Has there been a thread about John Martyn?

I also really liked a track he did with Talvin Singh about 5 years back called Sunshine's Better. I think it got played before Orbital came on stage at Glastonbury this year. Sweet.

J Martyn is emphatically NOT a Donovan-esque folkie "sitting on the edge of a mushroom admiring the dingly-dangly-dell of life" as Martyn himself put it. Solid Air is the best album track by track, but there's some great stuff to be found on Inside Out, Bless the Weather, One World and even Grace and Danger.

Search (songs): "Sweet Little Mystery", "Hole In The Rain", "Johnny Too Bad" (long version), "I Don't Want To Know"... and probably more I can't remember.

The '80s/'90s weren't kind. His music got all cheesy and Sting-y and his vocals/lyrics became nearly incomprehensible (if the rumors are true, he got his distinctive slurring out of a bottle). A pal of mine's a great fan and even he makes jokes about, say, Martyn's cover of "Johnny Too Bad."

I'm pissed off I can't get to see him next Wednesday at the QEH. Has anyone seen him live recently?

Odd night - it was the lack of drugs (him and us) combined with an oversized venue that did it, we reckoned. 'Greatest Hits' second half with lots of 'Solid Air', Bless the Weather etc, but Martyn failed to ignite until the final two songs, without guitar, which he gave his all (Rock Salt and Nails, Never Let Me Go), then an undistinguished encore.

"One World" does appear to be getting more grief than it deserves; it's great... The last track is incredible but you really need to turn it up to 11 to appreciate it.

I'd be interested to hear Nick McCabe on John Martyn's new record too; pretty like minded people I figure.

I thought he was great! My friend thought he was massively disappointing. So go figure.

I have "London Conversation" as my dad was present at the session. Why, I have never been able to work out. He told me a couple of stories of the day, and it was about fifteen years later the same stories were in Mojo (a nick drake article) from a woman who was also there. I asked him if he remembered a tall lad, he said no.

homie is awes

We used to drink a great deal together. I got really drunk one night and woke up and Danny Thompson had nailed me under the carpet. I couldn’t move my hands or feet. I was very dry and had a hangover and I said Danny, please… get me, get me a drink. So he stepped over my helpless body, went to the phone and in a very loud voice said, can I have a glass of orange juice for one, please. Breakfast for one, please. I was screaming blue murder by this time. I was furious! He met the guy in the hall, so the guy couldn’t get into the room and see what was happening. He sat in front and downed the orange juice and had the breakfast.

This makes Kossoff cry like a girl, at which point Martyn and Thompson stalk off, laughing like people who are mad.

Amazon.co.uk are currently flogging a few of the reissues for £2.98. Am hugely enjoying Inside Out. Are Grace and Danger or London Conversation vital purchases? (They've also got Sunday's Child and One World at that price at the mo).

(maybe we should have a thread for cheap stuff on Amazon?)

London Conv is pretty much yr standard 'folk singer's first album' stuff.

I guessed it was and passed on it (got The Payback instead).

Yeah lots of these John Martyn CDs are three quid in Glasgow Fopp at the moment - they also have all of Sandy Denny's solo recs, cpl of Richard and Linda Thompsons and some Fairport stuff at the same price

I got Unhalfbricking, just cause it was £3.

Man! That 'sailor's story' sounds like Tom Verlaine guitaring!

yeah, verlaine's gtr sound = 50% jerry garcia, 50% richard thompson - the version of 'Sloth' on the Fairport Convention live at the LA Troubadour set is especially Television-like, tho' Sailor's LIFE always sounds to me more like FT trying to be the Velvet Underground

Talking of guitaring, there's an amazing similarity between the bonus track version of 'Outside In' and the Edge on 'Where The Streets Have No Name'.

tho' Sailor's LIFE always sounds to me more like FT trying to be the Velvet Underground

Yes, that occurred to me too.

(Who's FT btw?)

