His live shows in recent years have been notoriously erratic - my "uncle" saw him numerous times and said almost everyone was a dud.
On an unrelated note, an old friend of mine claimed his dad used to work alongside him before he became a musician, My friend's dad was a coffin maker. I'm not sure if Martyn was in the same line.
― Jamie Conway (Jamie Conway), Thursday, 24 July 2003 20:03 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 24 July 2003 21:25 (twenty years ago) link
I just listened to One World since this thread started. I hadn't heard it in years. It's amazing. Everyone ignored it 'cos of punk (probably, it was 1977, after all), but it's an overlooked 70s gem. "Small Hours" is all ambient and heartbreaking. Who knew?
(x-post, yes, definitely, John and Beverley. There's also an instrumental he wrote for his ex-wife -- then his wife -- simply called "Beverley" I think, and it's gorgeous).
― David A. (Davant), Thursday, 24 July 2003 21:30 (twenty years ago) link
earlier records are more straight acoustic folk but nice.
i saw him solo circa 77 and he stretched out the spacy stuff to completely fck with my teenage head. i had a tape of the performance i played over and over.
― gaz (gaz), Thursday, 24 July 2003 21:38 (twenty years ago) link
― Ed Bell, Tuesday, 12 October 2004 15:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 12 October 2004 21:39 (nineteen years ago) link
-- David A. (merdaco...) (webmail), July 24th, 2003. (link)
They were talking about this on "Doc Martin"! The usually 'duh!' going receptionist was in raptures talking about John Martyn and the Glory Box cover to a lad.
Somewhat unexpected. bit like Greengrass raving over Syd Barrett to the sergeant..
― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 06:06 (nineteen years ago) link
"May you never lay your head down without a hand to hold...."
Damn it this song is gorgeous.
― youcangoyourownway, Monday, 7 January 2008 04:09 (sixteen years ago) link
Amongst all the different Martyn compilations there's this 1986-1996 collection, Hidden Years, I'm grown curious about - anyone know whether that's a good comp (of that period)?
― t**t, Thursday, 29 January 2009 23:12 (fifteen years ago) link
bump cause i finally picked up one of his albums--solid air and damn it is a hell of an album. just totally gorgeous stuff, this guy was doing like proto-smooth music with great musicianship and emotional honesty.
the other jm threads give me a good idea of where to go next for his stuff, but what about stuff that has a similar tone--specifically 70s, moody, jazzy, genre-crossing sensitive guy stuff? not folk, more the electric small ensemble type stuff.
― unlucky son (call all destroyer), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 15:53 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, solid air is undeniable -- the Live At Leeds record is killer too. anyone gotten the double disc reissue of Solid Air? Tempted to shell out for it.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 16:03 (fourteen years ago) link
as for "specifically 70s, moody, jazzy, genre-crossing sensitive" -- not a guy, but Joni Mitchell's jazzier stuff might fit the bill
― tylerw, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 16:04 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah, the super-obv. things are Joni, Tim Buckley, Van Morrison maybe, Robert Wyatt...
― Enemy Insects (NickB), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 16:11 (fourteen years ago) link
Maybe something like Bill Fay might work? Would suggest Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Maybe a bit light on obvious 'jazzy' bits, lots of great exploratory guitar playing by Gary Smith though.
― Enemy Insects (NickB), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 16:19 (fourteen years ago) link
hmm yeah joni and tim buckley might be good calls; i've listened to van's stuff from this era and can't really get into it. love wyatt. never heard of bill fay but i'll check him out.
― unlucky son (call all destroyer), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 16:23 (fourteen years ago) link
He's kind of an odd figure lurking on the edge of all the singer-songwriter stuff of the era. Some of it's fairly conventional sound-wise, but you always get a very real sense of a strong, deeply-felt personal vision driving him on.
