John Martyn - Legless and still rocking

Posted over 3 years ago

Artist:
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John Martyn
Album:
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Solid Air
Track:
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Over the Hill

This song just popped on to the iTunes and I just have to try & express how much I love it. I couldn't possibly explain everything about John Martyn (have a look at his wikipedia entry for the full story), but here's the summary:1 - Friends with Nick Drake, he wrote the song Solid Air about the doomed singer2 - He's been described as the father of trip-hop3 - Hung out with lee Scratch Perry4 - Makes Keith Richards look like a pussy5 - Had to have a leg amputated after a burst cyst in the mid 2000sI first discovered him when the track Solid Air was feautred on Gilles Peterson's mix CD Worldwide (is there anything good in the last ten years or so that I haven't got from GP?!) I picked up the album of the same name a few years later and this is one of my favourites off of an album of favourites (May You Never is another which you can see here).It tells of a man who has sampled that all that life has to offer and decides that home is the place to be.Can't get enough of sweet cocaine, get enough of mary-jane Going back to where I come from, going rolling back home againreally, I can't explain it - it's beautiful. Soul, folk, whatever you want to call it, it's essential....

Comments (10)

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david terrar says ciaran, Spot on. I've been listening since John & Beverly Martyn, Stormbringer and his own Bless The Weather. It was always great to see him live with just Danny Thomson, the fuzz box and the echo chamber. Solid Air is great and groundbreaking, but I particularly like the couple of albums he did with Phil Collins - Grace and Danger and Glorious Fool. His reinterpretations of his own back catalogue on No Little Boy are also really interesting too. For those that want just a taste of this essential artist, the Island anthology Serendipity is a great place to start.

Permalink posted 12/19/2006
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Cody B says I have passed by cut outs of John Martyn many times and heard his name only slightly mentioned in all my days..I never knew who to ask about him. Now I do. Thanks for pointing the way gentlemen.

Permalink posted 12/19/2006
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david terrar says ciaran, First time around I didn't follow the link to YouTube.... thanks for finding that. Excellent example of the man's superb guitar style. I even remember seeing it on OGWT in 73! Brilliant.

Permalink posted 12/19/2006
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ciaran says He really is awesome - Solid Air is the only album of his I have, although being obsessed with cover versions I had to follow the lead that someone passed me to his cover of Portishead's Glory Box which you can hear a clip of on the competition or on iTunes - talk about gravelly.... Despite the mention of Mr Collins I will endeavour to dig out the albums that you mention david....

Permalink posted 12/19/2006
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david terrar says I put the Phil Collins reference in on purpose to see who might rise to the bate. Phil played drums, sang background, and produced both albums. Most of the songs on Grace and Danger are very personal, heart wrenching and beautiful, about the breakup of his marriage to Beverly (I just put Sweet Little Mystery on my Mog). It also has his cover of the reggae classic Johnny Too Bad. Don't let the Phil connection put you off! Never heard the Portishead cover - I'll track it down,

Permalink posted 12/19/2006
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ciaran says I'm sorry - I really have a thing about Phil. I still think that his comment about leaving the UK if Labour got in had more to do with Blair's 97 victory than we will ever know... I'm also slightly confused that he's considered a cult hero by US hip hop stars...

Permalink posted 12/19/2006
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david terrar says Hi ciaran, I've been meaning to post about Phil for some time. I know there are many detractors, and I hadn't heard the pre election Labour comment you mention. Hey ho... but he's a fantastic drummer. Did you ever catch any of the Brand X stuff?

Permalink posted 12/19/2006
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fairportfan says I can't recall for sure, but i think it may have been Martyn that Nancy took the tour group to see in a London coffeehouse the night before we headed up to Oxford for that year's Cropredy... I recall Danny on bass with him (if, indeed, it were he - faint memory suggests perhaps Renbourn instead, now that i look all that way back). However, i've always been impressed with Martyn's work whenever i've encountered it, no matter who it was i enjoyed in that coffeehouse...

Permalink posted 12/19/2006
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ciaran says I've not heard of Brand X I'm afraid. I have to say though that my feelings about the short, bald drummer are completely irrational, and not even one of your well reasoned posts will change them! I should really be bigger than letting my judgement be clouded, but for God's sake - have you ever seen Buster?! ;) fairportfan - sounds like it was a pretty good show whatever it was - I always find that the hazy ones are the best.

Permalink posted 12/20/2006
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DZRTsurfer08 says i saw John Martyn back in 1973 @ Winterland in San Francisco, He opened for the band FREE, featuring Paul Rodgers, and headliner TRAFFIC. Thousands of folks were swirling on the immense dance floor in anticipation of the two Bands they had come to see. John Martyn was alone up on stage, sitting on a stool playing his guitar, and encased in misty blue light. He was pure magic ....up to a point. The magic ended when he broke a string on his guitar, and he became quite agitated and then frenzied. A clash developed between his energy, and that of the swirling sea of humanity. People seemed quite relieved when his set ended. Definitely not one of his finest moments, but a memorable beginning to the most incredible evening of music that i have ever experienced in my life.

Permalink posted 04/13/2008