Have been listening to "Go Easy" on repeat for a while now -- yeesh what a great song! The rest of Bless The Weather is great too, but that one is doing it for me right now. Woozy, wasted self absorption never sounded so good.

http://www.johnmartyn.com/files/images/mojoo.jpg

let's balance out all these fat old John pics with an skinny young one.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Z6nbGySgL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

John's just received his second lifetime achievement award of this year (from Mojo - he got one from BBC Radio 2 in Feb). This does not bode well I fear.

A friend recently lent me the 'Live At Leeds (And More)' album and I finally got round to listening to it last night.

The Live In Leeds set itself, recorded October 1975, and self-released as a LP at the time, is absolutely amazing. Really powerful, rocking, freely extended versions of the tracks. Solid Air on there is wonderful.

The CD set has a second disc of other live stuff from over the years and is pretty patchy to my ears. Too much later stuff that was far too saccharine and sentimental, m.o.r. pish, BUT it ends with an incredible version of a track 'Anna', performed in 1983 at the Bottom Line club in NY.

Anyone know this one? A bit of reading about says that "Anna" was from a movie soundtrack and was an evolution of the track "Small Hours" from 'One World'.

I've only ever heard 'Solid Air' before, which I've fallen in love with over the course of this year. Nothing else I've sampled has clicked yet, but I'm going to explore a few others now.

http://www.johnmartyn.info/?q=node/92

This story needs reposting, especially for the "no matter how drunk JMartyn was, he still could work out what was going on" air.

xp , If you like Solid Air then Bless The Weather is probably the next thing to try.

Mark G, that's incredible! Thank you for the link.

Thanks passed on to caek (link was above)

Ah, I see it now. Thanks caek.

in the end, kind of a depressing thread...

the drum machines added to "dancing" on one other world make it sound like it just came out today. pretty amazing

One World is the missing link between Spirit of Eden, World Of Echo, and Heart Of The Congoes. I can't believe I am only hearing this record now.

aye, its a great record. allmusic gave it 3 stars!!

3 out of 3 right?

Those mid-period Martyn Records are really great--that echoplex!

One World is the missing link between Spirit of Eden, World Of Echo, and Heart Of The Congoes. I can't believe I am only hearing this record now.

That's some playlist you're pointing to there.

They all have to be on Spotify right?

the drum machines added to "dancing" on /one other world/ make it sound like it just came out today. pretty amazing

I prefer One World by a pretty big margin to Solid Air -- the watery dubbiness of "Big Muff" and "Smiling Strangers," the grit of "Dealer," his gruff vocals, Steve Winwood's taut Minimoog solos...there's a lot to love about this album.

"Small Hours" is transcendent, shimmering peace.

"I prefer One World by a pretty big margin to Solid Air"

Bless The Weather is better than both imo

Ranking them is tough. But for now I'd go (1) One World, (2) Grace & Danger, (3) Solid Air and (4) Bless The Weather. Love the man!

Been pretty obsessed with Martyn this year. I don't think the drum machine on One World sounds contemporary though, but that's what i love about it. It's got that primitive feel, like on There's A Riot Goin' On

Also, pretty sure drum machine isn't on Dancing -- it is on Dealer tho.

The drum machine is added to "Dancing" on the outtake/bootleg (yet avail. on iTunes) set Another World.

I'm a sucker for his, er, dance-y late-'70s/early-'80s songs, like that track and "Running Up The Harbour" from the Grace And Danger deluxe set.

I think it's on the deluxe remaster too

"Didn't Do That" on Glorious Fool is a great twitchy number. But we are a long way from One World.

The drum machine is added to "Dancing" on the outtake/bootleg (yet avail. on iTunes) set Another World.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTje94as2w4

Jesus Christ

Bless Spotify

John Martyn, I did not know you until now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3QKwMzJZSI

^^^ fave john martyn song of the moment. so great.

when i got to talking to michael chapman last year he mentioned in passing that john martyn was the only person he'd ever kicked out of his house.
i would like to hear the rest of that story someday.

