Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Wow, definitiv will ich mehr davon.
John uses a variety of instrument to compose such amazing tunes. I really enjoyed this album and would definitely give it another listen.
an incredibly soulful album, consisting of mainly guitar and bass led tracks. The lyrics are meant to mean something to people, and it envelops the listener with it's slow rhythm. Overall, definitely a strong 7.5-8/10, good album.
Knew the name, if not the music. It's pretty bloody good, blurring the lines between folk, jazz and psychedelia with deft acuity and plenty of emotional depth. Superb sounding album which I am far too sober for!
This list introduced me to Martyn many albums ago, and I was thrilled to have another chance to deepen my appreciation for his unique brand of hypnotic, meditative jazz-folk-space rock.
Wasn't sure on it, seemed to NEARLY be something I'd love but missed the mark somehow - too simple and sentimental in a James Taylor way, but then both Go Down Easy and Dreams By The Sea were GREAT. So was May You Never. Love the wistful bits of The Man In the Station. Really interesting instrument towards the end of 'The Easy Blues' - can't figure out what it is. Love the faraway sound and echoing of the guitar in the live version of I'd Rather Be the Devil, "performed with heavy use of Martyn's Echoplex tape delay effect". Really exciting performance in general - didn't even recognise that it was the same song as earlier in the album. So STELLAR second half, with a great ending song (WHO KNEW IT COULD BE DONE FOR THIS LIST; I NEARLY DIDN'T)
i hadn’t heard of this artist but very much enjoyed this album! it fit my exhausted mood so well. it had nice chill songs but also more uptempo ones. good pacing and Loved all the sounds of the epic guitar technique, the acoustic bass and the electric piano. fave songs; don’t want to know may you never the man in the station my only complaint is sometimes the mumbly voice gets too mumbly for my taste, but i think it’s more a thing of getting used to it. most of the times it’s fine. 4.5/5
I'm not familiar with John Martyn. "Solid Air" is a really pleasant and relaxing song. I'm enjoying the acoustic guitar and the jazzy backing. The bassline on "Dreams By The Sea" is real nice. "May You Never" has some really pleasant guitar and vocals. The piano on "The Easy Blues" is great. This was a great album. My favorite songs were "Solid Air", "Over The Hill", "Dreams By the Sea", "The Easy Blues", and "May You Never". That's most of the record so it deserves a good score. 8/10
First thought was Nick Drake. Little dodo I know that the album was written for Drake and he and Martyn were friends. Also picked up on on fusion of varieties of genres… folk, jazz, blues, rock. This is a really good record that I’d never heard of and probably wouldn’t have listened to but for this project.
I had never heard of John Martyn before. Solid songs. Enjoyed!
Very chill album, jazzy at times but not in the (for me so far) annoying over the top freestyle. I like this.
Another Solid One
I liked this. New to me!
You know, whenever I get an album from an artist I've gotten albums from before (a "repeat artist" as I've taken to calling them), I always find myself thinking about whether this album count of theirs on the list is deserved. A second Depeche Mode album? Hell yeah! A second Undertones album? Ew, no. Sometimes it's obvious like that. But then you get interesting cases like John Martyn. This is my second album of his, after getting One World in March of this year. I'm not exactly sure that John Martyn needs two albums on this list, but I can't say that I'm upset that he has them. They've both been good, haven't they? However, I'd still probably remove one of them. Which one? Well, after listening to both of them, it's definitely not Solid Air, that's for sure. One World was good and all, but Solid Air is great. Why do I like this album as much as I do? Well, and I may be biased here, but the Nick Drake influence is noticeably stronger here. Despite the fact that I have yet to listen to his beloved swansong Pink Moon, Nick Drake has been one of my favorite discoveries of the 1001 Albums project even through his first 2 albums alone. So, to hear that this guy was influenced by him due to their friendship is pretty nice. Clearly the two had things in common, as they're both pretty talented. The instrumentation on this album is wonderful. It's fairly soft, but also full and even a little rich at times. I like it. Some of the album's songs take a more elegant approach, including the excellent title track, while others like "Dreams By The Sea" are a bit jazzy and I like that too. The songwriting is fairly strong. It's got some good emotion to it while also being engaging. I will say that I'm still not huge on John Martyn's singing. It's not bad, especially on this album, but it's also not my favorite thing in the world. I definitely prefer Nick Drake's style of singing. Overall, Solid Air is definitely fitting of its name, because it is a very solid album, if not stronger than that. I can definitely see why this is on the list. Solid Air get a solid 4/5.
I enjoy this a lot. Soft rock with great guitar picking. It’s not the most unique or original sounding album, but I’d spin this on occasion. Mellifluous shit. 4/5
I like this a lot but don't think I can give it 5* due to the experimental track in the idle, which drags too long, and the odd song about jelly rolls. It's good though, May You Never and Over The Hill are folk rock staples and I'd never heard the whole album before so it was cool to hear the jazz influenced bits as well
Finally, some good fucking guitar.
liked it. immediatly after came a joni mitchell song, it fits.
Pretty... Solid. Badumtsk
Very, very nice. Right up my alley in terms of this genre
First time listen. I enjoyed it more than expected.
mellow
Very beautiful. As a piece of work you really can't fault it but for me hits a 4.5
Had never heard John Martyn before this. Another artist I am so glad to be introduced to through this project. The mix of folk, jazz, blues and fusions in combination made for a great album. Heard some foreshadowing of Hozier in “I’d Rather be the Devil”. I’ll be listening to more.
Had only heard the song "Solid Air" before and this album is a revelation. Liked it so much that I listened to the deluxe version with alternate takes. Great songs, distinctive voice, and one of the best of the British folk rock albums of its time.
Probably the best thing I'd never heard that the generator has introduced me to so far. Expert guitar work, intriguing folky forays into jazz and blues, really cool collection of songs
Very dreary yet atmospheric, haven’t listened to this before despite knowing the music of John Martyn. Giving a 4.5.
A nice voice with some pretty good backing music. Some of the songs got a bit repetitive and could have been cut shorter. 7/10
That air sure is solid. Lovely throughout
Not a JM fan apart from this.
I liked this and I'm surprised it's from the 70s! Sounds very similar to some music from the 2010s I like.
first track lost me, Over The Hill grabbed me and shook my shoulders. Gave me a vibe of Stop This Train by John Mayer so maybe thats why I liked it. More hits than misses for me here, I usually dont like this kinda wispy singing and guitar noodling but I actually enjoyed this. Its just a little too low energy for too long.
Dope, folk with jazz and psychedelic stuzy
These are some very nice keys right here.
There is some quite nice stuff on this album. It is very creative, spanning a lot of different music styles. You need to listen to it a couple of time to see the value but it's worth it.
Really liked this one! Had a mix of jazzy and folk sounds which I'm always game for. Song picks: Solid Air Over the Hill Go down easy
love the bass through this piece and the blues work well.
This is a headphone-on, eyes-closed kind of trip. Slides somewhere between folk and jazz and stoner blues. He mumbles a lot. It's tender; every track kind of dissolves at the end. Worth it. Spins: 4 Playlist Additions: - Solid Air - Over The Hill - May You Never - The Man In The Station
nice and sweet, a little jazzy and crazy with it, what more do you really want
Solid silver.
