Reviews (page 2 of 9)
Tanguito y Moris juntos probando acido y en inglws
Tråkigt och intetsägande. Inget jag rekommenderar men inte heller riktigt dåligt.
Wow. This album is phenomenal and I will forever be playing it after being exposed to it for the first time because of this project. I was legitimately floored after listening.
I tried to be cool with it but when we got to May You Never my inner Belushi grabbed the guitar out of his hands and smashed it to bits on the fraternity's staircase.
Another solid outing by John Martyn. I think his later "One World" release spoiled me into thinking that everything he did would be as strange and compelling as that album, and this seems more conventional and at times noodly by comparison, but it's hard to fault him for that. My favorites were probably the opener "Solid air", the first half of his cover of "I'd rather be the devil" (and all of the bonus track live version), and "Dreams by the sea". I feel like John Martyn accomplished what Nick Drake wanted to, and it didn't seem to tear his soul apart either; such a welcome respite from the tortured-artist motif (although interesting to read that he actually knew Nick Drake well and even dedicated the very sad/melancholy "Solid air" to him).
I loved "Over the Hill", especially the mandolin, and "Don't Want to Know." The rest wasn't as consistently great but I still enjoyed the whole album.
after a day-long pause, i've hopped back onto the platform. today i've got john martyn's fourth studio album release, a jazzy soft rock album recorded in a little more than a week. a song or two from this album ended up being fan-favorites, and the title track "solid air" was dedicated to fellow musician nick drake, who was a very close friend of martyn's. compared to a lot of other albums, this one in particular has near-perfect ratings from a dozen music platforms, magazines and databases, at least on wikipedia. like seriously, people seem to REALLY like this entry. talk about jazzy. woof, this album is as smooth as butter. martyn's voice honestly gives me goosebumps in all the right ways, and sometimes when he slurs it's like he's skating across a pond. and speaking of this odd skating feeling, it's a similar sentiment when it comes to how i feel with a lot of the guitars and ESPECIALLY some of the arrangements with the acoustic bass. god that's good, the way that bass thumps and bounces up and down. sometimes it gets funky and sometimes it gets nice and mellow... i will say that this was a wonderful listen and i'd love to dive into more of martyn's discography someday very soon.
Okay, so some of the songs aren't too bad. There are songs that are a bit meh, but overall the whole album is okay to just leave playing in the background.
Ei
Either/or album. Some of the stuff is absolutely banging and some of the stuff touches on so many of my real red flags. The stuff I liked was incredible.
Not bad, but not extraordinary either. Sounds like pretty much every other guitar player singer/songwriter effort from the 70s. About the only truly exceptional thing on this album is Martyn's guitar performance skills. The cons are that Martyn's vocal performance is not very good, in the fact the whole album would be better if he just didn't sing at al, and honestly he does not innovate on this album. The song arrangements are fairly standard genre fare for the time. While SOLID AIR (the album, not the song) was more enjoyable than a CSN/CSNY, or Neil Young album, I don't I could be convinced that this is more essential than other more culturally relevant musical innovators from 70s like Jim Croce, Styx, Earth, Wind & Fire, Barry White, REO Speedwagon, or that 1 Giorgio Moroder produced Donna Summer album. I feel like this form of jazz and folk from the 60s and 70s is overrepresented on the list already. Just about any Sting album (particularly from the 80s and early 90s) is better than this. Having 2 Martyn albums on the list is just obvious British bias. Favorites : "Over the Hill", "Go Down Easy", "Dreams by the Sea"
Easy listening, much better than Simon and Garfunkel.
Yeah, have owned this album for years. Nice.
- Never heard of John Martyn. While this album felt tonally consistent, the number of styles this music evokes is somewhat surprising; some psychedelic, some folk, a hint of funk, some legitimate blues, and even a song or two that felt like jangly 90s alt rock. - "...Go Down Easy" is beautiful (particularly the vocals) and "May You Never" is timeless...could have been written yesterday. - Less interested in the psychedelic musings (which makes Martyn sound like discount Jim Morrison) and the blues songs (which are fine, but nothing revelatory).
Det här var ett mycket bra album. Jag gillade det mycket och det var väldigt harmoniskt. Jag ger det 8/10.
(Jag har nu skrivit hela recensionen och jag märker nu i efterhand att hans namn är John Martyn. Men jag orkar inte gå igenom allt, så ni får bara leva med det. Njut av mina åsikter av albumet, hoppas ni också gilla de!!) Jazz folk, otroligt mysigt album som känns perfekt för en sen sommarkväll som denna!! Fun fact (eller egentligen inte), första låten solid air, är en tillägnad till Nick Drake!!! John Marty var en nära vän till honom och låten handlar om att nå fram till en vän som är så djupt inne i deras depression. Det tog hårt på John Martyn att se sin vän försvinna djupare och djupare och denna låt är ett sista försök för honom att nå fram. Väldigt sorgligt faktiskt och låten i sig är otrolig!! John Marty använder sin röst som ett jazz instrument och mumlar vilket tillsammans med gitarr och kontrabasen skapar en riktigt fin låt. Over the Hill är rent en folk låt, vilket jag har uppfattat är John Martys grunder. Tycker om låten, men hade önskat att den var mer likt resten av albumet med sina influenser från jazzen. Don’t wanna know är en riktigt chill låt som är catchy med en nice mening. Att stänga ute allt skit och brus i världen. En av mina favoriter från albumet!!!! Id rather be the devil är en minst sagt intressant låt. John Martys sångröst är otrolig här och imponerande. Låten i sig är mycket experimentell och nästan (om man får säga de) psykedelisk. Tycker att låten kunde varit arninge kortare och den håller i liiiiite länge. Men annars en bra låt, men inget man lyssnar på utanför albumet. Go down easy är en super fin ballad. Återigen är John Martys röst en höjdpunkt och gör låten väldigt vacker!! Dream by the sea är till skillnad från Go down easy ett högre tempo som är funkig och väldigt underhållande att lyssna på. Det är jazzigt och nice. Trummorna är riktigt nice här och känns lite som att lyssna på jazz trummor!! Blåsinstrument solot är också en höjdpunkt här!! May you never är en av mina favoriter. Låten drar tillbaka alla andra instrument och har bara John Martys röst och hans gitarr. Gitarren är såååå otroligt fin och inspirerande. Definitivt en låt jag kommer att lära mig (måste först bara kolla hur svår den är, tror den är de…). Lite extra rekommenderar att lyssna på Eric Clapton cover på den här låten. Den tar med ett helt band och ändrar låten ganska mycket. Men fortfarande mysig men har lite mer fart!! MAN IN THE STATION ÄR MIN FAVOIRT LÅT HÄR. LEGIT EN AV MINA FAVORIT LÅTAR NÅGONSIN. Ord går inte att förklara den känsla jag får av att lyssna på den här låten. Den för mig tillbaka till början av sommaren 2024 och får mig att tänka på simplare tider. Det var pirrigt och livet kände vidöppet (det är fortfarande de) men allt var så speciellt då. Den här låten får mig att sakna Gröna Grönan… :( och hur enkelt livet var då. Låten i sig är svängig och soulig och jag ÄLSKAR John Martys röst här (jag vet vilken chock… tror jag bara älskar hans röst). The easy Blues är sista låten och, som namnet antyder är denna låt bluesig och, något som inte står i låttiteln, lite country influerat. Men trots detta gillar jag låten, men inte min absoluta favorit. Något lite skumt med denna låt att de är två låtar i en typ? Jag gillar väldigt mycket andra delen, känns som ett perfekt avslut på ett väldigt fint album. Hade önskat att låten var splittrad i två och att slutet blev expanderat. I helhet är detta album otroligt. Från första låten som är tillägnad till en av mina favoriter Nick Drake, till The man in the station som får varm sånna fina minnen. Albumet är perfekt för den här tiden på året. Det är mysigt, chill och känslosamt!! Jag är glad att jag blev tvingad att lyssna på hela albumet, då jag innan bara hade lyssnat på några få låtar. Men detta album katapulternas upp på min lista och något jag kommer definitivt komma tillbaka till. Tyvärr har albumet några små fel som gör att jag inte kan ge de en 10/10. Därför ger jag Grabbensomintekollarpåexplosioner detta album en stark 9.5/10. (Den får fortfarande 5/5 pga hur stark den där 9.5 är)
Easy listening, singer-songwriter album. Kinda sounded like a more up-tempo Nick Drake, which is a compliment. Nice melodies, good guitar playing, and his voice was quite soothing. Overall enjoyed this listen; it wasn't earth-shatteringly good or something you need to go listen to right away, but a pleasant record nonetheless. 4/5
Awful from the first agonizing note of the title track. He parents obviously didn't stress annunciation and never got him singing lessons. I knew within 60 seconds I wasn't going to finish this album. It was like listening to someone who struggles with speech attempt to sing. How in the freakin' world did this make the T1001? Imagine my SHOCK and AWE when I learned that he was an English singer. God, the UK slant on this list is deafening. Never heard of the guy so I looked him up... "John Martyn was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist, widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential figures to come out of the UK folk scene, even though his sound eventually stretched well beyond folk into jazz, blues, and ambient territory." I blocked him on my Spotify so it doesn't screw my algorithm. No hits, no legacy on this side of the pond, no joy in the music, horrid vocals and boring music. Wouldn't make my Top 2002 and should be removed from this experience. 2 stars.
