Solid Air

Love it. Jazz, Blues, and Folk make a mix of great sounding music that I’m surprised isn’t more common. Very chill easy listening album. this album is great cover to cover.

No clue here… The album starts off with it’s title track, it’s enjoyable overall , but I’am not sure about his slurring/ singing style. Looking at wikipedia It’s apparently dedicated to nick drake, who I’ve herd before, so that’s cool! Over the hill has a much more folk sound ( actually more how I remember nick drake’s music) a bit of a wake up from before and the singing is less slurry. But it’s just a worse song I can’t put it any other way. I don’t want to know is really nice, kind of a mix of the sounds from before brought together by a short nice instrumental break and I like the backing singing on here. I’d rather be the devil is the standout though, apparently written by a guy called skip James, it has these great drums, repetitive but good lyrics and every element fits so well much better than the others shame it’s not his song ( apparently). Next is go down easy and while it’s on a different side to i’d rather be the devil I really like the flow between these two, It’s alright probably the worst so far but still okay. Dreams by the sea is much cooler and probably should’ve started off side two instead as it keeps all the main sound but has this energy to it that go down easy really doesn’t have. May you never is one of the folkier ones it’s really enjoyable, not my favourite, but great for the album happy it’s his most popular on Spotify. Then for the penultimate track the man in the station it’s alright it’s a slower cut with a cool enough instrumental but other than that meh. The easy blues is a track split into two parts, the first part is quite odd lyrically but okay instrumental a bit of a wake-up. Then is the shorter second part it’s much slower and not as good but makes sense as a closer. To be fair all I can really say is… eh. Is it in the top 1001 albums… probably but is it on the better half of those… no .

This was a grower

Mama said finish your British jazz folk before you eat your dessert and I said fill me up mommy

Solid

Not feeling this guy as a singer. Need more rock. Maybe come back and listen to this guy when it’s not Friday afternoon.

This album was never getting anything other than a 5. It's been a mainstay in my life since I was a child. John Martyn is one of the greatest to ever do it.

Never even heard of this guy before, can't believe that, this was more than a folk record. I loved it.

This music is executed very well. John Martyn is exceptionally musically literate and manages to bring together folk, jazz, and soul into one coherent whole. Incredibly, his playing and song structures reflect an incredibly nuanced understanding of his music works such that it doesn’t sound like he’s just adding jazz flourishes for color, he understands what he’s doing and why it works. The vocal delivery is reminiscent of Nick Drake and overall this music is identifiable at the outset as part of the British folk movement

I think there is more to be appreciated in the skill of the acoustic guitar that I can’t quite tap into with this one.

Throughly enjoyed this, weired in places but incredible in others

Another of those albums that I appreciate that just doesn't grab. Seems like I am just not that big on white boy blues.

Enjoyed this alot

Highlights: Don't Want to Know, May You Never. When the vocals aren't infuriatingly mumbly this is a gorgeous album.

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

Remember that part in Finding Nemo (2003) where Dory speaks whale? It would seem that in 1973 John Martyn did it first with somewhat wailing vocals in the title track. "Solid Air" the title track has a Nick Drake quality to it, and while 'solid' and 'air' may bother one's high school education, the song itself lends a bit of surprise with following tracks that go more jazz-inspired. In a way, if this album had been more of "Solid Air" style, the rating would be affected more positively. Jazz and singing to jazz are two very difficult things, especially for a non-musician, to be objective about. "Dreams by the Sea" is a groovy melody with seemingly ad lib moments that thankfully did not devolve into scat, but depending on how one processes jazz, this reviewer tends to dislike having to decode both at the same time. As if this album had more to give, "The Easy Blues" changes the pace considerably. The folksy Nick Drake, the jazz lounge, and finally the blues lounge. Admittedly, John Martyn's take on the blues is a solid offering. Vocally, his range is tested here and it performs well. This might be a song that gets disregarded for how out of place it seems, but it is not bad and while the genre rollercoaster ended here, it was a good end.

