything.
― sleeve, Friday, 24 October 2008 04:46 (4 years ago) Permalink
Yeah that's how I remember that one. Stealin' Home continues in that vein and is maybe only worth it if it's a dollar or less.
― ian, Friday, 24 October 2008 04:56 (4 years ago) Permalink
i love second spring.
― scott seward, Friday, 24 October 2008 04:59 (4 years ago) Permalink
i like all the southern comfort stuff. and the plainsong album. and valley hi. and if you saw thro' my eyes.
i still need gospel oak, some days you eat the bear, and tigers will survive. i'll get them eventually.
i have the the later go for broke/hit and run/stealin' home albums, but i don't play them much.
― scott seward, Friday, 24 October 2008 05:07 (4 years ago) Permalink
I think Valley Hi & Gospel Oak are his peak. the first Matthews Southern Comfort is really nice too, tho it's more "English" folk/rock than LA country.
― m coleman, Friday, 24 October 2008 09:09 (4 years ago) Permalink
I got 'If You Saw...' the other day. It's nice, but I was hoping for something to match 'Moses in the Sunshine' from Second Spring. What a beautiful song.
― narlus spectre (gnarly sceptre), Friday, 24 October 2008 10:38 (4 years ago) Permalink
Still loving "Valley Hi" over here. Such a great sound, such great songs, great singing.
― ian, Sunday, 4 January 2009 06:21 (4 years ago) Permalink
You're hiding your smile for the last time,So don't mention my name when I'm gone.If you've handed me one, you've handed me a thousand shady lies.
― ian, Sunday, 8 March 2009 20:36 (4 years ago) Permalink
big fairport fan, but have not really delved into Ian's solo career -- listening to "If You Saw Thro My Eyes" for the 1st time now -- sounds awesome! Great vibe, and I think I like his vocals here better than on the Fairport stuff he sings lead on ...
― tylerw, Saturday, 19 September 2009 20:32 (3 years ago) Permalink
be sure to dig out "Later That Same Year" and "Valley Hi"--they should be relatively easy to find around.
― ian, Saturday, 19 September 2009 20:34 (3 years ago) Permalink
also the Plainsong record
― velko, Saturday, 19 September 2009 20:37 (3 years ago) Permalink
cool! will check em out ....
― tylerw, Saturday, 19 September 2009 20:46 (3 years ago) Permalink
The Performing Gibsons BBC set from April 1971 is great. It's Matthews + Andy Roberts and Richard Thompson. The sound could be better but it's good enough. Thompson on harmonies is excellent ("Where Will You Go") and the guitars are, as you'd expect, terrific.
― Euler, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 11:30 (3 years ago) Permalink
ooh that sounds great. was actually just listening to "Later That Same Year" for the first time. Really lovely production/vocals.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 14:10 (3 years ago) Permalink
is the Performing Gibsons thing an official release or a bootleg?
― tylerw, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 14:14 (3 years ago) Permalink
I listened to the Plainsong album afterward and it's great too for the most part. I'm going to try If You Saw Thro My Eyes and Valley Hi later today.
xp bootleg and I can't even find very much info about it online.
― Euler, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 14:15 (3 years ago) Permalink
yeah, not a whole lot happening on the net with that one, though I think I had read about the version "It Takes A Lot To Laugh" as having one of Thompson's best solos or something ...
― tylerw, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 14:18 (3 years ago) Permalink
yeah it's fabulous! My friend tells me he may have a better source for the set; I just asked him for more info, and I hope he'll turn something up.
― Euler, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 14:19 (3 years ago) Permalink
hook me UP. will share rare muslim R&L Thompson jazzrock on my blog in exchange.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 14:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
I'll let you know what my friend says, o/w I can just get you the set I have.
― Euler, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 14:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
Valley Hi is very very good, maybe my favorite of the bunch. In fact I like it so much that I'm kinda leery of trying other albums by him at this point, besides the four I've listened to today. I don't want to water down this sound too much. But Valley Hi sounds so great; the double-tracked vocals on the chorus of "These Days" is a highlight.
― Euler, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 15:45 (3 years ago) Permalink
the debut Matthews' Southern Comfort is also great and basically a Fairport album (w/ Thompson, Hutchings and Nicol). perfect 1969 folk/rock with a slight psychedelic edge.
― Pigbin Josh (herb albert), Tuesday, 29 September 2009 16:40 (3 years ago) Permalink
!! need that one
― sleeve, Wednesday, 30 September 2009 04:58 (3 years ago) Permalink
yeah this shit is great
― figuratively, but in a very real way (amateurist), Wednesday, 2 December 2009 05:14 (3 years ago) Permalink
i mean, REALLY mellow. but great.
― figuratively, but in a very real way (amateurist), Wednesday, 2 December 2009 06:10 (3 years ago) Permalink
yeah, I've been digging "If You Saw Thro" the most ... and it's got a song called "Sylvie" which I've been singing to my new baby. Works pretty well for a baby: "Sylvie, don't you cry ..."
― tylerw, Wednesday, 2 December 2009 16:04 (3 years ago) Permalink
I've convinced myself that Valley Hi is the greatest fairport-related LP of all time, totally destroying Fotheringay, Sandy, Pour Down Like Silver, Bright Lights, Henry The Human Fly, or any of the Fairport LPs.
