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| Value for Money | 9/10  |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | 9/10 |
Full review by
m06een00
on 3rd Aug 2004
User Rating : 9
Respect :
0
'Grace & Danger'(1980) was made during John Martyn's divorce from former singing partner Beverley Martyn. Consequently much of the album, especially the last four tracks, are a painful rendering of the emotional upheaval John found himself in at the time. It was also the first album of John's to feature none of his well-known acoustic guitar work.
However, there are some excellent tracks to be found. 'Looking On' is very jazzy. 'Johnny Too Bad' is sort of electronic reggae, and for me the only mediocre track. 'Sweet Little Mystery', 'Save Some' and 'Our Love' are the strongest tracks. Most of the backing musicians on this album accompanied John on tour when he promoted the album and became his first live backing band. All are superb musicians and blend perfectly with John. Until then, he had always performed as a solo artist or as a duo with Danny Thompson or his ex, Beverley.
This is John's last high quality album in my opinion. After he recorded this he left Island records, whom he had been signed to since his debut album 13 years earlier. From then on his work became much more patchy as he tried to aim for a more commercial sound. If you are new to John Martyn, then this album and 'Solid Air'(1973) are well worth investigating.
Peter
m06een00's review and ratings | 218 words
John MartynTracklisting: 1. Some people are crazy2. Grace and danger3. Lookin&; 039; on4. Johnny too bad5. Sweet little mystery 6. Hurt in your heart7. Baby please come home8. Save some for me9. Our More...
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