An album to listen to after an all night party, you're having a night cap and the sun is just beginning to come up. Just great. Best Tracks: Solid Air; Over the Hill; May You Never

Initial thoughts, not a fan of the mumbling rambling singing style. The music itself sounds nice. I am enjoying listening to this more and more. A decent album, I will give some of his other albums a listen for sure.

some of these songs i was really impressed with and others i was like okayyy that’s enough but overall i thought it was a good and calming album

Thoroughly enjoyable album. Like a more-accessible Nick Drake meets Jonathan Edwards, both of whom I enjoy quite a bit. It's simple in one sense; acoustic guitar, Rhodes piano, bass, some drums, vocals. But for every nice simple tune like "May You Never" there's quiet jazz like "Solid Air" and spacious and anticipatory latter part of "I'd Rather Be the Devil" - the other standout is "Over The Hill" The album ends a little weakly with a few straight blues tunes... "The Easy Blues" wouldn't be a favourite of mine with the affected blues vocals but the great acoustic playing overrides it and makes it a good listen. Still, it is more diverse than I'd expected and all in a nice and tidy 34 minutes. 7/10 4 stars.

Pretty good singer-songwriter fair. I like the wide range of influences and styles but also the consistent dreamy quality and undertones.

Proljetni za proljeće. Sretna godina dana ❤️

Ovo je stvarno zanimljiv, ležeran i dobar album. Takve kombinacije su me baš ugodno iznenadile i sviđa mi se. Kombinacija folka, đeza i bluza strpanom u 35min ljepote. Stvarno zaslužena četvorka i drago mi je da je kvalitetan album obilježio 365. album.

Čestitke na 365, here's to 636 more, volim vas!

The instrumental work in this album was perfect for focusing on work. Smooth and easy. Martyn's voice, however, was less refined. Been listening to Nathaniel Rateliff and also Jake Xerxes Fussell. Their level of rough around the edges still blends right into their musical style. I did not feel the same with Martyn. In an album that lets you sink in, a singer being just outside that feeling leaves you unsatisfied. Also, the lyrics felt like poems a friend of my mom's would put into a Hallmark card. Sentimental, nostalgic and over the top cheesy.

The first track I thought I'd write more notes about John Martyn as it was the only one I hadn't heard of and I really wanted to know why it made the list. And, I wanted to avoid accidentally listening again in the future needlessly. 1. Title track Solid Air I read to listen to the album with headphones. I think that's a great call. The atmospheric qualities of the song just aren't going to mesh with today's background atmosphere well. This seems like it would have been an amazing song for hippies in their 30s to early 40s to get a little high too and have sex in the mid 1970s, perhaps after a party with some aging hippy friends who are trying to find a more permanent home in the folk jazz rock ambient scene as the hippie scene begins to age. 2. Tracks 2,5, 7 sound like background music for a reasonably enjoyable but completely forgettable Indy movie. 3. Tracks 3, 4, 8 and 9 sound like a very mediocre college Doors cover band. 4. Track 6 Dreams by the Sea has Bob Dylan potential in the sense that others who cover it would likely make a good song even if the original was ok. I could see a lot of groove forward bands (Soulive, Phish, MMW, String Cheese Incident, etc) turn it into a respectable jam. 5. Track 10 is just on there to remind you that many bands, like many sports, are more fun in person than listening at home.

Interesting, love the jazzy influence - will give his other works a listen but not completely grooving

I didn't feel his vocal style sat so well with the music. Some great instrumentation and I really enjoyed a lot of this album. Just the voice...

Enjoyed the singing and lyrics, solid folk album

Not super interesting

At first I thought this was going to be an annoying 70s folk, singer/songwriter thing but it turned out to be a really interesting mix of folk, jazz, funk, blues. I've never heard of this guy but glad I got this album

A mixed bag of smokey late night jazz, sprightly folk and several experimental tracks that use an echoplex unit. It's a decent album, with some vocals that sound like Martyn was inebriated (or trying to sound drunk) like on the title track. I like the straightforward forward folk/country songs the best (May You Never and Over The Hill). This is John Martyn's best known album, but I prefer some of the earlier ones he recorded with his then wife Beverly. This one sounds a little disjointed.

Heard this a lot as a kid at home. Happy trip down memory lane

Bit dull

Loved this, reminds me of lots of happy times

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I thought John Martyn was all twee fiddledy diddledy stuff, but it was punchy and varied and had loads of good riffs that stick in your head after the song had long gone.

I'd only heard of John Martyn before because Anthony down the open mic night paid tribute to him. I liked the variety of styles, bit folky, bit jazzy, better than I'd expected it to be... and I liked the cover artwork too!