Eh? I got bored as shit
I think I've heard enough 1970s British Folk for a lifetime.
Not a bad album but just not stirring. Sort of indistinct? I'd give it a 2.5 if that were an option but it doesn't rise to a 3 for me. It is almost interesting and has passages that are compelling but it feels like the sonic equivalent of watching a wave that never breaks only to recede. Disappointing in a vague way but it is conceptually hard to lobby complaints about the ocean overall.
Best leuk. Sommige liedjes erg mooi, sommige een beetje saai
Not for me
Для фолка это необычно и даже интересно
Musically quite nice, vocally very weak and mumbling. Evens out to a 3/5
pretty decent
There some interesting stuff going on in this album, a bit of jazz, a bit of funk, some blues, some folk. But Goddamn I hate those mumbling tracks!! The rest was pretty good, Go Down Easy was the standout. 3.5* rounded down to 3* for the mumbling.
this was fine, but more like background music for me
Not really my speed. The fella's voice grated a bit. Wasn't awful, I did really dislike the title track though. The rest was a relatively easy listen.
Relaxing & mellow. A nice combo of folk, jazz and soft rock. Acoustic Steely Dan type stuff. Enjoyable, feel good tunes.
1. air - 2 2. hill - 1 3. uuant - 2 4. rather - 1 5. eazy - 2 6. dreamz - 2 7. never - 1 8. man - 2 9. bluez - 2
Excellent album
Apparently “solid air” is what happens when absolutely nothing happens for 40 minutes. 1/5
Yawn
Dude I literally fucking love nick drake. I'm so excited for this. This is hype as hell. Big big fan. It goes so well then he just hits you with some bullshit. What is this funky beat. No we're so back it's soo comfy. Just funky little tunes. I like them. Easy listening. Just nothing particularly special. Idk just enjoyable tunes but nothing to write home about. Why is this song here again Favourite: Go Down Easy Least favourite: I'd Rather Be The Devil (Devil Got My Woman)
Definitely the good kind of mellow album. I really enjoyed the guitar in this one
This was interesting, it sounded very modern and I liked his voice. I read he was friends with Nick Drake whom I prefer, but it was good, I just don’t know that I would revisit.
No se que pienso. No es nada del otro mundo pero tiene momentos muy chulos, no está mal.
Kinda repetitive
Well performed if slightly unremarkable. Gentle and pleasant, which has its time and place
He was trying to hard to sound like an American blues/R&B singer.
Holy shit. Coming in blind to this. Solid Air auto-add to my rotation and straight into Don't Want to Know which is a solid 2nd tune. Who is this guy? Wiki talks about death of a friend 1973 right in my wheelhouse of best musical era short of earlier Jazz, earlier before Classical. Damn! Track 3 and 4 right outta some of the best funk would not be out of place with Hayes, Mayfield. Love me some sultry sexy saxophone. Breathy, like Ben Webster. Some folk, dirty blues. This album has a lot of everything, and all of it is done really well! Solid 4, several tunes in rotation, and would easily easily listen to this with a nice drink and smoke, some rain, some sun in the evening, on a porch step thinking about life.
So I see there really is no accounting for taste. I remember the first time I heard Solid Air. I think Spotify threw it in a mix because I was going down a Nick Drake rabbit hole. I immediately stopped and found THIS album. I put it on, and man, it’s become a favorite. Something about it. My husband isn’t really a fan. And I see from other reviews others feel similarly. But… yeah, I love this album. I think it’s beautiful cover to cover. I even enjoy Martyn’s vocal delivery, which honestly would probably put me off if attempted by most others. But for me, he makes it work. AND the sax. Love the sax. 5 Boolean: True
1973?? This feels decades ahead of its time, but I guess it's also sort of a timeless genre. There were moments where I felt like I was listening to Hozier. This is ridiculously varied and experimental for a 70s folk album. I really enjoyed it. Some of the risks didn't totally pay off for me. I like the slappy guitar and some of the effects on the guitar and vocals. Didn't love the title track actually. May You Never was my favorite.
"folk jazz"? sick. mumbly and chill and unique but not weird or wacky in the slightest. sourced somewhere between bon iver and evil zz top. on a repeat listen, i don't know that my immediate fascination translates to particular depth or staying power. but, i really really like it. love Solid Air and Don't Want To Know, but i've listened to The Man In The Station maybe two dozen times now. very strong 4
Rating: 5/10 Really wanted to like this more than I actually did. It might click for me more if I gave it more listens but I found it inconsistent track to track. The shifting vocal styles and songwriting felt hit or miss, despite what was really a unique interesting mix of jazz and blues instrumentation by who I think is a folk rock artist. The title track and I'd Rather Be the Devil didn't really work for me, The Man in the Station did. Well made, unique, not just typical music for 1973 so it was a solid effort
This was fun. Definitely felt like if Nick Drake got a little more experimental and blusey, but still felt very Nick Drake coded. Some songs almost felt like The Doors in a weird way. Overall, I enjoyed it!
I recognised this immediately as something my mam would always play, and may you never was her wedding song with my step dad. I messaged her and she said it’s one of her fav albums and I said it’s one of mine now too 💗.
Still annoyed about being fired, so here's a short one. This one whips, Martyn is a legend.
Incredible vocals and the production was really cool. Very entertaining.
it wasn't that bad, but not really my type of music.
An excellent well constructed album. Plenty of decent tunes more accessible than his previous works
Listened
Is it possible to create a sound so perfectly polished and appropriate for what you're trying to convey that it ends up ultimately kind of boring? This album seems to raise that question. Martyn has created such a skillful mix of jazz and blues with his folk roots that the result often comes out sort of . . . bland? That description feels unfairly harsh, but I can't come up with another more apt. It's almost like in choosing the parts of his different source genres that best blend together, he's had to deflate what often makes each most powerful. I like the title track, "I'd Rather Be the Devil" and "Dreams by the Sea," but I'm not convinced they or anything else will linger in my mind for much more than a day or two. I guess I'm saying that while this is a pleasant enough way to spend three-quarters of an hour, don't expect it to be any more than that.
