[Review] Matthew Fisher: I’ll Be There (1974)
Nine more interesting stops on a journey that ended too soon.
Kronomyth 2: ‘Til the man from IBM made him a better deal.
Horrible, horrible album cover. To quote The Simpsons, “sometimes I think you want to fail.” The sophomore effort from Matthew Fisher proved to be the end of the road for a while, which is a shame, since he visits so many interesting places on I’ll Be There. Again, this is slightly eccentric rock and roll in the vein of Procol Harum and Mott the Hoople, with Fisher handling most of the instruments and backed by a steady rhythm section. The recordings appear to be from two different sessions featuring Mike Japp, Steve Bingham and Alan Coulter on two tracks and James Frank and Jim Ryan on the rest. The vocals this time are less of a distraction, as Fisher brings his voice up in the mix without ill effect. He’s still not a very good singer, but (to quote The Beatles this time), he’s getting better all the time. The trouble with I’ll Be There, beyond its troubling face, is the lack of a salable single. There are plenty of clever tunes on here: It’s Not Too Late, It’s So Easy, Do You Still Think About Me, I’ll Be There. Just the sort of songs to add to your procol harem when you’re in the mood for something slightly different. Both this and his first album, Journey’s End, justify the decision to leave Procol Harum, as Fisher is too large a talent to be contained to one or two tracks on an album (the same could be said for Robin Trower). Unfortunately, Fisher wasn’t able to (or simply didn’t care to) parlay that talent into a profitable solo career, and what we’re left with are two enigmatic albums of distinctly English rock and roll that should have reached a wider audience. Fortunately for Fisher, he traded in his musical keyboard for a computer keyboard and ended up just fine, leaving behind one more shadowy figure in the alcoves of rock and roll’s great hall.
Original elpee version
A1. It’s Not Too Late (4:22)
A2. Not Her Fault (4:01)
A3. Song Without Words (2:54)
A4. Taking the Easy Way Out (3:01)
A5. She Knows Me (4:22)
B1. It’s So Easy (4:00)
B2. Do You Still Think About Me (5:04)
B3. Cold Harbour Lane (3:12)
B4. I’ll Be There (5:25)
All songs written by Matthew Fisher.
The Players
Matthew Fisher (guitars, piano, organ, slide guitar, bells, tambourine, Fender piano, Wurlitzer piano, harmonica, bass, maracas, vibes, vocals, conductor), James Frank (drums), Jim Ryan (bass, guitar, solo guitar) with Steve Bingham (bass on A1/A5), Alan Coulter (drums and tambourine on A1/A5), Mike Japp (guitar, solo guitar and harmonies on A1, guitars on A5), The Pop Art Strings and Brass (A2/A3). Produced by Matthew Fisher; engineered by Rufus Cartwright, Stefano Taccaliti, Mike Claydon, Hugh Jones, Rufus Austen; remix engineered by Louie Austen and Martin Birch; executive producer: Ronnie Lyons.
The Pictures
Photography by David Bailey. Art direction by Acy R. Lehman.
The Plastic
Released on elpee in 1974 in the UK, the US and Canada (RCA, APL1-0325).
- Re-packaged w. Journey’s End on 2-for-1 compact disc in 2000 in the UK (Beat Goes On, BGOCD-505).
- Re-issued on compact disc on February 22, 2023 in Japan (Big Pink, VSCD-6123).
