I have been getting into John Martyn of late, having seen him on the latest Old Grey Whistle Test dvd, I started listening to some of my dad's records...and I picked up An introduction to John Martyn. Then as I got in last night (in a state somwhat familiar to John) I saw a wicked programme about the man on BBC2.
So, is anyone else here a fan...can you point me to his best recordings? Any comments?
John Martyn
L.C
John Martyn is an oft overlooked legend. It seems Nick Drake gets all the love when it comes to this sort of thing but Maryn is right up there with him as far as making utterly beautiful, haunting music. Solid Air is his masterpiece so you cant go wrong with that - its about as perfect as a record can be - Bless the Weather is great and Inside Out is great too as is most of his stuff from around that same period 70-74 ish. Of his later more jazzy stuff Grace and Danger and Sapphire both have thier moments including the best version you will ever hear of Somewhere Over the Rainbow (on Sapphire).
It was very sad to hear he lost a leg recently. Basically if you like his folky stuff get his earliest stuff, London Conversation and Stormbringer - it gets jazzier the more recent you get. A great singer and a wonderful guitarist. Ive seen him live a few times with Danny Thompson and he was very drunk and breathtakingly great on each occassion.
John Martyn is an oft overlooked legend. It seems Nick Drake gets all the love when it comes to this sort of thing but Maryn is right up there with him as far as making utterly beautiful, haunting music. Solid Air is his masterpiece so you cant go wrong with that - its about as perfect as a record can be - Bless the Weather is great and Inside Out is great too as is most of his stuff from around that same period 70-74 ish. Of his later more jazzy stuff Grace and Danger and Sapphire both have thier moments including the best version you will ever hear of Somewhere Over the Rainbow (on Sapphire).
It was very sad to hear he lost a leg recently. Basically if you like his folky stuff get his earliest stuff, London Conversation and Stormbringer - it gets jazzier the more recent you get. A great singer and a wonderful guitarist. Ive seen him live a few times with Danny Thompson and he was very drunk and breathtakingly great on each occassion.
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laughingcrow
- Posts: 2476
- Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2003 8:35 am
Solid Air and Inside Out are my two favourites. When I was living in London in the mid-70's I was fortunate enough to go to a few John Martyn concerts (when he was teamed up with Danny Thompson on bass)... my god, what he could do with an accoustic guitar and an echoplex!!
You might want to also have a look around for a couple of earlier albums he recorded with his then wife Beverley called Stormbringer and Road to Ruin (the latter is very good, although very traditional - in a celtic kind of a way).
You might want to also have a look around for a couple of earlier albums he recorded with his then wife Beverley called Stormbringer and Road to Ruin (the latter is very good, although very traditional - in a celtic kind of a way).