"Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology" by JOHN MARTYN – Featuring Remastered Album Tracks from "Bless The Weather" (1971), "Solid Air" and "Inside Out" (both 1973), "Sunday's Child" (1975), "One World" (1977), "Grace And Danger" (1980), "Sapphire" (1984), "Piece By Piece" (1986) and "Foundations (Live)" (1987) – Guests Include Danny Thompson, Tony Cox, John 'Rabbit' Bundrick, Foster Patterson, Danny Cummings of Central Line, Phil Collins of Genesis, Colin Tully of Cado Belle, Alan Thomson of Pentangle, Rico, Steve Winwood of Traffic and more (June 1994 UK Universal/Island Chronicles 2CD Compilation of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…A Big Old Friend Of Mine…"

 

Sat in my Man Cave Eardrum Penitentiary in September 2023 as the whiff of seaweed from Margate beaches fills my nostrils with thoughts of lavatories that need to get out more - there are probably two or even three other John Martyn CD compilations out there right now that offer your average Joe Schmo Listening Type more - and possibly for less spondulicks.

 

But I say knob (and it isn't because I like to say knob – well I do like to say knob) – I'm going old school - because in the words of our much loved and greatly missed Scotsman – just Couldn't Love You More. I come back time and time again to this fabulous 1994 digital-twofer because of its tracks, its sound, the respect shown in the presentation and because its Primo John Martyn singer-songwriter material from 1971 to 1987. Once more unto the Echoplex...

 

UK released June 1994 – "Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology" by JOHN MARTYN on Universal/Island/Chronicles CRNCD 4 – 522 245-2 (Barcode 731452224521) is a 2CD 36-Track Compilation of Remasters that plays out as follows:

 

Disc 1 (78:51 minutes):

1. Bless The Weather

2. Head And Heart

3. Glistening Glyndebourne

Tracks 1 to 3 from the album "Bless The Weather", November 1971 UK on Island ILPS 9167

 

3. Solid Air

4. Over The Hill

5. Don't Want To Know

6. I'd Rather Be The Devil

7. May You Never

Tracks 3 to 9 from the album "Solid Air", February 1973 UK on Island ILPS 9226

 

8. Fine Lines

9. Eibhli Ghail Chiuin Ni Chearbhaill

10. Make No Mistake

Tracks 8 to 10 from the album "Inside Out", October 1973 UK on Island ILPS 9253

 

11. One Day Without You

12. Lay It All Down

13. Root Love

14. Sunday's Child

15. Spencer The Rover

16. You Can Discover

17. Call Me Crazy

Tracks 11 to 17 from his eight studio album "Sunday's Child", January 1975 on Island ILPS 9296

 

Disc 2 (75:28 minutes):

1. Couldn't Love You More

2. Certain Surprise

3. Dancing

4. Small Hours

5. Dealer

6. One World

Tracks 1 to 6 from his 9th studio album "One World", November 1977 on Island ILPS 9492

 

7. Some People Are Crazy

8. Lookin' On

9. Johnny Too Bad

10. Sweet Little Mystery

11. Hurt In Your Heart

12. Baby Please Come Home

Tracks 7 to 12 from his 10th studio album "Grace And Danger", October 1980 on Island ILPS 9560

 

13. Sapphire

14. Fisherman's Dream

Tracks 13 and 14 from his 13th studio album "Sapphire" issued November 1984 on Island ILPS 9779

 

15. Angeline

Track 15 from his 14th studio album "Piece By Piece", February 1986 on Island ILPS 9807

 

16. Send Me One Line (Live)

Track 16 is from the live album "Foundations (Live)", October 1987 on Island Records ILPS 9884. All tracks recorded live at the Town & Country Club in London in 1986. A studio version of "Send Me One Line" would eventually show in March 1990 on "The Apprentice" albums on Permanent Records.

 

The card wraps houses a slimline 2CD jewel case with a 24-page oversized booklet nestled in alongside it. The booklet is lovely, period photos from his Davey Graham-obsessed Folk debut "London Conversation" in 1967 up to the bearded-man-about-town look of the 1980s. COLIN ESCOTT gives a typically witty yet informative summation of Martyn and his erratic music career (penned December 1993) wavering between the Scot's Acoustic Troubadour persona (Danny Thompson of Pentangle plucking his Double Bass on stage with Martyn in the center-pages photo) and his Frippotronics Guitar Noizes - Echoplex sounds ahoy. 