I'd be interested to hear Nick McCabe on John Martyn's new record too; pretty like minded people I figure.

― Keith Watson (kmw), Monday, May 10, 2004 10:05 PM (7 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I always heard echoes of Richard Thompson in the guitar on the early Verve records. But I guess it was Nick drake not John Martyn that had his accompaniment, RT's that is.

yeah, verlaine's gtr sound = 50% jerry garcia, 50% richard thompson - the version of 'Sloth' on the Fairport Convention live at the LA Troubadour set is especially Television-like, tho' Sailor's LIFE always sounds to me more like FT trying to be the Velvet Underground

― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, June 25, 2008 1:12 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I was really reminded of Verlaine at least by the guitar you can now hear under bits of North Star Grassman & The ravens the Sandy Denny lp.

the guitar on dancing is just so ~sparkly~.

durutti-esque even

god that ogwt 'one world' upthread is gorgeous

durutti-esque even

when i got to talking to michael chapman last year he mentioned in passing that john martyn was the only person he'd ever kicked out of his house.
i would like to hear the rest of that story someday.

― one dis leads to another (ian), Monday, May 7, 2012 1:55 AM (3 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

never heard this guy before! he's amazing...

listening to Inside Out

not sure what kinda music this is...only thing that kinda pings are the weirder Tim Buckley albums...

get One World, Solid Air, and Bless the Weather right now!

yeah, those and live at leeds. the ones with his wife are solid too, though more on the straight-up folk tip.

Stormbringer

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FNSAHUM/ref=dm_ty_trk

Amazon selling the 17 disc as mp3download, £7.49 (at time of this message)

https://play.google.com/store/music/album/John_Martyn_The_Island_Years?id=Bqmgjpwbxsxje7d2hhlei6jigkq

or even £1.29

yow, good deal, gotta be a mistake, right? doesn't seem to be available in the usa :(
listened to sunday's child last week -- great record, if a bit all over the place. found myself wondering: "who the hell does this guy think he is?!"

The only thing about this is that there's no 'ebook' or suchlike, and all the MP3s seem to have the same Album Title for the idb tags.

Still, that's sort-outable..

Weirdly, 'Couldn't Love You More' has been popping up on various m8s fb/twitter feeds, incredible song...just took a punt on the Glorious Fool LP (£3 from a fruit/veg/record shop in New Cross)...might take a bit of getting into this...

yow, good deal, gotta be a mistake, right? doesn't seem to be available in the usa :(
listened to sunday's child last week -- great record, if a bit all over the place. found myself wondering: "who the hell does this guy think he is?!"

― tylerw, Monday, October 7, 2013 4:00 PM (2 days ago)

Both links now dead so must have been a mistake.

I bought the Amazon one as it automatically added to my Cloud Player on Monday and told some friends about it but both Google Play and Amazon are no longer selling the MP3s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVjEERe1UqU

^ crazy scenes on Hastings beach with Big John

middle of the day and the whole town looks pissed

listening to 1987's piece by piece for the first time, thought i was in for an ugly horror show after the first track but some of it is very nice. even if at points it does sound like john has wandered in on some bloke playing around with a dx7 and decided to sing along.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A903GGnzgyw

I still haven't warmed to this guy at all. Glorious Fool still sounds wispy.

his best work is with phil collins tbh

Echoplex-era FTW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wJevkA7_O4

one or two songs on the new Slowdive really sound like him

You need to listen to "One World", Alfred

omg what alfred

not even "small hours"?

One World is revelatory

Gonna give this revelatory album a spin in a few minutes. Stay tuned!

his 70s solo albums are really where it's at -- Bless the Weather - Solid Air - Inside Out - Sunday's Child - One World. If those don't do it for ya, he's probably not for you.

