Inside Out – Island ILPS 9253
JOHN MARTYN
Difficult to categorise this musician, except to say that he works in touches of blues, of folk, of the olde-worlde traditional sort of material.
Difficult to categorise this musician, except to say that he works in touches of blues, of folk, of the olde-worlde traditional sort of material.
JOHN MARTYN:
"Inside Out" (Island)
YOU COULD SAY that the post decadence rock scene is structured rather like the society of ants: a hangover of old drones twittering away behind last year's plump queens - and a few lean workers here and there trying to rebuild the crumbling territory.
A distinct disappointment.
John Martyn was born in Glasgow, Scotland and established his early reputation in many of the country's top folk clubs.
Way over across the Big Pond in Glasgow, Scotland, John Martyn has managed to gain for himself a strong and faithful following from his songwriting, singing, and guitar-playing feats.
Using his voice almost like a companion instrument to his guitar, JOHN MARTYN creates a mood composed of jazz, blues and pop sounds on the LP Solid Air
How do you begin to describe a guitarist as sensitive and as accomplished as John Martyn?
Reviewing this sort of album is a bit like dissecting a meat pie after you've eaten it. I could resort to pages of pseudo intellectual wofflé, or I could do Charles Shaar Murray and wax effusively. The safest bet is to say that this album is superb, and Ain't No Saint and Make No Mistake sum the whole album up. There's some thing for everyone here. So this can't be bad at all.
A 'definitively English' singer/ songwriter does not always have an easy time of it in the States.
John Martyn is a mumbler and if you're a lyrics freak, stay away from this one