This set of songs illustrates the change from bedsit recording to the use of multi track recorders. Initially this was a commercial studio, then I bought a Fostex 4 track on which most of these were recorded. The exceptions were those done at Dartington using Chris' contacts at the college.

Concurrently there was the slow decline of my romantic relationship, which was finally sealed when I decided I had to take a job a fair distance away. Not that it died straightaway, it was messier than that.

1. Low over Iceland

I desperately wanted Tony Phillips to be involved creatively in what turned out to be our last visit to Hillside. As a professional engineer he was our one contact with the real world of music and he had generously played on and engineered our two previous visits there. So I came up with this songwriting challenge: each of us (myself, Chris & Tony) would write two songs with the same titles. This would form a set of six songs which we would record together in three days. Here are the two songs written by me.

This one worked quite well lyrically, but the musical structure's a bit of a mess. I tried to paint a picture of a woman struck dumb after being dumped by her boyfriend. It probably isn't obvious that she was watching the weather forecast when the dumping took place.

2. Under the sun

This was a sun-tinged elegy to passing love and it probably reflects the first hints of pessimism with the relationship of the time. My girlfriend supplied some of the more intriguing words from one of her poems (I think).

The great violin playing was by friend of Chris.

3. Losing my hair

A self-deprecating joke. This recording is the first that I was all my own work - all the parts, rudimentary as they are, were played by me.

Apologies for the poor sound quality of this and the next two.

4. Photogenic

I think this is better than its recorded execution (live drums in the living room are seldom a good idea). The contrast between the photographed face and the private thoughts was what I was after.

5. Carrots

Great fun. I wanted to write a protest song about something and carrots seemed as good a cause as any.

6. Last flame

I don't know why I'm surprised that I wrote so many songs about relationships souring, but art doesn't lie I suppose.

7. Not a word

This is a favourite of mine. It was recorded as a duet with Caroline and had thumping drums and a great guitar solo from Mark. It is, of course, about the non-communication I am so very good at

8. I saw a romance today

A little bit of lyrics-by-numbers particularly the clunky middle bit. I've kept it in the collection as, together with the next three, it reminds me of some difficult unemployed months and the songs I recorded on my own.

9. I wonder

This is better. The anguish of my situation and the spluttering relationship was evident.

10. Cool of the night

More optimism here, but about the as yet unknown lover.

11. Love comes creeping in

This seems to be one of those paradoxes: a lot of good things happen when you're looking the other way. In a way it did at the time as soon came a new job, city, friends and ultimately a lifelong relationship, but mostly this is about those unexpected exhilerating moments.

12. I am the one

I saw myself as the one offering help and the one resisting it. One of those conundrums: when do your problems become serious enough to drag someone else from theirs?

13. Sea sons

The first two verses were a poem by my then girlfriend. This has resonance for someone brought up beside the sea. Not the seafaring part but the awareness of a brooding presence and one's position in the scale of things.

14. Rosalie

What started off as some doodling with chords on the piano was given point and helplessness by hearing of a friend's death in a car crash. An elegy.