This reminded me of the first time I listened to Lee Hazlewood, rarely do you get to listen to an artist for the first time and have them scratch almost every musical itch that you have. I think this is what I wanted Nick Drake to be when I was listening to him earlier in the process. 4/5 for now with the chance to grow into a 5 with time.
I really liked this. Super easy listening, but a lot of depth and character, and a very timeless sound.
A really smooth album that highlights Martyn’s talents as a singer songwriter. I liked”Over the Hill” and “The Easy Blues” who ch can go toe to toe with almost any early 70s blues/folk.
“The Man In The Station” é uma música que já conhecia e gostava bastante. “Over The Hill” também (tem algo nessa música que me faz lembrar o ursinho Pooh, diga-se de passagem). No geral, álbum bem criativo e gostoso de ouvir.
Having a really hard time rating this one properly. I loved it all the way through but nothing specific grabbed out at me, and the vocalist - despite having a very lovely voice - was completely gibberish to my ears for most of the way through. I'm excited to return to this one eventually.
Sublime! Very breezy listen, with a great mixture of jazzy and folky vibes mixed in with some great rock songwriting.
A couple of times I thought to myself, "perhaps this is the album that gets me to enjoy the folk genre". Songs like Over the Hill were very enjoyable, and mixed with some more jazzy elements on other tracks consistently kept it fresh. Ultimately I'm not quite there yet with the genre, but this was one of the better examples of it I've had. Not a bad listen!
Ugh this was so good. Loved the alternating of straightforward folk tracks with more experimental cross genre stuff. Despite what a lot of people said I loved his voice. I will return to this many times.
Muy bueno
Finally something interesting. Instant diggage
Best songs: Dreams By the Sea, The Man In The Station
Ovo je jako hvLjem album ali ja bih rekao da je prije svega solidan hehe (gulp!)
приятные оступления в джаз + то ли так быстро в голову легло, то ли логично, то ли я слышала, но одна прям знакомая показалась, изз олрайт
this is pretty damn good but it also kinda feels like grandma lake house music to me. not a diss or a compliment it just has that very specific vibe to it
Kinda a vibe, love the upright bass. Sadly the singer has the rubber jaw curse and can't pronounce his words (looking at you Pearl Jam)
Not really a fan of his voice, but the music is great. Smooth shit, love it
Lots of soul and emotion. Quite a good one.
First track was .making me think what the hell is this? But I started to like it track by track and will definitely give it another listen. Headphones is a must.
Nick Drake was an artist so enigmatic that he has a song ABOUT him. And what a good friend in John Martyn, to make such a thoughtful single about his friend. This is kinda like what a lively lounge album should aim to be. A bit of acoustica, a bit of free-form percussion. Airy, soulful vocals. The occasional musical tangent, like the midway point of "I'd Rather Be The Devil", which get pleasantly trippy and experimental all at once. I really enjoyed the journey that song took me on. It hit me, during this song, that this all sounds surprisingly timeless for something from 1973 (outside of those Shaft-style guitar grooves on "Dreams By The Sea"). Same thing applies for the album cover though! Not that it matters, but I do think it's worth noting when a piece of art defies or removes itself from the tropes of it's time of creation. To stay on the same point in the track listing of the album, I think the transition from "I'd Rather Be The Devil" to "Go Down Easy" locked my attention in a bit more. Something about how smooth the transition was, the use of space and quiet ambiance, it was all really impactful. It's a shame this sequencing shows the least amount of plays on spotify for this record, it's some amazing work. On the note of spotify plays, the masses got it all wrong the whole way through this album. "The Man In The Station" deserves more than the 5th most popular song from Solid Air. The mumbly, buttery-smooth delivery of that step-down melody in the verses is stellar. If I could come up with some sort of signature award to give out for my listening experiences on this list, it's my "instant replay" award - where I stop the tracklisting from playing out like normal to replay a song immediately - "The Man In The Station" gets my instant replay award. Bossa nova inspired brilliance! My rating on this is hard to pin down. I think most of the easily accesible acoustic guitar ballads on this are just kinda ho-hum, especially the closer. But when John Martyn let's his creative inclinations run off into different directions, this album elevates to something special. Tracks 3-5 and track 8 really did it for me. Soft 4/5 stars. Nice hidden gem here!
I don’t know why but I expected terrible ambient electro. Not something that sometimes sounds like Nick Drake, the next like jazz. I liked most of this, there were the odd times it strays into the background, and I dont like the way he sings the Easy Blues in a cliched accent, but other than that I enjoyed this. 3.5, but I reckon I’ll be back so I’ll round it up
Listened to this while dozing on a train which admittedly isn't giving it the best opportunity but it turned out to be a great choice for this. Nice acoustic background music. The second to last song was my favourite, quite technical, the rest blended into one a bit (my fault) but I enjoyed it. Will probably come back at some point when I need some background blues. 3.5.
Walks a fine line between entertaining, and entertainingly miserable. Got a lot more into it the more I listened - May You Never was lovely. Go Down Easy and The Man in the Station also stood out. Probably a stronger second half. Seems like he lived life the hard way.
84/100. Solid Air by John Martyn is amazing, blending folk and jazz with effortless grace. The fusion is executed perfectly, resulting in an album that’s both atmospheric and deeply engaging. It’s incredibly smooth, with a warm, laid-back vibe.
Surprisingly good l! Never really heard of John Martin or this album. Reminding me a little bit of Nick Drak. Got down a rabbit hole in a good way… this is why I like this platform.
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 🤚🔮⬛ Production (2000 Remaster): 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎸🌊🌫️ Rating: 🔮🔮🔮🔮(🔮)/5
I adore this record.
хороший мегаприятный уже опытный и бывалый блюз семидесятых
So damn chill
John Martyn? Nie gehört! Klingt recht gut, wenn er nur nicht so näseln würde beim Singen!
I’ve never heard of John Martyn before but I thoroughly enjoyed this project. It made me feel at peace, definitely was staring out the window of a train to this one.
[4]
this dude fucks.
Four stars just because I vibe with it. Objectively, this is nothing groundbreaking, and British folk rock is already well-represented on the list. To me, it was as a welcome break between listening to completely unfamiliar stuff. Though subtle, the album has lots of personality, and a few tracks went on my playlist.
This was better than the other one we did, I liked the jazzy numbers the best, the folky ones the least and enjoyed the overall variety.
Very easy listen for me. I'm a big folk guy.
When it comes to folk I much prefer American folk, it has more of an edge to it. British seems very dancing round the maypole or so I thought until listening to this, an emotional and stylish album, especially track five which is very shine on you crazy diamond it style, and predates it. This is a good addition to my listening experience. By Polymath.
Jazz blues folk funk rock It's got a bit of it all here Great album from the legendary John Martyn. I do prefer some of his later folkier stuff though tbh hence a 4. But it's a high 4.
Never heard of this guy. Really enjoyed it. Before doing this challenge I didn't even know there existed such a thing as British Folk Music. And now it's probably the third album from the genre and I loved them all. My favorite parts were the ones with the jazzy elements but I also liked all of the more traditional folk tunes. The lyrics seem to be the stream of consciousness which doesn't really bother me and it goes really well with his mumbling-singing style. I'll be definitely looking out to check out more from his catalogue.
