Back in the early ’70s, when Iain Matthews had but a single “i” in his name and was still searching for his creative identity, with the shadows of FAIRPORT CONVENTION, SOUTHERN COMFORT and PLAINSONG lingering nearby, the singer recorded a few uneven albums, like 1972’s "Tigers Will Survive" and its immediate successor “Journeys From Gospel Oak,” which would see the light of day only in 1974, but that didn’t get in the way of his signing to Elektra. A logical move after the American label issued “In Search Of Amelia Earhart” – only Matthews’s spell there was rather brief and brought forth just a couple of platters, and now both 1973’s “Valley Hi” and “Some Days You Eat the Bear And Some Days the Bear Eats You” from the following year have become the backbone of Iain’s next box set.