# Album Name: Solid Air # Artist: John Martyn # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: Great album. Loved every song. Has traces of nick drake but love the style. # Top Tunes: Whole album # Would I listen to it again? yes
In places, he sounds a lot like his friend Nick Drake, but I feel like Martyn brings a wider range of influences. Sometimes they work pretty well, like the jazzy bass, other times not so much, like I could do without his attempts at the blues.
Truly xtraordinary
ganz gut, recht entspannt, nichts besonderes, kommt high glaube ich krass. 2.41 Sterne
(2/5) Izashamethathisguymumbleseverythinghesingscuzthabakinmuzicispreddygud. ENUNCIATE. PLEASE. Jesus Christ. Ol' Mumbles here sounds like he's got a mouthful of mud and it's dribbling down his chin while he's trying to sing. It's a crying shame, too, because the music isn't half bad. Could even be good. It's synthesis of folk and jazz is interesting and the musicianship is apparent. My jaw clinched when I saw "British", but immediately fell slack as I **laughed** my way through the first/title track, "Solid Air". I'm almost sure that was not Mumbles' intent, but it's what he gets from me. Additionally, as a blues aficionado, Mumbles' interpretation of "Devil Got My Woman" entirely missed the mark. That original piece is quiet, haunting, and mournful. His upbeat, jazz-rock style for that song is way too offsides and doesn't pay any respect to the original. Was this essential listening? Only if there's some compelling reason a man with mud in his mouth is something you appreciate. Me? Nope. And, wouldn't you know it -- Mumbles gets **TWO** ALBUMS ON THE LIST. Fuck off.
I really wish this dude had just kept his trap shut. The guitar work is solid, the arrangements well orchestrated, but the mumbled nasally delivery came across like an asthmatic Randy Newman and undercut the entire endeavor, dragging it down to a 2/5 that made me look forward to its intros, solos, and outros.
161. Solid Air - John Martyn (1973) 8.2.26 Variety: 2 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 2 = 2.4 rounded down to a 2 "When Gabriel blows his horn/ I'm going to rise from my grave/ For your sweet jelly roll" After a run of albums that I'm very familiar with we finally get one I know absolutely zilch about other than I think I've seen his name pop up in my reading a few times. Maybe in regards to this album? So this one is up in the air. THE TRACKS Side one "Solid Air" - Very tastefully put together, jazzy prog folk. Not my thing, but I've heard some similar stuff before. This was pleasant enough but I'm immediately not a fan of Martyn's vocals. The quality of it's fine enough, but he's got the delivery of a man who is several pints deep, and struggling to string together anything more than a run of vowels punctuated by the very occasional consonant. Not a big fan of the freer than it should have been mellow saxophone. "Over the Hill" - The folky acoustic guitar here is mush more my speed, and this reminded me a tiny bit of a reedier voiced, more energetic Nick Drake, with maybe a touch of the Faces from around the same time. Martyn semes much more focused here as well and he's not wandering in and out of consciousness while he sings. Loved the mandolin playing "Don't Want to Know" - There's an electric piano on this one that comes in and out and adds a bit of a dreamy feel to things, but otherwise seems like a pretty bog standard bit of jazz folk. Maybe if Steely Dan got really into Pentangle. "I'd Rather Be the Devil" - I think someone spiked the herbal tea with acid at a drum circle where Martyn dared ask "what if I took a Skip James song and reimagined it as a Billy Preston inspired blaxploitation soundtrack clavinet jam?" and then proceeded to misremember more than half the lyrics. Interesting stuff, but seemed to circle round and round a little musical cul de sac, without any sense of purpose. Side two "Go Down Easy" - this one did not. More Nick Drake vibes, and some cool playing but still not a big fan of Martyn's delivery. I wonder if it would sound any better if his mic wasn't up his nose. The reverb on the guitar was more than enough, I didn't need his mumbly warbling to be vibrating my skull. "Dreams by the Sea" - Ooh, funky. What if on the Truck Turner soundtrack, Isaac Hayes had opted for some English bloke to contribute a track? It might have sounded maybe a little like this. By far the best thing on here so far, even if he did milk that ending. "May You Never" - Was not expecting any James Taylor vibes on this thing, but here we are. A jumpy bit of acoustic , optimistic, singery songwritery stuff. This was ok for that sort of thing. Just not my bag. Richard Thompson could do this sort of thing with a much harder edge, and had a better delivery in my opinion. "The Man in the Station" - More jazz feels, and the electric piano returns for more barely awake vocals and some fine, but very boring playing. "The Easy Blues" - Oof. I've heard a lot of embarrassing, overplayed white dude blues in my time. This is up there with some of the worst latter day Eric Clapton has to offer. To top it off this is as unsexy a song about sex that I've had the displeasure to have heard. Eww, sir, I do not need to hear you singing about such things. Leave that to people who know what they are doing, like Bessie Smith. HIGHLIGHTS - "Over the Hill" - "Dreams by the Sea" MIDLIGHTS - "Solid Air" - "Don't Want to Know" - "Go Down Easy" - "May You Never" LOWLIGHTS - "I'd Rather Be the Devil" - "Go Down Easy" - "The Man in the Station" - "The Easy Blues" FINAL THOUGHTS Much like Martyn couldn't be bothered to give more than a 30% effort into pronouncing most of the words on this, I could barely be bothered to write more than a sentence or two about each one of these tracks. Overall it left me with a feeling of "meh" that is amongst the worst kind of these listening experiences. I'd almost rather have a true piece of offensive garbage that incenses me enough to want to fill up long paragraphs detailing the ways in which I was aggrieved, rather than something that elicits the textual equivalent of a shrug. Aggressively mediocre stuff, and so forgetful that I'm glad I write these in real time as I'm listening, otherwise I'd be at a loss to remember any relevant details. Even the two standout tracks are not anything I'd want to revisit by choice. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - You can keep all of this FURTHER LISTENING - Basket of Light by Pentangle - Bryter Layter by Nick Drake - Pour Down Like Silver by Richard and Linda Thompson - Rickie Lee Jones by Rickie Lee Jones - Gaucho by Steely Dan
It took a while but eventually this album surprised me despite Martyn’s marble-mouthed delivery. It was a survey of guitar playing and different styles. A little bit of blues here, a bit of acoustic jazz there, and what the hell a couple of bluegrass licks for the hell of it. The music was meticulously arranged and finely paced. It’s just I could’ve done without this dude’s vocals. It rode the line between distracting and irritating. This is another new listen for me and another artist I’ve never heard of before this project.
I think it’s a good album but when it’s getting good there’s just a few bits that let it down. The Easy Blues being an example of this for me. Over The Hill is quite a beautiful song with the country/folksy singing and playing I really enjoy. It’s the lack of consistency for me that stops making it a four star album - 3.5 would be where I’d land, because I think the songwriting here is great, but some of the execution just doesn’t quite land in pockets of some of the songs.
I have love for the British folk-jazz thing, but it's really difficult to pull it off tastefully. I was happy to listen to this album, which I had never heard before, but I think Martyn's music works more successfully when it leans closer to roots blues than the prog-fusion thing he's got going on in most of the time. He seems like a pretty inventive guitarist, though, so it at least makes me want to check out his earlier work.
559/1089 - I liked this waaay more than One World. His vocals are more slurry here and less "cookie-monster-y," and that delivery works with the jazz/folk fusion. Excellent instrumentation in both albums.
