JOHN MARTYN
- SUNDAY'S CHILD
- SAPPHIRE
JOHN & BEVERLEY MARTYN
- ROAD TO RUIN
(Island)

ONE of the great unsung heroes (although two decades of own-furrow albums suggests somebody somewhere loves you), John Martyn on a good day could interweave the ghostly flair of an Alex Chilton, the abstract grace of Talk Talk, and the ventricles and auricles of Al Green's soul.

JOHN MARTYN: 'BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert" (Windsong WINCD 012) (76.51)
JOHN MARTYN: 'Live At Leeds' (Awareness AWCD 1036) (49.19)

Most of the acoustic singer-songwriters who emerged on the British rock scene of the late Sixties have moved gently into the folk camp. Not so John Martyn, who has built a loyal cult reputation for almost 25 years of recordings which range from traditional folk material to jazz-rock and dub experiments in sound.

Recommended releases

If you're a fan of John Martyn, then you'll be glad to hear that on the evidence of this latest offering, your man's in fine fettle.

Wrinkly ravers

Elsewhere in the 'reliable chaps in need of a break' field there's John Martyn, who has been tipped for greatness for two decades