Solid Air and One World are holy. Can't imagine anyone not falling for the former in particular.
"Small Hours" is one his most gorgeous moments but may I dare saying that Robert Smith's cover of a few years back might even top it.

The small bit of vocals in small hours is the best thing ever

he is really great

bless the weather has the field beat for worst cover/best album
maybe some manuel gottsching/ashra competition but it's a contender at least

although i do not like sugar lump

there is probably a thread for that

thread for not liking sugar lump

i learned last night that my friend's dad, an older musician, knew martyn, anne briggs and bert jansch o_O

Glorious Fool still sounds wispy.

― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 9 June 2017

Is this the first John Martyn album you've tried? Its an odd choice.

I mostly love 'Bless the Weather', it was the first JM album that clicked with me but, yeah, "Sugar Lump" and the artwork are not so great.

I sympathise with Alfred. On paper, Martyn is exactly my sort of thing, but he just hasn't clicked with me. I own Solid Air and Stormbringer

xxpost Jon, please grill your friend's father (for info, not for lunch)! Haven't really followed him, but agree that Solid Air and One World should convert the infidels if anything will. Also maybe Road To Ruin, with aforementioned wife Beverly---who also sounds good on John Renbourn's early 60s gypsy stash, Attic Tapes, finally out a couple years ago, and I carried on about it on the post-Fahey thread---ditto about the very recent album Renbourn's ancient colleague Wizz Jones did with fellow vet Pete Berryman and son Simeon Jones. The most specific Martyn connection I'm aware of on that 'un is a song inspired by the (or a) night Jones and and JM found themselves in deep freezing water.

the tune "give us a ring" is my favorite john & bev track. the rest are kind of dull imo! i love that song though.

i'm a pretty big fan of "John the Baptist" off of Stormbringer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE_nbrW5cMU

Is this the first John Martyn album you've tried? Its an odd choice.

― Well bissogled trotters (Michael B)

I own Inside Out and Well Kept Secret.

It's a sweet little mystery

hello! where exactly should one begin with john martyn?

I started with "Road To Ruin" then went to "One World" and then I was hooked forever. Love him.

I like Bless the Weather, Solid Air, Inside Out, Live At Leeds, One World and the solo with Echoplex Battle of Medway. That was recorded in 73 I think and put out about 10 years back.

Don't like his treatment of Beverly.

"Musically it was just dreadful. It was appalling at that point. It was dominated by real second-ratedness. All the great Sixties heroes had disintegrated into drugs or to nothing. I stopped listening to English music, except for John Martyn who would bring out a good album every year in that period." - Tony Wilson on the years before punk, quoted in John Robb's Punk Rock: An Oral History.

I'd add Grace and Danger to Stevolende's list. Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology is a good primer.

the tune "give us a ring" is my favorite john & bev track. the rest are kind of dull imo! i love that song though.

Written by Paul Wheeler for Nick Drake, iirc. It would fit quite well into Bryter Layter.

Can I just put in a word here for Oscar Jerome, who has a SE London John Martyn vibe going:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04bTf2PbMqY

Bless the Weather and Solid Air are probably the best intros but One World is his masterpiece

xp - huh! did not know that. might explain why i like that song better.

listened to One World this morning -- what a weird, brilliant record.

I swear by everything from London Conversation through One World.

Solid Air was my first record of his and I can't imagine a better introduction.

I've come to appreciate Live at Leeds (in both incarnations) and Inside Out the most out of all that stuff, but in that period I mentioned above, he put down one of the most consistent runs in recorded music, I'd reckon.

And he's clearly been hugely influential.

...on John Bonnamossa

sorry... the acoustic portion of the JB show I encountered a few years back REALLY made me think of john martyn

Who's John Bonnamossa?

My favorite Martyn performance bar none:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&persist_app=1&noapp=1&v=lE6i_qnoAgo

My favourite live performance ever I think

that guitar tone is extremely metal

love it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDMWVr9k5R8

Uncle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYLVM560Fok

One World got me in the last week of December.

