Search - Ian Matthews :: Journeys From Gospel Oak

This Oak Has Grown!

PHILIP S WOLF | SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA. USA | 12/12/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A fine Re-Issue of the 1974 Record by Mr. Iain Matthews. The original Mooncrest Version contained Ten Tracks, this Edition adds on Seven Bonus Cuts and is the one to own.



A mix of Originals {"Knowing The Game" & "Franklin Avenue"} and covers by Gene Clark: "Polly" and Tim Hardin: "Tribute To Hank Williams". It is quite rightly regared as one of Iain's best of the 1970's. At this time Iain was exploring his place in the Country Rock Movement and was having Good Album Sales and Chart Success alongside Poco and The Eagles. As with his other Records: "Gospel Oak" was a Good One because of the Song Selection and Iain's, Fantastic Voice.



To make this one even better, is the inclusion the of the Bonus Material herein. An Outtake from the Original release is: "Devil In Disguise" and "Devil" is Re-Worked acoustically as are Four other "Gospel Oak" numbers by Iain & Barl-Jan Baartmans in 2006 for his aclaimed Concerts that are only held in Europe nowadays.



This is One of Iain's Best Records and now it Sounds even better and much more has been included...FOUR STARS !!!"

Slightly inconsistent, but good

greyhoundude | Corvallis, OR | 11/28/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"To say that Ian Matthews was prolific in the 1970's would be a gross understatement. Beginning with a couple of albums with Matthews Southern Comfort, then on to the Vertigo label and two more LP's, moving to Elektra for PLAINSONG, VALLEY HI & SOME DAYS YOU EAT THE BEAR, then on to Columbia and Mushroom and limited success.....all during the 1970's. Whew!



Tucked somewhere in there was an unreleased-until-recently 2nd LP with Plainsong and this item, JOURNEYS FROM GOSPEL OAK, recorded post Vertigo and pre-Elektra circa 1972.



I remember when this LP was first released (on the budget Mooncrest label) and Ian's subsequent complaint (in a letter to Melody Maker, I believe), stating that this album should have never been released and objecting to the track listing.



Twenty-four years later, this album sounds pretty good, thanks in some part to the remastering. Ian's "Knowing the Game," Gene Clark's "Polly," and Paul Siebel's "Bride 1945" are particularly fine, while the remaining tracks (mostly cover versions - Ian was saving his best tunes for Plainsong) are good-to-very-good. The musicians represent some of the cream of British folk-rock (Andy Roberts, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Jerry Donahue). The liner notes are informative.



The "bonus" tracks are somewhat deceptive. I expected bonus tracks from at least the same decade, but Ian decided to re-record 5 of these tunes for inclusion on the album. Nice but ultimately unnecessary.



If you enjoyed Ian's Elektra period, you won't go wrong picking up this disc."

Unambitious but solid

Guy R. Ewald | NYC | 12/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The review below is informative and on target. Ian Matthews was incredibly prolific in the late-60's/early-70's leaving two albums on the shelf. The 2nd Plainsong album (available on the Water label) is the better of the two, but I was very happy with Gospel Oak when I finally heard it. It was easy to take music of this style and quality for granted 30-odd years ago. Ian had impeccable taste in song-selection, his beautiful voice never missed a note and he always surrounded himself with sympathetic and skilled musicians. This may be an unambitious album - recorded to fullfill his contract with Vertigo I believe - but it is a satisfying one. A comfortable shoe for any fan of Ian Matthews."