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Fire & Water

Dave Laing
Let it Rock #15
The elemental, avant-garde John Martyn, by Dave Laing

1967: "So there I was on this barge on the river wearing nothing but denims and a smile..." so runs the sleeve note on London Conversation, the first 'white' album on a thriving reggae label by an eighteen year old folk guitarist and singer.

Focus on

Anonymous
Record Mirror

JOHN MARTYN is one of the richest musical performers on the current scene. His roots meld traditional folk and blues aspects with the frontiers of jazz.

Touring Economy [excerpt]

Unknown
Akron Beacon Journal

During the tour of Traffic, Free and John Martyn a reporter researched the economics behind touring and promoting. The following part is particularly interesting because it shows a) that musicians tend to be too naive, b) John was right about his mistrust of the music industry, and c) Chris Blackwell cares about his artists.

Will you love them tomorrow?

Mark Plummer
Melody Maker

MM writers pick the names who'll make it big in '73

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John Martyn

"I'm trying to pull electric music into acoustic and acoustic into electric," John Martyn told me earlier this year1. It's been said a million times before, easy words to find, but Martyn moves nearer to that end than any artist I've heard.

Guide to the week

Anonymous
Melody Maker
Guide to the week

JOHN MARTYN (City University, London, Thursday): Part folk singer, part rock and roller, John Martyn will titillate your ear and give food to your soul. The rock musician's nightmare is an acoustic musician who has mastered the use of electric guitar playing.

John and Beverley Martyn

Anonymous
Beat Instrumental #85

JOE BOYD has been responsible for bringing to our attention a number of brilliant musicians. People don't talk much about 'discovering' artists these days, but that's what Boyd did for the Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention. His latest venture has been to produce the first album by John and Beverley Martyn, Stormbringer!, a record which has been hailed by the discerning as one of the best to emerge this year.

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