Love the jazzy vibe, the bass is front and centre
Solid air OST perfetta per camminare sotto la pioggia
Also a great album
Favorite Track: Over The Hill
I didn’t care much for the opening/title track. But the rest of it grew on me and it finished strong.
Solid album of blues. Loved his vocal inflections, from sandpaper to butter; and the electric and bass violin held it together.
I did not know what to expect here and was pleasantly surprised. I like the mix of folk and jazz. About halfway through I was seriously considering giving this 5 stars but if fell off just slightly. Would listen again.
Although it was hard to tell if the lyrics were English at times, I enjoyed this album. Quite groovy, baby.
this was nice
Singer-songwriters were never gonna easily be my friend. Especially not once I read a line somewhere that said something to the effect of "Singer-songwriters are poets pretending to be musicians." 'Coz that's just it, isn't it? With these types, what's important are the words, with the actual instrumentals backing them often not being much more than a bed for them. That's not to say there aren't singer-songwriter types who don't aim to do more with the melodies than act as breaks between segments of poetry, like Bob Dylan's harmonica solos, but more often than not... Yeah, that's how they really come across to me. Even though I've liked my fair share of them, I still always kinda groan a little whenever I see an album labelled as such, 'coz how they make music is completely antithetical to how I enjoy music. I've stated this many times before: I'm melody first. I don't often pay attention to lyrics 'coz I'm typically bad at understanding poetry. So, a genre of music that places **all** of the emphasis on the lyrics... Heck, even more than rap, 'coz at least there there can be hot beats. The most you can often hope for with these 60's and 70's singer-songwriters is a **lot** of acoustic guitar. How's this one fair, though? How does it fit into my perception of singer-songwriters? To begin with, of course I didn't pay too much attention to lyrics. Not even the title track, which is a tribute to Nick Drake (which I did feel a bit bad about, but, y'know, I are what I is). Although, without actively reading the lyrics, I'm not sure how many I would be able to gather by myself anyway. Like, I can completely hear the criticism I heard about his kind of "mumbly" delivery. Y'know, the kind of "serious, sensitive" kind of deal. I wouldn't go so far as to call it "baby talk" like that one review did, but I wouldn't exactly give this guy high points for diction. Listening to it as another instrument, though — well, I've probably heard better, but for what he's doing, it's not bad. It can be pretty nice in some spots. (I do like the bits of lyrics I heard about jelly, though.) What really got me, though... So, I was talking about how in this genre instrumentation is basically being an after-thought, right? That is absolutely not the case here. There's a lot of tracks where the instrumentation is just, ahh, so good. So good. It's not every track; some of them fall back into acoustic strumming, or diversions into Da Blues. But the tracks that **do** go above, into jazzier sounds? Goodness me. Like, even if I didn't pay attention to the **lyrics** of the title track, the **music** was enough to carry me through. I'm especially impressed knowing that the song wasn't written with an arrangement in mind, so this is just them jamming out. It's darn good stuff. And then you got a lot of the stuff going on over at the end of "Dreams By The Sea"? Like, that may be the single prettiest moment on the whole album, I think, beyond how the rest of the song is way funkier than I would've expected from a singer-songwriter album. So, once again, I judged a book by its cover and was actually pretty happy with its contents once I took a look inside. It's a recurring thing, 'coz as much as I wanna claim that genres don't really mean much to me... Well, as you can tell. Made all the funnier once you actually go and look at this album's genres on Wikipedia, and none of them are actually "singer-songwriter"; I just saw John himself describe that way and extrapolated from there. I may as well have taken issue with how he's Scottish for how much it should mean. (And for the record, this website classifies this album as such, but I didn't see it until I was almost done writing this review.) Let's quickly bring this to a close. This is a 4 from me — possibly rounded up from a 3.5 depending on how much the songs that're more strictly folk bounced off of me, but a 4 nonetheless. I just think the jazzy and psychedelic excursions are just that good, and well surpass my typical negative expectations for this kind of music. Will it mean that in the future I'll be kinder towards singer-songwriter albums? Probably not. But at least this one's on my good side, and, hey, it ain't nothing. I hope John's resting in peace.
First impression of the first song - wow this is different and I can't decide if I like it. The vocals are weird. 2 minutes in, this is great, I hope the rest of the album follows suit. Kind of disappointed with Over The Hill as it sort of transitioned from a really cool and unique style to straight up standard folk. Hopefully it reverts to the latter, we shall see. Well shit. It kind of goes back and forth a little, maybe swinging in the 'typical folk' direction more so than I'd like. Sometimes even swinging back and forth in the same song which is kind of interesting. I do really like this album, even with the typical folk stuff. I feel like there is enough here to make the album unique and something I'd want to listen to again and it does make me want to look up some of his other music. 4/5.
Really good Album. Never heard of him before and I was very surprised by the quality overall of the concept album. I dont love his voice thats it. The slow folk songs although not my preference thay make a diference in setting the tone and help the albums flow. Pink floydish songs are really good
Not as tuneful and ethereal or haunting as Nick Drake. Not quite as virtuosic as Bert Jansch. He’s contemplative and moody about life and love and, it would seem, a cult figure for a reason. Title cut is good and there are some strong contemplative and borderline lovely moments (e.g., "May You Never"). And seems a stretch to include two of JM's records. One World is probably the worthier choice. Still, this is interesting and largely worth knowing, so rounding up, somewhat begrudgingly. Good for a winter day under the lava lamp.
Voor deze albumlijst had ik nog nooit van Fairport Convention gehoord, en nu ken ik straks allerlei spinoffs, collabs of soloplaten van deze (in NL niet) legendarische band. Aan het album van deze voor mij onbekende singer-songwriter werkten bijv leden van Fairport Convention mee. Early 70s, singer-songwriter, dus het zit zeker in het straatje van de bekende singer-songwriters. Hij mengt hier ook bluesnummers tussendoor op zijn akoestische gitaar. En zelfs funky soul a la Isaac Hayes met Dreams by the Sea. Martyn mompelzingt ietwat, maar dat geeft niet, het past vaak bij het tempo van de nummers, die afwisselend traag en dan weer uptempo zijn. De psychedelische rocksong met I'd rather be the devil vind ik echt een outlier tov de rest van het album. Gek genoeg is hiervan dan nog een live uitvoering toegevoegd als bonus op de remaster. Rare keuze op een verder prachtig album.
很lazy
Ein schönes Album mit Jazz-Elementen neben Folk und Rock. Hier wird etwas mehr geboten als nur 3 Minuten.
3.5/7 but 4 stars for convenience.
Really good
I kind of liked it.
Luv it already lived it
I like this vibe. Especially liked I'd Rather Be the Devil (live version), Man in the Station, Over the Hill. I didn't especially like Easy Blues. He's just going on and on about how his jelly is so good. I guess I'm just not really into jelly rolls as much as some people. :P
The first half of this album is incredible. Great vibe despite the mumbles. Side two is good, but gets a smidge uninspiring in a few spots. All in all this is a fantastic find!
