Genre: rock
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: If You Saw Thru My Eyes
Company: Vertigo
Catalog: VEL-1002
Year: 1971
Country/State: Lincolnshire, UK
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: gatefold sleeve; swirl inner label
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4881
Price: $20.00
It's kind of funny that I owned a bunch of Ian Matthews albums for years before I realized his connection with Fairport Convention (so much for thinking I knew squat about music).
Following two albums with Fairport Convention and two releases with Matthews Southern Comfort, 1971's "If You Could See Thru My Eyes" marked Matthews first true solo album. Here's what Matthews' own website has to say about the album:
"On his own again, Matthews hooked up with Vertigo Records and former Yardbird Paul Samwell-Smith, who signed on to produce his next album and in the process introduced him to Andy Roberts, an up-and-coming London musician who’d done an art college stint in Liverpool. After a difficult start, Matthews took over the production himself and created one of the most acclaimed albums of his career in If You Could See Thro’ My Eyes (1971). Armed with original songs like “Desert Inn” and “Thro’ My Eyes” and backed by Roberts, Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, Keith Tippet (King Crimson), Tim Renwick (Al Stewart, Elton John, Pink Floyd), and other legendary British performers, Matthews seemed, for a moment, to have found a comfortable balance of autonomy, support, creativity, and success. He’d also discovered Richard Farina, two of whose songs (“Morgan the Pirate” and “Reno Nevada”) appear on the album."
Backed by an all star cast of friends including Fairport alumnus Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson, the self-produced album stood as one of Matthews' creative high points. Propelled by his likeable voice original material such as 'Hearts', 'Never Ending' and 'Little Known' fell under the sensitive singer/songwriter umbrella. Taken individually those numbers are quite nice, but the overarching feeling of angst and personal pain starts to get boring after awhile. The vague country-rock sound also started to get stale. That made the isolated up-tempo numbers like his Richard Farina covers 'Reno Nevada' and 'Morgant he Pirate' a welcomed change in pace.
"I fYou
Could See Thru My Eyes" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) D Desert Inn (Ian Matthews) - 3:30
2.) Hearts (Ian Matthews) - 3:12
3.) Never Ending (Ian Matthews) - 2:48
4.) Reno Nevada (Richard Farina) - 4:12
5.) Little Known (Ian Matthews) - 2:55
6.) Hinge (instrumental) (Ian Matthews) - 1:20
(side
2)
1.) Hinge (Ian Matthews) - 0:25
2.) Southern Wind (Ian Matthews) - 3:10
3.) If Came Without Warning (Jacobs) - 4:01
4.) You Couldn't Lose (Ian Matthews) - 3:35
5.)
Morgan the Pirate (Richard Farina) - 2:34
By the way, Matthews has a nice website located at: