UK

On The Cobbles - Independiente ISOM 43CD

28 Jun 2004
Belfast Telegraph
Anonymous

Music Life: Well Kept Secret

ISN'T it a bitter-Sweet Little Mystery why Ulster live visitor, John Martyn, remains one of those secretly coveted cult artists, after more than 35 years of sterling music-making? For Martyn, who tops the bill at this year's Get Down With The Blues Festival, in Downpatrick, this week, sadly remains a little-known name to the general public.Yet, it's this Scottish man's deft mix of everything from traditional folk, baleful blues, smoky jazz and tense funk, which is revered by a who's who of rock stars, such as Eric Clapton, Beck and Beth Orton.

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On The Cobbles

One World - Island ILPS 9492

26 Jun 2004
Radio Times
Phill Jupitus

John Martyn
One World (Island)

The layered folk of a hi-tech rag 'n' bone man enters the orbit of planet Jupitus.

Phill Jupitus

WORLDLY WISDOM

A spacey 'n' smooth classic from the prolific UK folk fusionist. Martyn is the subject of the documentary John Martyn: Johnny Too Bad (Friday BBC2).1

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One World

Worst Luck

Mark Ellen
The Word #16

Section FOREWORD/ MUSIC

For the first time John Martyn "didn't do a runner from hospital". With good reason: he'd just had his leg amputated.

IN 1996, JOHN MARTYN'S PANCREAS exploded. The medical profession had warned him -and to be fair, he had adopted a more balanced diet; "a balance," he reflects, "of pickled eggs, whisky and beer"- but it was the point in the life of the now 55-year old songwriter when he had to concede that his grievances were self-inflicted and not merely an endless catalogue of catastrophic bad luck.

On The Cobbles - Independiente ISOM 43CD

1 Jun 2004
The Word #16
Anonymous

JOHN MARTYN:
On The Cobbles (INDEPENDIENTE)

The Scottish folksmith collaborates with a Wurlitzer playing Paul Weller and the Verve's Nick McCabe on his latest release, laced with soft-rock guitars and experimental devilment.

sitenote:
This was published in the F.Y.I. section with a very small Lawrence Watson picture.
The same issue carried a story "Worst Luck" about the Johnny Too Bad documentary.

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On The Cobbles

John Martyn: Johnny Too Bad

Director: 
Serena Cross
28 May 2004

BBC Four program in the series 'Originals'.

Credits: 
Producer:
Director:
Contributions by: Phil Collins, Ralph McTell, Chris Blackwell, Danny Thompson, Beverley Martyn, Paul Wheeler, Philip King, Beth Orton, Mike Heneghan, Danny Cummings, Andy Sheppard, Spencer Cozens, John Giblin and Gizmo the Dog

Cultural Baggage

Hedge Seel
The Daily Telegraph

Arts+Books section

John Martyn/ Guitarist and singer-songwriter

Favourite new film
Gore Verbinski's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. I think Johnny Depp is particularly funny in it.

On The Cobbles - Independiente ISOM 43CD

15 May 2004
The Times
Nigel Williamson

John Martyn

Blues

There’s a poignant dedication on John Martyn’s new album to the surgical team and nurses of orthopaedic ward one at Waterford hospital in Ireland, where last year he had part of one leg removed after an infection. But you can’t keep a good man down, particularly one such as Martyn who has had to deal with a variety of misfortunes in his troubled career, from chronic alcoholism to being produced by Phil Collins.

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On The Cobbles

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