Very interesting, will definitely #relisten.
Wow. I never knew about him
Was considering 4 or 5, think I have to go with 5. Such a lovely listen. Knew songs 2-3 immediately from Duncan. Hadn’t heard of John martyn before
Good voice, good vibe
Super chilled. Definitely my kind of thing. Wonderfully relaxing music. Easy 4
another one never heard of very slurry big proto trip hop energy 💥solid air 💥don't want to know
Bossa Nova esque, liked it
More evidence this was the most creative & emotional period in music. Unfortunately also evidence for the relationship between creativity & being troubled (I also love Nick Drake). Beautiful touching folk.
Lovely singer-songwriter album with jazz, funk, psych & other influences in it. Some truly gorgeous songs in here (particularly Over The Hill)
Gorgeous, new favourite. So relaxing and meaningful, enough energy between the more sentimental songs, thanks for the intro to John Martyn!
Pretty uninspiring.
This is almost super generic, yet it has this weird edge that makes it just about the next tier below generic. On the surface this is just a super standard folk album of its time, but when you really listen there's something a bit more to it, which unfortunately makes it just a little bit worse. At least the slight added quirkiness made stopped this from being a completely boring experience, which is something. But I still found very little here that held my interest, in a good way or a bad way.
Not more folk, generator, haven’t I had enough lately?? Thankfully, this is more interesting that most, with elements of jazz and avant-garde sort of stuff. I didn’t mind his voice (much better than a lot recent folksters that I’ve heard) and the arrangements were worth a listen. Not something I’d be likely to go back to, but worth hearing once at least.
I’ve never heard a fusion of folk & jazz quite like this, and I have to say I enjoy it quite a bit. It’s intricate & delicate in points, but then has the potential to burst into a wall of ambient sound. The album also feels full of many emotions without ever sounding confused, which is a testament to how it’s written & produced. It’s definitely an album you have to focus on though, which can make it feel like hard work to listen to, but there’s no denying it’s quality. For me it’s a strong 7/10, soft 8/10.
70s folk rock. " Folk, jazz, blues and space rock, wrapped around riveting, unforgettable melodies.""
Really enjoyed this - like a jazzier Nick Drake; great intro to an artist I haven't heard much!
Sounds like he was making it up as he went. I think the mood was supposed to be melancholy but it really didn’t evoke any emotion other than annoyed.
Dulcet tones.
I have had this on CD for years. Not quite sure what made me purchase but have listened to it countless times over the years and love it.
Solid Air I may go a few years without listening to this, but I always come back to it. It's definitely one of my favourite albums and has a big Proustian-University element to it. I’m not sure how I first heard of it, I had it on CD at Durham so predates Human Remains, I wonder if it was the Nick Drake connection? Initially I loved the folkier songs like Over the Hill and May You Never, and the bluesier tracks like The Easy Blues, but the more I listened the more I started to love the odder, jazzier corners and moments. I don’t necessarily want to go track by track, I love each song, but there are so many great elements; the bass and vibraphone and mumbled, delicate vocals on Solid Air, the jazz-folk of Don’t Want to Know, the effects laden jazz-blues of I’d rather be the Devil, the beauty and Nick Drake-ness of Go Down Easy, the bluesiness of The Man in the Station, the Indian sounding drone on The Easy Blues, its all excellent. It doesn’t really sound like anything else, which I think left a big impression on me when I was 19, and it still has a singular beauty and slight creepiness that I love. 5. 🪨🌬️🪨🌬️🪨 Playlist submission: Could be every song, but I’ll go Solid Air
A spine of some of Martyn's best tracks run through it - tribute to Nick Drake 'Solid Air'; the masterpiece 'Dont Want to Know'; and the perfectly constructed, fingerpicked 'May You Never'. In addition, 'The Man in the Station' is excellent, dripping with ethereal melancholy. Overall, it's a beautifully concise album of melancholically melodic tracks, with double bass, clarinet and tasteful delay effects. The vocal jazz tics from 'One World are kept under wraps - this is folk, jazz, blues fusion borne of a late night 70s smoking club.
is this just one long song?
An enjoyable easy-listening album.
Not bD
So bland it actually started to annoy me.
Really enjoyable, chill but still engaging
Second track “over the hill” tells of Martyn’s drunken walks home from the pub in Hastings a town he lived in and one I’ve called my home for 20 years. There’s a terrible mural of Martyn in town which really isn’t a tribute to this album. His voice has far more depth than you imagine and he adds interesting musical ideas that stray into the world of jazz often. A slightly less intense Tim Buckley or a more chaotic Van Morrison
3.5★/5 07.18.2026
ok getting back...
Meh
this was fun
Absolutely classic! Years ahead of it's time.
Some of the folkier tracks are undeniably brilliant, but I’ve also started to come around more on the experimental jazzier dub tracks. Fascinating artist.
Solid Air 3 Over the Hill 3.2 Don't Want to Know 3.3 I'd Rather Be the Devil 3 Go Down Easy 3.1 Dreams by the Sea 3.4 May You Never 3.2 The Man in the Station 3.3 The Easy Blues 3 Score: 3.166666667
You wouldn't believe this album is from 1973. First time listening to Martyn, what an artist he was. Had to take the time to write these words while I'm supposed to be working. Buy this one in vinyl!
enunciate 2.5
This is some solid folk, quite experimental as well with elements of jazz and some avant garde touches. I like how atmospheric it is. It's missing that special something for me that would push this into excellent territory, it might be the that John has a pretty inexpressive voice. Still though, I like how musically adventurous and atmospheric it is though.
Eclectic and enjoyable listen
não ouvi todo mas achei ok
A solid album to have on in the background when very high.
This is a tough album for me to rate, some songs were a 5 (Over The Hill), and in some the singing made me feel like I was having a stroke (Solid Air). It's like in some songs he just decided he didn't feel like properly saying words anymore. Style was all over the place which would be cool if each style was executed well, but they weren't. Holistically, I have to go with a 3.
It’s been a few weeks since I was instantly captivated by a new album. This is stunning.
This is a rather unique record that went places that I was not expecting a folk record of this time to go. The album doesn't start strong and I thought I was going to have a tough time when John Martyn's mumbled singing kicked in on the title track. While his voice never becomes one that I can fully get behind, the instrumentation here is so unique and interesting that I can ignore my issues with his singing. Martyn experiments with blues and jazz in a way that gives this album tons of atmosphere and texture. His take on the delta blues standard "I'd Rather Be The Devil" starts off as busy and eventually quiets down. The song has a fuzzy electric guitar part bubbling underneath the surface and gives the rendition a spacey feel once the song gets stripped back. "May You Never" and "Go Down Easy" are more straightforward folk ballads, but they are still solid (if you would forgive the pun!). This is a great record that feels ahead of its time. You just need to be able to get used to that voice.
Ei tämä niin kauheaa ollut kuin aluksi pelkäsin. Ihan mukiinmenevää taustamuzaa ruoanlaitolle oli.
Erikoinen levy, välistä vähän jotain folkkia, mies ja kitara -hommia, sit joku ihme hillobiisi?? Taustalla meni oikein mukavasti kuunnellessa, ei myös kolahtanu mikään kovin ihmeellisesti. Keskivertoa taas pukkaa, tylsää arviointia.
Haven't liked much both the lyrics and the singer
6/10
This record brings together quite a bit of talent from the British folk scene to create a record that combines folk music and the blues with a significant amount of jazz, bringing in quite a bit of improvisation. There's a lot of talent here, but I generally would rather listen to Pentangle or Fairport than this. Still its a solid album and it might be something I develop more interest in in the future.
