Solid Air

This is like a Bob Ross painting without Bob Ross.

I had heard his name - mainly in association with other folkies from his era (Bert Jansch, Roy Harper, Nick Drake, etc), but I don’t think I’d ever heard his music. This is an absolutely unique, strange, and fascinating listen. A crazy mix of straightforward, earnest folk music and MUCH more experimental stuff. Acoustic backslap guitar, pronounced jazz-like bass, saxophone, off-kilter beats/drums, odd instrumentation (did I hear a dijereedoo in there?) and borderline stream of consciousness slippery/mumbled lyrics that play along with the music. I could listen to this all day long. I’m going to dig into the rest of his catalog.

The term oxymoron was first used in the 1657 apparently. Over 300 years later, John Martyn attempted to kill it softly with the bland and boring title track to "Solid Air." As the album opened, and "Solid Air" dragged on for over 5 minutes, I worried I wouldn't be able to make it through this album. My intense apathy towards the song nearly made me let out a silent scream, and it made me wish I'd started the album in a random order. But the only choice was to press on, hoping for a minor miracle to end the sweet misery (in my unbiased opinion). Luckily, "Over the Hill" quickly picked up the pace. And there was plenty more interesting to come after that. If I had skipped "Solid Air" and took a big toke when the second track started, I think it would have really hit me mid-way through the controlled chaos that is "I'd Rather Be the Devil." Folk, psychedelic rock, jazz, and blues, and more all come together with uneven results, making for what is perhaps undeniably an interesting listen. I went from * after the first track, then see-sawed back-and-forth repeatedly, briefly considering a ****. In the end, my only choice was to split the difference and stick with ***.

Not a single disharmony nor jilt on the whole album. Probably one of the best discoveries for me so far

Day 139: John Martyn - Solid Air (1973) First impressions: I absolutely loathe John Martyn's singing. His mumbling, slurred delivery is like drunk easy listening baby talk. One thing I do like is the organic, tactile feel of the standup bass, guitar, and Fender Rhodes accompaniment. Unusual for this kind of music, the musicians were given the basic outlines of the tunes and they just improvised the rest. There are no arrangements as such. Okay, that was just the first song, Solid Air. With Over the Hill, the style completely changes. This is more or less straight ahead folk-pop, and reasonably pleasing. Martyn drops the grotesque vocal affections from the first tune. The interaction between the mandolin and guitar on this tune gives it a driving quality. The third tune, Don't Want To Know, starts out with just a guitar and Fender Rhodes and is then joined by drums. One of the things I like about this album is that Martyn gives a lot of attention to rhythm. A lot of folk feels inert. Not this. There is a constant tug between the instruments to create a groove. It isn't danceable, but it has real energy. Oh no! On I'd Rather Be The Devil, Martyn reverts to baby talk. This must be his "jazz" voice or something. It ruins an otherwise fine track, which adds elements of rock, a smidgeon of funk, and even a soupcon of psychedelia! Again, I appreciate the organic, tactile feel that the band pulls off. I really enjoyed the extended instrumental coda of I'd Rather Be The Devil. Ugh! With Go Down Easy, we once again get Martyn's "jazz" voice. Okay, this album is a real mixed bag. John Martyn, obviously inspired by jazz, went for an improvisatory feel on this album, along with some traditional jazz instrumentation, which pays off handsomely. The instrumental textures on this album have a real richness. This goes a long way, as the songs themselves are no big deal. Unfortunately, Martyn was inspired to adjust his voice for the more jazz inspired tunes, which is a disaster. So, you have an album which is musically pleasant more often than not, but with lead vocals that range from so-so to vile. 2/5

I had no idea what I was putting on when I started this. The first song (“Solid Air”) had me thinking jazz album. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the vocal delivery. The second song (“Over The Hill”) had me thinking bluegrass undertones. The third song (“Don’t Want To Know”) was back on the jazzier side. The fourth song (“I’d Rather Be The Devil”) becomes decidedly more funky… Turns out this is a very interesting and diverse British folk album from the 70s. The first time through I was intrigued if a little confused. On the second listen I locked in and fell in love with Solid Air and its very chill vibe. Martyn’s vocals really started to appeal to me. I really love the vibe and the instruments… a super nice experience. Not only a nice addition to better round out my musical tastes, but something I will enjoy hearing again and again. Some of my immediate favorites: Solid Air (so atmospheric!), Over The Hill (so down homey!), Dreams By The Sea (so funky!), May You Never (so uplifting), The Man in the Station (lovely with just a touch of drama)

- personally biased, this is 100% my jam. - unexpected jazz/blues elements with modern folk stylistics - suprising, polished and confident.

Never heard anything off this before. Not really my cup of tea, reminds me of music a yuppie couple would have sex to. Stand out track I don't want to know about evil

A new favorite. Atmospheric, serious but makes you want to be in the crowd to jam along. Folksy and Jazzy with experimental effects and smoky vocals

Delightful. Flows beautifully between singing and playing. The guitar is the right amount of percussive. Martyn's voice is unique and captivating and like another instrument.

The overall ambience and mood achieved on ‘Solid Air’ is quite incredible. It’s smoky, intimate folk rock, with a strong jazz influence and dub elements, where the space between the grooves is just as important as the actual music. It’s a record you can almost dance to in parts, as well as nod your head to, and it’s definitely one for the stoners.

Love this album! Got it on vinyl. It came up in some list of albums if I like Nick Drake. At first I thought the vocals were a bit much but this album really is great sounding, catch songs, nice psychedelic breaks, folky stuff, a song for Nick Drake. 4.5+

I used to think I didn’t like Folk music. Turns out that maybe I just don’t like American Folk music. Well, maybe I should clarify…the British folk I’ve listened because of this list has been far more interesting to me than the American Folk music I’m familiar with. It’s seemingly more willing to experiment, with less adherence to tradition. There’s some truly beautiful Fender Rhodes keyboard playing on this record. It’s a funky, soulful and experimental psychedelic folk-rock record. Really great stuff here, especially if you enjoy Nick Drake.

I hadn't heard of this artist or any of his songs, and I didn't know what to expect when I clicked on the album to play it. Some interesting stuff here. Quite a variety of styles. Not interested enough to come back to for me, but it wasn't bad.

Solid Trash

what a beautiful album I listened to the full 2.5hr deluxe edition and loved every second just all around amazing - 10/10

Superrbly beautiful album from start to finish. Second John Martyn album I've had on here and a very happy discovery.

This is the first John Martyn album I bought, possibly a year after it came out. I got it out of a delete bin for 50 cents. People who know me well get tired of me saying it's the best 50 cents I ever spent. He was an incredibly talented guitarist/singer/songwriter who effortlessly mastered any number of styles - folk, rock, blues, jazz, reggae and who knows what else. This is still possibly my favorite of his albums. Sadly he wasted his talent due to alcohol and substance abuse and his later stuff never worked nearly as well.

Enjoyed this alot

Genius. Been one of my favourite albums since I first heard it in the '80s and it still sounds wonderful.

John Prine-y vibe. Nice lyrics. Felt like an album you would play to soundtrack your road trip.

Very cool album I’d never heard before. You can definitely hear the roots of rock/jazz/singer-songwriters like John Mayer and Jack Johnson in here.

I was truly expecting to dislike this (English folk music??) but it’s actually great. The melodies are great and this isn’t like folk music I was expecting.

Loooove this album. So mellow. Just glorious. Fave track - "Solid Air" has long been a fave. "I'd Rather Be The Devil" gets an honourable mention too...

it was jazzy and catchy and super sick. man in the station was one of my favorite songs, it was great

This is really amazing folk/jazz with some nice lyrics.

Short and sweet. Good jams to work to

Amazing. Way ahead of its time as far as 70s folk goes. Fantastic production, well balanced instrumentation. Loved it.

Wow, what a great little album. Entirely too short.

Love this! Never heard of this guy, but he's incredible. Not necessarily a unique voice, but his singing is amazing. Guitar is awesome and love the jazzy vibes/ blues/folk mix going on. Love the double bass and strings in some songs too. Pretty crazy mix of stuff going on, but it works and listens super nice I think.

Very enjoyable. His voice is a bit nostalgic and pleasant, same can be said for the music itself. Could see myself listening to this album again. I might be making it a bit easy to impress me now but I’m giving this a 5/5 too.

I discovered John Martyn a good while ago through Beck covering him on a live in studio radio appearance. Later Spotify allowed me to explore his entire catalog and I was fairly obsessed with him for a while. I like nearly all of his 70s and 80s material. This album isn't my absolute favorite of his but is sort of his breakthrough and definitely a great album. The only track that doesn't fit the "night music" mood that he captures so well is the second track "over the hill" with the folksier sound of the mandolin that turns me off a bit. If you removed that track I think this would be a perfect album for me. I'm typically not a huge folk fan but I love his unique way of blending it with jazz and other elements. He maintains such a seductively subdued mood that I find hypnotic.