 

The story is fair and insightful (never really did make it Stateside despite tours there with Yes and Eric Clapton) and praises what should be praised. The album-by-album annotation also tells who played what and where - his then wife Beverley Martyn on "Bless The Weather" in 1971 to Bobby Keys and Members of Traffic on the "Inside Out" album up to Steve Winwood making huge contributions to the gorgeous "One World" album of 1977. The Remasters are from original tapes done by JOSEPH M. PALMACCIO at Polygram Studios and they are beautiful. To the tunes...

 

The scene is cleverly set by a smattering of gems from 1971's "Bless The Weather" - two first class ballads in "Bless The Weather" and "Head And Heart" then funked up the echoed guitar soundscape of "Glistening Glyndebourne". A fabulous start with better to come.

 

Beloved by fans and constantly rediscovered by the listening public - John Martyn's 6th album for the mighty Island Records - the lovely and ethereal "Solid Air" (February 1973) – gets five of its nine tracks showing up here. While others love it - I've never liked his echo-plexed version of Skip James blues tune "Devil Got My Woman" which he renamed "I'd Rather Be The Devil" - but I cannot be rational about any of the other four – tunes like the truly gorgeous "Over The Hill" which has Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol of Fairport Convention playing an absolute blinder on Mandolin and Autoharp (respectively) or "May You Never" which Clapton would cover on his mega "Slowhand" album in 1977 making JM a few bob in Royalties no doubt.

 

At the time of release, his rather wonderful and slightly overlooked January 1975 album "Sunday's Child" had been issued on a standard IMCD release only the year prior - but "Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology" represented a first proper Remaster of the album – hence we are treated with seven of its eleven tracks. While its safe to say that the late 1973 effort "Inside Out" may have looked promising with its beautiful gatefold Island Records artwork - the LP was a tad disappointing after the stunner of "Solid Air". "Sunday's Child" brought back the fold - a mellow, peaceful, almost home-loving album from him. Songs like the acoustic "Lay It All Down" or the gorgeous Traditional "Spencer The Rover" with its swirling rolling feel and down-home-lyrics offered up Romance and History in his incomparable Troubadour fashion. Tunes like "You Can Discover" need to be exactly that – discovered.

 

Sophistication and Soulfulness come kissing your bedroom lamps when you indulge CD2. As strings rattle, keyboards plink and bows are drawn across Double Basses - "Couldn't Love You More" weaves its truly gorgeous magic. It shimmers loveliness - like that Ryan Adams song on the 2001 album "Gold" called "When The Stars Go Blue" - covered by Bono and The Corrs, Tim McGraw, Lee Mead and loads of others who know a gem when they hear one. Steve Winwood provides keyboards all across the fabulous "One World" album – 1977 being the year that made everyone notice Martyn and "Exodus" by Bob Marley & The Wailers. The "One World" album was hugely popular, so, it is no surprise to see a whopping six of its eight-tracks appear on CD2 (Steve Winwood on all).

 

Reggae Legend Rico stumps up lovely Trombone on "Certain Surprise" while Danny Thompson of Pentangle plays Bass, Bruce Reynolds on Drums with Steve Winwood of Traffic and Blind Faith fame swirls his electric piano. Martyn gets playful with "Dancing" but it’s the eight-minutes of "Small Hours" that echoplex the Soul – Chris Blackwell of Island Records once declaring it his fave bit of music. Drummer Andy Newmark of Sly & The Family Stone fame gets seriously Funky alongside Steve Winwood as they slink through the scales and selling and longing for powder in "Dealer" – Martyn displaying a menace in his vocals he would use in the 80s and 90s to amazing growling effect. And love that treated electric guitar he floats in the background of the restless yet moving title track "One World".

