I've probably mentioned this before, but the big book in the big box is probably the best Big Book in a Big Box I've ever encountered. A full career retrospective, with even the post-Island albums covered with the same attention as the ones represented on the discs.
He was gifted, his playing and singing just seemed natural. Seems like Genius can cost you your soul, if you loose control.
Solid Air was the first JM album I came across and I can wholeheartedly say that the opening seconds of the title track left me as breathless as I have ever been in response to a piece of art. For me, the arrival of Danny Thompson served as the clicking of the lightbulb, his commencing notes marking a turning point in the way I listen to music. John and Danny were truly the among the greatest, if not the greatest, pairings in music history. Of all my favorite albums, I consider Bless the Weather to be far and away the most exquisite. Needless to say, I envy to no end the person coming into contact with his oeuvre for the first time. John reached peaks that have never been bettered nor, in my opinion, equaled (though a certain contemporary of his comes frightfully close, and his name is not Drake).
Couldn't agree more, the greatest ever, "No one else need apply" Nice tribute here: http://jazzonline.com/podcasts/a-tribute-to-john-martyn.html
A year and a half ago I had been seeing the name John Martyn popping up here and there for some time... I remember countless searches for bargain prices on The Who's Live at Leeds, and Martyn's Live at Leeds kept popping up and I kept thinking "who is that guy? Never heard of him"... But eventually I read about Solid Air on Wikipedia (yeees people) and liked the genres listed, the length of the album (?) and thought I'd give it a try. It arrived within a week or so, and the first time I heard it I was lying in bed at night, all lights out, headphones on, the whole bit. I must've listened to that album 3 times in a row, which is quite rare for me. I had to get more Martyn. His voice - one of the few things I dare call timeless - and overall mood of his songs, you know, Dreams by the Sea sounds like it was made tomorrow or something, it still really clicks with pretty much anything... Something about his voice just grabs you, the way Solid Air is produced is so direct and pure you feel like it's current and ancient and ahead of its time all at once. One World, superb album, beautiful cover art... Sunday's Child I got also, and then after a while Inside Out. And then Grace and Danger, my most recent purchase (about half a year ago, maybe a little less) with Johnny Too Bad and Phil Collins' nice grooves and its overall a bit more modern feeling... I love that one... The babble-free version: Yes, I appreciate John Martyn. Very much. Baffled that he isn't as known (at least over here) as he ought to be. Truly timeless, very unique... So glad I opened myself up to his music.
I'm relatively new to John Martyn but about a year ago I lucked into a first US press of Solid Air, pink rim Island, mastered by Lee Hulko and the rest is history. Now I'm aiming to get as many of his records as I can. What an amazing artist. These are the kinds of things that the forum inspired me to get into and why I'm grateful to be here.
Excellent, enjoy the journey. I think I now have at least one copy of every LP he released, and quite a few singles. I'm obsessed, but don't want to be cured. I treasure this copy of "Live At leeds":
It took me a while, but they are out there I meant to add that I'm going to see Ryley Walker and Danny Thompson next month at a small intimate venue. I may pluck up the courage to ask Danny to sign the sleeve too.
Difficult to say for sure. A numbered but unsigned one will cost about £50-60 A signed one will be in 3 figures, in the UK certainly. Not cheap, I'm afraid
Fokies go on about Nick Drake, but John Martyn's equally great. Rate his two albums with Beverly, and his first few solo albums after.
A huge catalogue - with a fair amount of dross but some absolute magic as well. Everything up to Grace and Danger is great but I would recommend On The Cobbles as a late career highlight. I also like 'And Live' a lot too..
My pleasure. Here's another story about him I really like: In 1991, JM was back in Hastings, where he had once lived with then wife, Beverley, basically bumming around. The landlady of the Lord Nelson Pub in the town relates the following story: "He had just played at the Heineken music festival in Brighton and had made his way here to hibernate for a while. He was sporting a great big black eye, which I think he got after the Brighton concert, and he spent his time here moving from place to place. He kept getting phone calls from Scotland telling him to come home, but he was in Hastings for a month, very, very drunk for most of the time. He just seemed to have one set of clothes. My abiding memory of him was finding him sitting cross-legged in front of our fridge devouring lobster after lobster. He called the pub his headquarters and he knew all the fishermen who drank there, and they gave him a place to stay in their homes. It was like time had stood still and he was back with his friends, who just welcomed him back into their circle like an old friend. In the pub he would drink Bacardi and Coke by the pint. Around that time we had started a pub football team called the Nelson Tigers and he agreed to do this concert on the beach to raise money for the team, which was very nice of him. It was a fantastic afternoon. We only advertised it on the Thursday but it was quite amazing how word got out and on the Sunday people came from two hundred miles away to see him play. The concert started at closing time in the afternoon and went on until 8 pm. John really gave all he had and we raised about £500 to help pay for strips and insurance for the team. We always have a carnival here in August with a rock concert on the beach and he promised to do it in 1994, but he never turned up. But the following year he showed up and did the concert-so he kept his promise to us after all" From "Some People Are Crazy: The John Martyn Story", by John Neil Munro, pp:187-188. This episode came after 11 sell out London shows with David Gilmour and then a 30 date tour of the UK. Perhaps JM had a self destruct button, but he was human with all that entails, one small reason the man and the music mean the world to me. I found this footage on YouTube a couple of weeks ago of him performing "Big Muff", on the beach in Hastings, in the very concert described above. If you can spare the time watch it, it's fabulous. No one like him, and never will be.
I can't help but believe that to be the mindset of the uninitiated folkie. The circumstances of Drake's life, specifically his demise, begged for his canonization, despite the remaining members of Island's "Holy Trinity," JM and Richard Thompson, possessing far greater skill and mastery in virtually every facet of music. Although I consider Five Leaves Left to be a masterwork (perhaps due to the assistance of Danny, RT, & company), the succeeding albums left me somewhat concerned for his coming output.
He's so underrated, especially compared to other British singer-songwriters. I could listen to this all day long:
Was only talking the other day about seeing John Martyn live in the 70s. My brother and I saw him at a venue in Brussels - possibly a university lecture theatre - where he was close enough to the audience to be able to grab a hit of anyone's joint that was being passed round. He was on good form, constantly meandering away from his songs to chat about whatever came into his head. At one point as he tuned up he broke into his own version of There's No Business Like Showbusiness, which included the line "Everything about it is appalling".
Picked up a copy of 'Well Kept Secret' at the weekend to help fill in one of the gaps not covered by the Island years box. It's very of it's time, and pretty far from his classic sound, but I'm enjoying it for what it is. JM does Simple Minds. Seem to have managed to get a pretty decent copy of it too, playing nicely after a clean.
Also, I read 'Some People Are Crazy' a while back. It's a very good read, he was interesting but I'm not sure I came away from it liking him.
New to the forum. Thought I'd post on this very important thread. Bless The Weather easily my favourite album of all time. Those songs paint a picture and put me in a place like no other music i've ever heard. First time I heard it I was 16 and in London for a week staying with a cousin of mine who was studying down there at uni. We had to share a bed, that felt smaller than a single bed, me squashed against a wall, and he put on Bless The Weather. Will never forget it.