Belle découverte, certaines chansons ont une esthétique atemporelle ; elles auraient pu sortir aujourd'hui.

Ended up with this mainly as background music. Enjoyed it and may need to get hold of it.

This is the first of almost 300 albums generated that I really don't know how to feel about it.

Lovely (except the first track, a real mumble fest)

Ugh, that title. But actually quite a nice mumble blues set of songs with a tinge of jazz - in the likes of Nick Drake and Neil Young. Better with repeat listens

Nice and relaxed, with some catchy melodies and interesting production. I liked it a good deal, but my man sounds absolutely zooted out of his gourd half the time lol

Soulful blues, this is good depression muzak.

calm, need to listen again in a different mood

For me it is the definitive John Martyn album.

Something about this guy just bothers me.

I did not recognize the artist or any of the songs. It was uninspiring. No need to listen to it again.

I prefer the unplugged songs. Makes me wonder myself enjoying the sunset at some nice place.

Strangely likeable folk guitar, loose and floaty. Title track filled with wonderful mumbling.

Solid 4.

Upee kansi. Levy kuulostaa loppumattomalta introlta ja jättää mut jatkuvasti odottamaan sitä että ”joku alkaa oikeesti”. Hämmentävä folk/jazz meininki. Hyvii elementtejä mutta jään kaipaamaan jotain vielä enemmän... 2/5

Okei. Kansikuvan perusteella odotin jotain full scifi-syntikkameininkiä, että siinä oli heti lievä pettymys. Sitten heti ensivaikutelmana hidastemposta valittavaa mies-ja-kitaramusaa ja vielä ärsyttävällä lauluäänellä, niin suhtauduin kyllä aika nuivasti. Mutta lopulta kuitenkin lämpenin tälle fiilistelylle, ja oikeestaan tykkäsin aika paljon. Lämmin ja miellyttävä kitarasaundi ja paikoin tosi meneviä ja tarttuviakin biisejä.

Hyvää ja kiinnostavaa musaa. Alussa innostuin aika paljonkin, mutta lopussa vähän taantui. Siistejä jazz-fiboja ja kokeellisuutta.

Ah nyt on herkkää. Hienosti siirrytään isosta tunteesta pieneen ilmaisuun. Go Down Easy kaunis värssy. 4/5

Soa muito coeso, e deve ser escutado como se lê um livro: na íntegra e na sequência do repertório.

I really enjoyed this one. There was some other John Martyn album earlier in the list that I listened to and didn't care for, but this one was great!

yeah was fine. enjoyed the first track alot and was disappointed by the rest.

Really enjoyed this!! Felt a bit slow at first but picked up around 3 songs in and then I was IN! I'd Rather Be The Devil was a highlight, also liked the way he sings in Go Down Easy

Wasn't a fan of the first song or the mumbling, but the album got better as it went on, and overall I enjoyed. Some good tunes!

Solid and chill. Totally lovely

Proper lovely, diverse and interesting album. A bit jazzy, a bit folky, a whole lot nice

Possible John Martyn's best album?

MEH.

One of those artists I've head mentioned many times over the years, but never listened to.

Trippy, bluesy, spacey, raw vocals loved it.

But I can tell you it’s hard to hide When you’re living on solid air

2/5 not my liking

Oh, now this was really good - smokey jazzy bluesy - right up my street - a couple of tracks added to the favourites list

I kinda fw the vocals on it. But not my vibe.

John Martyn is a new artist for me, and Solid Air was new music. A fair portion of the music sounded like what I thought the music would sound like, based on the title and album art - a folk-ish invitation to float in space. Sometimes Martyn's voice and delivery reminded me of Nike Drake. "May You Never" was my favorite track. I'm not sure if I'll remember having listened to this album, but it was okay.

High 3

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

Sounded like a lot of different genres rolled into one. I had never heard of him before, but this was definitely pleasant to listen to. Nothing really stood out, but overall I liked the album. First song was probably my favorite - Solid Air.

Pleasant enough folk album. The instrumentation works really well but the vocals take some getting used to.

Enjoyed this. Smooth jazzy vibes with a but of rock thrown in. Can hear the influence of Nick Drake in the vocals.

