[Leica] OT RIP John Martyn

[douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp)]

Tragic,

I saw him - either brilliant or abyssmal, depending on his alcohol/drugs 
level - many times live on stage both in the UK and here in Germany. 
Including one of his best performances at the university in my home town 
of Leeds. Live at Leeds was definitively his best live album and 
perfectly captured the atmosphere of the hall and the concert.

An excellent venue, the Who concert there was fantastic too and came out 
on an LP with the same title a few years earlier.

His studio albums varied from the electric (Solid Air, The Electric John 
Martyn, Grace and Danger) to delicately acoustic (Bless the weather) and 
jazz-funk influenced Philanthropy.

A musical genius who never quite got quite where he deserved to be.. A 
man who wandered a narrow line between electric-ecletic avant garde, 
funk, synthi, neo-soul and neo-folk, between wonderful lyrics (May you 
never) and obscure, unintelligible Scottish wailing (Big Muff).

I think I'll be dusting off the vinyl for a memorial hour or two tomorrow.

Douglas



 

Steve Unsworth wrote:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7858569.stm
>
> Saw him a couple of times, have a few albums. Always enjoyed the music.
>
>
>
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