TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

'Kind Of New', the first Matthews Southern Comfort album in 40 years is released on September 6th. I have 500 numbered limited pre-order cd copies now, at www.brilliantmusic.bigcartel.com. These will ship numbered, in sale order, from number 11, on Wednesday 11th August. 13 tracks, including a sublime remake of 'Woodstock'

Stock will be available for general sale at Cropredy, but I doubt there will be any of the 500 numbered ones left by then.

So those who would like an early numbered copy, the link is above.

Cheers! Jon.

Tracklisting -

1. Letting the mad dogs lie
2. These days
3. Road to Ronderlin
4. Perfect love
5. The way things are
6. Seven hours
7. Woodstock
8. Locomotive
9. O'Donnel Street
10. Dear Richard
11. Kingfish
12. Blood Red Roses
13. Money.

Forgot to mention that it's only a tenner too - I suspect more at Cropredy?

Ah yes, thanks Chris..Its a tenner, and will probably be £12/13 at Cropredy I guess..

Tried to order but it´s obviously not shipped outside the UK?
Or?

Hi, yes, its shipping worldwide, I'll just check the settings on the shop :-)

Ammended for worldwide, sorry...Just to say, Iain's Brighton gig, on Monday 6th September, has only 7 tickets left at writing, http://www.greyspub.com/music/music-home.htm and this is before the dates are announced, so if anybody would like to go, suggest you act quickly..

The headline is at the 100 club on Sept 11th (Saturday) and details will be announced this week.

Successfully ordered!  :)

Oh Dear, that's another CD ordered, I've got 7 albums in front of me that were delivered today.

I know the feeling!  ;) :D

Yes, all received, the first 50 zoomed out pretty quickly this evening, and nice low numbers you all have :-)

followed staFCarin's example: successfully ordered

I ordered this as well! Looking forward to hearing it.

Has anyone received their copy yet as I'm still waiting for it to pop through the letterbox.

nope...but I'm sure JB will be along very soon....

Hi Andy, just replied to your pm. Yes, all of these are mailed out now, despatch up to date. And quite a feat of jiffy bags it was. I'd love to hear some feedback when people get copies.  There are less than 100 of the numbered ones left now, and its quite possible there will be a delay on the 'main' release date, as I think a portion of the album is going on the front cover of a newspaper :-)

I'd like to hear some feedback from people who have spent ten quid on an album that I'll be able to get "a portion of" for the price of a newspaper. This is in no way intended to be inflammatory, but I've read with interest similar discussions elsewherer on similar approaches by Prince, Blur, Bowie et al and I'm genuinely interested in the mechanics and perceptions of the whole thing from both the ardent fan, the casual consumer and, of course, from the artist's POV. May be a subject for a seperate discussion, mind.  

Got my copy on Monday, very good album. You can hear the quality on every track and Matthews is on fine form, this one's going to be a real grower on me. Any chance of seeing this live, Jonny ?

Thanks Dan :-) Dates being announced tomorrow, and one near you...

I'll have a go Skirky - From the artist POV - the mechanicals can be lucrative, the promotional 'reach' is much larger than the artist would otherwise attain, which opens up the obvious back catalogue and live aspect of the artists career. From management/label perspective, more records sold, and from the consumer angle, a risk free way of hearing what to them is new music.

I would never though, a) let more than about half of an album go out this way, and b) would never short change fanbase by having a covermount as the first available method of hearing the work. It may now be 3 months after the album is available (for a tenner, as a limited numbered run) before a portion is released as a covermount.

I do totally agree its a not totally accepted way of releasing, and I may furrow a few brows by doing this. I do have it in mind for a couple of artists. Always trying different ways of promoting I suppose is the fairly simple angle from me.

Yes, an interesting discussion!

Hi Jon, having played the new MSC cd for the first time since I got back from Cropredy, my view is that it's really classy & tasteful, a most enjoyable listen, thank you.

Thank you Martin, and I'll have a splendid jacket next time your at a sailing fair in France please!!!

Just been playing disc number 032 of 500. Arrived in the post this morning and I love it.

Don't expect the country sound of the "original" MSC, it has the feel of the more recent Iain material and it's brilliant :D

I'd love to see the band touring.....please?

I got the new MSC and really love it -classy is a good description. Mellow, slightly jazzy and laid back. I put it on at work (Working on a very stressful software project at the moment) and it chilled me out no end. I'm going to be playing this a lot.

As for the magazine issue - I don't mind. 10 pounds for a CD is nothing, really - I can go up to my local deli and spend 10 pounds on a coffee, a baguette and sausage roll. If anything, CDs are cheap considering how much time, effort and money it costs to make the music!

So...and I know this is a stupid question...what makes this a MSC album as opposed to a (seemingly, very good...afraid I haven't got it yet) Iain Matthews album?

Spelling?  ::)


S'ok, I got my coat before hand...

Listened to this when I first got it and to be honest not over impressed. But, gave it another listen this morning and it fits the laid back Sunday morning vibe perfectly. Definitely an album to lay back and listen to, not have on in the background.

Can't quite make up my mind on the new version of Woodstock and on some tracks the piano is a bit to high in the mix for me.

It's a band album, not Iain solo?....

According to Iain on his site this album is "creating quite a buzz" but I can't find much of a review online other than, well, here. I have decided to not be the completist anymore I once was, so I am picking my CD choices more selectively these days. Now this one has not been on the top of my to-buy list not because I don't think it's good - Iain usually is - but because I really question why it has to bear this name 40 years after the event with no clear connection with it other than Iain.
MSC is 1970, it's been a closed book for a whopping 40 years, let it lie. Or would this really boast sales due to the nostalgia factor? This I doubt, but what do I know.
Had there been any other link with the original MSC (as in the case with the revived Plainsong which was mainly a Matthews/Roberts collaboration in 1972 as it was in the 90s) I'd have been more understanding. Now, I am quite cautious.
Iain Matthews split from Matthews Southern Comfort. He formed Plainsong then went solo, (obviously) taking the Matthews bit from the MSC brand name. The rest soldiered on as Southern Comfort, as far as I know 2(?) albums worth without a lot of success. And now, Matthews suddenly is also Southern Comfort again just like that. Hm.

I know, no one else but Iain Matthews can take this band name, as it bears his name, but Matthews Southern Comfort has a 1970 ring to it and implies ... well, lotsa long hair, just-after-Woodstock festivals, a 1970 countryrock sound and that Gordon Huntley steel guitar. That's all gone.
So what's MSC 2010 has to offer that justifies it taking this 1970 name? Am I just a grump?
To buy or not to buy?

Well, I like it. Especially the re-working of Woodstock.

Well, I'm not going to get into the discussion of why he chose to realise it as 'Matthews Southern Comfort' after all these years, but the album is excellent, and the reworking of 'Woodstock' could give our Fairport chums a few pointers about how, if you're going to re-record old material, to do it differently, but still brilliantly...