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Heaven and Earth
One World 2CD Deluxe
Live at Leeds 2CD Deluxe
Solid Air 2CD Deluxe
Grace & Danger 2CD Deluxe
BBC In Concert CD
4CD Boxed Set
Boxed Set
Live at the BBC DVD
BBC In Session CD
collecting JM releases
ReplyDeleteCONTENDERS FOR THE THRONE. There is, it seems, a never ending supply of honey voiced and super sensitive male songwriters creating music at this moment in time. Any recommendations from anyone? And do any of them really match the timeless talents of JM? Is there ever going to be anything to equal what we already have from the big man himself?
ReplyDeleteGood question Will. For me, Marc Cohn comes close in terms of expressing emotion and getting to the jeart of the matter. Close but no cigar though..
ReplyDeleteNo one will ever come close... He was, is and always shall be the unclassifiable genius. We don't need anyone else to "contend" for the throne. The position is not available. He made it all look so easy, but it is only when you watch the videos of him perform, particularly with the echoflex that you appreciate the depth of what he was doing musically.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Marc Cohn.
ReplyDeleteOthers might include Johnny Winter,Peter Green and Danny O'Keefe.
No one even comes close to JM.
Even his saddest songs have me feeling better after hearing them.
Right now I am wearing out "No Little boy". The duets with Phil Collins make me cry as the emotions are so tangible. JM is the best ever.
I know very little of Marc Cohen. I went to my local library to check him out - but there was nothing in stock. I also know nothing about Danny O Keefe, but I'll keep my ears peeled. Never really been a fan of Johnny Winter, too much bluster, not enough soul for my liking. I did listen to a fair bit of Peter Green after reading an article about his eventful and unusual life, but again, he never drew me in the way that JM does, there was never that 'real'connection made between listener and artist - something that, as we all know, JM did so very, very well. For information - there is an artist out there that calls himself Fink. He is three albums old and worth checking out. You will, I'm sure, spot the JM influence.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous
ReplyDeleteThat version of Ways To Cry with Phil Collins is one I keep coming back to, I love it, the emotion and the effortless almost spoken lyrics, its beautiful. It makes me cry too, it was amongst the songs that I listened to the evening I heard of his passing and it will always be very special to me. A track on you tube by Ultan John features John, and it too is very emotional, worth checking out. As for other artists, Gil Scott Heron's early albums have some very special tracks on them, Tom Waits often hits the spot. I will check out your recommendations.
To my regret, i have never listened to the No Little Boy album. I always passed it off as another 'rehash' record. Subsequent to your recommendations, I have today ordered the album from Amazon. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteAlso - just wondering if anyone out there has read the Grace and Danger book written about JM? I think it is written by some American chap and I'm not really sure if JM actually had anything much to do with it being published. Apparently it has interviews in it with Beverly Martyn, who subsequently refused to be involved in the 'Some People are Crazy' biog. Any reviews and insights greatly appreciated. Thanks.
To Will,
ReplyDeleteHi,
You may enjoy the live sound of the American singer/ songwriter Amos Lee. He sings from the heart and crosses all genres. He blends acoustic folk, soul, funk, jazz, country etc and his lyrics are sincere. Like John he is mesmerising live!
You might also like the music of the saxophonist Pharoah Saunders. I've always really loved the breathtaking soul in his music. I didn't realise until after John's passing that John had also loved his music and they had hoped to record together.
Whilst John's music is the most sublime I have ever heard it's still soothing to hear other artists like Amos Lee showing early signs of a similar route in their own musical journey.
All the best,
K.
I think it would be so fitting if there was a tribute concert for John at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow which will be on at that time. I think Donald Shaw will still be the director. One of the main venues of the festival is the Glasgow Concert Hall where I last saw John play in his usual sublime form. John also grew up in the Shawlands area of Glasgow and I sometimes wonder if there could ever be some sort of memorial to John in that area of the Southside.
ReplyDeleteK.
Playing John Martyn Music(esp guitar).
ReplyDeleteThere are alot of us out here who are attempting this.
Deciphering some of the tunings would be great-as has been done for all Nick Drake stuff but NOT JM stuff- and would probably need access to some past guitar techs or fellow musicians who worked with him. Some tunings are indeed known but many are not pinned down (tuning versus song).
Then theres 'tablature'...very little authentic tabs exist. Even the 'JM tab book' (which I have and carried a forward by John himself) used wrong tunings on most included songs.
This discussion/section would be good because the existing 'JM Guitar Freaks' webpage exists but has not been updated for years.
Hi K, thanks for the tips. I think i may have heard the first Amos Lee album. Was it on Blue Note records? I've not heard anything since the first release - but I'll check him out further. I have a few things by Mr Saunders. I was already aware of his influence on JM and it's a real shame he'll not be playing on 'Willing to Work', it seemed appropriate for him to do so and I am aware how much it would've meant to JM if he had. Still, not all our dreams come true...
ReplyDeleteJohn Smith did a tour with John a few years back,playing some acoustic stuff to start the evening off, and sounded like some early JM stuff. I have a few of his albums but as people keep saying John had something special that will be hard to get anywere near again.
ReplyDeleteyeah...i think that John Smith was supporting JM the last time I saw him at the Lowry In Manchester - never got to see him play though, arrived just as he was finishing, such is the fate of the support act.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me or has the info regarding the progress of the Willing to Work album just disappeared from the web page. I (like many of you, no doubt) have an insane curiosity about this album and i feel that Mr Hillarby is keeping his cards close to his chest. Whats the latest info?...has anybody heard anything yet?...and what are everyone else's expectations?...impatiently yours...Will.
ReplyDeletethanks for the latest update on the above (sept 12)...any potential release date yet?...I don't suppose there'll be a rush release in time for the Christmas market...are we realistically looking at next year as the most likely estimated time of arrival????
ReplyDeletenext year boys its still a bit away, heard it in scotland last week with jimmy mc, sounds so so good made me cry.
ReplyDeleteHey!...just who is the mysterious Mr Anonymous? you are Sir, it would seem, in an inner sanctum. Any further progress reports?
ReplyDeleteI am looking for the lyrics for 'In the Evening'. I think it's in DADGAD
ReplyDeleteMatthew- regarding lyrics for 'In the Evening'...
ReplyDeleteAye, a wee bit difficult to hear 'em innit? As I have written before- John really excelled himself on his usual 'slurred delivery' which was at its peak around that time (solid air to Sundays Child say period), Godbless him. Myself -I LIKE that slurred vocal delivery-I think it just 'adds' to the music.It really is a stunning musical piece of Johns and a real 'find' from the 70s to have been released recently. But to help: if you take a look at the website that shows alot of videoclips (second name bit of site rhymes with 'lube') the guitarist 'Litegauge' has covered this song. He has also put down his own 'decryption' of the lyrics there on that webpage showing the videoclip, but I argue against his first few lines actually (I think 'she was a moon in my valley'-maybe- and communicated with him myself on this pieces lyrics and tuning).
Regarding the tuning- take a look in the guitar discussion section where recent posts from me and Peter (of the Grace and Danger Band) talked about this.
-cheers
Ian
Voiceprint deleting their current catalogue of John Martyn recordings as a mark of respect? I don't get it. Surely the best way to show respect for John is by keeping his music alive by making as much of his music as possible available to as many people as possible.
ReplyDeleteWhat instrument is Jeff Carter playing on "The Moment" from Disc 4, Ain't No Saint...
ReplyDeleteMany thanks... The answer could avert a major battle!