John Martyn (+ vinyl content)

richardhomer

thebreeze said:

Grace and Danger.

The greatest break-up album ever....

Hurt in Your Heart and Our Love are heartbreaking....

randella

richardhomer said:

randella said:

@richardhomer am I being unfair to Clapton?  As a self-confessed Martyn fan, where do you stand on his cover version?  I'm interested to know. 

No, it was a pretty lame cover - and I say that as a massive EC fan. But it was that cover that lead me to checking out John's music.

John was quite friendly with EC - he rerecorded Couldn't Love You More with a band for the Glorious Fool album with EC playing lead.

John was a unique talent - he dabbled in so many styles - Grace & Danger was almost Weather Report-esque - Glorious Fool was quite electronic, And (from the mid-90s) used Hip Hop beats - he never stood still musically but always sounded like himself. 

I loved him.

@richardhomer ;"Lame" is about the right word. Clapton's a hero of mine too, Mayall, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek, maybe in my mind he has a high bar and the mid-late 70's stuff didn't cut it.

The May You Never cover was competent, and I think that was possibly its worst sin; after the rawness and emotion that was all over John Martyn's original, EC's version felt a bit limp. 

notanon

Hair stands up on back of neck - John Martyn, Nick Drake, Roy Harper, . . . . I have huge respect for lots of bands but to stand alone and hold your ground, absolutely wicked!

richardhomer

This is well worth watching - John reunited with Danny Thompson in the 80s for a walk down memory lane. Some lovely playing from both of them:

thebreeze

richardhomer said:

thebreeze said:

Grace and Danger.

The greatest break-up album ever....

Hurt in Your Heart and Our Love are heartbreaking....

Yes.  There's a lot of pain and heartbreak in that album and it comes through loud and clear.  Phil Collins was also going through a bad break-up at the time and I think his influence is important to that album.  I've always loved John Martyn's line, "its not the letters that just don't write........that keeps me hanging on".  Stunning album, one of my all-time favourites too.

Have you come across Adam Holmes?  He has a John Martyn vibe - but really good in his own right.  I really like his album Heirs and Graces (which must be a nod to John Martyn somehow?).

richardhomer

thebreeze said:
Have you come across Adam Holmes?  He has a John Martyn vibe - but really good in his own right.  I really like his album Heirs and Graces (which must be a nod to John Martyn somehow?).

I'll check him out!

MagicPigDetective

Downloaded Bless the Weather and One World since seeing this discussion, both superb of course. I've loved Solid Air for years, but never got round to listening to other albums properly.

I did see him live at Cardiff St David's Hall in 2004.... to be honest it was a bit tragic (or mabye a shock) to see him in such a bad state...there were a lot of drunks in the crowd heckling and egging him on and throwing spliffs at him, it was a strange one...

Always loved the song 'Stormbrigner' too.

richardhomer

MagicPigDetective said:

I did see him live at Cardiff St David's Hall in 2004.... to be honest it was a bit tragic (or mabye a shock) to see him in such a bad state...there were a lot of drunks in the crowd heckling and egging him on and throwing spliffs at him, it was a strange one...

2004 was his 'come back' tour after his lower leg amputation. I saw him at the Salford Lowry and he was stunning - voice, playing and banter were exceptional.

He toured extensively after that - each time he'd gained more weight, was clearly drinking very heavily again - every time I saw him I thought it may be the last.

I saw him for the final time in November 2008, when
he played the whole of the Grace & Danger album - it was the first John Martyn album I'd heard. I was 17 and knew it was 'serious' - but at that age I couldn't really appreciate an album chronicling a divorce fully. 2008 was the year of my divorce - the sight of a 30 stone, wheel chair-using John Martyn singing about the end of his marriage was a heart-breaking spectacle for me. His performance - given his manifest ill-health - was superb.

Approximately 10 weeks later, he died.

I can't actually think of any one - outside of family - who's passing affected me so much. Those last few concerts felt like a long goodbye - but I wouldn't have missed any if them. Clearly a very flawed human being - but artistically a one-off, maverick genius.

