Have still never listened to any JM later than Grace & Danger. Anyone know much about the stuff that came after? What am I missing out on?
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Tuesday, 25 June 2013 19:55 (ten years ago) link
I have Piece by Piece and I think it's horrible (but am not sure I have even listened all the way through because it was so horrible). Maybe it's an undiscovered classic waiting to be given a second chance.
Grace and Danger, however, is another matter. For me, it's close to perfection and an album I'll never tire of. I took it to our club recently and wrote about it here:
http://devonrecordclub.com/2013/10/20/john-martyn-grace-and-danger-round-55-toms-selection/
― yugi ex, Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:00 (ten years ago) link
I was going to revive this thread, because I heard One World for the first time this week. Such an incredible record, totally out-there but also really warm and organic. It's totally balearic.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:02 (ten years ago) link
the OGWT clip of that song is amazing
― buzza, Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:51 (ten years ago) link
Oh man, One World is such a great album! 'Dancing' is one of the all-time great morning-after comedown tunes
― Third Rate Zoo Keepers With Tenth Rate Minds (Windsor Davies), Sunday, 20 October 2013 19:56 (ten years ago) link
I did update a different thread about that boxset as an £8 dl, off amazon
Mistake, I guess, it's gone now
― Mark G, Sunday, 20 October 2013 20:06 (ten years ago) link
I bought it for £1.99 from play.com! But the download doesn't work at all and I reckon when I get in touch, they'll probably just give me a refund.
― gotta lol geir (NickB), Sunday, 20 October 2013 22:03 (ten years ago) link
wow @ One World
― ciderpress, Sunday, 13 November 2016 02:16 (seven years ago) link
The song "May you never" is really disturbing. It is quite clearly an incredibly tender song, but one that sounds like it was written by a serial abuser. Its so full of paranoia, its appeal to love is really a veiled threat. So much violence in the imagery, but pleading and pathetic. I've been gradually, increasingly troubled by this song since I started listening to Solid Air almost constantly last summer.
― plax (ico), Friday, 16 June 2017 17:39 (six years ago) link
Definitely feel what you're saying here. Martyn's alcohol consumption surely had a lot to do with the more, uhm, unsettling aspects of some his narratives.
'Make No Mistake' is another disturbing one.
― Austin, Friday, 16 June 2017 18:18 (six years ago) link
"Head and Heart" has made me pause before -- it's a really tender song but idk how healthy it is to want to be loved like a childguy had problems, news at 11
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 19 June 2017 13:38 (six years ago) link
The guy was an absolute horror but what can you do?
― Duncan Disorderly (Tom D.), Monday, 19 June 2017 13:42 (six years ago) link
Exactly. Martyn's lyrics are so slurred that I've rarely paid attention despite having listened to him for 30 years. I wouldn't care to read a biography of the man but I'll continue to return to a large number of his albums.
I also love Miles Davis' music despite his horrific character, which I'll admit is pretty much irrelevant to me.
― doug watson, Tuesday, 20 June 2017 16:45 (six years ago) link
I mean I think what's wonderful and terrible about May You Never is that it *is* so romantic. It is a very moving song, and there is a real appeal in it. For me I had loved it for a long time before I started to taste the poison in it. I was thinking about him when I was in Hastings at the weekend on the beach.
― plax (ico), Tuesday, 20 June 2017 16:52 (six years ago) link