Over the course of 12 albums, John Martyn evolved from a Dylanesque British folksinger to a jazz-influenced electric guitarist and semi-mystical writer and singer.
John Martyn continues to flex his muscles in his Well Kept Secret (Duke 90021-1), a new collection of tunes from this excellent songsmith.
I hadn't really divined the evolution of John Martyn into the Celtic version of Michael McDonald until now
From his early days as a folk strummer to the jazz-inspired, synthesized ramblings in which he has been dabbling of late, commercial success has eluded this British guitar whiz/ vocalist.
The performances on and production of Glorious Fool are superior, but John Martyn's songwriting this time around leaves something to be desired.
Phil Collins, the drummer for Genesis, produced this enchanting album by one of Scotland's premier folk singers.
This sampler of styles is so varied it probably won't please anybody, though there is a little something for everyone
Maybe I can't accept Martyn as a rocker.
GLORIOUS FOOL
JOHN MARTYN
Duke DU 19345
After 11 albums, renegade English folksinger John Martyn remains virtually unknown in the U.S. But all that may change with GLORIOUS FOOL, thanks to the patronage of Genesis drummer Phil Collins, who produced the album for Genesis' new Duke label.
The cuts on Glorious Fool can be easily divided into two categories: the ones that could be played quite comfortably on a soft-rock station like WIOF and the ones that couldn't be played much of anywhere, except on a college station with special programs for people on downers.
