Glorious Fool - Warner WEA K99178
Consistency has never been John Martyn's strongest quality but the rabid mediocrity of Glorious Fool comes as a shock after last year's Grace & Danger
Consistency has never been John Martyn's strongest quality but the rabid mediocrity of Glorious Fool comes as a shock after last year's Grace & Danger
This advert was printed on page 33 of the New Musical Express, 10 October 1981. It contains 14 tour dates.
The same issue of the magazine featured an interview with Chris Salewicz, Johnny Done Badly. And a review...
JOHN MARTYN
on tour with guests
BUMBLE & THE BEEZNEW ALBUM
GLORIOUS FOOLOne of this year's (any year's) finest.
Melody MakerOne of the most genuinely passionate records of the year.
Record Mirror
03 Oct 1981
Steve Sutherland slips on his rose-tinted glasses and pops along to hero-worship JOHN MARTYN. Half-tones: Janette Beckman.
YOU'LL have read, no doubt, from time to time, the type of image-boosting tripe we hacks dish out in a bid to force some fab new fad on the world's affection just to gloat in reflected hip glory. You've probably even taken the bait occasionally, enticed by the fashion, reputation and one-upmanship of novelty.
JOHN MARTYN'S twelfth album, his first with Warners and his first with a band.
The accolade 'genius' doesn't often apply in popular music.
JOHN MARTYN: 'Please Fall In Love With Me' (WEA). Slow, unexciting exercise, rendered even less successful by a Phil Collins production that shoves Martyn's remarkable voice to the back and has a bleeding great drum thumping away in the thick of it and drowning all else out. Sounds suspiciously like Collins' horrible gurgley voice on backing vocals, too; why can't he be content with boring half the world to death with his own wretched records?
After a career that's lasted for well over a decade. and after recording a dozen albums, John Martyn seems set at last to change his musical status from cult guitarist to established performer.
01 Sep 1981
John Martyn gets filed under M for Miscellaneous when it comes to the mainstream categories of popular music. His eclectic style has taken in traditional Scottish folk, picked up on blues, jazz and dub on the way, all the while retaining a distinctive personal feel. He must rank among the most unique guitar stylists this country has produced.
Studio band recording.
90 minutes
Broadcast from Dominion Theatre concert during Glorious Fool Tour, that took place 24 May.