Solid air is the standout lyrical track as it conceptually captures Nick Drakes state of mine and difference among us. Clever, but Martyn never progresses. Musically, the most interesting track is "Id Rather Be the Devil", but I think it and all the tracks are held back by Martyns seemingly performative vocalizations. The jazz infusion gets an affectation that, for reasons I cant quite figure out, turn me off. The album catches a groovy dude...yes I said that....in a troubled time. And its interesting, but interesting isnt insightful and ive apparently read too much Bloom to enjoy anything but the sublime at this point. The album never crosses over from "unforgettable".
very very very good
I’ve heard some of these before! I like the vibe.
calm luh album
just not my vibe
alright
I have not heard this before. There is an interesting mix of folk and early seventies funk alternating in these songs which was unexpected. The folk songs are very reminiscent of Nick Drake, who apparently the title track was dedicated to. It’s funny because that’s the only weak track on the album, which is otherwise pretty great.
For an artist I’ve never heard of I was very pleasantly surprised.
I really enjoyed this. Atmospheric, vibey, jazzy folk music. The songs were strong, and interesting, and slightly psychedelic at times..... a nice variety of styles here. A very pleasant surprise. FOUR STARS
Det her va fornøyelig og ganske rart og på ingen måte det æ forventa da æ så omslaget, men æ likte det så godt at æ tror æ kan finne på å høre på det en gang til, minst. Veldig fornøyd!
really listenable
Never heard of this guy or this album before, but I found the album pretty calming and pleasant. Nothing particularly exciting, but the vocals were solid.
As one who likes to judge books by their covers... this cover made me think "I'm going to hate this." After the mumble-fest title track, I was ready to give this 1* and just accept the fact I was going to be in pain for the next 30 minutes. "Over the Hill" though, surprised me. It was a simple, well constructed folk song, and I was thinking the album was turning a corner. The thing is, whenever Martyn tries to go jazzy... he breaks out this weird vocal delivery that is plain terrible. Most of the rest of the album fell into this pit for me. The one notable exception is when he broke out the 70's funk on "Dreams By the Sea". That track was exceptional. Two tracks I liked, 7 tracks I really couldn't get into. It wasn't unlistenable, so I give it 2 stars.
Oké ik zag dat deze plaat uit ‘70 komt, dus ik dacht daar gaan we weer… weer een WMvMLplaat. Dat is deze plaat toch een welkome verrassing. Het is een heerlijk mellow smooth jazzy plaatje. Zijn stem tja… het doet mij te veel denken aan Jeroen van Koningsbrugge als hij aan het improviseren is en dan moet doen alsof hij de tekst kent. Ik merk dat ik dat dan wel weer irritant vind. Er zit wel veel feel verschil in de nummers, wat ik overigens niet irritant vind. De bass 70 disco sound die hierin zit, althans dat denk ik, vind ik magistraal.
Dit kende ik nog niet en wel een van de betere ontdekkingen van deze 1001. Openingstrack solid ait voor zijn ongrijpbare vriend Nick Drake is een mooie opener. De zelfmoord van nick Drake een paar maanden later geeft dit nummer ook weer een andere lading wat ook wel jammer is omdat het niet zo bedoeld is. Het is erg atmosferisch en de nummers gaan soms een beetje zweven zonder dat het het al te vage composieties worden. De jazz notes tussendoor werkt prikkelend. Het is moeilijk te omschrijven, soort folk alleen dan kliknt het als jazz met soul. Plaat staat op de verlanglijst.
John Martyn zet een mooie sfeer neer, ben erg gecharmeerd van de gitaarsound, lekker veel akoestisch wat vaak smaakvol wordt omlijst door mooie elektrische gitaren maar ook prachtige Rhodes, wat het erg dromerig maakt. Ik moest er even inkomen maar ben toch wel fan.
I haven't been this confused since Cocteau Twins (but at least there we had top-notch ambience to fall back on). Look, I'm probably the last person that should be critical of someone else's mumbling, but I'm also not a singer asking others to listen to and, presumably, pay for my work. The music, itself, is passable. I'm just not sure I can separate the instrumentation from the vocals - or should even have to try. The whole product is what the whole product is. If this had been purely instrumental (or vocally performed by someone competent), I'd have probably landed around a 3, but John Martyn's wounded moan and lack of enunciation butcher the experience. This escapes failure - but just barely... and mostly because I'm simply tired of handing out 1s.
I had no idea what this man was singing about. Was this English?
Nice voice. Just wasn’t my vibe.
3.3 1x want to listen again
Nice.
Alright
I like the Nick Drake-y-ness and how the opening/title track is dedicated to Nick Drake
Ehhh is pretty alright. The other John Martyn album on this list was okay but nothing to write home about either, so I think my experience with Martyn can be summarized with: ehh.
The only profound thought I had about this album is that he sounds like a discount doors cover band singer at times. The rest left so little impression on me, it's almost impressive.
It's like the blandest attempt at funk, or interesting folk, or jazz rock.
4 - great album
Ahh, this is an old favourite. Sublime. Top class musicianship and production with some lovely wee touches. Hard to believe this was recorded over only eight days
Solid record
It's alright
80
Took a couple listens, but this grew on me, especially in context of Nick Drake and Tim Buckley and thinking of them all kind of speaking to one another.
John Martyn had somehow made his way into my spotify rotation - I have no idea how but I'm pleased he did. This album is a really good listen - no problems enjoying any of the tracks and a few a properly good.
Fair play
atmospheric folk rock Favorite track: Solid Air other picks: may you never, I'd rather be the devil
white guy blues, ehh
This mostly just feels like a Nick Drake wannabe who’s missing the precision of Tom Waits. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere is solid, that smoky, late-night mix of folk, jazz, and blues is sometimes my thing. The instrumentation is great, especially the guitar, the double bass, and the sax, which create a really cool, hypnotic vibe. The title track, in particular, is perfect for a late night listen. But man, the moment he starts singing, the whole thing falls apart for me. Instead of someone haunting like Drake or a storyteller like Waits, it just sounds like he’s slurring and mumbling through the whole record. Half the time I couldn't even tell what he was saying, and it just drags down some otherwise really pretty arrangements.
Sort of a winey voice ruins it for me.
There were a couple that were decent vibes. A bit of a fan of Solid Air and Over the Hill had a couple decent portions. But overall? Meh
Not really my type of music, cool though
I really enjoyed this album. it has a really nice slow vibe.
This guys singing is so irritating learn to say words properly you sound like you have sand in your mouth
It's folk, but folk with a little more pep than typical folk. It ramped up at times, and has an out of place closing track. Favorite Track: "Don't Want To Know".
Great lawnmowin' music. Not a bad song on here. Flows very well from start to finish. Not really a big folk guy but this goes a bit beyond that, there's just something so genuine and unique here.
#972. I know I've whined about this so much already that you're surely tired of hearing it, but this list is very much not the 1001 best albums out there, it's just one random boomer's dream record collection. He probably should have ran it by someone before he published the book. Just like if you let my Millenial friend Chuck make a list of 1001 albums, there'd probably be at least 164 2000s butt rock albums on there- but Breaking Benjamin, Staind, Hoobastank, Nickleback, and 3 Days Grace have no place on a list like this any more that John Martyn, Brian Eno, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, or Morrissey do. So, so, so much uninteresting nonsense here. 2/5: boring boomer rock
It's 3.5
Oh, i loved this? How have I not heard of them before? I see he did Glory Box?