It’s hard to pinpoint a genre for this. It’s dreamy and folksy and bluesy and a little trippy. The blend of sounds works really well, and I very much enjoyed listening. He’s a little mumbly at times, but that kind of adds to the dreaminess of it. Also like how he lets a lot of the songs breathe at the end. It all felt like a warm bath for my ears.
Overall: 8/10 Folk music with an incredible voice and some experimental tracks. I found myself mesmerized for most of the runtime. Excellent for relaxing late at night. Fav Song: Go Down Easy Least Fav Song: Don't Want to Know
4 sterne
great album
Something very original and eerie about this
Beautiful folk rock. Strong melodies. Standout "Over The Hill" great tune.
A clear predecessor to Talk Talk, Phil Collins, Lewis and James Blake. Had me in a chokehold until the last jelly tracks. Are my problems with the album problems with British music in general? Wonder how he learned the blues.
Folksy stoner slurs his way through a very good album. Noted the length before listening (and that it was the same album twice) so broke it into two sessions. Enjoyed the first session; good guitar work and interesting lyrics. Liked the alt version (second listen) even more - but that was maybe because I was familiar with the songs. May You Never is the song I liked the most; upbeat. Overall, Solid Air is a little slow and a little long. Don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if one time through - comes in at (3.8*s)
like nick drake but for people who’ve never experienced depression. fire album cover tho highlights: solid air, over the hill, the man in the station (jan 10 2025)
good tunes to listen to at night
This is kind of great, real breezy listen. Was over before I knew it. Reminds me of a mix between Father John Misty and Tom Waits.
I enjoyed this. At times his enunciation was mushy and slurred and like most artists, there were one or two songs that weren't my favorites but I liked this and thought it had nice variety and cohesiveness. I'd happily listen to this again.
I've never heard of John Martyn before, but this album cover definitely gives off a vibe that I like, and based on what I've read about this album, I think I'm going to enjoy it. Let's fire it up! I enjoyed this album quite a bit. It felt like a folk album, but with a lot more experimentation in the arrangements. I read that the title track was dedicated to the memory of Nick Drake, and that makes sense, because this album's overall mood and sound reminded me of Nick Drake quite a bit, but without feeling derivative. I really enjoyed the piano and clavinet playing on this album, and the guitar playing was really good too. "Over the Hill" and "May You Never" were my favorite songs on the album, but other than "The Easy Blues," there wasn't really anything that I didn't enjoy. This was a really enjoyable album, and I liked listening to how John Martyn put his own stamp on early seventies folk music.
I struggled to rate this, although I definitely did enjoy it. There were many reasons to not give it the full 5 stars, the mumbling/ weird vocals in some parts and there were weaker songs near the end. However, it still felt like it should be a five star album somehow.
This was pretty cool - too jazzy to go into regular rotation for me, but I'm glad it was on this list as I really liked the guitars and would likely have never come across it otherwise
He didn’t sound along with his music like the 70’s it felt more current
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.
Really nice funky jazzy bluesy songs much like John Martyn's last album that we listened to. This one sounded much more straight forward in a way that it mainly stuck to one genre. His voice goes very well with the guitar picking and sometimes washboard noises that came in. I hate to compare this to his last album but I think I liked that one more with some variety in it. This is still an extremely solid 4 and is now solidifying my thought that I need to dive into some more John Martyn
This is more of what I was expecting with that last acid folk album. Great sounds, but also a chill ass voice. I can dig it. Also love the first song that was dedicated to Nick Drake even before he died.
chill album with good musicianship defn got a nick drake vibe even before i read there was a song written for him.
This is excellent. I had never heard anything by John Martyn before. A lot of folk - even the good stuff - can be repetitive. There was good variation here, while at the same time sounding like a cohesive album.
Azt hiszem, én magam lepődtem meg a legjobban, hogy a Dreams by the Sea-t ismertem, csak épp nem ebben a verzióban. Amúgy egészen jó ez az album. Kellemesen el tudom hallgatni, pont estére kiváló.
Very interesting blend of genres. The jazz, blues, and folk influence ménagerie together to create a Scottish Maine lighthouse soup vibe. It's the windy, chill brother of John Denver perhaps. Favorites include Over the Hill, Don't Want to Know, Dreams by the Sea, and the Man in the Station.
Great sound and a great album. Whoever was playing the guitar needs a raise. The whole thing feels groovy but also relaxing. Favorites were Over The Hill, I'd Rather Be The Devil, and Dreams By The Sea.
This one was completely new to me and I had never heard of this artist before. I am pleasantly surprised. That was a very enjoyable listen and I will definitely be returning to it again. His voice is really good and the blending of folk and blues styles works really well. Favorites were Don’t Want To Know, Dreams By The Sea, May You Never, and The Man In The Station.
Like the acoustic guitar and the rhythms. Feels good. Soft vocals add to the authenticity of it, in my opinion.
I actually love the melodies and music, but John Martyn has to be the laziest singer I've ever heard. He's got some serious mush mouth at times and his lyrics are completely incomprehensible. Pretty great other than that.
I honestly don't know how to feel about this album. There's such a unique aesthetic for a very unique mood captured here, but I found some of the music and writing here way too bare. The double-bass dominant tracks are jazzy and hypnotic (especially on the opening title track), but this one instrumental palate dominates the album and grows tiresome at certain points. You occasionally get more traditionally leaning folk cuts and sometimes the music explodes and picks up with these funkier bits like on 'The Man in The Station', but generally the mood here is constant and very warm. The slurred and soulful vocals do however perfectly complement all the music here, it's a match made in heaven and very well done. While I may sound negative, I'm well aware that I'll need a few more listens to fully absorb this album's intricacies and to grow and appreciate the writing here. There are some genuinely great moments here like the ominous and almost ambient leanings closing out 'Id Rather Be the Devil' and I think 'May You Never' is a genuinely perfect folk song. Also, this entire album just does not sound like it was released in 1973 at all - so that's gotta be worth something.
What a mellow experience. My heart rate slowed and stressed melted away.
A great chill album. A feel similar to Air and Zero 7.
A lot going on here.
These are new sounds to me, and I'm surprised this was released in the 70s (feel like it's not the first time I say this). I had 'The Man In The Station" saved previously and was pleasantly surprised to find similar-sounding tracks with enough differences to keep it interesting. 4.5
Nice
Good folk rock
Its a lot better than I thought it would be
"Solid Air" is the fourth studio by Scottish singer-songwriter John Martyn. Folk rock, folk jazz and folk pyschedelic. Yes, yes and yes. This album was recorded over eight days with contributions by bassist Danny Thompson and members of Fairport Convention. Martyn sang lead vocals and played acoustic and electric guitars and keyboards. The album was produced by Martyn and John Wood. It also received favorable reviews. The self-titled "Solid Air" begins with an acoustic guitar, bass and piano. Martyn's haunting, longing vocals come in. Piercing vibraphone keys and a Tony Coe sax solo at the end. A song that was dedicated to Nick Drake who shortly die after the albums'release. "Over the Hill" is more uplifting with an acoustic guitar strumming and those contributions with Richard Thompson on mandolin, Simon Nicol on auto harp and Sue Draheim on the violin. It's folksy rock. "Don't Want to Know" has slow and fast spots and fits in both the folk blues and jazz genres. A lone acoustic guitar with a hand also hitting the side of guitar is the instrument of choice in "May You Never." This is straight-forward folk and Martyn with his voice really reminds me of Cat Stephens. The collected band actually gets the rock going in "The Man in the Station." It's another beautiful song. This is an excellent album. It's kind of a rare combination of equal parts folk, blues, jazz and rock. And even one funky song. Martyn's voice is superb and very understated. The one time he's not, on the closer "The Easy Blues," he does his best Tom Waits. There's not a weak song here and no filler. This is an album that mostly everyone should enjoy.
