JOHN MARTYN SOLID AIR
Original Release Date: Feb 1973
Format Flac
Recorded in 1972, Solid Air was released in February 1973 and was regarded by many as John's best album to date.
The album received tremendous reviews, "once in a while you hear a song that finds its way deep into your memory,
and you find yourself humming along. This album has more than its share of fine songs like that, but noticeably Go Down Easy
and May You Never." Twenty Six years later in 1999 Solid Air was voted as one of the best chill-out albums of all time in Q Magazine,
"With mellow jazzy flourishes and warm acoustic sounds, Solid Air is the musical equivalent of a reassuring hug
...the man Beth Orton calls The Guv'nor achieved the impossible: he made a quiveringly sexy folk record."
The beautifully simple May You Never was written for Wesley and Don't Want To Know was John's comment
on greed, ugliness and the noxious world he saw developing.
In 1998 five of the songs from Solid Air were used for the soundtrack to a new BBC film Titanic Town.
The film is set in Belfast in 1972 and stars Julie Walters as the politically naive Bernie who is trying to bring up a family
against a background of IRA shootings and homes, which are constantly raided by the army. John's emotive voice and lyrics make
a telling contribution to a very disturbing and moving film.
Over The Hill was also used in the film soundtrack to Scrapple in 1999.
Solid Air was well received and has recently been remastered and re-released by Island Records. .
The title track, was dedicated to a friend of Martyn's, Nick Drake.
Drake died of an antidepressant overdose 18 months after the album was released.
John Martyn 11th September 1948 - 29th January 2009
Live in joy, live in love, live in music...
Personnel
John Martyn – vocals, acoustic & electric guitar; synthesizer on "The Easy Blues"
Richard Thompson – guitar, violin, autoharp; mandolin on "Over the Hill"
Simon Nicol – mandolin, violin; autoharp on "Over the Hill"
Sue Dranheim – violin on "Over The Hill"
Tony Coe – saxophone on "Dreams By The Sea" & "Solid Air"
John "Rabbit" Bundrick – acoustic & electric piano, organ, clavinet
Tristan Fry – vibraphone on "Solid Air"
Danny Thompson – acoustic bass
Dave Pegg – bass
Dave Mattacks – drums
Neemoi "Speedy" Acquaye – congas
Track List
All tracks by John Martyn unless noted otherwise.
1>"Solid Air" – 5:46
2>"Over The Hill" – 2:51
3>"Don't Want To Know" – 3:01
4>"I'd Rather Be The Devil" (Skip James) – 6:19
5>"Go Down Easy" – 3:36
6>"Dreams By The Sea" – 3:18
7>"May You Never" – 3:43
8>"The Man In The Station" – 2:54
9>"The Easy Blues" – 3:22
10>"I'd Rather Be The Devil" (Recorded live in 1975)Bonus track