Amazing album, great mix of folk and jazz. First track i wasn't big on but the rest of the album was solid

Cool, chill, jazzy

Fantástico.

I had no idea what I was in for here, and I absolutely hated the first track. The vocal style seems to be different on the rest of the album though, and it turns out to be a pretty diverse and interesting 40 minutes. Not something I'll listen to often, but not everything on this list has to be.

The first few songs on this knocked my socks off—especially over the hill—but after that it was just a mildly pleasant album that I don’t have much to say about. It was like a mix between nick drake and Paul weller or something. Very folksy and jazzy but also rocky and psychedelic in places.

Very Nick Drake coded.

OK -he is no Nick Drake, but not bad. Pretty talented production and stylin' for 1973 "I'd Rather Be The Devil" opening riff was very close to Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell". Hmmm

I found this album to be plucky but slow. Fairly soothing listening and it felt both crooning and bluesy. Wouldn't feel out of place in a western.

Nr. 38/1001 Solid Air 3/5 Over the Hill 4/5 Don't Want to Know 4/5 I'd Rather Be the Devil 2/5 Go Down Easy 3/5 Dreams By The Sea 3/5 May You Never 4/5 The Man In The Station 4/5 The Easy Blues 3/5 Average: 3,33 Funky folk record

Listened to this about a week ago but forgot to write the review. I can hardly remember anything about it - which tells you something... What I do remember: the singer mumbles a lot - didn't care for his delivery. Seemed like he was trying a bit too hard to sound like somebody else. Otherwise, kinda boring. Not bad or offensive. Some likable songs. But mostly just kinda meh.

This album is all over the place. He mumbles so badly at times that I can’t tell what is being said. There are several instances where I dig what is going on. Overall, I’m turning this album off.

Didn't get much out of this some of the music was fine, he seemed drunk, some of the vocals were a bit mumbled/slurred in parts which was distracting. 2*

Fairly dull, slurry folk

Not bad but I think I would have liked it more without vocals. He sounds like me mumble singing to myself walking to the car or something

Stuff like this is why I signed up for this site. Never heard of this guy before. Absolutely loving it. It's jazzy, folksy and a little weird.

I love Solid Air, John Martyn’s voice and guitar, the jazz folk feel, the upright bass. It meanders and take detours and the journey is rich and rewarding. The songs are uniformly excellent but the echoplex tour de force that is Martyn’s cover of Skip James’s “Rather Be the Devil” is breaktaking. Every time.

I have my issues with this list of albums, but I am quite delighted by the folk music it has shown me, particularly from the UK. This is no exception. Beautiful album, albeit a bit of a mixed bag, stylistically, from song to song, but still tied nicely together with immaculate vibes. Great.

Honestly I love it. I usually don't get much out of these random singer/songwriter albums but damn is this a nice listen. The opening title track is incredible with wistful jazzy bits and then each track after is just nice and simple and catchy. Really surprised by this one! 9/10

Never heard of John Martyn before. This is really enjoyable. Lots of different styles going on with this album and they all work pretty well. Glad to have heard this and I'll check out the rest of his catalog.

Best artist and album discover so far. Really really nice.

jó szóval nem tudtam erről semmit, és úgy kezdem el hallgatni hogy fogalmam se volt mit kapok. én ezt a műfajt imádom, ez az album gyönyörű és szuper kifinomult, és hallatszik, hogy a csávó abszolút képzett zeneileg. négy és felet adnék, mert vmiért the vibes are not vibing, DE akarok adni ennek egy esélyt egy chill hétvégi délutánon egy bögre teával a kanapémon, szóval megadom neki az ötöst előlegbe.

This is my Pink Moon. Best Songs: Solid Air, Dreams By The Sea, May You Never, The Man In The Station Worst Songs: NA

Lewis put me on to this guy I thank you Lewis Nearly nudged a 5 but just missed Nope just got it

Was split between 4 and 5, but just had to be 5

Loved! Will keep on rotation!

Musical dna. Beyond criticism for me. For all the talk of Eric, Jeff, Jimmy, Rory, Peter and Pete, the acoustic guys were cutting just as much edge. And in fact Page was deeply influenced by this sort of stuff. Incredibly brilliant stuff.