Pretty sure I’ve already recounted how I got the phone call mid-morning from a mate studying at Sydney Uni, telling me to leave work (at the Immigration Dept in Sydney)& get my arse to the Union Theatre (now The Footbridge Theatre) at Sydney Uni, to catch a free lunchtime concert by John Martyn. To this day, that concert - just Martyn with guitars that had more wires & effects pedals connected to them than I’d ever seen before - was one of the most amazing I’ve ever witnessed. He walked onstage looking so hungover - his drinking & drug abuse were legendary - but his performance was mind-blowing. I love this record - I’ve listened to it a half-dozen times in the last few days & it always thrills me. It opens with the title track, which is such a highlight. He wrote it as a tribute to his mate, Nick Drake, who would die a year later of a drug overdose. His vocals on that track are sublime & the sax, Danny Thompson’s double bass & Tristan Fry’s vibes (he was a timpanist on The Beatles “A Day In The Life)are all major contributors to the track. Other highlights are OverThe Hill, on which Richard Thompson contributes mandolin; Rabbit Bundrick’s beautifully restrained keyboards on Don’t Want To Know; & very 70’s Go Down Easy. But above all, May You Never - one of the greatest ballads written in the 70’s. Throughout, despite the great musicianship, it is Martyn’s unique voice that stars. The only slightly limp track is the closer - The Easy Blues. I’d say John might have been eager to get to the pub. His right leg was amputated below the leg in 2006 & he was only 60 when he died in 2009. His first wife & musical partner, Beverly Martyn, in her autobiography, accused him of bouts of domestic violence. Didn’t stop him getting an OBE just before he died. Really.
This is possibly the most laid-back album I have ever heard. Smooth, jazzy, mellow without being mere wallpaper. The mixture of jazz, folk, blues and a little bit of rock is wonderful. I knew the title track already from a chill out compilation cd that came attached to the cover of those expensive UK music mags (Q or Mojo or Uncut) that I used to buy in the late 90s and early 2000s. They were a pretty great way to be introduced to new music, especially when the disc was thematically curated (chill out! The roots of hip hop! Songs that inspired REM!). So I first heard the song Solid Air squeezed between Nick Drake (makes sense) and Groove Armada (but more of a stretch). Listening to this whole album I am surprised at how much each song has its own identity. I listened to this three times through in a trot. This goes onto my want list. Was it massively influential? Possibly not, but a great, great record
A guy who finally seems to be getting the recognition and appreciation he deserves, and who was a huge influence on at least two distinct movements of singer-songwriters. The album is very good, without ever quite ascending to great, but considering it was 1973(!) when it was out, it is an achievement that it still doesn't sound dated or stale at all. A nice story behind it too - a tribute to a friend who was still alive to hear it. I'm not sure whether to give the Scottish bonus point - he was born in Surrey, but spent half his childhood in Scotland. Giving 1/2 star for 1/2 Scottish makes this a solid 4 for me!
Nice and dreamy
I like it. Chill.
I like the vibe, laid back, jazzy, singing in his own language. Enunciating mostly the vowels makes for interesting vocalese. Means I focus on the voice, not the words. I like that, and I like his voice and preformance. I'm not usually a fan of singer/songwriters with a guitar. But he makes really great use of percussion, electronica and the quieter side of instrumentation. I got sort of bored at the end, but I'll bet his live performances were really great. 4 stars for being so different and interesting.
Love it. 4*
No expectations going in. Liked it quite a bit coming out. Some wonderful songwriting here. Good playing. Really like his voice. Not sure how often I'll revisit this, but it's certainly good to chill with. Unexpected bangers: I'd Rather Be The Devil, Dreams by the Sea, Don't Want to Know. Also, as Spotify continued, it hit me with a couple of additional Scott Walker tracks that were better than "Scott 2" by a mile.
This is completely new to me! It is insanely rare I'm unaware of an artist or band. Wow. First song is a great acoustic jazz, Floydian-keyboard song. Hmm. Very interesting. This is a very cool, eclectic album, that is hard to explain. Way more Floydian than I thought it would be. It also has a small hint of Krautrock, but is certainly in the mellowish acoustic rock of this time period. What the heck?! Some trippy funk!?!?! This this is wonderfully crazy, but cohesive. Wow.
Perfectly chill. Can’t believe I’ve never done across the artist or album
Really liked it. Folk, blues, psychedelic rock, jazz combined in a really appealing way.
Very chill. A little jazzy and a little bluesy. Good for a Tuesday morning.
A somewhat understated album, weaving an enveloping atmosphere. A real nice listen!
Swag
If Nick Drake joined up with the Grateful Dead to make an album of contemporary coffee shop background music, the result would be this album. I enjoyed it. Low 4
This album gives me major blues vibes. I kinda like it.
This album sounds very much a head of its time. Should be more famous
Not heard of this before, and was pleasantly surprised. Properly 70s. Wasn't as keen when it leant harder into the folk side, much better as fuck and blues and whatever else is in there.
I really really liked this A lot of Nick Drake, a bit of Van Morrison Only thing that stopped me going the full 5 was that it was a little too jazz folk at times but it was pretty close
Definietly a chill vibe, the opener/title track is a pretty nice track, especially the bass throughout. could be from any period of time, quite timeless
Nick Drake meets Bruce Cockburn. Did not know this artist at all, but I think he pairs nicely with the flecks of gray in my beard. Enjoyed it.
john martyn's solid air is such a chill album. the entire album does a great job weaving songs into one another despite using the genres of folk and jazz mostly and dabbling in psychedelia and blues. the jazz element is the perfect compliment to folk, and both contribute to how this album flows so smoothly. i was skeptical of this album, since i didn't know the artist, but with every song and subsequent listen, i softened. there's real talent and creativity here! the mandolin on "over the hill" is refreshing, and i'm not sure if i've ever heard a song detailing a middle-aged crisis in comparison to drugs. martyn's insistence in "don't want to know" is full of deliberate ignorance, and the electric piano and backing harmonies are just the right touch to that song. even when he mumbles instead of properly singing, it's purposeful and specific to the song, kind of like tom waits. i can't find anything i don't like! the album's title of solid air acts as a oxymoron, but with its title song being dedicated to nick drake, it's more than just a clever title. martyn shows his support and love for his friend who is dealing with depression, despite not "know[ing] what's going on inside," to the point of "i will follow you anywhere." the song shows the respect in their friendship, and it's a lovely way to open the album. 4.5
Если бы я жил в то время, такое точно бы слушал. Очень кайфанул, есть песни, которые не сильно попали (именно они во многом и выдают год создания альбома). Но в остальном очень клевая работа
Мужик попадает в меня все больше. Еще джаза добавил чертяра. 4+ жирным Алкоальбом: бутылочка хенесси в джаз клубе
Haunting, beautiful, funky, groovy and jazzy - this album has everything. Highlights: Over the Hill, Don’t Want to Know, Dreams by the Sea
Excellent fusion of spacey production and folk/blues, this guy is popping up for the second time and I'm even more impressed than the first album. Firmly planted in traditional "blues/ rock" songwriting with the soulful vocals to accompany, he's truly ahead of his time in the use of avant-garde delay, reverb, and a whole array of unexpected effects. All that said, he knows when to strip it all back and make it just about the song when it's right. Excellent balance and there is an earnest but vulnerable strength in his songwriting.
