Albums

Live At Leeds

1 Sep 1975
The Bottom Line:

Good (and rather rare) registration of great performance. Signed copies are true collectors items.

Vinyl: Island ILPS 9343
Vinyl: Cacophony SKELP 001 (June 1987)
Vinyl: Pläne 88533 (Germany 1987, red label, p/sleeve)
Vinyl: RCA DYNAFLEX - LSP 4577 (USA)
CD: AWCD 1036 (1992, Awareness)
CD: Hypertension HYCD 200114

Sunday's Child

24 Jan 1975
The Bottom Line:

Fine collection of home grown songs; one of John's most accessible albums.

Vinyl: Island ILPS 9296
Vinyl: Island SMAS 9296 (US, October 1974)
Vinyl: Island Festival L35453 (Australia)
CD: Island IMCD 163 (846 107-2) (March 1993)

Inside Out

1 Oct 1973
The Bottom Line:

Underrated classic album with spontaneous music and John slowly turning electrical and jazzy. First recording of Outside In.

Vinyl: Island ILPS 9253
Vinyl: Island SMAS 9335 (US)
Vinyl: Island Festival L36530 (Australia)
Vinyl: ILPS 19253 (Italy)
CD: Island IMCD 172 (514 493-2) (April 1994)

Solid Air

1 Feb 1973
The Bottom Line:

Many consider this to be John's finest album; it surely is one of his most famous ones. Recorded in 1972, it contains five or six songs both classic and timeless.

Vinyl: Island ILPS 9226 (gatefold sleeve)
Vinyl: Island ILPM 9226; (single sleeve, Nov 1986)
Vinyl: Island SW 9325 (US)
Vinyl: Island Festival L36019 (Australia)
Vinyl: Phonogram Island 8425542 (France)
Vinyl: Simply Vinyl SVLP 102 (30 Aug 1999)
Vinyl: Simply Vinyl SVLP 501 (11 Oct 2010, 500 copies)
Vinyl: Island 533763-6 (2013, Back To Black)
Vinyl: Island 478527-7 (2016, translucent green, 500 copies)
Vinyl: Island 533763-6 (13 Oct 2018, translucent blue)
CD: Island CID 9492 (Feb 1987)
CD: Island IMCD 85 (842 554-2) (Island Masters)

Bless The Weather

1 Nov 1971
The Bottom Line:

The first 'real' John Martyn album and a creative explosion that, together with the next four or five, forms the core of his claim to fame. Many rate Bless The Weather even better than Solid Air.

Vinyl: Island ILPS 9167
Vinyl: Island SMAS 9311 (US)
Vinyl: Island Festival L34440 (Australia)
Vinyl: Island 85677 IT (Germany)
CD: Island IMCD 135 (848 972-2) (May 1993)

The Road To Ruin

John and Beverley Martyn
1 Nov 1970
The Bottom Line:

Fine collection of songs that had deserved better sales.

Vinyl: Island ILPS 9133 (UK)
Vinyl: Warner WS 1882 (US, green label) (Feb 1971)
Vinyl: Island Festival L36528 (Australia)
Vinyl: King Records/ Island ICL-16 (Japan, 1972, lyric sheet, Japanese liner notes)
Vinyl: Proper Records UMCLP054 (Poland, 180 gram, 28 July 2023)
CD: Island IMCD 165 (514 632-2) March 1993
CD: Universal UICY-9685 (r&e Japan)

Stormbringer!

John and Beverley Martyn
1 Feb 1970
The Bottom Line:

Underrated record, one of the first to mix electric and acoustic music in a smooth way. Some songs (Beverley's) tend to get repetitious.

Vinyl: Island ILPS 9113
Vinyl: Warner WS 1854 (US, green label)
Vinyl: Island Festival L36526 (Australia)
Vinyl: Island 6339 003 (NL)
Vinyl: 4 Men With Beards 4M 803LP (180 grams, US unofficial, 21 Feb 2011)
Vinyl: Proper Records UMCLP053 (Poland, 180 grams, 28 July 2023)
CD: Island IMCD 131 (848 747-2) May 1993

London Conversation

1 Oct 1967
The Bottom Line:

Somewhat naive album with songs that are still listenable because there was no money to spoil the production.

Vinyl: Island ILP 952
Vinyl: Island Festival L36525 (Australia)
Vinyl: Orizzonte ORL 8373 (Italy)
Vinyl: Proper Records UMCLP051 (Poland, 180 gram, 14 Jul 2023)
CD: Island IMCD 134 (846 105-2) (May 1993)

The Tumbler

1 Oct 1968
The Bottom Line:

Worthy follow up, slightly more mature with some very remote jazz chords and still popular today.

Vinyl: Island ILPS 9091
Vinyl: Island ILPS 19091 Dischi Ricordi (Italy)
Vinyl: Orizzonte ORL 8631 (Italy)
Vinyl: Island Festival L36529 (Australia)
Vinyl: Fontana STL 235 (South Africa)
Vinyl: Island 5707119 (180 grams, 22 April 2017)
Vinyl: Proper Records UMCLP052 (Poland, 180 grams, 14 July 2023)
CD: Island IMCD 173 (842 437-2) (April 1994)

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