― Enemy Insects (NickB), Tuesday, 23 June 2009 16:28 (fourteen years ago) link
someone posted a live clip of John Martyn on another thread playing a song from One World, do all his albums have the same spazzed out beach hippy vibe?
― plax (ico), Friday, 12 March 2010 19:32 (fourteen years ago) link
the earlier the better for the beachy, hippy vibe. later he gets more into spazzy, coked out smooth yacht vibe. all good to me tbh.
i've only heard a few.start with Solid Air. best collection of songs and floating rhoades sound.Inside Out is his most jazzy, out, free beachy album. similar to tim buckley's weirder albumsSunday's Child is folky, but has the amazing, heavy "Root Love"One World was recorded in jamaica. one track w/lee perrySapphire is super smooth, but still great
― jaxon, Friday, 12 March 2010 20:12 (fourteen years ago) link
thanks a lot! i dled one world straight after watching that clip and ive listened to it along with the demo vers. that came with it over and over all day, my head is swimming.
― plax (ico), Friday, 12 March 2010 20:18 (fourteen years ago) link
plax, ONE WORLD is the bizness
― Michael B, Friday, 12 March 2010 20:21 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btRv4MnPOBE
― Most important performer of our generation: (Euler), Friday, 12 March 2010 20:25 (fourteen years ago) link
wish there were live videos of Dancing.
― plax (ico), Friday, 12 March 2010 20:36 (fourteen years ago) link
Bless The Weather is awesome too. It's mostly mellow folky songs (really great ones though - check out 'Head and Heart'), but there's also 'Glistening Glyndebourne' which is this beautiful exploratory instrumental piece that has a bit of a free jazz feel to it.
― We should have called Suzie and Bobby (NickB), Friday, 12 March 2010 22:58 (fourteen years ago) link
get the "live @ leeds and more" thing. starts off with a huge tidal wave "outside in" and has a smokin' version of "clutches" as a bonus track. vocals performance top-knotch throughout. plus danny thompson is aboard, iirc (talk about musicians having seemingly telepathic links)
― guammls (QE II), Friday, 12 March 2010 23:07 (fourteen years ago) link
and yeah "Glistening Glyndebourne" is a must for the spaced out jazz vibe
― guammls (QE II), Friday, 12 March 2010 23:08 (fourteen years ago) link
really dig the phil collins drumming/production on Glorious Fool.
― mizzell, Tuesday, 6 April 2010 16:46 (fourteen years ago) link
Album Credits: Johnny Boy Would Love This...A Tribute to John Martyn
CD 11. "LET THE GOOD THINGS COME" DAVID GRAY2. "GLORIOUS FOOL" CLARENCE FOUNTAIN AND SAM BUTLER (Formerly the Blind Boys of Alabama)3. "SMALL HOURS" ROBERT SMITH 4. "STORMBRINGER" BECK5. "OVER THE HILL" TED BARNES Featuring GAVIN CLARK6. "I DON'T WANNA KNOW" THE SWELL SEASON 7. "BLESS THE WEATHER" THE EMPERORS OF WYOMING8. "COULDN'T LOVE YOU MORE" LISA HANNIGAN9. "GO EASY" VETIVER10. "SOLID AIR" SKYE EDWARDS 11. "YOU CAN DISCOVER" CHERYL WILSON 12. "THE EASY BLUES" JOE BONAMASSA13. "DANCING" SONIA DADA14. "CERTAIN SURPRISE" SABRINA DINAN15. "ONE WORLD" PAOLO NUTINI
CD 21. "MAY YOU NEVER" SNOW PATROL 2. "GO DOWN EASY" BETH ORTON3. "FAIRYTALE LULLABY" BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB4. "FINE LINES" SYD KITCHEN5. "HEAD AND HEART" VASHTI BUNYAN6. "RUN HONEY RUN" MORCHEEBA Featuring BRADLEY BURGESS7. "ANGELINE" NICHOLAS BARRON8. "WALK TO THE WATER" JOHN SMITH 9. "HURT IN YOUR HEART" JUDIE TZUKE10. "ROAD TO RUIN" JIM TULLIO 11. "JOHN WAYNE" OH MY GOD 12. "ROPE SOUL'D" THE BLACKSHIPS13. "BACK TO STAY" ULTAN CONLON14. "ANNA" BRENDAN CAMPBELL15. "TEARING AND BREAKING" PHIL COLLINS
― scott seward, Wednesday, 1 June 2011 16:40 (twelve years ago) link
I wonder where I will find John Martyn records among the myriad "folk" genres at my community station?