 

"Grace And Danger" in 1980 saw both John Martyn and his pal Phil Collins (of Genesis and solo career fame) both suffering personal setbacks in marriage breakdowns. But as Collins plays Drums and sings on many tracks, that pain permeates such gems as "Hurt In My Heart" and "Baby Please Come Home". Supplemented by some seriously good talent, the album featured Tommy Eyre on Keyboards (Alex Harvey and Joe Cocker bands), John Giblon on Bass (Simple Minds and Peter Gabriel) as well as Keyboardist guest Dave Lawson of Greenslade fame on "Some People Are Crazy" and "Sweet Little Mystery". Can’t say I like "Johnny Too Bad" - but I know others who dig its Rock-Reggae meets Guitar-Grunge-Funk sound and unfortunately the two from "Sapphire" are strangely lesser somehow. Not so the next up...

 

His last LP proper for Island Records was "Piece By Piece" in 1986 – a flawed masterpiece in my mind with musical chums like film/TV music keyboard man Foster Patterson, Colin Tully of Cado Belle on Saxophone, Alan Thomson of Pentangle on Fretless Bass and Danny Cummings of Central Line on Drums. But together they made the most gorgeous Soul-Rock sound – and it’s a damn shame that only "Angeline" has made it on here. But what a song it is – issued as the world’s first CD single in February 1986 (five tracks, a sort of Mini LP) - arguably "Angeline" is the very best piece of music on this twofer in a sea of goodies. He hits vocals Nirvana as his growl sails away on the Chorus Breeze. The album and this gorgeous love song off of it should have been huge, but again, "Piece By Piece" the album was half good and not all good like "Solid Air" or "One World" and that did for his stay at the label that had nourished him since 1967 when they signed him as a nubile 17-year old. He would on to even greater heights in my books in the 1990s and 00s – but that is another compilation. Speaking of which...

 

Universal have done his memory proud on many an occasion – 2CD Deluxe Editions of "Solid Air" (1973), "Live At Leeds" (1975), "One World" (1977) and "Grace And Danger" (1980) – the “Ain’t No Saint” 4CD Digibook compilation from September 2008 - while the mammoth 17CD and 1DVD LP-Sized Box Set “The Island Years” from September 2013 is and always will be - one of my prize possessions. I have reviewed most all of them including the monster box.

 

There are other John Martyn compilations a-plenty – one has three CDs but poor annotation so technically it offers more music for not a lot of wonga. But spare a thought and an abused few coins for "Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology" because if ever there was a Goody Two Shoes that makes me smile, then it is this one...

"Sweet Dreams: The Anthology" by ROY BUCHANAN - Albums Tracks from 1970 to 1978 on Polydor and Atlantic Records including Seven Previously Unreleased (September 1992 UK Universal/Polydor/Chronicles 2CD Compilation with Ted Jensen Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...Dual Soliloquy..."

This career 'Anthology' for the guitar virtuoso Roy Buchanan in Universal's 'Chronicles' Series of 2CD compilations unfortunately opens in the worst possible way. You have to wade through four genuine clunkers to get to the goods, but man when you do - you so get the slew of 5-star ratings.

 

This twofer maybe old now in 2023 (it's been reissued probably twice since 1992), but I've seen it online for about six quid or less, and that's a whole lot of dids for not a lot of quids. To the bent notes and floppy hats...

 

UK released 28 September 1992 - "Sweet Dreams: The Anthology" by ROY BUCHANAN on Universal/Polydor/Chronicles 517 086-2 (Barcode 731451708626) is a 26-Track 2CD 'Chronicles Anthology' of Remasters that plays out as follows:

 

CD1 (75:24 minutes):

1. Baltimore *

2. Black Autumn *

3. The Story Of Isaac *

4. There'll Always Be *

5. Sweet Dreams

6. Pete's Blues

7. The Messiah Will Come

8. Tribute To Elmore James

9. After Hours

10. Five String Blues

11. C.C. Ryder (Live) *

12. My Baby Says She's Gonna Leave Me

13. Please Don't Turn Me Away

14. Country Preacher

15. Wayfaring Pilgrim

Tracks 1 to 4 and 11 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED 

Tracks 5 to 7 are from his debut album "Roy Buchanan" released September 1972 in the UK on Polydor 2391 042 and September 1972 in the USA on Polydor PD 5033 

Tracks 8 to 10 are from "Second Album" released February 1973 in the UK on Polydor 2391 062 and February 1973 in the USA on Polydor PD 5046

Tracks 12 and 13 from the album "That's What I Am Here For" released February 1974 in the USA on Polydor PD 6020 and in the UK on Polydor 2391 114

Tracks 14 and 15 from the album "In The Beginning" released December 1974 in the USA on Polydor PD 6035, February 1975 in the UK as "Rescue Me" on Polydor 2391 152.