Nitefly

@richardhomer - do you happen to know when he played the Band on the Wall?  I remember seeing him there many  years ago, but can't remember when it was.

richardhomer

Nitefly said:

@richardhomer - do you happen to know when he played the Band on the Wall?  I remember seeing him there many  years ago, but can't remember when it was.

I saw him there in 1983 - that's the only time I can remember him playing there. He was in a foul mood - and in a very 'altered' state - I spoke to him briefly after the show - he was obnoxious and dismissive. I met him on three other occasions and he was delightful - friendly and highly amusing.

His actual performance at the Band on the Wall was great....

english_bob

p90fool said:

Solid Air is one of the few albums from my adolescence which has made it it into my middle age, it just fabulous. 

The song May You Never can not only still reduce me to tears, but it's also a fantastic performance, recorded in a basement studio in one take in the middle of the night. 

After many failed attempts to get the right performance though.

Great album. I didn't discover him until maybe ten or so years ago (wasn't around to hear him in the '70s) but that album is truly fantastic.

Nitefly

richardhomer said:

Nitefly said:

@richardhomer - do you happen to know when he played the Band on the Wall?  I remember seeing him there many  years ago, but can't remember when it was.

I saw him there in 1983 - that's the only time I can remember him playing there. He was in a foul mood - and in a very 'altered' state - I spoke to him briefly after the show - he was obnoxious and dismissive. I met him on three other occasions and he was delightful - friendly and highly amusing.

His actual performance at the Band on the Wall was great....

Ah, thank you.  That makes sense, as I only moved here in September 83, and that would have been one of my first nights out.  I can't in truth remember much about it beyond that I enjoyed it very much.

Ravenous

randella said:

If you've got any suggestions of his other stuff, hit me up!  

Sit down and listen to the track "Small Hours". Amazingly atmospheric - just a dropped C tuning and an echoplex. (By the way it was recorded outdoors at night which is why you can occasionally hear geese complaining in the background.)

Admittedly the track could do without the 70s keyboard whittering in the middle.

Also I want to say groupie things about Danny Thompson (upright bass).  He has a phenomenal sound on Solid Air, etc.

Rocker

p90fool said:

Solid Air is one of the few albums from my adolescence which has made it it into my middle age, it just fabulous. 

The song May You Never can not only still reduce me to tears, but it's also a fantastic performance, recorded in a basement studio in one take in the middle of the night. 

Totally agree with you @p90fool, great album that still sounds fresh (I have it on CD).

thebreeze

AliGorie said:

the thing I cant understand is how people don't get that the magic in music isn't the guitar (or equipment ) used, the magic is in the music - itself.
heres the pickup he's playing through -
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/RYcAAOSwopRYgQC7/s-l1600.jpg

You'll have to forgive my ignorance but can you tell me a bit more about the pickup please.  Whats the deal with the missing pin under the A string?

richardhomer

thebreeze said:

AliGorie said:

the thing I cant understand is how people don't get that the magic in music isn't the guitar (or equipment ) used, the magic is in the music - itself.
heres the pickup he's playing through -
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/RYcAAOSwopRYgQC7/s-l1600.jpg

You'll have to forgive my ignorance but can you tell me a bit more about the pickup please.  Whats the deal with the missing pin under the A string?

There's some good info here:

http://www.johnmartyn.com/guitar/a-history-of-johns-guitar-set-ups/

Not 100% accurate - but generally very close.

thebreeze

Wow cheers RH, that's a lot of interesting detail about him.  I'm still in the dark about the missing pin (it seems it's the B string in fact) but I'll read it all more closely when I get the time.  Big John is much missed.

richardhomer

thebreeze said:

Wow cheers RH, that's a lot of interesting detail about him.  I'm still in the dark about the missing pin (it seems it's the B string in fact) but I'll read it all more closely when I get the time.  Big John is much missed.

The 'missing' pole piece is to even out the response between strings - the B on acoustic sets as it's a lot thicker (and therefore louder) than the core of the wound G - a bit like the magnet stagger on a vintage Strat pick-up.

thebreeze

Ah, that makes sense.  Thank you.

randella

So much info here, thank you all for taking the effort. It's great when you discover new music, it's one of my favourite things