Johnny Boy Would Love This - LSM 4012

2 Aug 2011
Rolling Stone
Will Hermes

cover
Various Artists
Johnny Boy Would Love This… A Tribute to John Martyn
Hole in the Rain/Liason

Rolling Stone: * * * * *

By WILL HERMES
August 2, 2011

A friend to fellow UK folk visionary Nick Drake, John Martyn had his own cult of influence, as this two-disc cover set shows. Drawing on dub and other influences, Martyn took folk-blues into dreamy, uncharted territory, anticipating the roots abstractions of Daniel Lanois and others. Contributors Vetiver, Phil Collins, Vashti Bunyan, and the Cure's Robert Smith make for odd bedfellows. But Martyn's songbook —"May You Never," "Stormbringer," the Drake tribute "Solid Air"— is the star. And with the success of Mumford & Sons (who must've been too busy to contribute), this British folk-pop history lesson couldn't be more timely.

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In fact Rolling Stone granted 3 and a half stars but that is a little complicated to reproduce.