CD2 (77:16 minutes):

1. Down By The River (Live) *

2. I'm A Ram (Live)

3. I'm Evil (Live)

4. Good God Have Mercy

5. If Six Were Nine

6. Green Onions

7. Soul Dressing (Live In Japan)

8. Hey Joe (Live In Japan)

9. Fly...Night Bird 

10. Turn To Stone 

11. Dual Soliloquy * 

Tracks 1 and 11 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED *

Tracks 2 and 3 from the album "Live Stock" released August 1975 in the USA on Polydor PD 6048 (no UK issue) - September 1975 in Germany on Polydor 2391 192

Tracks 4 and 5 from the album "A Street Called Straight" released October 1976 in the UK on Polydor 2391 233 and May 1976 in the USA on Atlantic SD 18170

Track 6 from the album "Loading Zone" released July 1977 in the UK on Polydor 2391 295 and June 1977 in the USA on Atlantic Records SD 18219

Tracks 7 and 8 from the single-album "Live In Japan" released May 1978 in JAPAN on Polydor Records MPF1105

Tracks 9 and 10 are from the album "You're Not Alone" released May 1978 in the USA (no UK issue) on Atlantic Records SD 19170

The 20-page booklet features a history of the mercurial/tragic guitar player from Arkansas and his trademark Telecaster surgically woven into his hips. Penned in March 1992, longtime music chronicler COLIN ESCOTT does a great job of explaining the sometimes torturous journey Buchanan made - a genius on the axe but with no distinctive vocals that stood out - he was forever trying to find an out front vehicle that maybe only Billy Price got to on the "That's What I Am Here For" album in 1974. When I worked at Reckless Records in both Islington and Berwick Street in Soho, Buchanan albums would come and go without too many people noticing or bluntly caring. While he could play to make the hairs on the back on your neck stand up and do a polka - he could seem to get it together on a cohesive LP. Still the TED JENSEN Remasters are fabulous and I've never heard that rare "Live In Japan" album, so that's a treat. To the music...

We are given four songs from his unreleased first album "The Prophet" touted for release sometime in 1971 on Polydor Records (recordings took place in October 1969, January, July and November 1970 and February 1971). Charlie Daniels and his group act as the backing band (Bob Wilson on keyboards with Tim Drummond on Bass) - provided three of the tunes - "Baltimore", "Black Autumn" and "There'll Always Be" - whilst number four was a Leonard Cohen cover version of "The Story Of Isaac". But laughably for an album supposedly showcasing Buchanan's extraordinary Jeff Beck-like chops on the axe, you hear little of it and Daniels has a terrible voice and the material is plodding at best. 

It isn't until Tracks 5 and 6 from his self-titled debut album "Roy Buchanan" (September 1972) that you start to instantly hear the pyrotechnics he had on a guitar that everyone talked about. The Don Gibson song "Sweet Dreams" that titles the compilation is very cool (he learned it from Tommy McLain's version and not the more famous Gibson or Paty Cline hits), but the slow Blues Rock of "Pete's Blue" (his own composition) is mind-blowing for 1972. Things boogie-up nicely for "Second Album" (February 1973) when he gives us the R&B guitar-and-piano jaunt of "Tribute To Elmore James". Two more cuts surface from that second studio album - a firy Blues in "After Hours" and more of the same in "Five String Blues" - both six minutes plus pieces showing why RB was described in the press as the 'The Best Unknown Guitarist In The World'. It proved a popular album (more coherent than the debut) and shifted units in the USA especially - hitting No. 86 on the Billboard Rock LP charts and enjoying a stay of 13 weeks (his debut had hit No. 107 in September 1972). 