― Trip Maker, Wednesday, 1 June 2011 16:43 (twelve years ago) link
kinda curious about Robert Smith on "Small Hours"!
― Euler, Wednesday, 1 June 2011 16:43 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd_yg5rppYo
― one dis leads to another (ian), Wednesday, 1 June 2011 21:40 (twelve years ago) link
Oh god, Paolo Nutini doing "One World"
― Number None, Wednesday, 1 June 2011 21:48 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da1f3T8gjZo
this song rules
― max, Wednesday, 3 August 2011 14:47 (twelve years ago) link
john martyn rules
― it was pleasant and delightful, just like (La Lechera), Wednesday, 3 August 2011 14:53 (twelve years ago) link
http://25.media.tumblr.com/31892b734bea62c63abc3a0600143620/tumblr_mf0z88Du441riscrbo1_500.jpg
― tylerw, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 22:55 (eleven years ago) link
john martyn otm
― baby beluga (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 22:58 (eleven years ago) link
apparently that address was his actual residence...
― tylerw, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:02 (eleven years ago) link
hastings is quite the place for weirdo bohemian folksy types. i believe that's where shirlay collins lives at the moment, plus barry dransfield, david tibet and james blackshaw. home of aleister crowley too of course once upon a time
― Jaap and roids (NickB), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:09 (eleven years ago) link
shirlay <--- written in country dialect obv
― Jaap and roids (NickB), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:10 (eleven years ago) link
Don't know many people from Glasgow who speak like that.
― Keith, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:12 (eleven years ago) link
You mean the advert? That was pretty much how John Martyn spoke wasn't it?
― Jaap and roids (NickB), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:13 (eleven years ago) link
Well I think he did both, so he did that when he was in England and then he spoke Scottish when he was in Scotland.
― Keith, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:17 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra_uv0uIY-g
^ it's his 70s comedy cockney voice
― Jaap and roids (NickB), Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:20 (eleven years ago) link
To be fair to him, I can appreciate that. I am from Glasgow but would like to be cockney.
― Keith, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:21 (eleven years ago) link
how is that Live at Leeds album? I've been tempted by the deluxe edition
― Euler, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:21 (eleven years ago) link
the original is pretty great -- don't think i've heard the deluxe.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:24 (eleven years ago) link
xp
I love John Martyn, but I wouldn't say it's amazing. The deluxe one is better because it has MORE on it, but I despite its fame, I don't think it really does that much more over the records it's take from. I've seen him do amazing live versions of songs (Lookin' on, for example), but they're not on that record. I mean it's obviously good - I just feel like it could've been better, but then perhaps I suppose you'd always think that.
― Keith, Tuesday, 29 January 2013 23:24 (eleven years ago) link
― Jaap and roids (NickB), Tuesday, January 29, 2013 5:10 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark
hahaha!! <3
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 03:19 (eleven years ago) link
my favorite john martyn song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6Jvp3QBwgY
― cocktail onion (fennel cartwright), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 03:24 (eleven years ago) link
yeah, it's up there
― Number None, Wednesday, 30 January 2013 11:34 (eleven years ago) link
that's a really good one, agree
john martyn is some of my favorite road trippin music, no idea why
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 15:25 (eleven years ago) link
I only have/only know Solid Air. I should get Inside Out sometime since I vibe with shit like Starsailor/Lorca etc
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 16:24 (eleven years ago) link
Don't forget Bless the Weather - terrible cover, beautiful music
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 16:27 (eleven years ago) link
was listening to eibhli ghail (can't actually type out the whole title) from inside out on repeat yesterday. kozmiceltic.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 30 January 2013 16:28 (eleven years ago) link
which one has him wearing that crazy pointy hood on the front? That is an all time visual.
