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Martyn's first album of new material in four years might be short (around 45 minutes), and one of the tracks has appeared before ("Baby Come Home," which was on a tribute to Scots singer Frankie Miller), but it's eminently satisfying, especially when you take into account that most of the vocals and guitar work were laid down after Martyn had his right leg amputated in spring 2003. He revisits his own past with "Go Down Easy," which was originally on Solid Air, although in this guise it's barely recognizable, transformed from an acoustic frippery into a meandering, atmospheric electric piece (this version was originally recorded in 1992 for a ballet). To the joy of longtime fans, there's plenty of Martyn's acoustic fretboard work on On the Cobbles, although it's not as prominent as it was in the '70s. But the free-and-easy love song "One for the Road" is a joy, as is the wistful "Back to Marseilles." A couple of guests do show up: Paul Weller on "Under My Wing," (arguably the best song Weller never wrote) where the former Jam man sounds nervous in the presence of the Big Man, and Mavis Staples roars on a cover of Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene," although Martyn really doesn't need her help, putting forth a large, extremely soulful sound himself. His voice is the central thing here, and it continues to become a glorious instrument, slipping and slurring like a tenor horn, and fashioning beautiful lines. That's nowhere more apparent than on the album's two key tracks, "Ghosts" and "My Creator." The former is a meditation of mortality, full of trademark Martyn phrases and ideas, but executed with glowing restraint. "My Creator" is a kind of creed, truly words to live by, and the spiritual heir of "Solid Air." The jazziest cut on the album (former foil Danny Thompson plays double bass on it), it's dominated by horns to create an atmosphere of midnight blue, with Martyn wafting over the top in an irresistible manner. While On the Cobbles might be worth the price for that cut alone, the whole disc is a testament to a man who will never go gently into the good night.
© Chris Nickson /TiVo
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John Martyn, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Frankie Miller, ComposerLyricist - Paul Mertens, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Tullio, Producer, Percussion, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - John Rice, Mandolin, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Thomson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Garry Pollitt, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
John Martyn, Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Weller, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Eisen, Alto Flute, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Tullio, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Arran Ahmun, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Thomson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Iain David McGeachy, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
John Martyn, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Giblin, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Tullio, Producer, Percussion, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Iain David McGeachy, ComposerLyricist - Greg Marsh, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Anthony Peers, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
John Martyn, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - John Giblin, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Tullio, Producer, Percussion, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Greg Marsh, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
John Martyn, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Tullio, Producer, Keyboards, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Arran Ahmun, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Thomson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Iain David McGeachy, ComposerLyricist - Garry Pollitt, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Danny Thompson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - John Martyn, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Giblin, Electric Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Tullio, Producer, Percussion, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Arran Ahmun, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Thomson, Electric Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Iain David McGeachy, ComposerLyricist - Spencer Cozens, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - John Scully, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Greg Marsh, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Andy Shepherd, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
John Martyn, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Giblin, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Peter Erskine, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Tullio, Producer, Percussion, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Iain David McGeachy, ComposerLyricist - Paul Burn, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
John Martyn, Electric Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Tullio, Producer, Bass Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Ari Brown, Tenor Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Kahil El'Zabar, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Fred Nelson, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Iain David McGeachy, ComposerLyricist - Chris “Hambone” Cameron, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Greg Marsh, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
John Martyn, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Tullio, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Nick McCabe, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Arran Ahmun, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Thomson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Iain David McGeachy, ComposerLyricist - Spencer Cozens, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
John A. Lomax, ComposerLyricist - John Martyn, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Mavis Staples, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Huddie Ledbetter, ComposerLyricist - Jim Tullio, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Recording Producer, AssociatedPerformer - Arran Ahmun, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Alan Thomson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Spencer Cozens, Organ, Piano, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Album review
Martyn's first album of new material in four years might be short (around 45 minutes), and one of the tracks has appeared before ("Baby Come Home," which was on a tribute to Scots singer Frankie Miller), but it's eminently satisfying, especially when you take into account that most of the vocals and guitar work were laid down after Martyn had his right leg amputated in spring 2003. He revisits his own past with "Go Down Easy," which was originally on Solid Air, although in this guise it's barely recognizable, transformed from an acoustic frippery into a meandering, atmospheric electric piece (this version was originally recorded in 1992 for a ballet). To the joy of longtime fans, there's plenty of Martyn's acoustic fretboard work on On the Cobbles, although it's not as prominent as it was in the '70s. But the free-and-easy love song "One for the Road" is a joy, as is the wistful "Back to Marseilles." A couple of guests do show up: Paul Weller on "Under My Wing," (arguably the best song Weller never wrote) where the former Jam man sounds nervous in the presence of the Big Man, and Mavis Staples roars on a cover of Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene," although Martyn really doesn't need her help, putting forth a large, extremely soulful sound himself. His voice is the central thing here, and it continues to become a glorious instrument, slipping and slurring like a tenor horn, and fashioning beautiful lines. That's nowhere more apparent than on the album's two key tracks, "Ghosts" and "My Creator." The former is a meditation of mortality, full of trademark Martyn phrases and ideas, but executed with glowing restraint. "My Creator" is a kind of creed, truly words to live by, and the spiritual heir of "Solid Air." The jazziest cut on the album (former foil Danny Thompson plays double bass on it), it's dominated by horns to create an atmosphere of midnight blue, with Martyn wafting over the top in an irresistible manner. While On the Cobbles might be worth the price for that cut alone, the whole disc is a testament to a man who will never go gently into the good night.
© Chris Nickson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:45:09
- Main artists: John Martyn
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Craft Recordings
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Folk
© 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc. ℗ 2004 Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
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