The Album Review Club - Week #191 (page 1286) - Harlequin Dream - Boy & Bear

mrbelfry said:
I didn't realise how ridiculous it was until the second song kicked in. Then I convinced myself I must have misheard and would circle back later. I'm glad you provided the note
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You'll notice he varies the degree to which he slurs based on lyric and where he is in the song. Martyn would no doubt have made a flippant comment about idiosyncracy but I think it's a lot more measured than that.
 
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BimboBob said:
I am not your uncle. Or am I?
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Does this imply I'm the first person to use that phrase on the entire thread or have you rolled out this response before?

I'm glad you're not my uncle, but only because they are all deceased and I'd like y'all on here to continue to grow into ripe old age as ancient wizened gits arguing about how much banjo is too much banjo.
 
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threespires said:
Apologies for the delay.

Solid Air - John Martyn

...

This week I’m on the cusp of a new decade, being 30, 40 and 50 never really bothered me; but this one is bothering me, quite a lot. However, I take some consolation that, maybe now and again, older really is wiser. I have no intention of not raging against the dying of the light but it’s good to be able to stop long enough to smell the flowers and I’m glad I eventually was able to here.
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Sorry for my delay, but a sincere happy milestone Bday and just remember not to play that #1 single from Mr. Dodd, as that was way beyond your control!

As LBJ would certainly remind me, some of us are close behind you, so it's just a number, and it's how you feel on the inside that counts.

I'm finally getting to listen to this tonight, and I can happily note this is the first time I've ever heard John Martyn, and I'm glad it has taken this long to listen, because I'm not sure any version of me less than 10 years prior give or take would have appreciated this.

More to come, but I'm really liking "Don't Want To Know" as it plays in my hotel room tonight as I chill after a long day. Homeward bound tomorrow, so between this and the synth heavy 1982, I'm looking forward to the music to get me home. I'm enjoying that psychedelia and folk sound.
 
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For a Glaswegian alcoholic drug abusing violent brawler, he sure made beautiful music. 9/10.

I recall watching a documentary on him (BBC, I think) and he was a fascinating character - I’ll try and find it. He also seemed very self-deprecating - opening concerts by asking “ has anyone got use for a Glaswegian one-legged Sumo wrestler?”
Ps. Robert Smith’s cover of ‘Small Hours’ is a thing of beauty for those who like the title track here.
 
trotsky said:
For a Glaswegian alcoholic drug abusing violent brawler, he sure made beautiful music. 9/10.

I recall watching a documentary on him (BBC, I think) and he was a fascinating character - I’ll try and find it. He also seemed very self-deprecating - opening concerts by asking “ has anyone got use for a Glaswegian one-legged Sumo wrestler?”
Ps. Robert Smith’s cover of ‘Small Hours’ is a thing of beauty for those who like the title track here.
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He was a strange and troubled mix wasn't he? On the one hand very uncompromising but then like you say would deflect or make flippant comments when asked about his talent etc. Live he would robustly take the piss out of something, including himself, and then just segue into a beautiful ethereal song.

I think more than one of his friends and peers described him as a pain in the arse that they really loved. That said his ex wife described him as Luciferian. His life seemed chaotic and his relatively early demise sadly inevitable.
 
RobMCFC said:
Nice write-up. I really enjoyed the Nick Drake album the other week so hopefully this will hit a similar spot.

Happy birthday for whenever it is. Don’t worry about a new year or a new decade. It’s a lot better than the alternative. This is something that I have said many times over the years, accompanied by much eye-rolling from my wife, but the last 18 months or so have brought home how true it is.
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Thanks Rob; sage words that are indeed very true.
 
trotsky said:
For a Glaswegian alcoholic drug abusing violent brawler, he sure made beautiful music. 9/10.

I recall watching a documentary on him (BBC, I think) and he was a fascinating character - I’ll try and find it. He also seemed very self-deprecating - opening concerts by asking “ has anyone got use for a Glaswegian one-legged Sumo wrestler?”
Ps. Robert Smith’s cover of ‘Small Hours’ is a thing of beauty for those who like the title track here.
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That cover is on the excellent tribute to JM, ‘Johnny Boy would Love This’
Some great covers by Beck,Paolo Nutini,Snow Patrol et al and this one by another troubled soul
Gavin Clark

 
Mancitydoogle said:
That cover is on the excellent tribute to JM, ‘Johnny Boy would Love This’
Some great covers by Beck,Paolo Nutini,Snow Patrol et al and this one by another troubled soul
Gavin Clark

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You know of all the songs that have made an impact on me on this thread, Hard Sun is right up there. I found Crazy at the Weekend a difficult listen at the time but have come back to it multiple times and that track really gets to me.
 
