Sweet Little Mysteries: The Island Anthology
ISLAND 314-522-245-2

Last year, either out of boredom or because of some rush of blood to the head, John Martyn released an album of his favourites re-recorded and re-arranged. May You Never with drums? Ill-advised, surely. Now Island rush in to mop up the mess with a two-CD collection of the finest points in what has been, by any standards, a formidable career. Remember him this way. Sweet Little Mysteries runs us from the dope-sozzled acoustic folk days (Bless The Weather, Head And Heart, Solid Air) through to the later, cavernous electric material (Some People Are Crazy, Hurt In Your Heart) which contains arguably the best work Phil Collins has ever done, either as a drummer or, in the background, as a singer. As an experimental guitarist, Martyn unearthed all manner of hitherto unheard noises, but none was as remarkable as that sweet, shy, mumbly buzz of a voice. * * * *

Giles Smith

Picture of the article kindly provided by John Neil Munro.