If I judged an album by its cover, it's say it's going to be spacey and out there. And it is. Psychedelic Folk Impressionistic ? Interesting. Performance ART style of music. Imagine it live. Would be glorious to drop into THAT room. I will be back for more.... Great new album and artist is never heard of. Feels alive and live and catchy. I assume this is regarded as a high end and very special cool local blues and roots band.

Almost too tasteful, but thick grooves here. Music for the good stuff, sex, dreaming, taking long walks etc.

Folk-rock, almost jazz at times - a masterpiece. The title track is moody and brilliant, "I'd Rather Be the Devil" (a version of the Skip James song "Devil Got My Woman") is funky and definitely "out there", while his signature song "May You Never" was later covered by Eric Clapton.

I actually found a British album I liked. Jokes aside though, this album had some very interesting experimental tracks, and the jazz influence combines oddly well with English folk.

By the second track, I said, out loud, "I like this at lot"

good. chill. never heard of before

Absolute classic

I’m a big fan. Have been enjoying his superb guitar playing for years

4.75

5 stars. I was familiar with the music but not the album. Love it, will come back!

Had never heard him!! What an incredibly great surprise of delightful music!! Loved it!

Ccooo

An elegant creation of John Martyn's artistry. While listening to the first track, I thought it was almost lifting from Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, but then it burst into a garden variety of styles (I mean, in a good way), but all with a sincere touch. I would highlight the fever acid trip that John Martyn turned I'd Rather Be The Devil into and a very beautiful, intimate composition May You Never. A highly enjoyable listen!

I had no clue what to expect. I don't know who John Martyn or ever heard if any of these songs. Played the first song; my jaw was dropped and my brain tingled after the first few seconds. This is the definition of Karl music. The vibe that was carefully created here nails an americana-road-trip feel. I'm blown away.

de 10

Too folk for me

Really interesting

Good old school rock with some bluesy notes, love the sound of the acoustic guitar. Some songs have a rhythm that reminds me of bossa nova style Nice discover

Rate

Wow, what a great find. Never heard of him before. Love the blend of soulful, R&B acoustic guitar and spacey music. Downloading this one

What a cool record in all senses of the word. I’ve never heard of John Martyn before today but this album is getting added for he rotation. Halfway between David Crosby and Bill withers with some Tim Buckley mixed in (and sounds like he may have influenced Dave Matthews and Ray Lamontagne). These songs were sfull of soul and raw emotion, even when they got spacier and jammier but somehow remained smooth throughout. His guitar playing was similar and the fingerpicking was similar. Great last name.

awesomesauce. dogshit vocals... boring ass instrumentals.. aivan mahtava albumi. folkswagen .combination of folk, jazz, blues and space rock (kolme genreä mainittu peräjälkeen) olen ainoa vintiö joka tekee hyytelöä näillä tienoilla, kutsuvat minua hyytelöukoksi, ne kutsuvat. kynnet kopsahtelevat kitarastringeihin, tekevät rytmiä heh... insane technique... melkeen meni hermo siihen.. over the hill

A truly diverse work of art. His voice I can almost do without, until it pairs with this musical journey. An all time great in this genre, I mean, pop, folk, songwriter, does not describe this.

Didn't know what to expect here but absolutely loved this. The exact folky vibe that I love and the exact kind of pyschy/jazzy/funky guitar tones that I'm into on the more upbeat tracks, super cool definitely listening many more times

Woah this one surprised me. I'm not farmiliar with John Martyn but this sort of progressive folk style is right up my alley. So many beautiful subtle moments just on the first song alone. Masterful guitar playing backed by soft keys and sax. Feels like I'm walking down a dead city street on a cool grey fall morning. The second song (Over the Hill) I knew without realizing it! This guy really captures the spirit of British folk in the 70s on this song. A lot of the other songs throughout maintain this calm but eerie ambiance with the backing instruments, makes the whole album feel extremely cohesive. Don't Want to Know ends to early for me, this could extend into some like 10 minute jam at the end and itd be heavenly. The bass on I'd rather be the devil is just wild. So many interesting sounds on this album. This one also has elements of jazz mixed in throughout. I feel there's a huge influence of Miles Davis Bitches Brew felt on a few of these songs (Dreams by the Sea being a prime example). Genuinely can't believe I've never heard this, it' like Nick Drake meets Miles Davis. It's progressive folk at its absolute peak.