Great

A very spacious folk album reminiscent of Nick Drake's vocals and accompanient. Gets a little crazy with the jazz, a little avant-garde here and there. It's busy, with a lot of channels going on, and I can hardly understand any lyrics in some songs. But it's pleasant to listen to and certainly creative. Favorites: Solid Air, Over the Hill, I'd Rather Be the Devil, May You Never

Eh

This is the kind of jazz influence I can dig. I'm a fan of folk/singer-songwriter in general, and this album really hit the spot for me personally.

Never heard of John Martyn before. Nice relaxing folk album, great for a quiet night. This is going on my replay list.

musically, not what i would have thought of as being called a folk singer. very experimental and interesting.

Niet te doen. Als je je album vernoemt naar het eerste nummer op de plaat dan snap ik de artiest niet. Maar goed, vast dat er fans zijn

Mooi zeg! John Martyn, nooit van gehoord.

Dit vond ik zeer aangenaam. Beetje Nick Drakeish.

Dit was een aangename verrassing. Ga ik nog eens luisteren.

Een soort kruising tussen Nick Drake en Jack Johnson.

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

It’s some good Brit pop. And has “there she goes” on it.

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

Bit dull singer songrwriter fayre.

Nice music. Some songs more interesting than others though.

Solid Air: is he drunk?!

Really nice. Guitar focused so that immediately grabs my ear. I thought the whole album flowed well and blanketed the ear nicely.

9th December 2021 Listened throughout the day on my phone while working the night before going to Canada! Really original voice and style. Folk and jazz combined, I liked it.

Sounded OK. Lost interest. Will revisit.

Low-key vibes and songs that draw you in, even on the first listen. A clear outlier in the singer/songwriter genre, at times recalling the jazzier phrasing of Joni Mitchell. A solid listen that has me interested in exploring more of his catalog.

Folk-rock-jazz.

Bien, pero no me ha llamado mucho la atención

Dig this - Don't want to know

Bon Iver che entra in un saloon e si mette al piano. Non sparategli! Perfetto sottofondo, tutto l'album

291121 10:37 4.5

I appreciated this album, but it's not really my speed

Did not like

another british rocker I never needed to hear. Smooth music but give me something new and exciting plz.

Loved this one, wow! Same vein as Nick Drake was my first thought, and cool to hear he dedicated at least one track on here to Nick. Love the quieter tunes, especially opening the album. Also cool that he explored some jazzy/bluesy territory, but all in the singer-songwriter style. Might be lame to say, but this is a great album to put on and just catch a vibe. I'm very into this project. Favorite tracks: Solid Air, Over the Hill, May You Never, The Man in the Station, Gentle Blues. Album art: Really awesome cover. I feel like I've seen this before, but not sure. Love the simplicity of it, and the art is just really fascinating. Apparently an image meant to demonstrate that air is, in a sense, solid. Hell yeah. 4.5/5

3.5.....4 or 5 good tracks ...from the past May you never lay...

Yndisleg plata

Top Picks: Solid Air and I Don't Wanna Know. Love love love this album! one of my all time favourites. First 5 stars I've given

experimental and feels modern but old - doesn't grab me in the sense of wow I like this but it does grab me by feeling unique

In some placed bad, but mostly just not for me.

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

Had not heard of this guy. This was a cool, soulful album, and ai really enjoyed it.

Cierto estilo rollinga. Buen sonido y ritmo.

If the word vanilla is used to connote absolutely plain, basic and uninteresting, what would be one notch under that? I'm trying to rectify how something can be totally unlistenable but not terrible. This is music, yes. And, I imagine that there are some people that enjoy this, but I couldn't find any music worthy of discussing here. I suppose, since I have to pick something, Easy Blues is a positive that I'll extract from this. It is the one song that doesn't belong here. I'm going to take a stab at how the term 'vanilla' would fit into the 5-star breakdown. 1 - Shit / offensive 2 - ? 3 - Vanilla / meh 4 - Doughnuts and Cronuts 5 - ? Well, that didn't work... to be continued...

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

Remember when I said jazz wasn’t my thing? This feels like guitar jazz. Is he saying words? Is he skatting? Who can tell.

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

Not bad, but not quite my jam

This was very pleasant. Enjoyed it.

