Bless the Weather and John

As I write I am listening to cd2 from the deluxe edition of John Martyn's great album 'Solid Air'. This is apparently regarded by many as their favourite. For me it is 'Bless the Weather' and it's a combination of genuinely preferring all the songs there but also seeing him play so many of these live and listening at a time when my emotions were deeply influenced by the songs' sentiments. 'Head and Heart' is my favourite track.

In a previous post I referred to 'Bless the Weather' as my first introduction to John but that's not true. Not a lie, just an over-enthusiastic chronological error. I first heard John Martyn on the 'You Can All Join In' sampler, referenced in the previous post, and it was the track 'Dusty' from his 'The Tumbler' album which I then bought. Although a smooth vocal on this one track, there is a depth that presages, if only slightly, how John's vocal distinctiveness would progress. Hooked, I subsequently purchased both 'The Road to Ruin' and 'Stormbringer' by John and Beverly Martyn.

But it's 'Bless the Weather' that established the awe. Such beautiful songwriting and singing, and of course the guitar work. It was at his first gig I saw when John - using acoustic but with pick-up, amp and PA system - suddenly flicked the Echoplex button/switch and this phenomenal electronic rush of echo and loop and 'phase-shift' [as I've read it called] filled the room and my head exploded in teenage joy and - here it comes again - awe. This was a sound to become more evident on 'Solid Air' and of course throughout later work. 'Inside Out' is the album that signalled the more experimental and jazzy elements of his inclinations and later work.

John Martyn's death in 2009 aged 60 was so utterly sad and it still upsets me, but what a life he will have lived! I recall being taken aback by the on-line and other music community's outpourings of grief and love for the man at the time: in that egocentric world of the massive fan I thought I was the only one who loved him so much. That arrogance wasn't a fully realised sentiment I say a little defensively [!], but I am just trying to be honest, and I was so moved so often when I read others' observations on how John had shaped their thoughts and feelings exactly as he did mine so early on and over the years. He was never a 'popular' artist, but the affection of John's fan-base is clearly more fundamental and permanent than that which is perhaps more superficially evident for other artists.

To finish on a more upbeat note, the disc I am still listening to which is mainly alternative mixes includes some of John's famous patter and this was always a hoot at gigs, certainly the early ones when I could understand what he was saying! This was so often with his great friend and musical partner Danny Thompson. To get an aural glimpse of this listen to 'Live at Leeds'.

As I come to a close writing this, I am listening to a demo track 'When It's Dark' that never made the album. What a beautiful song.