Good enough, solid, even. Ticks all the boxes and sounds very of it's time. There was quite a lot of this Prog-inspired Folk music going around at the time. I don't think it did anything bad, the album just didn't do all that much for me.
I like this more than the other John Martyn album on the list, although I still am not sold on his singing style. I really liked "I'd Rather Be the Devil". I think this creeps into a four for me.
Fine but forgettable
Great, but thought I'd like it more than I did - some of the funkier tracks don't really work (Dreams by the Sea sounds like the Theme from Shaft...), but it does have a nice vibe to it throughout. The final live track is fantastic
Wow this was cool. Sick guitar lovely jazzy feel and saxophone - horrible mixing in some party and vocals aren't great.
Best Track - "May You Never"
Mostly good I found, a little too much noddling. John Martyn does sound a lot like Josh Home on this which is agreeable 4*
I think that I wanted to like this more but just could not get into it. Obviously good musicianship, but it never caught me.
Very interesting, too interesting for a 3, but not captivating enough for a 5
One or two good songs, but descends into parody by the end. Reminds me of some of my least favorite bits of Donovan -- trying too hard to sound like a soul musician.
I've never heard of Martyn, and I liked this album. For an album released in 1973, this sounds really contemporary. Nice!
2,5
Somewhere between a folk album and the soundtrack to a very mellow maritime drug experience. There was wandering. There was mumbling. There was also enough atmosphere to make me consider buying bell bottoms and staring at the Pacific for an afternoon.
I was a little high for the first time in like four years listening to this, which might be the most ideal way to listen to this album? It’s so moody, so ethereal and atmospheric. I came back to it later in the day to listen to it like a normal person, and fully expected to like it less. I think non-high me DOES see a bit more of its flaws, but I also see it’s pretty damn good. I don’t love every song, but I’d say there’s 3-4 songs on here that are just achingly beautiful.
Engaging at times but overall forgettable
Seeing I was about to embark on a folk.album i rolled my eyes and thought "here we go again" as I poised myself ready for the 1 star button. Needless to say, it didn't go as planned.
Have always enjoyed this album, especially Over the Hill. Just a beautiful song. Martyn has got a pretty expansive discography, something for everybody kinda thing, but I think Solid Air is his best.
Easy listening but nothing special
Kinda interesting at times.
boring
Experimental, interesting and challenging to rate, this album has highs and lows for me. Plenty to like (enjoyed Over the Hill, Don’t Want to Know, Dreams By The Sea, May You Never, elements of the varied The Easy Blues, ) but the vocals can be grating, as can the extended musical interludes. I think also his contemporary and friend Nick Drake made much better use of the bass and instrumental aspects. Rounded out at a 3 but had to listen twice to get there as I did toy with a 4, just never quite got there.
There are times when John sounds like a weird drunk lunatic. I think it's how he ties his words together to create a smooth fluidity. Which can undulate with the rhythm. Legato, I think, would be the technical term possibly? It works as much as it doesn't and that ultimately is praise as the technical skills on offer here are exceptional, so when they collide it's pretty epic. A bit like Led Zep who creates a haunting sound with guitar and voice, I think John does the same as he taps, buzzes and twangs. Don't think I have heard a classic guitar played with such depth, and the isolation on the production allows the talent to showcase literally any way John desires to create an effect. The sound of the string being struck, the tap or echo is all there to absorb in brilliant isolation. I clearly love this and enjoy the "exhibit" but like many albums could he not have rationalised it a little and songs like "Go Down Easy" are just terrible in comparison. I guess its praise that a reasonable song annoys me amongst a masterclass. This is as much different as it is special and not without its flaws.
One of my favourite albums. I'm a sucker for a good guitarist and Jon Martyn was a very good guitarist. I'm also very much into this folk-rock blend from the seventies. I remember initially finding the vocals a bit over-dramatic but on repeat listens soon realised this vocal swooping is a feature and not a bug. Actually, instead of singing over the top of music his vocal performance is completely integrated. This album has perfectly balanced production for my tastes, just enough added depth to each track whilst keeping the focus on Martyn's performance. There is also a great mix of more experimental tracks with some killer standalone nuggets sprinkled through. Very happy to relisten to this old favourite.
If its older, there is a good chance it is British folk. If its newer, there is a good chance its British electronica. Either way, its a good chance its crap. 1
J’ai trouvé ça plutôt répétitif
John Martyn’s Solid Air is a masterclass in atmospheric fusion, anchored by a title track where the interplay of "beautiful" upright bass and fluid piano creates an immersive, "ultimate" sonic experience that complements Martyn’s distinctive vocals perfectly. While the album occasionally wanders into polarizing territory—notably the "weird" and seemingly redundant inclusions of "I’d Rather Be the Devil," which feels like a jarring experiment—it consistently finds its stride in the lush, folksy textures of "Don’t Want to Know" and the deep, resonant grooves of "Go Down Easy." Martyn’s vocal delivery is a focal point of the record, ranging from the hypnotic, sleep-talking intimacy of "The Man in the Station" to the vibey, jazzy smoothness of "Dreams by the Sea," though the latter’s musical "vibe" is so strong it almost warrants an instrumental-only cut. Even when the record plays it safe with "decent" folk-rock like "Over the Hill" or the "okay" but standard "May You Never," the sophisticated arrangements and subtle percussion ensure a high floor. The album closes on a somewhat disjointed note with "The Easy Blues," which stands out as arguably the most unique and blues-heavy track on the disc, yet its placement feels slightly out of step with the ethereal folk-jazz established elsewhere. Despite these minor pacing hiccups and a few experimental misfires, the record remains a compelling, highly textured journey through 1970s British folk.
Honestly there are some interesting songs in here, particularly the first one. But nothing really stood out. It was all very mellow however and a pleasant listen.
mi colega no sabe hablar
I bet John got a lot of sex in the 70s, but never once brought his partner to orgasm.
Had an interesting variety that made for a pleasant listening experience. But, not much else. 3/5
Pretty cool discovery. Some of the mumble singing was a little too cartoonish for me though
Decent.
aah british folk. er singt uuhuere amerikanischs englisch. find d text irgendwie uuuhuere nervig. hm. hä. de schluss vo i'd rather be the devil (jo obvio traumjob) isch mega weird. okeee s wird besser, ich hanen am afang glaub afoch nöd vertreit. may you never isch guuet.
d yonca hetmer mal the man in the station gschickt und das isch megaa schön omg eifach en friend vom nick drake!! solid air isch komisch aber find d atmosphäre reecht cool au nach paar songs find ichs e megaa spannendi atmosphäre und au wenn wenig hangebliebt, isches huuere cool, wie die lieder innenandflüsset ok jz ghöri au de blues ihfluss, wowiiie iwie findi es tönt eürkli au chli wie de nick drake, abgaeh vode stimm, aber vlt ischs au chli placebo es album woni sicher wiedermal wird lose!
insane, chill, magical and mystical needs some revisits but this MIGHT be perfect edit: it's perfect
Even thought not all of it works for me, I have to say this was impressively diverse.
This is Fairly unique although annoying in parts but I could see myself not being displeased with this on in the background. Vocals are weird and I'm not sure I would like it live but works as a recording for the most part
OK, though it might not fit my mood at the moment so I can't really enjoy how slow it is.
5/10 Bastante aburrido, no es malo del todo pero no tiene nada que me llame la atención
Banger, good guitar, clean mix, great country style. Basic, but it isn't bad. One of those songs that you can actually listen on a daily basis, not gonna fit all situations, but when it hits, it hits good.