Can we do a POX ian matthews covers? Cuz he's a great interpreter of other folks songs. The version of "These Days" and "Propinquity" on Valley Hi are just beautiful. mike newsmith produced, red rhodes on steel and dobro; could listen to this stuff forever.
― ian, Thursday, 8 April 2010 20:26 (3 years ago) Permalink
I've convinced myself that Valley Hi is the greatest fairport-related LP of all time, totally destroying Fotheringay, Sandy, Pour Down Like Silver, Bright Lights, Henry The Human Fly, or any of the Fairport LPs.wanna say this is crazy talk, but i haven't heard Valley Hi so maybe you're right! love his version of Neil's Tell Me Why -- not a radical rearrangement by any means, but his voice sounds great on it.
― tylerw, Thursday, 8 April 2010 20:37 (3 years ago) Permalink
it's an intentionally challopy argument, but it's a lush country rock record with great playing, an excellent selection of material, and matthews is a hell of a singer. and that's basically all i want to listen to at this time of year.
― ian, Thursday, 8 April 2010 20:45 (3 years ago) Permalink
$0.99http://cgi.ebay.com/IAN-MATTHEWS-VALLEY-HI-1973-gtfd-LP-w-MIKE-NESMITH_W0QQitemZ390178404892QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item5ad871fa1c
― ian, Thursday, 8 April 2010 20:46 (3 years ago) Permalink
buy it now $3.99http://cgi.ebay.com/IAN-MATTHEWS-LP-Valley-Hi-Elektra-Records-EKS-78061_W0QQitemZ390178098352QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item5ad86d4cb0
thanks!
― tylerw, Thursday, 8 April 2010 20:55 (3 years ago) Permalink
― buzza, Wednesday, 20 October 2010 06:50 (2 years ago) Permalink
dude ian i'm totally into ian matthews but better than bright lights, really?
― by another name (amateurist), Wednesday, 20 October 2010 07:14 (2 years ago) Permalink
Man, it's real close..
― not everything is a campfire (ian), Wednesday, 20 October 2010 16:04 (2 years ago) Permalink
it's because his name is ian, right?
― by another name (amateurist), Thursday, 21 October 2010 02:50 (2 years ago) Permalink
Holy crap. This stuff is unbelievable. It's like discovering a trove of Gene Clark records you never knew existed.
What about the 80s, 90s stuff?
― Chonus, Friday, 28 January 2011 21:07 (2 years ago) Permalink
Not so hot, but not horrible either. worth a few bucks if you see 'em.
― not everything is a campfire (ian), Saturday, 29 January 2011 20:25 (2 years ago) Permalink
worth A buck, maybe.
― scott seward, Saturday, 29 January 2011 20:32 (2 years ago) Permalink
wanted to post "you fell through my mind" but no luck, this is pretty good too
― buzza, Tuesday, 24 May 2011 04:29 (1 year ago) Permalink
ian matthews rules, imo.
― one dis leads to another (ian), Tuesday, 24 May 2011 16:12 (1 year ago) Permalink
just sold two ian matthews records (and a morris on record!) to a beardo in a Sunn t-shirt.
― one dis leads to another (ian), Tuesday, 24 May 2011 17:28 (1 year ago) Permalink
valley hi! thanks to this thread for getting me into this record. playing it this morning and it is perfect.
― tylerw, Monday, 11 July 2011 17:01 (1 year ago) Permalink
It is perfect! And sadly I can't find my copy of it.
― JacobSanders, Monday, 11 July 2011 18:04 (1 year ago) Permalink
great fuckin record.
― one dis leads to another (ian), Monday, 11 July 2011 20:30 (1 year ago) Permalink
dude doesn't do anything terribly fancy with it but i was struck by how well matthews double (triple?) tracks his vocals. he gets a really nice sound.
― tylerw, Monday, 11 July 2011 20:31 (1 year ago) Permalink
This guy is playing in a pub near here soon. Anyone seen him in the recent past?
― brian da facepalma (NickB), Monday, 11 July 2011 20:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
this guy has great fucking taste. it's like he had some mainline into singer-songwriter records in the 1970s and covered the dopest songs before anyone else knew of them.
― by another name (amateurist), Tuesday, 12 July 2011 04:40 (1 year ago) Permalink
i mean it's weird that his M.O. was basically scouring singer-songwriter records and treating them like someone in previous decades would treat cole porter/gershwin/etc. with some exceptions he's almost purely an "interpretive singer" in an era when this was kind of uncool if you were traveling in "rock" or "folk" circles. and contrary to a lot of interpretive singers his vocals are not incredibly distinctive or idiosyncratic; they're pretty mellow. and yet it works.
― by another name (amateurist), Tuesday, 12 July 2011 04:42 (1 year ago) Permalink
dude was amazing interpreter but wrote some good ones too
― buzza, Tuesday, 1 November 2011 06:17 (1 year ago) Permalink
Just discovering this stuff and totally not surprised by this thread's contributers
― Trip Maker, Monday, 2 April 2012 04:19 (1 year ago) Permalink
― buzza, Friday, 26 October 2012 02:57 (6 months ago) Permalink
― buzza, Thursday, 2 May 2013 07:09 (2 weeks ago) Permalink