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GOODY TWO SHOES
2CD Deluxe Editions (Occasional Threesome), Expanded Reissues and Compilations
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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...
