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).
― NickB, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 11:07 (fifteen years ago) link
(maybe we should have a thread for cheap stuff on Amazon?)
London Conv is pretty much yr standard 'folk singer's first album' stuff.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 11:10 (fifteen years ago) link
I guessed it was and passed on it (got The Payback instead).
― NickB, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 11:18 (fifteen years ago) link
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
― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 11:43 (fifteen years ago) link
I got Unhalfbricking, just cause it was £3.
Man! That 'sailor's story' sounds like Tom Verlaine guitaring!
― Mark G, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 11:46 (fifteen years ago) link
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, 25 June 2008 12:12 (fifteen years ago) link
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'.
― NickB, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 14:00 (fifteen years ago) link
tho' Sailor's LIFE always sounds to me more like FT trying to be the Velvet Underground
Yes, that occurred to me too.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 14:14 (fifteen years ago) link
(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.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 14:56 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.johnmartyn.com/files/images/mojoo.jpg
― NickB, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 18:51 (fifteen years ago) link
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
― tylerw, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 19:01 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― NickB, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 20:50 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― krakow, Thursday, 3 December 2009 10:58 (fourteen years ago) link
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.
― Mark G, Thursday, 3 December 2009 11:35 (fourteen years ago) link
xp , If you like Solid Air then Bless The Weather is probably the next thing to try.
― caek, Thursday, 3 December 2009 11:36 (fourteen years ago) link
Mark G, that's incredible! Thank you for the link.
― krakow, Thursday, 3 December 2009 11:43 (fourteen years ago) link
Thanks passed on to caek (link was above)
― Mark G, Thursday, 3 December 2009 11:45 (fourteen years ago) link
Ah, I see it now. Thanks caek.
― krakow, Thursday, 3 December 2009 11:48 (fourteen years ago) link
in the end, kind of a depressing thread...
― WharfRat, Wednesday, 24 March 2010 01:22 (fourteen years ago) link
the drum machines added to "dancing" on one other world make it sound like it just came out today. pretty amazing
― kamerad, Thursday, 9 September 2010 16:10 (thirteen years ago) link
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.
― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Friday, 23 September 2011 18:14 (twelve years ago) link
aye, its a great record. allmusic gave it 3 stars!!
― Michael B, Friday, 23 September 2011 18:49 (twelve years ago) link
3 out of 3 right?
― Chewshabadoo, Friday, 23 September 2011 18:57 (twelve years ago) link
Those mid-period Martyn Records are really great--that echoplex!
― one dis leads to another (ian), Friday, 23 September 2011 19:00 (twelve years ago) link
That's some playlist you're pointing to there.
They all have to be on Spotify right?
― my opinionation (Hamildan), Saturday, 24 September 2011 13:46 (twelve years ago) link
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.
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 24 September 2011 14:59 (twelve years ago) link
"Small Hours" is transcendent, shimmering peace.
― Euler, Saturday, 24 September 2011 15:21 (twelve years ago) link
"I prefer One World by a pretty big margin to Solid Air"
Bless The Weather is better than both imo
― nostormo, Saturday, 24 September 2011 15:44 (twelve years ago) link
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!
― QuantumNoise, Saturday, 24 September 2011 15:57 (twelve years ago) link
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
― Number None, Saturday, 24 September 2011 16:16 (twelve years ago) link
Also, pretty sure drum machine isn't on Dancing -- it is on Dealer tho.
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 24 September 2011 20:35 (twelve years ago) link
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.
― Hold me closer, tiny blushda (Craig D.), Saturday, 24 September 2011 21:13 (twelve years ago) link
I think it's on the deluxe remaster too
― Number None, Saturday, 24 September 2011 21:16 (twelve years ago) link
"Didn't Do That" on Glorious Fool is a great twitchy number. But we are a long way from One World.
― Euler, Saturday, 24 September 2011 21:20 (twelve years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 25 September 2011 00:06 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTje94as2w4
― tylerw, Thursday, 29 September 2011 22:33 (twelve years ago) link
Jesus Christ
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 30 September 2011 04:46 (twelve years ago) link
Bless Spotify
― Scott, bass player for Tenth Avenue North (Hurting 2), Monday, 7 May 2012 01:39 (twelve years ago) link
John Martyn, I did not know you until now.
― Scott, bass player for Tenth Avenue North (Hurting 2), Monday, 7 May 2012 01:40 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3QKwMzJZSI
^^^ fave john martyn song of the moment. so great.
― one dis leads to another (ian), Monday, 7 May 2012 01:52 (twelve years ago) link
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, 7 May 2012 01:55 (twelve years ago) link
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.
― Stevolende, Monday, 7 May 2012 12:00 (twelve years ago) link
― 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.
― Stevolende, Monday, 7 May 2012 12:04 (twelve years ago) link
the guitar on dancing is just so ~sparkly~.
― tubular, mondo, gnabry (Merdeyeux), Saturday, 1 September 2012 02:23 (eleven years ago) link
durutti-esque even
― blank, Saturday, 1 September 2012 02:37 (eleven years ago) link
god that ogwt 'one world' upthread is gorgeous
― bear, bear, bear, Saturday, 1 September 2012 10:13 (eleven years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol, Sunday, 2 September 2012 04:52 (eleven years ago) link
― one dis leads to another (ian), Monday, May 7, 2012 1:55 AM (3 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― one dis leads to another (ian), Monday, 3 September 2012 05:32 (eleven years ago) link
live at Leeds is incredible, a total must have
― lets hear some blues on those synths (brimstead), Friday, 28 October 2022 14:03 (one year ago) link
xpost Even jazzier than Solid Air, that is. Yeah, I've never heard it! Gotta check the xpost concert youtube also.
― dow, Friday, 28 October 2022 14:04 (one year ago) link
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.
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 28 October 2022 14:51 (one year ago) link
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.
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 28 October 2022 14:52 (one year ago) link
The slurred vocals? For me, that's a big part of his appeal
― doug watson, Friday, 28 October 2022 21:31 (one year ago) link
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.
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 1 November 2022 11:54 (one year ago) link
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.
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 1 November 2022 11:57 (one year ago) link
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.
― fetter, Tuesday, 1 November 2022 12:10 (one year ago) link
JM invents Doom, did he often crank it up like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE6i_qnoAgo
― zeuhl's forgotten man (Matt #2), Tuesday, 1 November 2022 12:11 (one year ago) link
ooft amazing version
― LaMDA barry-stanners (||||||||), Tuesday, 1 November 2022 13:00 (one year ago) link
Beautiful, thanks
― doug watson, Tuesday, 1 November 2022 15:33 (one year ago) link
Yeah, I've been wondering why that version isn't on the expanded One World!
― Pataphysician, Tuesday, 1 November 2022 18:00 (one year ago) link
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)
― J. Sam, Tuesday, 1 November 2022 18:19 (one year ago) link
I feel like I may have posted that “One World” performance two or three times on this thread already. Not that I’m complaining.
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 1 November 2022 23:14 (one year ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 1 November 2022 23:56 (one year ago) link