John Martyn – Solid Air (1973)

We reach the 700th album review here, with the second of last week's haul from Stamford. I very nearly didn't buy this, so sure was I that I already had it, but on checking I didn't.

Coincidentally, Martyn had been mentioned in two music autobiographies I recently read.

Richard Thompson, a man who never seems to have a bad word about anyone, was kind and generous about his contemporary, from the same management and record company, while Chris Frantz did not pull his punches in describing Martyn's drunken, violent abusive behaviour while recording at Compass Point Studios, Nassau in 1984.

This 1973 album is widely regarded as being Martyn's masterpiece, and its not hard to hear why. Opening with his song about his tragic friend Nick Drake, a man whose personality seems as far removed from Martyn's as possible, Solid Air, Martyn's voice echoes over Danny Thompson's fantastic bass work. Over The Hill is a brighter, more optimistic song, Martyn's vocals more distinct than usual, and the interplay between his guitar and Richard Thompson's mandolin just fantastic.

It's down a notch for I Don't Wanna Know, and this time it's John Bundrick's floating electric piano accompaniment lifting Martyn's vocals. The first half is completed by the breathtaking I'd Rather Be The Devil, a bluesy song swamped in guitar echo, which really hits the mark.

The second half of the album kicks off with Thompson (D)'s bass leading to a gentle guitar riff on the smooth Go Down Easy, followed by more echo on Dreams By The Sea, solid and listenable, but no more. But it's the simple beauty of May You Never which is the highlight of the second half, just Martyn's voice and a simple guitar accompaniment, followed by The Man In The Station, another laid back, late night song, with the electric piano taking a lead, I'm afraid The Easy Blues feels like filler - three minutes of blues guitar and song to tip the album over forty minutes.

This being the CD reissue, there's the added bonus of a live version of I'd Rather Be The Devil, just to demonstrate that he could do it outside the studio, too.

This is a fantastic album - in my opinion, Martyn's finest hour, containing his best known and rightly most popular songs, as well as some lesser known greats. Give it a listen!

Link to album tracks

4* - a couple of stone cold classics, and the rest a great listen - the best way to remember John Martyn's music