Iain Matthews – Rhythm Of The West (The Columbia Years 1975-1977) 50th Anniversary Box Set

Iain Matthews – Rhythm Of The West (The Columbia Years 1975-1977) 50th Anniversary Box Set

​Release date: May 8, 2026
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​Marking the 50th anniversary of the 1976 release of Go For Broke, this expansive 80-track, 6CD box set celebrates one of the most enduring and influential careers in British folk-rock.

The collection features newly expanded 2026 editions of Iain Matthews’ two Columbia Records albums from the latter half of the 1970s — Go For Broke and Hit And Run — both newly revisited and remastered for this landmark release.

Also included are two complete live performances recorded at the legendary Denver venue Ebbets Field, capturing Matthews with his bands Motion and The Falling Rock Band at a creative peak.

Drawing deeply from Matthews’ personal archives, the box set presents a wealth of previously unissued material, including a newly compiled live disc, Columbia Years Live 1979–2022. Among its highlights are six songs performed live that were never recorded for studio release: “Payday,” “Truck Driving Man,” “Faith To Arise,” “Nobody,” “Palm Springs Jump,” and “Trouble In Paradise.”

Still recording and touring today, Iain Matthews’ career spans six remarkable decades. An original member of Fairport Convention (1967–1969), he helped define the British folk-rock movement before forming Matthews Southern Comfort, scoring a UK No.1 hit with his version of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock.”

Throughout the 1970s, Matthews recorded solo albums for Vertigo, Elektra, Columbia and Rockburgh, while also co-founding Plainsong with guitarist and singer Andy Roberts. Their 1972 debut, In Search Of Amelia Earhart, remains one of the era’s most celebrated folk-rock releases.
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This 50th anniversary collection stands as both a definitive document of Matthews’ Columbia years and a testament to an artist whose creative journey continues to evolve.

​Tracklist:

CD 1
‘Go For Broke’
01. Darkness, Darkness
02. I’ll Be Gone
03. Brown Eyed Girl
04. Rhythm Of The West
05. Groovin’
06. Lonely Hunter
07. Steamboat
08. A Fool Like You
09. Just One Look
10. When The Morning Comes
The ‘Go For Broke’ Demos
11. So Sad
12. Groovin’
‘Go For Broke’ Revisited
13. Lonely Hunter (Live, Tokyo 1991)
14. Brown Eyed Girl (Live, Heilbronn 2004)
15. Darkness, Darkness (Live, Vorhees NJ 2011)
 
CD 2
‘Hit And Run’
01. The Frame
02. One Day Without You
03. Times
04. I Will Not Fade Away
05. Tigers Will Survive
06. Just One Look
07. Help To Guide Me (I Need Your Help)
08. Shuffle
09. Hit And Run
‘Hit And Run’ Revisited
10. Just One Look (Live, Nottingham 1991)
11. The Frame (Live, Long Island NY 2012)
 
CD 3
‘Live At Ebbets Field, June 1976 – Ian Matthews ‘n’ Motion, Live At Ebbets Field, Denver CO’
01. Steamboat
02. Hit And Run
03. Rhythm Of The West
04. I Will Not Fade Away
05. Payday
06. Times
07. Tigers Will Survive
08. Shuffle
09. Faith To Arise
10. Nobody
11. Truck Driving Man
12. Brown Eyed Girl
 
CD 4
‘Live At Ebbetts Field, May 1977 – Ian Matthews & The Falling Rock Band, Live At Ebbets Field, Denver CO’
01. Just One Look
02. Times
03. Rhythm Of The West
04. Tigers Will Survive
05. Help To Guide Me (I Need Your Help)
06. Brown Eyed Girl
07. I Will Not Fade Away
08. Shuffle
09. Hit And Run
10. Lonely Hunter
Thank You And Goodnight!
11. Hit And Run (Live, Phoenix AZ 1977)
12. Palm Springs Jump (Live, Baton Rouge LA 1977)
13. Payday (Live, Baton Rouge LA 1977)
 
CD 5
Columbia Years Live (1976 – 1977)
‘Rock Around The World 1976 Ian Matthews ‘n’ Motion, Live at Paul’s Mall, Boston MA’
01. Shuffle
02. Tigers Will Survive
03. Darkness, Darkness
04. Faith To Arise
The Hit And Run Rehearsal Tape 1977 – Ian Matthews & The Falling Rock Band, SIR Studios, LA
05. The Frame
06. Trouble In Paradise
07. One Day Without You
08. Tigers Will Survive
09. Times
10. Faith To Arise
11. Shuffle
12. Help To Guide Me (I Need Your Help)
13. Hit And Run
14. I Will Not Fade Away
15. Just One Look
 
CD 6
‘Columbia Years Live (1979 – 2022)’
01. Tigers Will Survive (Amsterdam 79)
02. Lonely Hunter (Brussels 79)
03. Brown Eyed Girl (Brussels 79)
04. Just One Look (New York 79)
05. Lonely Hunter (Milan 84)
06. Lonely Hunter (Northampton MA 88)
07. Darkness, Darkness (Santa Monica CA 90)
08. Just One Look (Nuremberg 88)
09. Brown Eyed Girl (Swindon 04)
10. The Frame (Amen 08)
11. Darkness, Darkness/If My Eyes Were Blind/ Darkness, Darkness (Reprise) (Lage Vuursche 10)
12. The Frame (Bergen 11)
13. Brown Eyed Girl (Pontefract 16)
14. Darkness, Darkness (Cropredy 22)

Website: 
iainmatthews


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