Pretty good
I'd never heard of John Martyn before and the first listen through left me with mixed feelings. Subsequent listens hammered home what was happening here. This is a really interesting album. Improvisational jazzy, bluesy, folk music. I really didn't care for his slurred vocal delivery on some of the tracks, but musically this was great.
Stars just for the album cover. Feels like this album is being played at an underground, smoke-filled bar. I’m vibing with his voice too. This is overall pretty cool. May You Never is so good.
Beautiful, Interesting, but a bit to mumbly!
Neither heared of John Martyn nor this album before. Because the album "solid air" seemed quite challenging to me, I had to give it a few tries. And it is growing with every try. Very diversified Folk-Rock-Jazz. Not a single weak or aged number. Definitely worth listening! But very hard for me to decide between 3 or 4 stars!
I really liked this one! I'll be re-listening to this one again. Over the Hill was a standout to me. How have I never heard of this artist or album before? John Martyn > Bert Jansch
A completely new album to me. I loved it.
An early workhorse of the space rock genre. First time listener and really dug the combination of styles. Going to be a repeater for sure.
4.0 - A pretty Joni Mitchell-adjacent folk-jazz record that incorporates a broad sonic palette of fretless bass, studio effects and subtle electronics. Martyn's singing and guitar picking sound great. Standouts: "I'd Rather Be the Devil", "May You Never"
Solid Air - 4 Over The Hill - 5 Don’t Want To Know - 5 I’d Rather Be The Devil - 3.5 Go Down Easy - 3.5 Dreams By The Sea - 3.5 May You Never - 4.5 The Man In The Station - 4 The Easy Blues - 4 Average - 4.1 Jelly 👍
This was a joy to discover. Never heard of him but reading around his bio, I'm familiar with a lot of his peers and collaborators. Clearly a really talented guitarist and takes a lot of interesting directions on this album. At first seems like a fairly tame folk record but there are some real gems hiding in here. Very tempted to give a 5 but will go with a strong 4.
Decent folk album with a lot of Neil Young in it.
I listened to it once and thought it was a high 3 for me. I very much enjoyed a good amount of the songs. However, I listened to it again today and enjoyed it even more the second time. The feeling of being in a remote area like a desert or a forest and journeying with this as the sound track brings a calmness over me that I've yet to experience in a while. His smooth, but rough vocals brings a realness that is oft forgotten in lots of mainstream music. Well done.
The songwriting in this album was great. There's a great mix of classic 70's singer song writer songs and some tasty ass jams. The dude had a weird way of singing sometimes but still thought it fit with the songs. Could see this album going up for me in the future.
John Martyn was a talented singer/songwriter from Britain. He plays is style of folk that is influence by jazz and blues. His guitar playing is of a distinct slapping style, and he frequently used electronic effects to enrich the sound of his guitar. Add a rich, raspy voice, and Martyn created a distinct sound that was very well received critically, and influenced generations of folk singer/songwriters. Solid Air is one of Martyn's most successful albums, which helped establish an international fan base. It includes some his most enduring songs, like "Solid Air" and "I'd rather be the Devil."
Beautiful
Cool aesthetic, defitely kept me around
I've dabbled in small selections from Martyn's discography over the years and according to Last.FM, I listened to 7 tracks from Solid Air back in 2013, but today's spin was the first time in full. It was great. I was familiar with Over The Hill and May You Never, as both are in my playlist of favourites, and I was happy to add The Easy Blues to my selection. One of my all-time favourite John Farnham songs is his version of May You Never; it took me many years to learn it was actually one of John Martyn's.
This is really good. Really enjoying the alternative takes from the deluxe edition. Great guitar work, solid vibes.
What a gem of a record! I had no idea "May You Never" wasn't a Clapton original
3.5/5
This was my first timing hearing of or listening to John Martyn. I really enjoyed this eclectic collection of experimental folk songs. I only got one listen in today, but I think I'll revisit this one soon.
This is groovy! Jazz folk blues with some awesome acoustic guitar work on The Easy Blues.
Loved
# Playlist track - Dreams by the sea # Notes - Very trippy, in a good way. - The opening track is fantastically moody, followed by a happy one, than a gloomy one, then a groovy one, and so on. - There are some boring misses, like "Go Down Easy" and "May You Never" (the most popular one?!) so I'm taking one star out.
Excellent. This guy is my find of this project so far 4.4
Some sleepers on here but some awesome songs too. Really enjoyed some tracks on this album and even some 👍s.
Pretty fire
Ik dacht bij het eerste nummer dat ik dat mompel-zingmaniertje snel beu zou zijn. Maar het bleef toch eigenlijk de hele plaat lang wel lekker klinken. Leuke ontdekking!
Had never heard of this artist and was really surprised at how good this album was.
Strange combination of psychedelic soul and folk music. But it works. Surprisingly modern for a record that's over 50 years old. Favorite song: Go down easy
One of the best I’ve heard so far this year. Jazz and folk influences were found throughout, but what was most impressive is how modern it still felt. There’s not many albums that have stood the test of time quite like this one. Musicianship was on point as well. I enjoyed how he danced around from one sound to the next. Hopefully there are more albums of his in my future.
Real cool chill out stuff. Super chill, but not without form or a backbone.
awesome album
Interesting
Very beautiful to listen to!
One of my partner's all time favourite albums, so I know it well. The title track is obviously a gorgeous slice of jazz/blues/something, with an air of tragedy given it's subject would die shortly afterwards. Jazz rhythm section in abundance across the record, which is a plus point, obviously. Over the Hill much more straightforward cheery folk which I like for completely different reasons, with bright and delightful mandolin playing (presumably). Less fond of the devil song, weird funk guitar noodlings don't sit well for me on this album. Although I do enjoy the jazzy section it dissolves into in the second half of the song, much better. May You Never is another beautiful track. I have to be honest even after all these years I get a bit bored by much of the second half of the album but the strongest tracks warrant a decent score.
