Sleevenotes

Inside Out (remastered & expanded)

Date: 
7 Nov 2005
Written by: 
John Hillarby

"It felt natural", says John at the beginning of Fine Lines. John described Inside Out, released in October 1973, as "everything I ever wanted to do in music... it's my inside coming out." The free-form jazz orientated experimental album features sublime guitar work by John and superbly varied bass playing from Danny Thompson. Traffic's Steve Winwood (keyboards) and Chris Wood (sax) also contribute, as do Remi Kabaka (percussion) and others. The intensive recording sessions took place over a few days and were largely late at night with no cutting, editing or splicing. It was "live" and tracks were faded out where necessary. The album won John a Golden Disc from Montreux and received glowing reviews from the music press who described it as 'music from inner space' and a 'cosmic foray.'

Live In Nottingham 1976

Date: 
9 May 2005
Written by: 
John Hillarby

John Martyn’s music is beautiful - it will almost certainly affect your life. Art, passion and spirituality are at the heart of it all and in the heart of the man himself. His songs are complex and powerful, yet remaining delicate, they prove to be the most irresistible lure to his vociferous and evangelical fan base.

One World Live

Date: 
1 Nov 2004
Written by: 
John Hillarby

What could be better than spending a warm summers evening in the company of friends in Regents Park, London being intoxicated by the music of John Martyn? With the waft of a certain well known herbal remedy on the gentle summers breeze John is clearly enjoying the occasion.

Mad Dog Days

Date: 
7 Jun 2004
Written by: 
'Jet' Martin Celmins

This 3-CD boxed-set features John Martyn live performance's and studio sessions from the '70s, '80s and '90s. The songs included make Mad Dog Days a mini-retrospective of Martyn's prolific career -a career that began with traditional folk (captured here on Spencer The Rover CD2 track 11) but soon ventured into freeform jazz-blues (Outside In CD2 track 2).

Late Night John - Daryl Easlea

Date: 
24 May 2004
Written by: 
Daryl Easlea

Although nominally a 'folk' artist, to pigeonhole John Martyn is virtually impossible; echoes of rock, pop, jazz, reggae, soul, even chamber music, course through his predominantly acoustic songs. Martyn is one of the sweetest voices in British music; in turn sugar-sweet and gravel-rough, his phrasing and style at times dissolves into transcendent rapture. He is one of the UK's most innovative acoustic and electric guitar players and most affecting lyricists. His brace of albums from 1971 to 1979 can all -without hyperbole- be deemed masterpieces. Whereas his friend, Nick Drake, who died in 1974, has been canonised and mythologized, John Martyn struggles today to be heard.

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