I love that Lester Bangs story about being on a music biz junket to Jamaica in the mid-70s, and while the other hacks are hanging round the pool smoking weed at the Holiday Inn, he gets a ride into Kingston -- against everyone's advice -- to go record shopping. After an hour or two he goes for a drink and is surprised to see another long-haired, bearded white guy sitting at the corner of the bar, only to find it's John Martyn.

I've prob. misremembered the details, but it just says a lot about what I love about JM; that he was from this folky background, but so hip -- for want of a better word -- to what was going on in jazz, reggae, dub, ambient etc. Not sure who/what would be the equivalent these days.

It says a lot about how he liked a bevvy too.

"small hours" (the extended mix on one other world) is where i want to live

What is One Other World? Is it the second disk of the deluxe edition?

yes. if you dig one world but haven't heard that bonus stuff, do yourself a favor

I do dig it and have the bonus disc, was wondering if there was more! I’m greedy for this beauty.

The deluxe appears to be on Spotify but I don’t see an extended mix of Small Hours, just a live version and instrumental mix:

https://open.spotify.com/album/1G8gcNHZxeRUaqHVFyCADO?si=Y9_cJHbnSOScs9gbJazY1Q

Are you referring to the latter?

I bought the 2004 double disc. I'm blasting the live disc as I type.

I don't have spotify so I can't verify the link, but I think they're talking about what you're calling the instrumental mix.

There's an instrumental version of Solid Air on one of the extended editions that is just fantastic. God bless Danny Thompson.

Solid Air is so fucking dope.

I was thumbing through some albums at a gf of my uncle's house decades ago and asked him if Solid Air was any cop and he said something really crap and not very otm like: oh he's a quite interesting nick drake protege..

I happen to have just made a mix called 'Pith & Echo,' the heart of which is "Small Hours," and which throughout focuses on music with a similar combination of total minimalism and maximum emotional impact:

https://musicophilia.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/musicophilia_00__various_-_pith-echo_1968-2019_cover-a.jpg?w=1024

https://musicophilia.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/musicophilia_00__various_-_pith-echo_1968-2019_cover-b.jpg?w=1024

https://musicophilia.wordpress.com/2020/02/23/pith-and-echo/

Sunday's Child is super underrated, if not the all-out masterpiece that One World is. Was not ready for Root Love to go so hard

that mix looks great ian!
and yeah i love sunday's child — "spencer the rover" is one of my fave Martyn moments.

I'd be interested in listening to that mix, but it would be easier for my listening set up if it was in two parts (so that the file sizes would be smaller). The same for your Elegy to Mark Hollis and your Evensong mixes.

They're streamable, too, if that helps. I had assumed file size wasn't a cobstraint for people now, so once the 100MB file size limit on Mediafire went away, I favored sound quality...

Were you aware that The Dawning now seems to be blocked for download? For me at any rate. Haven't come across any problems with any of the others so far.

This is a fabulous mix.

I took the liberty of making a Spotify playlist (hope that's OK, soundslike - shout if not): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5iFobpwIBwLrpk8DL4bZnj?si=WB0VpHK_TIOWP8vdZMG5eg

The only thing missing is Low.

Sorry for the extended derail!

I tend to prefer avoiding Spotify because it doesn't pay artists anything. And because I put a lot of effort into the segues (and even the silence length between tracks, when it occurs). I also make sure mixes are streamable on Mixcloud. But obviously it's not my music, so folks can replicate mixes on Spotify if that's preferable.

Solid Air is some of the most perfect morning music ever

I love this dude now.

My dad is really into John Martin, but it wasn't until I heard this that I joined him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvFMEiVX_Ck

I tend to prefer avoiding Spotify because it doesn't pay artists anything

The royalty arrangements are fairer via Mediafire + Mixcloud? (Genuine question; I haven't a clue.)