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 16:29 (eleven years ago) link
you should definitely hear glistening glyndebourne off bless the weather, jon
― Jaap and roids (NickB), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 16:32 (eleven years ago) link
i'm talking about the floating martynhead
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5f/Bless_the_weather.jpg/220px-Bless_the_weather.jpg
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 16:33 (eleven years ago) link
Martynhead sounds like one of the stations in 'I Often Dream of Trains'
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 16:46 (eleven years ago) link
This is great - it's You Can Discover but also the coda to Call Me Crazy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz1RIwxYsCQ
― Keith, Wednesday, 30 January 2013 18:39 (eleven years ago) link
probably my OPO, although there's so many worthy contenders....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz8uNRWsmFY
― Lee626, Wednesday, 30 January 2013 23:48 (eleven years ago) link
Indeed that one's definitely up there, although as you say, with about 50 others, but it is indeed a personal favourite.
One guy once described listening to John Martyn as though time stops when you do it and I think that's pretty much a perfect description.
― Keith, Thursday, 31 January 2013 00:02 (eleven years ago) link
huh. maybe that's why it's good road trippin music?
― this customer is a jerk (La Lechera), Thursday, 31 January 2013 00:16 (eleven years ago) link
that's true for me & "Small Hours", such a peaceful record, can just drift away
― Euler, Thursday, 31 January 2013 00:51 (eleven years ago) link
Bless The Weather is alltime. I got absolutely blitzed on Balvenie last night and night and it was perfect, sounding great with the hangover as well.
― Damo Suzuki's Parrot, Saturday, 16 February 2013 10:34 (eleven years ago) link
http://store.universal-music.co.uk/restofworld/folk/boxset-john-martyn-the-island-years-box-set-2013/invt/0602537422883/
The Island Years is the most exhaustive career retrospective from one of Britain’s most original and enduring singer/songwriters. Housed in an LP size hard-back slip case, this lavish box set contains 18 Discs including:
• 17 CDs featuring 12 key studio albums, recorded for Island between 1967 and 1987, now with previously unreleased mixes, Out-Takes, unheard songs and 2 complete, previously unreleased live solo concerts from 1972 and 1977 and the complete demos for The Apprentice, the last album Martyn delivered to Island.• 1 DVD containing rare television performances from the Old Grey Whistle Test, Sight and Sound – In Concert, A Little Night Music and first time on DVD for the VHS release, Foundations.• A hard-back book featuring a new essay by The Island Years compiler and researcher John Hillarby plus rare and previously unseen photographs and extensive memorabilia.
There is a strong selection of previously unreleased alternative takes from Martyn’s career defining 70s albums Stormbringer, The Road To Ruin, Bless The Weather, Solid Air, Inside Out, Sunday’s Child and One World; plus there are extensive outtakes and a number of unreleased songs from Martyn’s 80s Island releases: Grace And Danger, Sapphire and Piece By Piece.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 25 June 2013 17:31 (ten years ago) link
170 quid, haha!
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Tuesday, 25 June 2013 17:54 (ten years ago) link
WANT
― brimstead, Tuesday, 25 June 2013 17:56 (ten years ago) link
yeah looks neato. $170 for 17 CDs + book + DVD doesn't sound insane.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 25 June 2013 18:11 (ten years ago) link
suppose it's only fitting that they want an arm and a leg for it
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Tuesday, 25 June 2013 18:23 (ten years ago) link
eeeyowch
― tylerw, Tuesday, 25 June 2013 18:24 (ten years ago) link
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