I picked up Ian Mathews solo album If You Saw Thro' My Eyes as a Japanese import CD (muy dinero). It's from 1970 and features his ex-Fairport mates Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson prominently.

Here's the AMG review:

In late 1970, shortly after his band Matthews Southern Comfort hit number one in Great Britain with its version of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock," Ian Matthews decided that he needed more creative freedom and left for a solo career. The subsequent album, If You Saw Thro' My Eyes, his fourth and best release since leaving Fairport Convention in 1969, was recorded and released within the next few months. It also reunited him with former Fairport bandmates Sandy Denny, who had left the band in late 1969, and Richard Thompson, who would depart by the time of this album's release. Both would bring their distinctive personalities to the proceedings without ever overwhelming Matthews' own vision. As a bandleader and songwriter, Matthews' growth is quite evident here, guiding a stellar cast through seven excellent new originals and three well-chosen covers (also included is the a cappella "Hinge" and its instrumental reprise). Throughout, Matthews' sweet yet evocative tenor is perfect for the material, which succeeds in its blend of British and American folk, rock, and pop. Furthermore, he once again shows a keen eye for the work of others, while also proving his prowess as a first-rate interpretive singer. A pair of songs written by the late folksinger Richard Farina -- "Reno, Nevada" (resurrected from Ian's days with Fairport) and "Morgan the Pirate" -- are given fresh, inspired readings, highlighted by Thompson, Tim Renwick, and Andy Roberts' superb guitar interplay, providing a real folk-rock edge. But it's the beautiful, prayerlike title track that is the record's crowning moment. Joined simply by Denny's piano and breathtaking second vocal, along with a tasteful backwards guitar interlude by Renwick, Matthews' quiet plea for guidance is as moving and personal a song as he's ever recorded. A number of other highlights, such as "Hearts," "Southern Wind," "It Came Without Warning," and "You Couldn't Lose," make If You Saw Thro' My Eyes one of the best efforts by a Fairport alumnus.

I'll toss a few tracks up on Buffistarawk for the RT and Fairport and Brit Folk Rock fans. Ian's got one of the prettiest male voices of the era, so if you like that kind of thing, check it out.

tina, I am giving Begonias my first real attention listen and my goodness Don't Make it Better made me do a head snap, I heard so much Gram Parsons in the track. I think we all know how I feel about my secret dead boyfriend Gram. So yes, lady, I am enjoying it - good call.

Okay, the Ian Mathews is up. Now I'll toss up a few Lost in the Grooves (LitG) samplers as I had promised. Next up (still loading in fact)...

LitG 1

1. My Three Sons - Individuals - Cool grooves and odd lyrics. Sort of like early Talking Heads and Feelies.

2. Drive Somewhere - Vulgar Boatman. Child of Foggy Bottom and Roadrunner. That Velvets strum and drone. One of the most perfect driving songs in the world. Hypnotic.

LitG 2

1. Another Time - Pearls Before Swine. Perfect chamber folk.

2. Tulu Rogers - Appaloosa. More perfect chamber folk.

Both have that Nick Drake vibe but with other elements.

LitG 3

1. No Other - Gene Clark. One of the voices of The Byrds. Doing something a little less folk, and more pop. Really gorgeous.

2. Caroline Goodby - Colin Blunstone. The voice of the Zombies, doing something a bit folkier and more delicate. Yet also perfect 70s pop. Also really gorgeous.

LitG 4

1. Walking the Cow - k. mccarty. Very affecting pop arrangement around Daniel Johnston's heartfelt lyrics. Just one of those weird songs that really moves you.

2. Carnival in the Swamp - Dogbowl. Tuneful and whackaloon and kind of indescribable. Robert Pollard sitting in with a Klezmer band? Jonathan Richman with Benny Goodman?

LitG 5

1. Sam Stone - Swamp Dogg. John Prine's great vietnam vet song, done to perfection by the Dogg.

2. 1983 - Incredible Moses Leroy. Sort of a sweet indie pop song.

If you want to hear anymore from a particular artist, let me know. But that should give you a running start on a number of the lesser known figures in the book.

It's all melodic and accessible and smart and distinct.

I'll upload a quick classic country mix to buffistarawk, too, if there's room.

Sweet! And I'm excited for the LitG stuff too. I love you guys.

shrift, I can enthusiastically second Hec's recommendation of Kelly Hogan. Her album Because It Feel Good is killer. And you've got to have some Emmylou Harris: Wrecking Ball is pretty phenomenal, and you could also pick up some of her earlier albums, or Profile (a best-of collection from her 70s-era stuff), if you're looking for more twang.

I heard so much Gram Parsons in the track.

Yes, and it is hard not to make Emmylou comparisons with her as well.

I am enjoying it - good call.

Excellent! Everyone I have rec'd it to has liked it.

Now I'll toss up a few Lost in the Grooves (LitG) samplers as I had promised.

Oohh - new obscure tunage. Fun!

Tonight I am doing a major backup/re-organization and cleansing of all my digital music files. (I know. My rock-n-roll lifestyle is quite enviable.)

I have 6580 songs or 33GBs of music on my iPod and have been using it as my main storage place of music and playlists. My goal is to take about HALF off the pod (the real goal here is to make the 3000 or so songs on the pod truly shuffle-able) AND transfer my library and four gajillion playlists to my new computer. I'm all freaked out (change=bad) and kind of ridiculously excited about this excuse to judge each and every track in my library as Worthy or Not Worthy of the Pod.

ETA:

And in my efforts to get rid of some music... I've just bought three albums at amazon. That Arctic Monkeys album all the kids are raving about (seriously - NME just named it one of the top 5 British albums and it came out two weeks ago - I mean, I gotta hear that), Silversun Pickups and the Belle and Sebastian that comes out on Tuesday. I am hopeless.

Now Playing: Stars Set Yourself on Fire - it's just like The Postal Service but with a girl singer, too. Good stuff if not very groundbreaking.

Yeah, IHT said that Arctic Monkeys is the fastest/biggest selling album in England ever.

Speaking of IHT, I just read their article on the GraceNote music database [link] and there's a line in there about how the major studios only release 200 CDs a week.

TWO. HUNDRED. CDs. A. WEEK.

Craxy.

Hec! Thank you for the music. Also love the Gene Clark you mentioned above.

Does anyone have his original version of "You Showed Me"? I only know the Lightning Seeds cover, which is great, but I have never been able to get my hands on the original.

Does anyone have his original version of "You Showed Me"? I only know the Lightning Seeds cover, which is great, but I have never been able to get my hands on the original.

Gah. With all the Gene Clark and Byrds I own, I don't own that. Corwood might have it.

I think I have the Turtles cover of it (which is very Byrdsy, as you'd imagine).

I'd been tempted by that Gene Clark in the Byrds compilation on Raven (which does have it). Hmmm, might have to succumb to temptation.

In surprising news, AMG says that Salt-N-Pepa covered it.

If it's on that 4 CD Byrds box set, then I have it. I'll check when I get home.

If it's on that 4 CD Byrds box set, then I have it. I'll check when I get home.

It's not on the box (which I also own). It's on Preflyte and the Raven comp I mentioned and Byrds In the Beginning.