Sunday Morning Vault: Iain Matthews--Seven Bridges Road (1973)

     It was a normal afternoon in the basement of my childhood home. Not sure why I was down there, but was, as usual, listening to my favorite FM radio station, KSHE 95, when out of the speakers came the smoothest harmonies I'd ever heard on underground radio. It then launched into a country rock/folk tune that stuck in my ears now for the last 38 years. The fact the Eagles made the hit out of it has slightly annoyed me over the years since in my opinion it is the weaker of the three versions. (More on my Eagles bias later....)

      The singer, Iain Matthews joined Fairport Convention in 1967 but left just two years later as they began to move in a more British folk direction. He released his first solo album, "Matthews Southern Comfort" then built a band around it and released two more albums under that name in 1969-70. He also spent short period with the group Plainsong, all the while working on solo material. So by 1973, he had already released his 5th solo album, "Valley Hi"...

      The song, "Seven Bridges Road" was written by Seven Young in 1969 for his album, Rock Salt & Nails. Young would later be considered a pioneer in the "outlaw country" movement and greatly influenced Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. He was known to mix quite of bit of rock into his country, but "Seven Bridges Road" was about as country as he ever got. In the version here, you get a beautiful country ballad.....

     In my opinion the person (for better or worse depending on which version of the song you like), is Michael Nesmith. He was asked to come in the produce the album, "Valley Hi" for Iain. Am not sure who made the decision to change the arrangement, but having heard all of Nesmith's solo work, his stamp is all over the song. All three men are writing and recording music...I invite you to check all three out for some quality county/rock/folk music....