The royalty arrangements via Mixcloud are probably similarly slim (i.e. nearly nothing). But my goal is to get people to buy music, which in the past I'd frequently been told was successful. Nowadays, people probably just add things to their Spotify queue for the most part, unfortunately. But all I can do (besides continuing to buy music myself) is try.

Agreed, also I don't like how Spotify switches round the versions of tracks.

I see. Thanks!

Fun fact: the first time I ever heard John Martyn was by streaming BBC Scotland around the turn of the century. I only tuned in because they intended to quote a silly review I wrote in a program about Orange Juice. Then they played something from Solid Air when that was done. I was sufficiently intrigued to buy said album shortly thereafter. I would likely have waited centuries for such a chance hearing on my own side of the world!

On the deluxe version of Sunday's Child there's a five-track solo acoustic John Peel session that is amazing.

Great thread, hadn't seen it before. The elusive Beverly turns up on Renbourn's v. enjoyable time junket The Attic Tapes, and thinking again of that finally got me to check this:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverley_Martyn

the electric piano on “dreams by the sea” = most beautiful sound in the universe.

Listening to his 2004 (post-amputation) album On the Cobbles and it's got some goodly things. It sounds glorious; there's a reworking of Go Down Easy, which has Nick McCabe making some beautiful noise; Danny Thompson sounds great; The Creator is meandering and needs some thinking through. Could have done without the Weller track.

This latest Alabaster LePlume (all instrumental, none of the usual "whispered" vocals, as described here) so far has a Martyn-compatible vibe (notes mention "Celtic" etc, some of it seems Adriatic)-mostly reeds & guitar, occasional keys, mbira: https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/to-cy-lee-instrumentals-vol-1

(There's also a thread for it, but wanted to listen before reading.)

Little bit of violin, cello bow down in there now. Won't liveblog tho sry

Sweet Little Mystery was featured on the most recent episode of Devs

I dunno why "Give Us A Ring" chokes me up?

me too!! i love that song so much and i have never understood why i found it so poignant

originally written for Nick Drake, aiui; it would've fitted in quite nicely on Bryter Layter. But yeah, for a song seemingly about smuggling weed through customs, it's lovely.

It would totally fit on Bryter Layter. Beautiful song. Paul Harris on piano, too (him off Manassas), which might explain why it totally reminds me of Descending by the Black Crowes.

I had a poke around on the internet and the fellow who write the song put up his own version at some point. Such a great song.

https://soundcloud.com/paulwheeler8/give-us-a-ring

it must be something about the chords or melody or vocal delivery that gets me because i can only remember a few lines, so it's not the lyrics. i don't think "what's the food like, have you slept well" or "give us a ring when you get there" is enough to make me emotional lol

Ah! I never knew it was written for ND. Would indeed fit nicely into "Bryter Layter" which happens to be my fave Drake album. Such a lovely song.

never heard that original "Give Us A Ring" — beautiful ...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/30/small-hours-the-long-night-of-john-martyn-by-graeme-thomson-review

Kill yr idols indeed. Looks like I have to read this one.

Finished Graeme Thompson's new bio. Excellent.
Would've loved to hear Scott Walker cover Martyn's "Amsterdam" off "Glorious Fool" - which I'm digging a lot these days.

hadn't seen this whole rockpalast 1978 performance before, amazing stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXY0SExC5I

'bless the weather' on that is particularly spicy, starts at 16:30

fantastic perfornance -- has he got a contact mic taped to the guitar in addition to a pickup?

yes, apparently so:

"he used a DeArmond sound hole pickup and Barcus Berry (type) contact pickup positioned behind and slightly below the bridge"

https://johnmartyn.com/guitar/a-history-of-johns-guitar-set-ups/

This 1983 concert is menacing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaDRamS0ap4

It shows how neutered his sound was by the production on the albums of the time. This rhythm section is great. Check out the quoting of Love Supreme near the end in Looking On.

something from a live album got played on wfmu earlier today and, yeah, menacing is spot on

God that is fantastic, thank you so much

After I typed "menacing", I was unsure if that was an apt word, so the confirmation is great to hear. And, yes, this show is so fantastic. Some of the Old Grey Whistle Test material on the deluxe Grace & Danger is in the same vein. I still need to explore some of the other recordings of this period.