I cannot believe I hadn't heard of this guy before! This album was fantastic and EXACTLY what I was hoping to get out of this whole 1001 exercise. oof, what a stellar album travelling between genres and executing them all in a fun, unique and interesting way. Gosh this was super enjoyable. It's like Nick Drake except so much more psychedelic. Absolutely blown away, REALLY enjoyed all the acoustic songs, really interesting parts I cant wait to sink my teeth into trying to decipher. Absolutely amazing. Listening to more from this artist for sure.

This is the album that derailed the whole 1001 albums experience for me. It was so good that I've been listening to it on repeat. I don't normally listen to this kind of stuff or I've never really sought it out but whatever it is, works well for my brain! It's just incredibly smooth and vibey. The melody/voicing choice for the songs is amazing. Guitar and what sounds like the double Bass on Solid Air was really nicely done. I liked the shakers for the mild percussion too. The keys are beautiful and kind of ethereal seeming. Like the sound stars would make in an animated movie kinda. Standouts: Solid Air, Over The Hill, Don't Want to Know (the keys solo was dope!), I'd Rather Be The Devil (live version has really fun drums imo and I love the gravelly-ness he throws into his voice) The vibes are immaculate, and I want more! I have a hard describing this album in terms of where I'd hear it but I'm going to keep listening to figure it out.

This is the most psychedelic folk guitar I've ever heard. The playing on this album is fantastic. And the overall mood and sound of the album is unlike anything I've heard before. I think the blues sounds towards the end of the album are slightly weaker.

This guy likes jelly. Pretty smooth. Thought it was more recent.

Manifested

bon d'accord

A genuine life-changing experience for the 15 year-old me. The same night I listened to Jackson Browne (Running on empty) Brian Eno (Another green world), smoked dope, and drank rum & coke. John Martyn has been my guitar hero ever since and I saw him live, half a dozen times - he was always amazing and each performance was individually memorable. One of the saddest stories in rock.

It's like Nick Drake fucked Van Morrison in a jazzy, bluesy atmosphere, and it's amazing. Tonally inconsistent, but still able to retain a cohesive identity of a chilled nightime, looking out on a city vibe. A real treasure to discover. 16/04/23

I honestly can’t say I had any preconceptions about John Martyn, as it’s a name that has never come up on my radar before. I’m excited to listen, as it’s always interesting to hear a highly regarded artist that I’ve never heard of. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Solid Air, Over The Hill The opening track here truly blew me away. The acoustic guitar together with his soft voice was a recipe for blissful listening and I enjoyed it a lot. This high level of music was maintained throughout the album - I generally preferred the songs with no percussion, but there were no bad songs to be found here. Overall, this feels like an artist I’m going to have to remember going forward as I was really impressed.

Loved it

Incredible accoustic guitar-focused folk rock. May you never is an all-time-favorite

Oh fuck yes this is one of the best things ever made.

I came to the John Martyn party late. It was the turn of the millennium - my life changed and my friends changed. One new friend used to spend a lot of late nights with me drinking wine and listening to John Martyn, with a bit of Cassandra Wilson thrown in. Not my usual style, but I came to love this genre-defying lyrical genius. Each song is infused with love and compassion and profound emotion. That voice just sucks you in. On the day JM died I happened to be listening to a radio show where the DJ was a massive fan. He turned over the show, the whole three hours into a dedication to his work. He didn’t really play the songs (maybe one or two per hour). What he did was to let people ring in and share their experiences of what JM meant to them. It was a masterclass in radio. There was a lot of emotion, a lot of tears but joy as well. The synchronicity worked for me, as if I hadn’t had those late nights with wine and Solid Air it would have meant nothing. Every song resonates for me and marks a turning point in my life. Fan-bloody-tastic!

Best bluesy jazzy album I've heard so far. I love the atmosphere, the acoustics, the piano work, perfect. Great album for focus and relaxing. 9/10

John Martyn led a tumultuous life and suffered from substance abuse for a good part of it. That being said, he was an extraordinary and innovative acoustic guitarist. I saw John Martyn in person could not have been more impressed by his style, technique, and ability. On Solid Air, his improvisation and collaboration with other musicians, especially the great Danny Thompson, was magical. I remember hearing Martyn play his guitar through an Echoplex for the first time - he brought a progressive influence to acoustic folk. Martyn achieved commercial success (23 albums), and when he didn't play solo, opened for many great bands and artists at one time or another, including Eric Clapton, Traffic, and Yes.

Smooooooth

Love it