John Martyn – Serendipity: An Introduction To John Martyn (1998)

This one was bought in a sale long ago, and I'm surprised to find the release date as recent as 1998. It's a compilation spanning the years 1968-1986, broadly, but not wholly chronological.

And, if I'm honest, it's the sort of compilation that I've enjoyed, without sending me to scour the CD shelves for more.

If my local charity shop has a Martyn CD on the racks, I'll probably give them a couple of quid out of interest (perhaps I need to look in the folk section more), but he'll never be an obsession.

But there's plenty to enjoy here, starting with his best known song Solid Air, about his friend Nick Drake (whose Black Eyed Dog bore a striking resemblance to Martyn's Seven Black Roses, from this compilation), the lovely, gentle May You Never and the stunning guitar work on the instrumental Glistening Glyndebourne.

Other standouts include the growling, mysterious Smiling Stranger, a fine cover of The Slickers' Johnny Too Bad (also done by UB40 and The Clash), and the glorious Sweet Little Mystery.