JOHN MARTYN: Hiss On The Tape (WEA) Martyn's move to WEA has produced two comparatively bland albums in which his gruff and grasping voice strives for character against an increasingly bland backing. 'Hiss' isn't as dirty as it's supposed to be. John and Stevie¹ are going down together.

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sitenotes:
This minimalistic review was published in Record Mirror of 25 Sep 1982. Material provided by John Neil Munro.
¹ Cooper is referring to Steve Winwood's single Valerie, which got a similar treatment on the same page. "… the trick of using a woman's name instead of a song. The new synth style merely highlights Winwood's lack of imagination. The voice may be still be golden but even golden gifts may be betrayed."