Live At Leeds – Cacophony SKELP 001
A previously mail-order only LP recorded live at Leeds University in 1976, in the days when students sprawled on the floor to take in a concert.
A previously mail-order only LP recorded live at Leeds University in 1976, in the days when students sprawled on the floor to take in a concert.
PIECE BY PIECE John Martyn Island
John Martyn is a gem of a musician waiting to be discovered. The Scottish born Martyn has produced a dozen innovative albums during the past 18 years, attracting only a smattering of public acclaim. "Piece by Piece" might redress that. It is another example of Martyn's formidable song-writing, singing and production skills.
John Martyn celebrates 20 years as a professional musician with Piece By Piece, an album that is both contemporary and a showpiece for his instrumental vocals.
If you're at all seduced by the mellow musings of the new soul/ jazzers (Sade, Everything But The Girl, Working Week) and or intelligent folk/ rockers like Richard Thompson, John Martyn might be just up your alley.
Scotland-born John Martyn has never been a commercial success and that's too bad. It's travesty compounded in the case of Martyn's latest offering, Piece By Piece, because a couple of the tunes here, in the hands of less-eccentric artists, would simply sell millions.
Piece By Piece is Scottish singer-songwriter John Martyn's 18th album, and it continues in the sophisticated, pseudo-jazzy direction of its most recent predecessors.
Ranges from the romantic 'Angeline' to the schizoid 'John Wayne', even venturing into pop with 'Lonely Love' and many will find it hard to believe that this [is] the same JM who was such an innovator in the '70s.
'Serendipity' and 'Nightline' stand out alongside 'Angeline' (which went to No. 1 in the CD charts) 1 and also 'Who Believes In Angels', on which John's voice finally takes on a life of its own -certainly the highest note he's ever sung- it'll soon be demanding its own dressing room.
Speaking of cool, this guy's the master, with his gurgly, jazz-flecked cooing, and finger-popping, hip ditties.
Great voice, great songs, wonderfully produced.