послушал значится один альбом Джона Мартина. в целом это было интересно. и вот, я нормально отношусь к пению Мартина, один хуй что он там бормочет, у него на песню по 10 строк в среднем, но где идёт в более блюзовое или джазовое звучание это вообще мимо, если говорить именно про исполнение. вот обычные фолк песни он исполняет шикарно, отлично выдерживает ритм, идеально чувствует тембры, мастерски играется с голосом. но в джазе/блюзе он звучит просто пресно и сыро. он просто не вывозит эту энергетику, поэтому пол альбома я слушал с каменным ебалом и "ну пон" на лбу. но фолк песни эту супер приятная чилловая музыка, я их даже в плейлист добавил, когда нибудь буду для вайба включать возможно. у них есть какое то ощущение того переломного момента в фильме по мономифу, когда герой проходит главное испытание и теперь его ждёт обратный путь и осмысление прошедшего. как будто это тот период в жизни, когда нужно взять паузу и переосмыслить свой путь, подготовится к чему то новому и после идти дальше. хотя возможно это просто я наткнулся на этот альбом в такой странный эпизод моей жизни. а вот что здесь круто во всех треках - это инструментал. в отличие от стандартного британского фолка, который звучит предельно однообразно, здесь у нас несколько инструментов играют друг с другом, переговариваются, короче есть какие то оттенки полифонии в музыке, от этого слушать интересно даже джазовые треки. это прям хорошо. хотя есть и заглавный трек, который пусть и чувственный, зная бэкграунд о том что это песня посвященная Нику Дрейку с его депрессией (он передознулся антидепрессантами через полтора года кста), который всё таки звучит прям уныленько, но это единичный случай. в итоге значит джазовые/блюзовые песни послушал принял забыл, а такие как Don't Want To Know и Go Down Easy отправляются ко мне в плейлист. короче интересненько оценка - 7,5/10
Chill album
Nice album. Kind of bluesy and mellow. Good guitar work.
So so good. John Martyn was his own kind of genius.
This was solid. I don’t know John Martyn but the vocals were excellent
Enjoyable intersection of sound and style, heartfelt and enjoyable
John Martyn can be very hit or miss for me. This album had its share of misses. Better versions of "I'd Rather Be the Devil" have been produced by drunk and rowdy musicians. This version, however, is undeniably funky. I Loved "The Man in the Station". Any track with a Rhodes will win me over. And "Over the Hill" is a classic. I woke up this morning with "Don't Want to Know" playing in my head, so this album is getting a 4.
Oh this is nice. The music is complex and interesting, and there's lots of varied songs. Plenty of experimentation. I really like the acoustic playing, the vibraphone, the brass, the vocals. The musicality is absolutely on point. 4.5 rounded down.
Je m'enjaille. J'écoute un peu + de folk en ce moment, mais où était cet album pendant mes promenades automnales ???
Genuinely really good
4.25
This somehow gave me... cabin in the woods/wild west vibes? Never heard of John Martyn before, and nothing like what I usually listen to, but I liked it. My favourites were Solid Air, Don't Want to Know, Man in the Station, and the second half of The Easy Blues. Will be coming back to it
Great variety! Good vocals and nice lyrics. Like the funky in there 4
Very chill and impressive guitar playing, never listened to him much before this
Really liked it, Solid Air is a solid song
I really like this. Big mix up of genres and styles. Funky Folk, great instrumentation and I’ve not got any big issues with his tone. I’m not quite sure it’s a full 5 stars though - I like it for folk but it’s no Stevie Wonder…
A really good album. Solid set of songs, great sound. Something I may come back to again.
Great album
If you told me this album came out in the mid-2000s, I’d genuinely believe you Favourite tracks: Over the Hill, I’d Rather Be the Devil, Dreams by the Sea, May You Never
I’d classify this music as “jam folk.” Martyn typically has a vocal riff or groove he centers his song around. While this structure could easily fall into “mood music” rather than impactful songs, Martyn’s musicianship and smoothness make it an worthwhile listen.
psychedelic, deep and great riffs, lots of soul and talent
Never heard of this before, but very pleasantly surprised. There are some really solid tracks here.
vibey and somehow not boring, yehhhhh I like it
As this album started, I didn't really think that I was going to like it, but it got more interesting as it went. Heavy psychedelic influence, while still remaining folk music Really cool example of someone who's not afraid to do something different with their genre
Interesting album. A bluesy, jazzy, fun rhythm all the way through. On some songs he's whispering about the saddest day, on others it's like he's growling his heart out. Very enjoyable, a few snoozers. 4.5/5
3.5/5
Ne’er heard it before but Nice interesting album
Never listened to him before but the name sounds familiar. This is really sick though. The description says folk but this is really almost proggy. Lots of jazz, psych, and rock influence too. I'm a big fan of the mix of influences here.
Like a combo of van Morrison astral weeks and early Tim Buckley tho more British.
One of his best, and revolutionary for the time.
Great album from the haunting voice of John Martyn
Never heard of this album or this man before. Really enjoyed this.
good folk
Incredible that an album that explored so many genres and styles had no weak links.
folksy, bluesy, weird
I was dreading this one. Everyone I sold a copy of this to back in the day was a beardy, beer bellied typical folkie, and most of their music leaves me cold. It actually turns out to be sweet, varied, and surprisingly slinky, fleet footed and funky. I want to hear it again!
I didn't realize there was such a thing as "progressive folk." But this guy fits right into that. I really enjoyed this album. Varied the songs throughout the album, so they didn't all sound exactly the same. Probably my favorite song was "Dreams By The Sea" and his take on "May You Never." Kinda jammy/70s feel. Yeah! Will definitely look out for more of his stuff.
Interesting album. I definitely hear the Nick Drake connection - not as good as Drake but you can see where the friends have a similar style. The title track and Drake tribute is a bit hard to pin down but has a cool jazzy sound. Over the Hill is more accessible (and more Drake / Pink Moon-like). May You Never also feels very accessible; I prefer his acoustic guitar-centered version to Clapton's remake. The Easy Blues also had some great acoustic guitar picking and plucking. The very start of I'd Rather Be the Devil had me thinking Pink Floyd; much more intricate instrumentation than the other tracks at that point. Later, Dreams by the Sea has a Curtis Mayfield funk feel with again very different instrumentation, and I really dig it. Maybe my favorite on the album. Go Down Easy feels like another smoky jazz track until he starts singing and his higher pitch gives it a different folk flavor. All in all, the songs are eclectic but I like the variety and not many throwaways. Probably a 3.5 but he's getting a bump for the Nick Drake connection.
very chill.
Puts you at ease in an instant, easy, kinda sexy, masculine, musky. Feels a bit like a caramel scrub or something. An album for adult couples. Full of classics. Great.
A combination of nice folk tracks with psychedelic elements and great guitar work. It really takes a while to get into Martyn's voice though I find.
Smooth jazzy folk
I didn't know the work of British singer, songwriter and guitarist John Martyn. A pleasant surprise. A delicious mix of blues, rock, folk and jazz. This 1973 album is considered one of the best among the 21 studio albums he released, with guest appearances by artists such as Phil Collins, David Gilmour and Eric Clapton. I'm going to listen to his other albums.
Just like when I listened to Pink Moon by Nick Drake and Central Reservation by Beth Orton, I had extremely low expectations and all three exceeded my expectations. I don't like folk music typically but this was so much more than just a folk album. There was jazz and rock influence that truly made it a completely different experience. If it was just a folk I probably wouldn't have liked it nearly as much as I did. I read some other reviews and some people talked about how they did not like his quiet, whispery vocals. I can understand that but I personally like the vocals and think it really matches well with the instrumentation. I think that the instrumentation of this album was really good and made a lot of the songs. The guitar and sax throughout this album really took this album over the top. I liked every song on the album but the best songs to me were "Solid Air", "Over The Hill", "Don't Want To Know", "Dreams By The Sea", "May You Never", and "The Man In The Station". 9.5/10, my favorite folk album I have heard. I prefer it to Blue by Joni Mitchell and Pink Moon by Nick Drake.
never heard about him before. surprisingly happy with this discovery.
