Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. Solid Air
2. Over the Hill
3. Don't Want to Know
4. I'd Rather Be the Devil
5. Go Down Easy
6. Dreams by the Sea
7. May You Never
8. Man in the Station, The
9. Easy Blues/Gentle Blues, The
DISC 2:
1. Solid Air - (alternate take)
2. Over the Hill - (alternate take)
3. Don't Want to Know - (alternate take)
4. I'd Rather Be the Devil - (alternate take)
5. Go Down Easy - (alternate take)
6. Dreams by the Sea - (alternate take)
7. May You Never - (alternate take)
8. Man in the Station, The - (alternate take)
9. Easy Blues/Gentle Blues, The - (alternate take)
10. Keep On - (previously unreleased)
11. When It's Dark
12. In the Evening - (previously unreleased)
13. May You Never
14. Easy Blues, The - (live)
15. May You Never - (live)
16. I'd Rather Be the Devil - (live)
| Details | | Contributing Artists: | Danny Thompson, Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol | | Producer: | John Martyn, John Wood | | Distributor: | MSI Music Distribution | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
Personnel: John Martyn (vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, synthesizer); Richard Thompson (mandolin); Simon Nicol (autoharp); Sue Dranheim (violin); Tony Coe (saxophone); John "Rabbit" Bundrick (acoustic & electric piano, organ, clavinet); Tristan Fry (vibraphone); Danny Thompson (acoustic bass); Dave Pegg (bass); Dave Mattacks (drums); Neemoi "Speedy" Acquaye (congas).
Personnel: John Martyn (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer); Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Sue Draheim (autoharp, mandolin, violin); Tony Coe (saxophone); John "Rabbit" Bundrick (piano, electric piano, Clavinet, organ); Tristan Fry (vibraphone); Danny Thompson , Danny Thompson (double bass); Dave Mattacks (drums); Neemoi "Speedy" Aquaye, Neemoi Acquaye (congas).
Liner Note Authors: John Hillarby; John Hillarby; Daryl Easlea.
Recording information: 11/1972-12/1972.
Photographer: Brian Cooke.
He began as a folksy minstrel but seemed drawn to experimental, free form improvisation. Solid Air is where John Martyn's love affair with effects and echoplex became serious. The title track, dedicated to his close friend Nick Drake, became a eulogy, while the breezy "Over The Hill"--one of the greatest songs ever written about a train journey--is a feathery delight. "May You Never" and "Don't Want To Know" continued the simple, stoned ballad approach, although it is his interpretation of Skip James' "I'd Rather Be The Devil," totally reshaped with hypnotic shifts, tidal echoes, and a slurred growl, which broods over the whole album. A record that remains Martyn's youthful zenith.
The Deluxe Edition of John Martyn's classic album Solid Air was issued only a few months after his death in 2009. That said, bittersweet as it is (because if ever an album deserved this kind of treatment, it's this one), it's important to note that this release was in preparation for reissue by John Hillarby long before Martyn's passing, and was given his complete blessing. Solid Air (whose title track was written for Martyn's friend, songwriter Nick Drake) is one of the defining moments in British folk, in the same league as Fairport Convention's Liege & Lief, Richard & Linda Thompson's Shoot Out the Lights, and Michael Chapman's Rainmaker. Martyn stepped out of his comfort zone to record and produce it, including not only jazz and blues but rock and plenty of sound effects, and featuring Rhodes piano on some of its tracks, dismaying some fans while winning a ton more for its genre-blurring presentation. A number of its cuts -- such as the title track, "Over the Hill," "I'd Rather Be the Devil," and "May You Never" -- remained staples in his live sets until the end of his life. This Deluxe Edition presents the original in gloriously remastered sound by Paschal Byrne. Finally, fans can hear this set on CD in a way that not even the finest LP pressing can render.
That said, it's the second disc that opens the treasure trove to listeners and fans. There are nine alternate takes of cuts that appeared on the original. These are in full stereo and present different accents, shades, and sounds to the finished versions. Martyn was meticulous in his scrutiny of the many takes of some of these tracks. These alternates (including an instrumental reading of "Man in the Station") add shades of meaning and deepen the context of the released versions. In addition to these, there are three unreleased cuts. "Keep On," a blues, and "In the Evening," a haunting folk-jazz number, were songs Martyn wasn't happy enough with to include on the album; they are being presented for the first time here. In addition, another song, "When It's Dark," is here in demo form. It's a stark, simply presented ballad, and Martyn claimed that he'd never quite finished the song and decided not to record it. The other two he felt equally ambivalent about, but felt they were more or less "finished" versions, but would take away from the strength of the album. In the case of "In the Evening" and "When It's ...
Editorial Reviews
Ranked #67 in Q's 100 Greatest British Albums
Q (06/01/2000)
Included in Q's Best Chill-Out Albums of All Time - ...the musical equivalent of a reassuring hug....a quiveringly sexy folk record.
Q (07/01/1999)
[A] sublime proto-chill out record on which the vaunted interplay between Martyn and double bassist Danny Thompson reached its folk-jazz zenith.
Mojo (04/01/2004)
5 stars out of 5 -- [T]he artist's command of his craft and spirit of experimentation resulted in a jaw-dropping collection...
Record Collector
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![Solid Air [Deluxe Edition] [Digipak] [Remaster] by John Martyn (CD, Oct-2000, 2 Discs, UME Imports)](http://i.ebayimg.com/18/!!d5czpQB2M~$(KGrHgoOKkMEjlLmT(phBKgCO00dvw~~_7.JPG "Solid Air [Deluxe Edition] [Digipak] [Remaster] by John Martyn (CD, Oct-2000, 2 Discs, UME Imports)")
![Solid Air [Deluxe Edition] [Digipak] [Remaster] by John Martyn (CD, Oct-2000, 2 Discs, UME Imports)](http://i.ebayimg.com/18/!!d5czpQB2M~$(KGrHgoOKkMEjlLmT(phBKgCO00dvw~~_32.JPG "Solid Air [Deluxe Edition] [Digipak] [Remaster] by John Martyn (CD, Oct-2000, 2 Discs, UME Imports)")
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