American Gothic by David Ackles

This album certainly lived up to its name. Whilst the picture suggested something folksy, the lyrics and delivery were a much sharper, Brechtian exploration of the dark and seedy underbelly of American life, with shattered dreams and one night stands and drifting from place to place trying to earn a buck or two.

I was intrigued to see that this was produced in collaboration with Bernie Taupin, whose work with the legendary Elton John often had a darker and more melancholy edge than many people realise. I'm not entirely surprised that this wasn't a hit at the time, but it holds up as a significant piece of work in retrospect.