Wasn't at all familiar with this album or artist, but the folksy tone suited me well this morning. It's the kind of thing you might hear as a good acoustic set in a small club/venue somewhere. I don't think it's strong enough for me to merit 4 stars, but it's an easy 3.

jazzy and quiet title track. over the hill is a cool song. strange cover of devil got my woman, interesting. some songs kind of like nick drake, with some stangely funky and atmospheric, interesting, may take more listens. The easy blues is nice

Really solid middle, but the beginning really let it down. I liked the last song on the album though, I feel it ends with a bit of a bang

Such a beautiful album, but "I'd rather be the devil" is two songs ... That didn't have to be on the album at all imo. "Over The Hill" is the perfect song to leave work to! "Don't Wanna Know" is so chill. "May You Never" is probably the best song on the album, but I'd gotten familiar with "The Man In The Station" some time ago, and I absolutely love that too. Almost a 5'er, if two songs weren't included. 4/5

I will give it a 2, it was OK but seemed to go on a bit too long for me

Bien, pero no me ha llamado mucho la atención

The first track is very moody, as a tribute to Nick Drake should be. I like the breathy sax solo and the spacey electric piano (throughout). Overall, I prefer the moody and introspective folk numbers. When he kicks it up, the instrumentation is great but his voice, to me, is better suited to mellower tracks. Eric Clapton and Beth Orton covering a couple of these songs says a lot about his composing skills.

Some folks have complained about Martyn's mumbling, drunken singing style, which sounds like a hybrid of Nick Drake and Tom Waits, but its quite distinctive and I like it. He's a master songwriter and guitar player too. My fav track is Small Hours with the looping guitar feedback.

Average

Groovy and chill

Like the instruments palette, bit early Tom Waits vocals, on track 1 Track 2 I like much less Decent

Sounds low key and mellow what i want today.

Ho ascoltato quest'album un paio di volte prima di dare il voto. Musicalmente l'ho trovato bellissimo. Mi piacciono gli arrangiamenti, come suonano le chitarre e come suona l'album in generale. C'è qualcosa che mi disturbava del suo modo di cantare, a volte sembra un continuo sbadigliare. Al secondo ascolto è andata meglio, diciamo che l'ho capito di più. Ho scoperto che John Martyn viveva (ed è morto) a pochi km da casa mia, perché la sua compagna era irlandese. Ed è stato anche ricoverato nell'ospedale dove lavoro - The new album is dedicated to the surgical team at Ardkeen hospital in Waterford, where his right leg was amputated below the knee in April 2003. “Awful nice people, nurses, doctors, really sweet, ” he says. He spent seven and a half weeks in hospital. Morphine helped to ease the pain and during the recovery period, his partner Teresa Walsh would drive him out to Dunmore East - (Dunmore East è un villaggio sul mare nella contea di Waterford, uno dei miei posti preferiti in assoluto). Vabbe', concludendo, non riesco a dargli 4 ma sono molto tentato.

Non conoscevo John Martyn manco di nome. L'ascolto è stato interessante e ho trovato il suo stile davvero personale e avanti coi tempi. L'uso che fa della voce potrebbe forse stancare ma io l'ho trovato invece interessante e abbastanza originale, alla fine va un po' in direzione Tom Waits ma con una vena più blues e meno sbroccata. Per me è un 3.75 però me s'è incastrato il dito sul 4.

Hadn't listened to this album for years and had low expectations but after some repeated listening could appreciate it much more now. Thank you 1001albumsgenerator :-)

Initially thought this was a bit pedestrian, but as the songs progressed, I got more into it. On the second listen, I could appreciate the musicianship more (especially the jazzy elements), even got used to the voice and really enjoyed the album overall.

Again slow music, but good!

Loved it.

Eclectic guitar rock

Not something I would come back to. The album didn't flow well in my opinion. So many different styles

Somewhere between jazz fusion and folk. Little blues thrown in there as well. Inoffensive. Kind of boring. Favorite track: "May You Never"

This is like a Bob Ross painting without Bob Ross.

Not my thing, good album

True Rating: 83/100

solid folk sound.

May you never, great tune - album is solid! Will be looking for this guy to add to the collection!

Really good!

Pretty chill not my favourite

Reposado. En ocasiones más enérgico. No destaca en nada especialmente.

Big fan of this one!! Bring more like this!

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

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

Pretty solid.

