Search - John Martyn :: London Conversation

The folkie roots of a mystic rocker...

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 11/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Great record. Martyn's debut showed a strong, almost embarrassing debt to Dylan, which of course wasn't uncommon at the time. What was unusual, though, was his almost strident self-confidence, which lurks just below the surface, hinting at a brashness which fell just short of the arrogance of, say, a Richard Thompson. There's also a strong American blues influence, mixed in with the lovely folkie balladeering, inviting stylistic comparisons to John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, and Davy Graham. Yet Martyn was clearly his own man, and as future albums would bear out, his self-confidence was well-warranted."

London conversation

daniel mcvey | collingswood, nj United States | 04/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"john martyns first album, recorded when he was only 18, is my favorite of all his work. my favorite track, back to stay is a sad love song that seems to shake a tear from every person who hears it. this record is a must have for fans of leonard cohen, nick drake, and other melancholy folk singers. also featured on this album aside from his original compositions are cover versions of don't think twice, cocaine blues, and sandy grey. this album is highly reccomended."

For completists only...

B. Bowman | Jersey, United States | 01/28/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"John Martyn was 18 years old when he recorded the music on this CD, which to me is the most impressive thing about this disc. His guitar technique was already amazing for someone of his age; looking back it isn't surprising that he ended up recording such a solid body of work with talent like that. His voice had not yet developed into the raspy and haunting instrument it would later become, but hints of it are all over this album. This is a CD that I admittedly don't listen to very often. To me it's a typical "folk" album from the late sixties: the obligatory Dylan cover (Don't Think Twice Its Alright), blues standards (Cocain) and a slew of songs in between that I would classify as pleasant. I don't think this is a bad album by any means, it just doesn't strike me as spectacular when compared to the rest of Martyn's catalog. It is a disc that may be of interest to completists like me, but I wouldn't say it's an essential purchase for the curious. However, if you are a big fan of the folk music of that time period, this is a decent album. Martyn's guitar style makes it a cut above some of the other folk artists of the day, but in my opinion his later albums were his best. Fans of Nick Drake may also be interested in this album, as the song "Sandy Grey" was reportedly written about Drake by a mutual friend of Drake's and Martyn's, and makes this the first song Martyn sang about Drake, the second being the song "Solid Air" off of the album by that name."