13/05/2026 I always appreciate new music and this was new to me. Standing solid in the middle of the road. Didn't hate it, but nothing stood out. Spotify listeners: 658.5k
Obviously a stone cold classic! Must've listened to this about 5 billion times in my life, so chilled, lyrically amazing, full of memories and nostalgia for me, and one of the best openings to an album of all time.
No private session used for Spotify and no idea what I was getting into. Started out with a sad face, but then I started getting into all the different instruments being used and the impressive guitar work. We got some blues, jazz, folk and some rock. The problem with albums so diverse is that I never know when to put it on, like am I drinking my first cup of coffee then "Solid Air", "Go Down Easy" and "Over the Hill" work.
I remember that the last John Martyn album we had (One World) took me a couple listens to get into, so was prepared for the same here. But instead totally sold on it from the start. The jazz, country and blues touches to the folk, the strong songwriting. A beautiful accompaniment, and tribute, to Nick Drake.
Great album! I always find this such a relaxing listen. Incredibly talented guitar playing, and the jazz elements (especially the bass) are fantastic too. One of the best albums to come out of the 60/70s British folk scene.
Monday poured something unfamiliar and exquisite into my ears. I read that John Martyn shifted his accent - heavy or light Glaswegian, Estuary English - according to company, and there’s an element of that genre slipperiness here, jazz, folk, funk, a whiff of New Age, a dash of avant garde, but the whole is consistent, distinctive, and gave me the sensation of being swallowed by a sort of ecstatic melancholy, listening on my back in the darkness to it as I tried to get the eldest to sleep. Nodding off myself, the spontaneous thought that I was being seduced into the afterlife blinked up. A new favourite. Also, Hail Danny Thompson!
The title track is a ghostly enchantment, supplemented by several lovely folky meanderings that ride on Danny Thompson's delightful bass. Very cool.
I thought that I had already gotten two John Martyn albums from this book. Guess not. As I felt when listening to One World, I remain a bit confused as to what Martyn's music is doing that creates a need for this album to be in the book. He was friends with Nick Drake, so perhaps that explains it. Nick Drake is the Sean McVay of music and whoever is affiliated with him is deemed to be a great musician as well. Solid Air is less jazzy and more folk than One World was. So back to my original observation...what separates this music out from all the other 70's folk artists? I would argue there is not much. My favorite tracks: Over the Hill Don't Want to Know May You Never The Man in the Station
I think this is a supremely cool record. Nice and diverse. Martyn's guitar work is excellent, and I don't have any problems with him vocally; he gives me Mark Knopfler and JJ Cale vibes at times, albeit a bit more expressive. "Dealer", the title track, "Big Muff", and "Small Hours" are my favorites at the moment, but I dig everything well enough. This could rise for me in the future. 4/5
A lot of aimless singing and strumming which I don't really care for, but this had some interesting jazzy elements that changed things up and didn't really overstay its welcome
Could well be one which grows on me. I felt I didn't fully appreciate its depth and charm in one listen which is usually a good sign. 'Over The Hill' stood out
odličan album potpuno zanemaren
Dreary
7.5/10
Blah. 2.5
Mysigt sound, singer songwriter blandat med blues och jazz. Behagligt men inte speciellt medryckande eller engagerande. 3:a
Not really for me. Too depressing.
Really didn't like this. Way too boring jazz/blues LAMEO
I liked it just fine when I was listening to it... but it's not really something that's in my wheelhouse enough to revisit or to dig any deeper than a single listen. It's "fine".
js incase i fall asleep b4 this is finished. i will keep listnin from where i left off, so ive heard the whole album. but ill tell u what i tjink so far - very nice. nice voice, nicr music.
Not my favorite style of music, but well done.
Too yacht-rocky, I'm really not a fan of his singing style Best Song: May You Never Rating: 4/10 Stars: 2
01) Solid Air - 7,5 02) Over the Hill - 8,0 03) Don't Want to Know - 8,0 04) I'd Rather Be the Devil - 7,0 05) Go Down Easy - 6,5 06) Dreams by the Sea - 6,5 07) May You Never - 7,5 08) The Man in the Station - 6,5 09) The Easy Blues - 6,5 TOTAL: 7,11 (71/100) Current ranking: 473/897
It’s…really quiet and subdued. Maybe just the recording I was listening to but I had a hard time parsing things out at times. It’s pleasant but I’d rather listen to something like Nick Drake.
some songs were really nice but overall it was ok
I like the couple songs that are blues-y but the rest was a little strange to me.
This reminded me of the Nick Drake album on this list previously. Although I liked this one more I think. Jazzy, bluesy and folksy
I had never heard of John Martyn before this. I dug this album. It is definitely going into the rotation.
Enjoyed this one..will play again.
Abstract, dark, concise folk with a blues twinge.
I really like this, music to sit in the sun to and gently nod off. Lovely.
A very smooth album in the Nick Drake albumatic universe, I enjoyed it
The guitar playing was kinda good but everything else is a bit on the lamer side
It's certainly a more chilled album with interesting parts. I found Dreams by the Sea to be the highlight of the album which had nice jazz elements, the rest was just too folky for my taste. This is definitely someones cup of tea, but it ain't mine.
4/5
I like how chill this album is but I must admit sometimes it can be too spacy, with it creating an atmosphere that isn't that interesting and drags on. I would say the positive out weighs the negative; Songs like Over the Hill and Dreams by the sea really grasping my attention and positively reflect what I think Martyn was trying to accomplish with this album. I have never heard folk music like this before so this new landscape has been fun to wrap my head around. Fav tracks: Over the hill, I'd rather be the devil, dreams by the sea, and The man in the station
It had a blues/folk sound, but also some funk/disco elements thrown in. I didn't like it.
It’s good, not my genre but I appreciate it. Favorite songs: I’d rather be the devil, dreams by the sea.
Best Song: The Man In The Station. I really liked that mumbling, downhill-rolling style of delivery he used in this song. Worst Song: I'd Rather Be The Devil (Devil Got My Woman). It's a pretty mediocre jazz track. Overall: Fairly forgettable singer-songwriter fare. I didn't hate it, didn't love it, won't remember it tomorrow.
7/10
En artist jag aldrig hört talas om tidigare. Inte riktigt min musik; fint men också lite tråkigt. Sista låten I'd rather be the devil är dock fantastisk. Om hela albumet hade varit låtar av det slaget hade det varit en solklar 5:a. Nu blir någonstans mellan en 2:a och 3:a. Lite för stillsamt för min smak.
This was fine, but forgettable.
For a rock album, this featured a lot of jazzy, folky sound. Pretty enjoyable and calming. Listened twice.
2/5
This is actually pretty cool. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into with this one. Ive never heard of this guy before but after the first few songs I couldnt place when it came out. It felt like anywhere between today and when recording tech was at an acceptable point. I had to look it up and see that this was the early 70s. Kinda crazy. The first thing that jumped out to me ,cause im me after all, was the standup bass. That sound is up there as one of my favorite. Its just so smooth and creamy. And when you have a good player like on this it just takes over. Another thing I was into wad the synths or keys. They should have been my clue as to when this came out but I missed it. They also are very good. I know.less about them but I know whne they sound good. Anf then the singing itself was also good. Im even less knowledgeable about that but it works and it might even say some stuff. Not a lyrics guy but he knows how to put together a song. Solid air the title track is a great start. Then i was also into dont want to know. And i had a few others later down the line I also saved for later. Its just a really good record that has this timeless quality to it. I was reading afterword that his jazzy influence kinda dies out later but im down to listen to anything early on in this guy's career. And this is a great jumping off point
Sadly had never heard of this. Intrigued immediately by similarities to Nick Drake. Blown away by the combination of folk and jazz. My favorite discovery of this project so far! Will be putting this into rotation!
solidno i lijepo, no malo što se kvalitete tiče vrludavo. neki momenti baš dobri, neki znatno slabiji, neki čisto okej. sve u svemu jedna jako lijepa trojka
Remarkably unremarkable
A sort of laidback meandering guitar and vocals kind of album. Not really my thing.