Cool album. Warm, summery vibes, surprisingly jazzy and soulful. Beautiful guitar work. I love Martyn's voice. Spotify had recommended "The Man in the Station" to me before, which I enjoyed, but I hadn't taken the time to explore him further. So glad I had the opportunity to hear more today. Fave songs: The Man in the Station, Don't Want to Know, May You Never

Was it good? yeah Was it great? no

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

Mumble Jazz

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

Yeah the British bias of this list is showing up again here. This is some weird sort of funk folk rock that sounds like the doobie brothers trying to be country.

3/5

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

Great little find. Wonderfully sung, great songs and great vibe

Not enough here to generate substantial interest from a singer-songwriter standpoint. Most tracks abandon any interesting improvisation in favor of rehashing the chorus on a loop, but even then the style isn't strong enough to differentiate it from the crowd.

Definite traces of Nick Drake and Richard Thompson with lilts of jazz.

Great sound

Heel afwisselend album, met hier en daar wat mosterd voor o.a. Bon Iver. Ik vond het een leuke verrassing, en eentje om te onthouden, maar net geen 5/5 waard

Very nice. First listen. I give it a solid 3/5 for now. I'm sure this will move up to 4 stars after I've heard it more.

Some easy listening, good background music. Don't know that I'd put this on again but didn't mind it. Jazzy/Bluesy night music.

Knew nothing about the artist or album going into it. Not bad. Soft rock, but then it also had elements of jazz, progressive and hard rock. Intriguing album but it's hard to wrap my head around it on the first listen.

a bit average

1st Track I describe as mumble Jazz. The rest of the album was descent.

Knew nothing about the artist or album going into it. Not bad. Soft rock, but then it also had elements of jazz, progressive and hard rock. Intriguing album but it's hard to wrap my head around it on the first listen.

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

Two songs to this never heard before album or artist; I LOVE his jazzy voice and arrangements. Great, percussive guitar playing. Really enjoying this first listen.

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

some brilliant songs, and varies from track to track, no two sound the same.

It was alright, but can’t see it being good enough to make this list. I did like how a lot of the tracks had different sounds than each other. I listened to part of the album which driving in the rain and the music did mach that ambiance.

Chill vibes

Don't want to know is een vibe.

3.3 Leuke rustige listen. of ik het nog opnieuw ga luisteren idk maar heb wel genoten.

mooi compleet album, tof om eens te horen

Dreamy, folk-jazz album, many songs could work well as a part of a dinner party playlist to have some ambient background music. Best: Solid Air Worst: I'd Rather be the Devil (Devil got my Woman)

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

Bought it!

Short and sweet. Good jams to work to

Avantgarde folky pop album by weirdo John Martyn. It takes some getting used to, but rewards you in a great way for your efforts. I like the album cover too.

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

some decent tunes on here but also some forgettable ones...

Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood but the album just kept drifting into the background for me. Not sure when I would be in the mood for this but it’s not Tuesday evening.

Silky inventive blues

Infesting album. Lots of rhythm and blues based music. Straight up blues along with music that sounds more like Jim Croce. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. I

The Doors, Peter Capusotto. 3,7.

Blues, Funk, Folk - pretty good. Smooth album to listen to as a whole

I heard “Over the Hills” first covered by a slew of great bands in a documentary called “Austin to Boston”. This album is... fine. Excellently ignorable. This album is like... excellently ignorable, but many of the tracks could also serve as the background for a montage, should you be experiencing one.

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

Smooth and great!

Sonido jazz , y guitarra acústica me gusto

Didn't hate it

Очень понравилось. Очередная находка благодаря этому ресурсу. Буду слушать дальше.

Smooooth! Love Solid air, dreams by the sea, Easy blues, solid air, over the hill, and don't want to know. I give it a 9/10. Tons of genres explored on this album, which keeps it fresh. I can hear some similarities with Nick Drake, but this is way better. This probably deserves to be a household name. It's not really my genre, but I have grown to respect it after about 4 listens through the album.