Somebody earlier mentioned an artist they should like but they can never get into them.
John Martyn comes under that for me.

Nothing in this for me.The only song I would give pass marks to is.The man in the station.
Struggled with everything else.
Another Scottish artist that I just cannot get into.3
 
bennyboy said:
Somebody earlier mentioned an artist they should like but they can never get into them.
John Martyn comes under that for me.

Nothing in this for me.The only song I would give pass marks to is.The man in the station.
Struggled with everything else.
Another Scottish artist that I just cannot get into.3
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Just a point of order Mr Chairman. The torpedo squad was stood down last week by Kapitänleutnant Bob and he hasn't actually yet rescinded that command; so technically I don't think this score counts.
 
threespires said:
Just a point of order Mr Chairman. The torpedo squad was stood down last week by Kapitänleutnant Bob and he hasn't actually yet rescinded that command; so technically I don't think this score counts.
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Forgot to say that Deep Purple got a Smithereens-equalling 13 from the Torpedo club. Looks like the re-fit as Faslane has gone well and the squad are back in working order.
 
threespires said:
Martyn has gone a bit Vic Reeves club singer on the title track, I hope you can think about the context of the song (Martyn was a close friend of Drake who was in a bad place by this point and Martyn was struggling with not being able to help him) and recognise the intentionality.
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I am so glad you put that in as I was going to say that very thing after my first listen on the way in to work this morning. At first I thought it must have been me still being half asleep at 5am, then perhaps too much noise outside the car, but I couldn't get past "the pub singer".

Initially I wasn't that fussed but then it started to wash over and seep into me. I was more taken with alot of the music with it feeling that it had various styles. Almost tempted to post the John Thompson/Fast Show/Groovy gif
 
LGWIO said:
I am so glad you put that in as I was going to say that very thing after my first listen on the way in to work this morning. At first I thought it must have been me still being half asleep at 5am, then perhaps too much noise outside the car, but I couldn't get past "the pub singer".

Initially I wasn't that fussed but then it started to wash over and seep into me. I was more taken with alot of the music with it feeling that it had various styles. Almost tempted to post the John Thompson/Fast Show/Groovy gif
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After a slow start, this definitely has a bit of groove to it. Shout out to John Bundrick on the clavinet.
 
LGWIO said:
I am so glad you put that in as I was going to say that very thing after my first listen on the way in to work this morning. At first I thought it must have been me still being half asleep at 5am, then perhaps too much noise outside the car, but I couldn't get past "the pub singer".

Initially I wasn't that fussed but then it started to wash over and seep into me. I was more taken with alot of the music with it feeling that it had various styles. Almost tempted to post the John Thompson/Fast Show/Groovy gif
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Yeah, that's a good phrase; let it seep into you. There's all sort of stuff going on in there: blues, jazz, folk, bit of psychedelia, trip hop vibes even!
 
RobMCFC said:
After a slow start, this definitely has a bit of groove to it. Shout out to John Bundrick on the clavinet.
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My suspicion is that Bundrick was one of the musicians who survived the cull from the initial group that didn't work out. It's never been clear who was in that first group but general consensus says Paul Kossoff was part of it and Bundrick was working on Kossoff's solo album during that time.

btw original Clavinets go for stupid money these days.
 
threespires said:
Yeah, that's a good phrase; let it seep into you. There's all sort of stuff going on in there: blues, jazz, folk, bit of psychedelia, trip hop vibes even!
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At one point I did think that one of my faves, Aphex Twin could almost have been involved in some of the arrangements
 
LGWIO said:
At one point I did think that one of my faves, Aphex Twin could almost have been involved in some of the arrangements
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Think he's actually acknowledged as a bit of a pioneer/influence on some ambient acts. All kinds of people are into this album, the Portishead bunch are fans I think.

It's got quite a weird mix of things going on but they still imo work brilliantly. In some ways I still can't get my head round how dismissive I was of it originally.
 
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