PIECE BY PIECE John Martyn Island

John Martyn is a gem of a musician waiting to be discovered. The Scottish born Martyn has produced a dozen innovative albums during the past 18 years, attracting only a smattering of public acclaim. "Piece by Piece" might redress that. It is another example of Martyn's formidable song-writing, singing and production skills.

Rock with a message of gloom and doom

If you're at all seduced by the mellow musings of the new soul/ jazzers (Sade, Everything But The Girl, Working Week) and or intelligent folk/ rockers like Richard Thompson, John Martyn might be just up your alley.

Piece By Piece is Scottish singer-songwriter John Martyn's 18th album, and it continues in the sophisticated, pseudo-jazzy direction of its most recent predecessors.

JOHN MARTYN: "Piece By Piece" (Island)

Ranges from the romantic 'Angeline' to the schizoid 'John Wayne', even venturing into pop with 'Lonely Love' and many will find it hard to believe that this [is] the same JM who was such an innovator in the '70s.

'Serendipity' and 'Nightline' stand out alongside 'Angeline' (which went to No. 1 in the CD charts) ¹ and also 'Who Believes In Angels', on which John's voice finally takes on a life of its own -certainly the highest note he's ever sung- it'll soon be demanding its own dressing room.