Matchbook (Ian Moss album)

Matchbook is the debut solo studio album by Australian singer-guitarist, Ian Moss, a member of pub rockers, Cold Chisel. Six of its ten tracks were written by fellow Cold Chisel bandmate, Don Walker, and three were co-written by Moss and Walker. The album was released in August 1989 and peaked at number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart; it remained in the Top 10 for 14 weeks and shipped more than 200,000 copies.[2][3][4] It also reached the Top 20 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart.[5]

Matchbook
Studio album by Ian Moss
Released	1 August 1989
Recorded	September 1988 – January 1989
Studio	Rhinoceros Studios, Sydney and Oceanways Studios, Los Angeles
Genre	Rock, pop rock, blues rock
Length	44:53
Label	Mushroom
Producer	Chris Lord-Alge, Ian Moss
Ian Moss chronology
Matchbook (1989) Worlds Away (1991)
Singles from Matchbook
"Tucker's Daughter" Released: November 1988 "Telephone Booth" Released: 19 June 1989[1] "Out of the Fire" Released: September 1989 "Mr. Rain" Released: December 1989

Moss described the album's sound to Beryl Cook of The Canberra Times, "it's definitely fairly R&B with a white soul edge to it, with a hint of rock and roll and plenty of big guitar over the top."[6]

Matchbook provided four singles, "Tucker's Daughter" (November 1988, which reached No. 2 on the ARIA Singles Chart), "Telephone Booth" (June 1989, No. 7), "Out of the Fire" (September, No. 29) and "Mr. Rain" (December).[2][3] "Tucker's Daughter" also peaked at No. 6 in New Zealand, where "Telephone Booth" got to No. 29.[5]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1990 the album was nominated for and won three categories: Album of the Year, Best Male Artist and Breakthrough Artist – Album for Moss.[7] At the same ceremony, for "Tucker's Daughter", Moss won Breakthrough Artist – Single and Song of the Year (shared with Walker), as well as nominated for Single of the Year.[7]

A limited edition white vinyl version of Matchbook was released on 1 June 2018.[8]

A 30th Anniversary edition was released in August 2019.[9]

Reception

Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, found the album displayed Moss' "exemplary, controlled guitar technique, but also highlighted his soulful voice ... [he] handled all lead vocals with considerable style and authority".[2] The Canberra Times' Penelope Layland opined, "It is faultless at what it does... The music on the album is mainly blues-influenced rock, although some tracks, such as the funky 'Mr Rain', break away from the mould."[10]

Track listing

D53307

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Tucker's Daughter"	Don Walker, Ian Moss	4:35
2.	"Telephone Booth"	Walker	3:04
3.	"Out of the Fire"	Walker, Moss	4:58
4.	"Mr. Rain"	Moss, Sally Tiven, Jon Tiven	4:20
5.	"Matchbook"	Walker	4:33
6.	"Such a Beautiful Thing"	Walker	3:59
7.	"I've Got You"	Walker, Moss, Steve Prestwich	5:15
8.	"Pretty Face"	Walker	5:25
9.	"Tangletown"	Walker	4:17
10.	"I'll Remember You"	Walker	4:27

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1989/90)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[11]	1
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[12]	19

Year-end charts

Chart (1989)	Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13]	22
Australian Artist Albums (ARIA)	6

Certifications

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Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[14]	2× Platinum	140,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• Number-one albums of 1989 (Australia)

References

1. "Australian Music Report No 777 – 19 June 1989 > Singles: New Releases". Imgur.com (original document published by Australian Music Report). Retrieved 16 April 2018.
2. McFarlane, "'Ian Moss' entry". Archived from the original on 28 June 2004. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
3. Hung, Steffen. "Discography Ian Moss". Australian Charts Portal (Hung Medien). Retrieved 7 May 2018.
4. "Ian Moss". Cold Chisel. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
5. Hung, Steffen. "Discography Ian Moss". New Zealand Charts Portal (Hung Medien). Retrieved 8 May 2018.
6. Cook, Beryl (3 August 1989). "Showtime Good Times: Ian Moss from a 'Telephone Booth'". The Canberra Times. 63 (19, 657). p. 23. Retrieved 7 May 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "Winners by Year 1990". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
8. "Matchbook (Limited Edition White Vinyl) (Reissue)". JBHiFi. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
9. "Matchbook (30th Anniversary Edition Reissue)". JBHiFi. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
10. Layland, Penelope (24 August 1989). "Music". The Canberra Times. 63 (19, 678). p. 28. Retrieved 7 May 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
11. "Australiancharts.com – Ian Moss – MATCHBOOK". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
12. "Charts.nz – Ian Moss – MATCHBOOK". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
13. "1989 ARIA Albums Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
14. The ARIA Report. 22. ARIA. 10 June 1990. p. 6.