John Martyn R.I.P.

jenks

jenks

thread death
Dunno if anyone much interested over here but I always thought what a really gifted guitarist and song writer the man was - some of that stuff in the 70s/80s still sounds really fresh.

Bit of an old bugger by all accounts and still pretty fearsome when he had his legs amputated.

time for a bit of Solid Air this evening for me.
 
J

jonny mugwump

exotic pylon
just tragic tragic news- even when the music got lost in an over-ambient wash, that voice is something off the planet.

those who don't- know Solid Air, Inside Out and One World are such beautiful and fertile mutations of folk with psychedelia, free jazz, dub, everything... extraordinairy.

too young, very sad :(
 
J

jonny mugwump

exotic pylon
as above= Solid Air from 1972, Inside Out from 1973(?) and One World from 1977. Small Hours from One World is the absolute peak of his career- gentle drum machine, geeese, really trippy fragile guitar and voice as texture. 8 of the most sublime minutes you could imagine.
 
M

mms

sometimes
I Listened to small hours in a car driving through the highlands in june, couple of years back, really breathtaking moment.
 
nochexxx

nochexxx

harco pronting
jonny mugwump said:
as above= Solid Air from 1972, Inside Out from 1973(?) and One World from 1977. Small Hours from One World is the absolute peak of his career- gentle drum machine, geeese, really trippy fragile guitar and voice as texture. 8 of the most sublime minutes you could imagine.
Click to expand...

thanks, could really do with some if this type music right now. just listened to small hours from youtube and i thought he sounded very much like arthur russell. perhaps this had something more to do with the sound quality as i was hearing it through laptop speakers.
 
P

poetix

we murder to dissect
Tunes:

Solid Air
Bless the Weather
Ways to Cry
I Don't Wanna Know About Evil
Small Hours
Easy Blues (he was lying, it's bastard hard)
 
craner

craner

Beast of Burden
Funny, I've been discovering Martyn's brilliance recently. Solid Air, Grace and Danger, One World...all fantastic albums. One World is my current favorite. It's liquid, like Marvin's 70s albums (I Want You, Troubleman, Here, My Dear).

In fact, Grace and Danger and Here, My Dear go together very well, though I guess you need at least one divorce under your belt to fully appreciate them.

Frankly, he was lucky to have made it this far: his life seems just as fucked up as Marvin's.
 
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empty mirror

empty mirror

remember the jackalope
nochexxx said:
thanks, could really do with some if this type music right now. just listened to small hours from youtube and i thought he sounded very much like arthur russell. perhaps this had something more to do with the sound quality as i was hearing it through laptop speakers.
Click to expand...

yeah if you are looking for something in this family of sounds
check out gary higgins "red hash" (somewhat) recently reissued on drag city
you think you are listening to singer songwriter well-tread ground then all of a sudden a synth swoops in... whoa!

and yes this is probably on a 30s-something tip

(i love here, my dear, btw---good call)
 
nochexxx

nochexxx

harco pronting
empty mirror said:
yeah if you are looking for something in this family of sounds
check out gary higgins "red hash" (somewhat) recently reissued on drag city
you think you are listening to singer songwriter well-tread ground then all of a sudden a synth swoops in... whoa!
Click to expand...


thanks, i've just has a quick google. sounds very interesting!
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
empty mirror said:
yeah if you are looking for something in this family of sounds
check out gary higgins "red hash" (somewhat) recently reissued on drag city
you think you are listening to singer songwriter well-tread ground then all of a sudden a synth swoops in... whoa!

and yes this is probably on a 30s-something tip

)
Click to expand...

I was quite to excited to hear this and when I did I thought it was a s boring as fuck. But then I've not hit 30 yet, I might give it another go in a couple of years...


Inside out is my fave J Martyn, even better than solid air. Still not really got into One World but I'll probably have another go at it now this has happened. His voice does take a bit of getting used to but I grew to love it.
 
N

Ness Rowlah

Norwegian Wood
as my day could not get any worse. Saw him once (in the '80s), but must admit I dropped out after "The Church with One Bell" (98). Not a bad cover album, but he was at his peak in the '70s.

I guess the documentary that BBC4 did on him a few years ago is still available online somewhere. Seemed like a bit of a "charming twat" in that one. 60 is too early, but he seemed to be quite a hard-drinking man.

RIP.
 
Tentative Andy

Tentative Andy

I'm in the Meal Deal
Jeez, this is a real shame. He'd clearly not led a healthy life, but it seemed like he still had plenty to contribute music-wise, he was still playing well. Crap. :(
 
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