Really cool! Would love to listen to this more often.
Impressive album for the time and very cool and groovy yet never experimental
This album meanders a bit, but I rather liked this journey. Underlying the variety is John Martyn's voice and guitar, which I understand is an acquired taste, but again, I rather like it. I also like the mix of singer/songwriter style with jazz, folk, and blues. Overall, I found this interesting and would listen again. There is something quintessentially 1973 about this, but you also wouldn't mistake this for anyone else. 4/5
Really great album. The almost mumble-like vocals of the first track might be a little off-putting, but I think it’s an acquired taste. All the other tracks are magical: lovely, poetical lyrics, experiments with different genres, styles and instruments.
Got into this about 20 years ago, then went off it. It's all over the place! I think it's at its best when it's going in random folk-psych directions, like "Go Down Easy." Not so keen on the faux-Americana bits.
Great for a nice evening!
Loved it!
⭐ Don't Want To Know
Supremely good. Enviable playing.
Fav tracks: May You Never, The Man in the Station, Over the Hill
I was hoping to give this album a second listen because through the first I just kept thinking, "how is it I've never even HEARD of this guy before?" and somehow I wasn't able to really digest what he was doing. But today was a particularly busy one and here I am at 11 PM realizing I didn't even sit down to pen a review. So I'm giving this a 4-star review because, though I'm not even sure I'd recognize a song from this album if it came on the radio, I was struck by how effortless it seemed to John Martyn to create music. It never once sounded like he was trying, it was just happening. I do hope to circle back and get my teeth into this, but first impression is this cat has something going on.
Loved it
Great new music I hadn't heard yet. Look forwards to researching more of his music!
I liked it. 4/5
Very good and smooth
The day in Napoli and first back with WiFi. Going to Sorrento today with Jenna. Going to a book shop then picking up the car. Wednesday 8th March.
After a few listens this album was actually a lot better than I gave it credit for at the start. I never really got used to his way of singing, but the songs are diverse and of a high quality
pretty ok
4.0
At first I thought this was going to be a weird as hell album. I was right. But, it had great variety of easy listening and very much kept my interest. Go Down Easy and Man In The Station stood out to me the most. I appreciated this a lot and I’d definitely listen to some of the songs again.
Eltrapeze et moi sommes d'accord là-dessus, John Martyn s'est très bien appliqué à nous baiser la gueule avec cet album.
John Martyn se propose ici de venir nous Gene Clarkiser la gueule sans vergogne, et on en redemande.
Classic
Very relaxing listen, nothing really stuck out to me, but some great soothing music.
Röddin aðeins of kæruleysisleg á köflum, og sumt ekki grípandi við fyrstu hlustun, en mörg lögin ansi góð og hljóðheimurinn er mjög töff.
Molto bella 'Solid Air' calda, suadente, sexy È tutto molto bello!
Took me awhile to get used to the singing style, but I really liked the variety of styles and instrumentation on this album. Some really great understated saxophone, electric piano and vibraphone runs on many of the songs. The more straight forward blues tracks were a bit forgettable, but overall a solid album.
This album has been on my radar after Produce Like a Pro’s excellent video, but I only now got around to it. Good sfuff! Martyn had an exceptional ear for influences and melds sounds together that work better than they should. I definitely will look harder for a copy now. B
Good stuff., a variety of folk and groove. Check out more of his stuff, there’s a lot.
Never heard of John Martin and expected to not enjoy this based on the reviews. But while reading about him and listening, I grew intrigued and enjoyed this album. 4/5.
one of the gem from the 1001. Nick Drake vibe - love it.
Very great album! Jazzy folk in the style of Nick Drake, how can we not love it?
Completely new to me. Enjoyed much more than I expected to given the genre, and will be checking out his other work. Love the cover art as well. Decent discovery.
To me, there are few more perfect songs than “Over the Hill,” so I was disappointed to learn that the rest of the album is not equally great. It’s still a solid album, I just wanted a little bit more
The singer's mumbling doesn't always work, but I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt and let it grow on me. The reason I want to do that, is the band on this album is superb and the arrangements are lively, interesting and diverse. The double bass, the organ, so tasteful, so subtle yet effective. This all coming from someone who is not a fan of this kind of mellow folk-rock, but John and the band won me over. Dreams By the Sea in particular is just a wonderful song. I award John 4 devils to help him get his woman back! 😈😈😈😈
Very nice, reminiscent of Nick Drake. I'd heard a couple of these songs before but it was great to listen through the entire album. 4 stars.
Kinda ethereal, jazzy, pretty interesting.
folkzao bem tri
This really helped me to understand where a lot of the psychedelic indie sound of the Y2K era came from. If you're a Gomez or a Beta Band fan, it helps to know your roots.
Kinda chill folksy feels. Pleasant.
So far so good, like a few songs like may you never, don’t wanna know etc.. very nice drakey vibes
That is a pretty good album cover
Just weird enough for me to like. Sounds like 70s psychedelic prog mixed with a bit of country & Funkadelic's Maggot Brain (which I listen to on a weekly basis). What an odd album - and I mean that as a compliment. I'm adding this to my chill/funk playlist.
Soft and sweet but too quiet for me
A really interesting blend of genres that I did not expect to like. 8/10
Interesting. I’ve never heard of him before today. Pseudo Nick drake, part James Taylor.
Never heard of John Martyn before, but really enjoyed this, good mix of folk, jazz and even some blues near the end, an album I’m going to come back to.
not my favorite style but good.
Beautiful album. Never heard of it. Amazing. Wow.
A very long time since I last heard this. Of the time but remains a fine collection.
Perfect for my mood today
Glad I’m back in time for mr John Martyn. Never heard of him. Unique and ahead of his time way back in 73? I love the guitar work. Some of it reminds me of James Taylor without the nasal. Night club psychedelic. Brown shag carpet and beads for doors.
First listen started slow and then the last bunch of songs were really good, going to listen again and report back. Why does he sing about jelly so much? He’s a jelly guy ig 🤷🏻♂️
Pretty good I liked it
I've never heard this but really enjoyed most of the album. I will definitely check out more John Martyn. Thanks 1001 Album Generator
I hadn’t heard any John Martyn before and wow, this album is incredible. I’d immediately made comparisons to Nick Drake before reading that he and Martyn were friends and Solid Air was written as a warning and homage to Drake who sadly died 18 months after release. I’d Rather Be The Devil (a Skip James cover) evokes the grittiness of Nick Cave which I love. My only gripe is this track goes on probably 2:30 too long with an instrumental. Also not massive on the sax solo on Dreams By The Sea though the rest of the song is great. Highlights: Solid Air, Over The Hill, Don’t Want To Know, I’d Rather Be The Devil, Dreams By The Sea, The Man In The Station Were it not for the 2 gripes listed above I’d have given this 5/5. I’ll be looking for this record on vinyl