3.5
I liked Over the Hill, but the rest was pretty kid folk
folky vibes
I really enjoyed the singer songwriter-ness of this very pleasant album. Except for the last two songs. They took me out of it a lot.
Never heard of him before but enjoyed listening to this album. I thought each track was significantly different than the previous felt like I was on a wild unexpected ride.
nice
Really really loved this. Giving it a 4 only because its SO Nick Drake adjacent (and Nick Drake does Nick Drake better) but excited to add this one to the rotation.
I was not feeling this on the front end. Seemed like hipster coffee shop fodder. It grew on me as it played on. I liked the last couple tracks.
I wanted to like this more given some of the other players on it who were/are some of the most well known in Brit folk circuit. But alas, the solid turned to gas pretty quickly. I just couldn’t get past his vocal delivery. All I could think about was the scene in Talladega Nights where Ricky Bobby says to Jean Girard: “I don’t understand a thing you just said. You sound like a dog with peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.”
A couple tracks on here that I liked (Over the Hill, in particular), but overall I felt like I needed to grow a ponytail in order to enjoy this one more. I’m sure that makes sense.
Goodness this was all over the place. First 3 songs had me like 🥱, then I’d rather be the devil had me like 🤔and the rest I was just kind like 😕. 1.75
Thought this could be a 4* based on the strength of Over the Hill. But the rest of the album was a bit lackluster in comparison. Still a cool find since I never listened to his stuff before. 3.25/5
EZ listening but nothing *special*
Yeah this was funky, I liked it
Isn't horrible but just comes up short.
Całkiem fajne
Cool, would listen again. 3.5 leaning towards 4 this time.
almost every song went to a different playlist, i appreciate that versatility and how good everything sounded for me to want to keep listening to them in the future
I’m honestly surprised I’d never heard of one of those quietly influential records that’s been hiding in plain sight. Solid Air drifts between folk, jazz, and a hazy late‑night blues vibe, and Martyn’s slurred, smoky vocals give it a strangely hypnotic pull. The title track sets the tone: warm, intimate, and a little otherworldly. Not every moment lands, and some tracks wander more than they build, but when the album locks into its mellow groove, it’s genuinely captivating. A solid 3.25 out of 5 — not a life‑changer, but definitely worth the listen, especially if you like discovering classics you somehow missed.
I have never heard of this artist. Very laid back vibe. It kind of grew on me as I listened more, but it never really clicked. I'd rather listen to Nick Drake. Not bad, not great. I have to say the picture on the album cover is pretty cool though.
A lot of acoustic guitar plinking and plunking and not much substance.
Great album! Really liked it.
Instant purchase, what a great album! Many songs grabbed me and pulled me away from what I was doing, in a good way.
Not captivating and the critics seem to love it more than I could ever manage, but it's nice, it took me all the way to "May You Never" before I could really absorb the good vibes from it, but that was a comfortable track, and sort of the turning point for me accepting this. It's peaceful.
FAVS (top 3): solid air, dont want to know, may you never mençoes honrosas: go down easy, dreams by the sea grandes coisas nota final: 3/5
Dit is best een relaxed album. De jazzy contrabas doet het goed in combinatie met de bluesy gitaar. De zanger is zelden tot niet irritant en dan is dit soort muziek al gauw heel erg prima. Een lekker album om tijdens het werk aan te hebben staan. Ik weet niet hoe vaak ik dit zelf nog actief ga opzoeken, maar je kunt ze absoluut een stuk slechter treffen in deze lijst. Een lichte 4, wat aansluit bij wat ik bij dat andere album van hem al had bedacht.
It’s not bad but I don’t know why I’d ever listen to this one again I listened to this album like 6 hours ago and I already forgot everything about it other than the first song being elevator music. Absolutely nothing offensive in this one but it’s definitely on the boring side. There’s some alright parts for sure and my opinion kinda seesawed for each successive track I heard It’s exceedingly generic, from the dudes name to the album name to the tracks and lyrics. I bet I’d give this a 3 on a day where I was more bored but a 2 feels more right today
This is truly an amorphous album. It's jazzy, acoutstic, folksy, ambient, yet somehow, none of those genres. It's a bit boring, but a bit interesting too. I will say that Solid Air is the most apt name they could have picked for such a sound.
I think what I find most remarkable about an album and an artist like this is how I've never heard of either. Could not believe it was from 1973, either. What's weirder still is that music from that era would have fingerprints or DNA from his influences all over it, easily visible. Not so. No songs I've ever heard of, no covers to say who influenced him, and no backing musicians that show his connections in the music world. Overall, a pleasant surprise and a very satisfying album. Will definitely explore John Martyn more.
Pretty good music to listen to, although it is definitely background music and I can't really listen to it in depth. Very nice and relaxing to listen to.
I really struggled with what to give this album. I think I'm going with a 4. After the first song I was like wow this is getting a 1 but then the second song hit and the one after and I was like wow this guy can actually sing he just chose not to on the first song. This cycle kinda repeated a couple times. On the tracks where John mumble, slurs his way through the lyrics it's not great, kinda painful. On the ones where he actually sings it's quite lovely. The instruments sound really nice and I absolutely loved that aspect of this album. That's kinda the only reason this album is getting a 4 is because of that.
Light cool fun good times all around
Very nice
another martyn banger
Listenable. Will I seek it out? Not sure.
This one was good, but I never got all that into it. It has a cool laid back feel, and I liked the mix of folk, jazz, and singer songwriter stuff, but as a full album it stayed a little too mellow for me. There are definitely good moments on it, and I can see why people love it, but it was more something I appreciated than something I really connected with. Nothing bad here, just not one I see myself going back to much.
First track is dedicated to Nick drake The slurred vocals are apparently a style? Cool eclectic influences, love the jazziness Learned also one of his later albums, which is also on this list, is patient zero for triphop which is awesome
Very cool! Some jazzy elements and some folk sounds, very interesting. Stand-outs - Solid Air - The Man In The Station
🤨
I cannot believe I have never listened to this before. Very good relaxing music and the songs are fun to relax to. 7.5/10 Top song Over the hill
More like Solid Gold.... One of the best.
Pretty interesting album. Standout songs: Over the hill I'd Rather be the Devil Dreams by the Sea
Good
at least one really good song. kinda all over the place in terms of style. Fav song: Over the Hill
Completely unintelligible and boring to boot. Surely this man would fail a sobriety test with the amount that he's slurring every. single. line.
It's a nice sounding record, but didn't strike me as anything amazing
Unknown. Good album.
Loved this album. Was already familiar with a few of the songs because my dad is a huge John Martyn fan, but the songs I didn't know were jazzier than I was expecting. Really enjoyed it. I think the ones I already knew remain my favourites, but I would listen to the full album again. There's some gorgeous guitar on this album and I love his voice. Fav song: May You Never Least fav: I'd Rather Be The Devil (Devil Got My Woman)
Actually liked this one, quite an easy listen even though it’s a bit too much on the vocals sometimes. Specific rating - 4.2 Fav song- Don’t want to know Least fav- I’d rather be the devil
My dad claims this is the second best album (after the first Led Zeppelin album) not sure I'd go that far but I do love his voice. Sometimes too jazzy for me but that's balanced out by how much I love some of the other songs. Favourite song: May You Never Least: Solid Air
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