John Martyn, R.I.P.
At the same time that Robert Fripp was working with tape machines to create his guitar-delayed “Frippertronics,” Martyn experimented with running his acoustic guitars through Echoplex analog delay machines, in which signals are recorded on tape loops and spit back out delayed. This experimentation showed up on his seminal albums Bless The Weather, Stormbringer, One World, Solid Air and Inside Out, which were a break from his earlier, more traditional folk material. This relentless need to experiment traveled with him throughout his life; he dabbled in electronic music, reggae, and even trip-hop, with varying degrees of success. I am mostly familiar with his early-’70s work, as I found it more interesting than the early Joe Boyd/Nick Drake-y stuff like London Conversation. Now’s as good a time to delve further into the guy’s catalog.
This jazzy number was a fan-favorite and showcases his great vocal range and emotional delivery.
Eric Clapton covered this, but the original’s superior.
Martyn was 60.
John Martyn dies [Guardian]