Lot of albums here I hadn't heard of; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Martyn Curious about some of the expanded reissues, like Solid Air and Live At Leeds.

Expanded Solid Air has some gems, e.g., When It's Dark and In the Evening. The alternate takes are not that revelatory. I think one has some saxophone that's pretty cool. Expanded Grace & Danger is much more essential.

I still haven't heard Live at Leeds (I've only been listening to John Martyn for 2 months or so). But I noticed there are two different expanded editions: Island Records version and Live at Leeds and More by Recall records.

There's a fabulous instrumental version of the title track on the deluxe Solid Air. It totally works, like a tight jazz piece driven by Danny Thompson's bass. The expanded Sunday's Child includes a great solo John Peel session.

Excellent encouragement, thanks yall. Solid Air was the gateway for my friends and I---via a Creem review, I think--then some of my friends found Stormbringer, with xpost Beverly M. input upfront, and the one where she actually got co-billing, Road To Ruin. Then the even jazzier Inside Out was released, later One World was a big smoker's-shroomer's favorite in these parts.

live at Leeds is incredible, a total must have

xpost Even jazzier than Solid Air, that is. Yeah, I've never heard it! Gotta check the xpost concert youtube also.

Am I the only one put off by how "out-of-it" his vocals often sound, or is that part of the attraction? I guess I mean his enunciation in particular.

I never feel that way about Tim Buckley, for instance, which may or may not have to do with how "out-of-it" they each were when recording.

The slurred vocals? For me, that's a big part of his appeal

I was sort of struck by how different his vocals on One World sounded. Yes they’re still slurred but a lot of the tracks—“Dealer,” “Big Muff”—feature a much gruffer singing style than I’ve heard him use elsewhere.

I’ve always liked Solid Air. Weirdly not loved it. But this instrumental mix of the title track, ahem, goes down easy.

Would add that one of the things that always amazed me about Martyn was how he could sound on one track like he just gargled rocks and on the next bust out the sweetest, most delicate “Over the Hill” vocal you can imagine.

I saw him just before he died doing a "Solid Air in full" thing at the Roundhouse in London. He was carried on stage and launched apathetically into about 45 minutes of corporate blues-rock w/rock-gargling vocals. I recognised one song - Dealer - but the rest was 80s/90s stuff I think. Occasional gruff barking. He then said "Well I suppose we'd better get on with the business of the evening" and delivered the aforementioned sweetest, most delicate “Over the Hill” vocal you can imagine. Entire crowd singing along. Then the rest of the album (out of order, so as not to keep changing guitars) brilliantly, then another half hour of blues/rock crud. A memorable event.

JM invents Doom, did he often crank it up like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE6i_qnoAgo

ooft amazing version

Beautiful, thanks

Yeah, I've been wondering why that version isn't on the expanded One World!

xp Good lord that live "One World" is amazing. He used a similar doom fuzz effect on "Root Love" from Sunday's Child (imo his most underrated album, would be my favorite if not for One World)

I feel like I may have posted that “One World” performance two or three times on this thread already. Not that I’m complaining.

I saw him just before he died doing a "Solid Air in full" thing at the Roundhouse in London. He was carried on stage and launched apathetically into about 45 minutes of corporate blues-rock w/rock-gargling vocals. I recognised one song - Dealer - but the rest was 80s/90s stuff I think. Occasional gruff barking. He then said "Well I suppose we'd better get on with the business of the evening" and delivered the aforementioned sweetest, most delicate “Over the Hill” vocal you can imagine. Entire crowd singing along. Then the rest of the album (out of order, so as not to keep changing guitars) brilliantly, then another half hour of blues/rock crud. A memorable event.