John Martyn can fall asleep on a razor blade.
Is there no end to this man's talents?
Chris Barnes finds out

After rising to prominence with the late 60's electric folk renaissance, John Martyn uprooted songform and subjected it to a serious sonic makeover on a series of albums which rank alongside the best of Tim Buckley and Van Morrison for their radical fusions of folk, soul, jazz and dub. In spite of that, his best music, he says, is yet to come.

'I'm pontificating,' booms John Martyn. 'Well, of course, in a church you've got to pontificate, ain'tcha? Pon, pon, tiddly-pon. And the pontiff .... what? What's the pont of it all?'

On top of his game

Not all that long ago, you wouldn't have reasonably expected to be talking to John Martyn at the unearthly hour of 10:00am. Unless perhaps you had chanced upon him on the way home the morning after the night before, as it were. These days, however, he is not only up and about at the dawning of the day but sounding more chipper than ever. The legendary hoarse whisper booms with unexpected clarity.

John Martyn, now label-mate with Portishead, has been checking out the Chicago house scene, and revising his wardrobe. Mark Cooper salutes his return to eccentricity.

JOHN MARTYN
AND Go! Discs

• Martyn's debut for Go! Discs, home of Paul Weller, Portishead and Gabrielle.