His best performance of this song I've seen. John had a great blues, soul, jazz , folk voice, they all came out in this song. He didn't do may covers, preferring to invent his own music, but he could have done great versions of any of these genres classics. That slap plucking certainly gave rhythm without need for percussion. What range from deep growl to high tenor.
John Martyn was an eccentric genius with a guitar and that voice - smooth and jazzy. Saw him three or four times Could be loud obnoxious charming elegant once he got playing he was in the zone and you would be in a Zone with this type of music. Everybody should have the Album Solid Air in their collection he has some amazing gems on other albums his most famous being May you never but there is so much more The mighty JM has to offer. Cool Reaction
i'm so happy to find a reactor loving John Martyn. i've been a fan since the early 80s. you noticed how comfortable he is, with his guitar; coming from tuning it, to playing. he came from a folk tradition, but then experimented with pedal boards, even creating his own, as no-one made them to do what he wanted one to do. he even tunes his guitar differently, for different songs. to flip from one tuning to another, then back again, must take such a familiarity with every facet of playing. you should react to his live performance of 'I'd Rather Be the Devil', 1973, on the Old Grey Whistle Test. it'll show you just what can be done with an acoustic guitar that no-one else was doing. truly a one-off.
Was lucky enough to see him live several times, as he played Leeds. He was a superbly gifted musician and vocalist, a raconteur, and a larger than life character. Sadly he succumbed to the Rock n Roll lifestyle. My life is better for knowing of him.
I’m scrolling through your channel… seeing soundgarden, pearljam , STP, John martyn. My favorite artists! You have amazing taste, and I love seeing your enthusiasm and joyful reaction to John Martyn. Probably the only person I have seen who gets as excited as I do for this musical legend.
So glad I stumbled over your video. I have loved John since he first did the folk club circuit. I watched him with my ex wife as he toured globally and cried as I left one of his last gigs at the Salford Lowry Theatre. Have you ever had a hero that ends up like that? Still love you John. Soundtrack to my life.
He's actually Scottish (his real name was Iain David McGeachy) , and was brought up in Glasgow, but his parents split and his mum lived in England, so he would spend the school holidays in London, he would put on his English accent when he played in England, and Scottish accent when playing in Scotland. He kept braking strings because almost every tune he played had it's own unique tuning. May You Never was a popular poppy song, but definitely not one of his best
John was an underappreciated genius in my opinion. The way he used rhythm with effects like echoplex on the acoustic guitar. I'm a huge fan and have seen him many times down the years in the 80s and 90s. He left us too early, as did the subject of this masterpiece - Nick Drake.
Not exactely. The album was released in February 1973. Nick Drake died in November 74. Solid Air was written by John Martyn for Nick certainly in 1972 or at the very beginning of 73.
John was actually English, born in New Malden, London (ish), but from the age of 5 spent half of his time in Glasgow after his parents divorced. I think he would have described himself as British.
Funny you bring up him being English, he grew up in Scotland but spend time growing up in Surrey too, and he seemed to flick between the accents at different times.
He was brought up in Glasgow, and paid for his first guitar by getting up at 4am to do the milk round, his real name was Iain McGeachy, I believe his folks split up, and he spent the school holidays with his mother in Surrey
Listen to the studio version of Strange Feeling by Tim Buckley. It'l] take your breath away with its beauty. I've been listening to it for over fifty years and it never fades. The best thing he ever did - that and Blue Melody.
His real name is David Nigel McGeachy and spent a lot of his Childhood in Glasgow and he could switch between southern English to being a total Weegie.
I try to skip the 3-minute string break and tuning intro..... He is Scottish. I believe Phil Collins called him a friend and one of the best singer/songwriters he had ever known. 'Praise from Caesar is praise indeed!' I am beginning to see what he means.
