The Bottom Line:
An impressive lot of posthumous friends.
The package -'Collectors Edition'- includes a double CD digi-pak, a 40-page booklet, and a bonus DVD that features interviews with a number of the contributing artists, performance videos, and rare live performances by John himself.
Adding to this unique audio experience is the inclusion of John's actual guitar work on two of the tracks. One of them is You Can Discover by Cheryl Wilson. The other one is Anna by Brendan Campbell: he says "It was a huge honour to add my voice to John's guitar on this song." Which raises the question when the Anna recording was made. Jim Tullio clarifies "We recorded that track originally for On The Cobbles in 2003 and John never did do a vocal on it, so Gaz [Gary Pollitt, hb] found Brendan Campbell in Glasgow and we felt he would be the right match for the song and it would be a fitting track for the tribute."
The Phil Collins track, Tearing And Breaking, might fire a memory. Indeed a song by this name featured as opening for Phils 2CD sampler Love Songs: A Compilation... Old And New (2004). However the version included in this tribute CD has been re-recorded at Phil Collins' own request. He and John wrote the song together.
Sweet Little Missing
In the first track listing, Sweet Little Mystery is also included in a version by Devendra Banhart. But it did not make it to the final selection. Banhart, who is a keen Martyn fan who helped recruit Beck, Vetiver and others to the project, chose this song for himself. But, according to Mark Edwards in a Sunday Times article, 'despite four separate attempts to record it, he never managed a version he thought was good enough.'
| Track details | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD1 | ||||
| nr | title | artist | time | comment |
| 01 | Let The Good Things Come | David Gray | 3:25 | Quiet start doing justice to song title. |
| 02 | Glorious Fool | Clarence Fountain & Sam Butler | 5:12 | Great gospel approach. |
| 03 | Small Hours | Robert Smith | 7:54 | Tough note to cure. |
| 04 | Stormbringer | Beck | 4:25 | Close to original. |
| 05 | Over The Hill | Ted Barnes | 4:14 | Nice rootsy take with banjo and strings. |
| 06 | I Don't Want To Know | The Swell Season | 3:47 | Starts familiar but escalates. |
| 07 | Bless The Weather | Emperors Of Wyoming | 4:09 | Bless the Western soundtrack. |
| 08 | Couldn't Love You More | Lisa Hannigan | 3:15 | Girl next door with harmonium. |
| 09 | Go Easy | Vetiver | 4:30 | Close to original. |
| 10 | Solid Air | Skye | 5:40 | Broody gloomy trip hop. |
| 11 | You Can Discover | Cheryl Wilson | 4:17 | So nice to hear John again. 'My fault entirely.' |
| 12 | The Easy Blues | Joe Bonamassa | 2:12 | Both highly original and back-to-roots. |
| 13 | Dancing | Sonia Dada | 3:49 | One Soul. |
| 14 | Certain Surprise | Sabrina Dinan | 4:14 | Same cocktail party, other host. |
| 15 | One World | Paolo Nutini | 4:25 | Reggae master Paolo 'Guts' Nutini. |
| CD2 | ||||
| nr | title | artist | time | comment |
| 01 | May You Never | Snow Patrol | 5:42 | Audacious version for stadium crowds with lighters. |
| 02 | Go Down Easy | Beth Orton | 3:07 | Love Beth. |
| 03 | Fairy Tale Lullaby | The Bombay Bicycle Club | 2:23 | Close to original. |
| 04 | Fine Lines | Syd Kitchen | 5:45 | Out of Africa. |
| 05 | Head And Heart | Vashti Bunyan | 4:43 | More spatious, bit One Worldly. |
| 06 | Run Honey Run | Morcheeba | 3:42 | Johnny Boy really loved this. Me too. |
| 07 | Angeline | Nicholas Barron | 5:06 | Emotional. Like John. |
| 08 | Walk To The Water | John Smith | 2:57 | Respectable guitar and voice. |
| 09 | Hurt In Your Heart | Judy Tzuke | 4:38 | Heartfelt tribute. |
| 10 | Road To Ruin | Jim Tullio | 3:26 | Awesome Americana. Alison Krauss should hear this. |
| 11 | John Wayne | Oh My God | 4:12 | Grunge surprise. Louder! |
| 12 | Rope Soul'd | The Black Ships | 7:26 | Experimental trip hop. |
| 13 | Back To Stay | Ultan Conlon | 3:24 | Sensibly sensitive. |
| 14 | Anna | Brendan Campbell | 5:27 | On The Cobbles outtake with different singer. |
| 15 | Tearing And Breaking | Phil Collins | 5:31 | Like the title says. |
2CD production credits
Executive producers: Jim Snowden, Pete Mason and Jim Tullio
Coordinated by Pete Mason
Compiled by Pete Mason and Jim Tullio
Mastered by Adam Ayan @ Gateway Portland Maine
Art direction by Michael Page/ Trike Creative
Photo illustration by Michael Page
Package design by Trike Creative
Photography: Lawrence Watson (cover and portrait photos) | Tim Dickeson | John Martyn photos
Special thanks to: Teresa Walsh, Mharai McGeachy, Spenser McGeachy, Chris Blackwell, Phil Collins, Chris Hutton, Scott Sperlich, Adam Ayan, Gary Pollitt, Jimmy McKnight, Brian Young, Devendra Banhart, Chris Stewart, Bert Moreno, Annie Callingham, Rob Holden, Bernadette Barrett, Brendan Moon, Caron Malcom, Hugo Bedford, William Wortley, Conor O'Mahoney, Liz Hart, Joe Black, Richard Hoare, Jason Marcus, Howard Greynolds, Claire Leadbitter, Errol Kolosine, Michele Fleischli, Tony Smith, Tara Richardson, Natalie Nissim, Natalie Angell, Steve Mathews, Pam Ribbeck, Brendan Coyle, Mike Bawden, Alexandra Martucci and especially to all artists who generously contributed their talent, time and devotion... Much respect.
johnmartynmusic.com
Bonus DVD production credits
Producer/ Director: Lou Hinkhouse
Executive producers: Jim Snowden, Jim Tullio, Pete Mason
Cover art/ Photo illustration: Michael Page
Intro animation: Michael Page
Animation: Mark Rizzo
Editor/ Illustrator: Lou Hinkhouse
Introduction written and voiced by: Chris Nickson
Cover photo and final John Martyn photo: Lawrence Watson
All other John Martyn photos: Tim Dickeson
John Martyn archive film footage courtesy of Lyn and Eleanor McMullan and Teresa Walsh
"Proceeds from this CD will go to John's family"
 Inner sleeve.. |
 CD #1.. |
 Front page booklet.. |
 Back page booklet.. |