I'll fly away (Don Nix) (LP 3360 - 3363)

Don Nix  In God We Trust (Vinyl, Shelter Records, 1971) ****  

Don Nix  Living By The Days (Vinyl, Elektra Records, 1971) ****  

Don Nix  Hobos, Heroes and Street Corner Clowns (Vinyl, Enterprise/Stax Records, 1973) **** 

Don Nix  Gone Too Long (Vinyl, Cream Records, 1976) ****

Genre: Country rock, Southern soul and rock

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: She's A Friend Of Mine (Hobos...)

Gear costume: Olena (Living By The Days) - sidebar: Tommy and Jimmy from Headband used the tune and rewrote the lyrics for I Get High (Olena)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: Don Nix is a very under-appreciated writer and musician. Maybe because he was on a variety of labels, his early career was as a session musician, or his sound is not a million miles away from Leon Russell's, he tends to get ignored.

A huge shame because Don Nix is well worth rediscovery and appreciation. Maybe his time will come. Do yourself a favour!  

His first solo album was In God We Trust - an excellent collection of Southern soul songs, mostly written by Don. Although there are still elements of Southern soul on his second album, Living By The Days, he starts to forge his own sound.

Olena is a great rock song, and She Don't Want A Lover is an excellent Stonesy blues with hints of a shaggy dog story, 1971 style.

His third album, for a third record label was Hobos Heroes and Street Corner Clowns, partly recorded in London at Apple Studio, no less! By this time Don had met George Harrison and helped out with organising the backup singers for the Bangla Desh benefit concert. Klaus Voormann's appearance continues the Fab links.

It all sounds so easy and effortless - so that means a lot of work went into making it sound that way. His voice is so great, and he's ironed out the Leon-isms by this point.

Gone Too Long was his fourth album released in 1976 and his most comprehensive statement to that point. Hobos etc. uses strings (well) but I prefer the more rock'n'soul approach of Gone Too Long. Side one has the faster songs, but it's side two I listen to more (even with some judicious strings). It features more mid paced, reflective songs that I tend to appreciate more.

Where do they all belong? He released a number of albums post 1976 (a further four) which I'll keep an eye out for because he's hugely under-rated. More of Leon (and the Shelter people) is coming.