Não é muito a minha vibe, mas havia músicas excelentes, destaco o Don't Want to Know. Não tenho muito a dizer é o que é, um álbum com uma vibe de jazz e rock bastante agradável. Nota:7/10

My dad brought this to my attention last year. Folk rock is not really my thing, but damn this is quality. He has a deep, smooth, sometimes almost slurred voice. The music is clean and detailed folk rock, with some strong touches of blues. Tracklist is slightly weird, as it feels the first side is folky and the flipside is more rock. I'm not a fan of that division. The whole thing has aged really well! Sounds fresh as the day it was bottled. 4/5

is good

Cantautor setentero, del rollo de Nick Drake. Sin dejar de lado el folk acostumbrado, sustenta las canciones en su guitarra y en su magnífica voz, destacando también el uso mágico del teclado que hace así como el free jazz en que derivan muchos temas. Magnífico descubrimiento.

Great album. Martyn has nice voice. Good lyrics.

Enjoyed this very much!

Over the hill is a club masher. Good vibe, but feel like I prefer other JM. Going to investigate ****

I can only describe this as psychedelic country/folk music. He has such an interesting way of playing guitar, but it makes it very worth listening to. I loved this album!

Nice, but didn't really grab me in any special way.

Brilliant

This is smooth as hell. John Martyn has a voice that makes this record so crisp, it's hard not to enjoy it. Also comes with interesting and varied instrumentals that keeps things fresh. Solid record.

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

Fairly dull, slurry folk

Meh.

I loved that I'd never even heard of this guy and he's soo talented! Good first listen, hope the rest of the albums are as good.😊

It was alright.

Nice acoustic early blues. Good vibes.

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

not for me

3.5 I really enjoyed listening to this album. I think a few songs do drag it down but still pretty solid.

Thought this was average (more like a 2.5). A few of the songs were nice but he also mumbled so much it got on my nerves?

algo lento para mi

First time listen and a really surprisingly enjoyable one. Will listen again.

Surprisingly good. Listen again

kinda cool iguess

ganz gut, aber dann doch nicht.

Guter Typ der seine zwischen verschlafenerer Melancholie und barbituratiger Verwaschenheit unentschlossene Stimme über psych-jazzige Stücke auslegt, wie der Dude seinen Teppich. Ein vergleichbar freier, kauziger Geselle könnte in Ryley Walker gefunden sein, dessen Kombo ebenfalls aus der Jazz Szene zusammengesucht ist und dem Sound eine handmade Wärme verpasst. 4.2

Netter Singer-Songwriter mit ein paar Edges, die ihn von z.B. Zeitgenosse Nick Drake abheben. Ist bei mir nicht wirklich hängen geblieben, bekommt aber trotzdem 0,1 oder 0,2 Punkte mehr als die leider bisschen einseitige Cave-Nummer aus dem direkten Vergleich. Also 2,8.

sweet

Guitarrista acústico escoces

Unclear. Wasnt bad. Just. I was. Unclear.

Ok...It's a good album, but nothing special for me. The song "May you never" is the best.

Folk-rock-jazz.

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

Very mellow. Enjoyed listening to this. Like a male Joni Mitchel at times.

A great listen. I heard a lot of influences from 90s grunge especially Pearl Jam in a good way. Started strong and kinda faded towards the end. Good listen!

Found this pretty boring, not gonna lie. I appreciate the blending of genres but Martyn doesn’t seem to do anything interesting or engaging with them, he just embodies the sound without any refinery to his songwriting to draw us into these sounds.

1973, folk Rock, folk Jazz, folk, Chilliger vibe, paar Lieder die eher einen traurigen klang haben sind einfach banger

Solid album. Fantastic acoustic guitar playing. He plays it almost like it’s a percussion instrument. I enjoyed the double bass on the album and the overall production. Good album!

I enjoyed it. Would probably have enjoyed it more if I sat and listened rather than being on the go with busted earbuds.

Rock, folk

Meh

Meh

Fun jazz/pop/folk record. Only a couple tracks stuck with me though.

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

This actually is better than I expected. Some bluesy / jazzy bits, good melodies, interesting effects and distortion. His voice has an Ian curtis / john maus / new wave sound.

Liked it.

Really enjoyed

Gritty and moody. Really vibe-y album that is worth another listen to. Especially ‘The Easy Blues’ and ‘Go Down Easy’

Folksy Nick Drake Vibes Bluesy, jazzy, folksy in parts. Upbeat but sad.

Not my favorite. A little too experimental for my taste.

