Ian Matthews (1974) A Wailing Goodbye - LOST 70s GEMS

Ian Matthews 1974 slick country rock album with it's weird title (Some Days You Eat the Bear), in it he uses his vocals to add a original feel to covers of Tom Waits' Ol 55 and Gene Clark's Tried So Hard. But this original is the standout, highly melodic for a song with a bleak premises; describing a lover's funeral.

With Dylanesque harmonica and driving pace it reminds me of Like a Rolling Stone plus some summery guitars and electric piano embellishments for a robust wall of sound production. Matthews trademark ethereal ballad vocals work extremely well for a detached almost sedated delivery fitting the almost morbid but painfully realistic detail. Matthews captures the poignant and bizarre mix of emotions of a funeral with the upbeat arrangement as he describes the scene; faces that 'nobody knew', people around 'crying their eyes out for you'. The best is the line of this wailing goodbye is 'most everyone agreed: what a beautiful day' solidifying the odd concept of a funeral; almost like a party missing the guest of honour; permanently.

 A sombre but profound little track that will stay with you long after hearing it's apt descriptions of a wake, combined with Ian Matthews' omnipresent vocals, that sound multi tracked and have a heavily delayed echo at a specific point, while that harmonica wails on defiantly in it's song.