Another offshoot from Fairport Convention, he managed to squeeze in recordings as part of Matthews Southern Comfort before releasing this, his first solo LP. Mostly self-penned songs, and produced by Ian himself, there are overtures here to the likes of Jackson Browne – Morgan the Pirate – and whilst you can detect the roots in the folk circles, this is a creep away from that music sphere. We are also exposed to the luscious voice of Sandy Denny on a track that is worthy to close any LP – ‘If you saw thro’ my eyes’. And all this after the stand out track – in my view – on Side 2 which is ‘You couldn’t lose’, an unaccompanied track which showcases Ian at his best.
Play this in the background and it will drift on by. It deserves your time and the pace oozes and sways you along with lyrics well worth a listen. It offers something for everyone and whilst it didn’t start a glorious, solo career filled with fame and fortune (although I suspect he did OK), it certainly kicked one off on solid ground. Check out ‘Little Known’ and you can see how the seeds were sown.
