Iain Matthews

How Much Is Enough

Sunset Blvd. Records

It was 1967, the year of “The Summer of Love.” It also was the year that birthed the British folk-rock combo, Fairport Convention. Among the members who played on the group’s self-titled 1968 debut record was budding singer / songwriter, Iain Matthews. In ensuing years, Matthews would front the bands Matthews Southern Comfort and Plainsong. By the late ’70s, Matthews had cemented a solid international rep as a solo artist, scoring a massive worldwide hit with the (still) irresistible earworm, “Shake It.”

Flashforward nearly 60 years and more than 50 albums since his Fairport premiere and Iain Matthews returns to the “New Release” bins at local record joints with his latest offering. While, at this stage in his life and career, a new record may or may not have been necessary, How Much Is Enough is a record that the 78-year-old songsmith wanted to make.

“I just felt that I needed to make one more solo album as a farewell gift,” says Matthews. “But how does a songwriter retire? I honestly don’t know how to stop being a songwriter and don’t know if I ever will.”

The songwriting process for How Much Is Enough began during the government-mandated “conform and comply” COVID crackdown. By spring 2024, Matthews was holed up with producer BJ Baartmans, recording the album along with a cast of qualified teammates at Baartmans’ Netherlands studio. The end result is a satisfying offering that remains faithful to Matthews’ legacy, while still forging into the future.

“I tend not to make things up – I try to write from fact, as much as I can,” says Matthews. “Sometimes, I’ll be watching TV, and someone will say something, and I’ll just write a line down and that will become a song title or the theme for a chorus.”

Matthews succeeds in covering an expansive amount of real estate throughout the honest and earnest 13-song collection. Record opener “Ripples In a Stream” offers Matthews’ deeply personal reflections, and “Bird and the Fish” feels delightfully nostalgic. “Where is Love” and “Turn and Run” both capture Matthews’ signature-style observations, while “Digital Girl” and “New Dark Ages” find the seasoned storyteller grappling with the modern world.

“I’m primarily a lyricist and my hope is that people will connect with the How Much Is Enough lyrics – feel that maybe it could’ve been them; it could’ve been part of their life, too.”

Iain Matthews How Much Is Enough Track List

1. Ripples In a Stream (Matthews) 4:16

1. The Bird And the Fish (Matthews) 4:08

1. Where Is the Love (Matthews) 4:14

1. She’s a Digital Girl (Matthews) 3:52

1. Good Intentions (Matthews) 3:35

1. How Much Is Enough (Matthews) 5:49

1. I Walk (Matthews, Roberts) 3:44

1. The New Dark Ages (Matthews) 5:23

1. Rhythm and Blues (Matthews, Holm) 5:16

1. It’s Complicated (Matthews) 3:40

1. Santa Fe Line (Matthews) 5:29

1. Turn and Run (Matthews) 4:39

1. To Baby (Matthews) 2:29

Iain Matthews

Christopher Long