Really cool album. Slick folk guitar and interesting vocals. 8/10

Good vibes. Bounces between acoustic blues to funky jazz. Deff an album I would throw on for certain moods.

holy crap this album came out of left field and i loved it! the soothing songs mixed with the longing, hard-to-swallow and well crafted lyrics and composition made for an amazing listen.

Quick listen, slightly forgettable but chill

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

Wide-ranging and really interesting listen throughout. Reminiscent of Nick Drake, but more ambitious and harder hitting.

I feel mixed about this album. I mostly like it, but there’s stuff that sort of annoys me on it, like I can only understand what he’s saying about half the time.

Thought it was ok, classic sounding. Could tell he was being experimental but it sounded tame, at least by today's standards. Definitely heard the Nick Drake influence at times. Underwhelming for me overall.

surprisingly pleasant for music that is not my style

Very nice.

silky smooth, much groove, will get you laid.

Great introduction to John Martyn, I will definitely be adding him to my rotation. Excellent guitar and good ambient sounds mixed with folky tunes/lyrics. Highlights: -Over The Hill -Go Down Easy -The Easy Blues

I'm sure that this album is very good at what it does, but it's not really my cup of tea.

Kind of pretty ok. Little moany in parts but I’d throw it on in the background.

Smooth, jazzy at points, strong voice yet soft when necessary. Didn't grab my attention right away but still vaugely enjoyable at some points 5/10

Geweldig yeah

Cool jazz/soul/rock/funk fusion stuff. Worth a revisit.

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

Pretty chill. I can see John Martyn having a cult-appeal. Some neat experimentation going on here, but overall is just fine... doesn't do much beyond that for me.

Hella funky. Great album.

Was nice to listen to but the album did not get to me. Was not bad to me.

Dreams by the Sea feels like I'm in the start of Dirty Harry. Dripping with 70s cop movie. Liked it way more on the second listen.

-nick drake, arthur verocai, neil young, astral weeks -"Dreams by the Sea" is a funky hit, "Gentle Blues" has a cool synthy sound at the end -wait he was friends with nick drake and dedicated it to him this is a nice fine album but for this sound I would probably go to everyone listed above before I go to this again

Não é muito bom, mas eu gostei. Tem clima de surf rock.

Nice atmospherical folk album, a must listen in the middle of the night.

decent acoustic guitar stuff, didn't really catch my ear

Rich sound- both guitar and voice. I liked the 5 songs I listened to. Would listen again. Didn’t feel dated.

Very nice. Kind of cozy and relaxing.

'May You Never‘ hatte ich im Frühjahr (2021) gehört, weil im 1001albums-subreddit darauf verwiesen wurde, mich dann aber nicht mit Martyn beschäftigt, den ich vorher nicht kannte. Freund von Nick Drake, eine gewisse musikalische Ähnlichkeit ist unverkennbar und deshalb gefällt mir das wohl auch so gut (btw: ich hoffe, Drake ist in dieser Liste). Dieses Album ist großartig, Perlen wie diese sind der Grund, dass ich dieser Liste weiterhin folge. "it's a classic with not a note out of place" sagt BBC Music und trifft damit den Nagel auf den Kopf.

jazz/folk just isn't my jam, couldn't get into most of the songs

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

Cool, chill, jazzy

Folk to funk to folk.

very very good

paia

Sweet bass

A bit different but I like it

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

Sweet marriage of folk and jazz.

Great album that is genre bending and never boring. Dilling into folk, pop, rock, jazz, blues and doing it all great

Was very calming, a bit too wispy for my taste. But a good listen nonetheless.

Solid Trash

Fantástico.

Okay. Nothing I'd return to.

Profundo e com forte potencial terapêutico. Super original e diferente de tudo o que já ouvi. Ainda sim, com sons familiares e que me agradaram logo de cara. Ouvir mais e mais vezes

Álbum incrível. Já virou um clássico para mim. Acompanhar as letras transforma a experiência. Destaque: Solid Air, Don't Wanna Know e May You Never

Did not listen to it but looked into it enough. I'm sure it was fine but not what i was in the mood for the day after the Dodgers won the World Series.

Singer/songwriter, jazz-inspireret, akustisk

Super inconsistent from one song to the next. Some really nice guitar work, but not usually enough to elevate a boring tune. This guy sounds like he doesn't move his jaw when he sings. Best track: Over the Hill