The old 50ts R&B dancer "C.C. Ryder" is next and becomes the fifth Previously Unreleased track. Recorded May 1973 live at The Marquee Club in London - his other four musicians do well to keep up with his 6:49 minutes of slow shuffle to fast building of the song (his playing is fantastic throughout). As a newbee, it's a total find, coming on like John Mayall's Seventies Band on fire and does much to wash the taste of those first four out of your Anthology mouth (one reviewer who had heard the test pressing of the LP described it as 's' two letters and a 't' sending Polydor Records in a new recordings needed panic. "My Baby Says She's Gonna Leave Me" features Billy Price on Lead Vocals while RB goes ape on the pinging guitar notes throughout. UK released February 1974, at least Price gave the whole "That's What I Am Here For" album a Soulful-Rock vibe which moved RB's sound on from just Blues or Rock ("Please Don't Turn Me Away" is the same). "Country Preacher" is a piano-tinkering guitar-lilting short one that comes as a pleasant interlude after all the flash playing that's preceded it. But it is whomped by the fantastic Soulful slow Blues of "Wayfaring Pilgrim" - his playing just so damn good whilst guest Neil Larsen gives us a fabulous piano solo. Both "Country Preacher" and "Wayfaring Pilgrim" were on the February 1975 UK album "Rescue Me" which was called "In The Beginning" in the USA and issued December 1974 there.  

Over on CD2 we get five great live tracks, two from the rarely seen Japan-only LP of 1978, two others from the US album "Live Stock" that didn't get a UK release and the first - a Previously Unreleased Slow Blues of 9:17 minutes duration - Buchanan sounding a lot like Stevie Ray Vaughan goofing off on a mellow Peter Green vibe as he covers Neil Young's "Down By The River". Once again, it's slow boil is bolstered by Billy Price on Vocals with Malcolm Lukens on Keyboards and is a very cool find. Things get funky with a cover of Al Green's "I'm A Ram" recorded the same night as the Previously Unreleased track - Buchanan letting rip - brilliant playing and feel from the band. Acoustic guitar leads in the soft Southern States good moonshine vibe of "Good God Have Mercy" - Buchanan taking Lead Vocals. He then lays into Hendrix's "If Six Were Nine" giving it a Sly Stone/Prince funk-up, Lukens providing the low-rider keyboards that sound so War. The "Loading Zone" studio LP of 1977 saw him give us an 8:09 instrumental version of "Green Onions" - the famous Stax hit for Booker T & The MG's, whilst the Japanese live album throws up Booker T hit No. 2 in the shape of "Soul Dressing" - another instrumental just short of 7:00 minutes (the respectful crowd lets him solo ala Carlos Santana). 

 

By the time we hit 1978, a sort of Fusion sound has set in, very Gary Wright 'Dream Weaver' - the lovely floating "Fly...Night Bird" featuring Jean Roussel on Keyboards (he'd played on Cat Stevens albums in 1972). But my crave is a full-on grunge guitar run at Joe Walsh's fabulous "Turn To Stone". Walsh initially premiered it his first solo album after The James Gang - "Barnstorm" in 1972. Joe then returned to it for December 1974's "So What" album, but this in a more polished/sophisticated form. Buchanan has taken elements of both versions and put in his own floating piano funky fills atop guitar flourishes - making the 5:46 minutes of "Turn To Stone" a true highlight on this 'Anthology' for me. It comes to an end where it began - a whopping 12:06 minutes of "Dual Soliloquy" recorded July 1972 at the record plant for the debut but Previously Unreleased until here. Penned by him, it's just Roy Buchanan on the guitar without any others - and it's a find. Admittedly a tad more hissy than you would want it to be, "Dual Soliloquy" begins with peaceful strums that he builds in pace. But what gets you is the sheer musicality of it - and it feels like he's just goofing off. Music Historian Colin Escott quite rightly points out that it's a proper way of remembering him - one seriously great American guitarist capable of beauty and pyrotechnics in the same breath. 

 

His loss in August 1988 robbed us of a Jeff Beck, an Eddie Van Halen - even a Jimi. But "Sweet Dreams: The Anthology" will help you remember why people were so impressed and remain so to this day...