solid air

John Martyn found a perfect expression for his heartfelt folk with the liquid jazz echoes of this mesmerizing musical memento. The sessions for 'Solid Air' were co-produced by Martyn with John Wood initially at Sound Techniques in Chelsea; but after Wood fell down the stairs only days into recording, they were rescheduled at Basing Street Studios in the Notting Hill section of London. Martyn recalled:   "I did a lot of sessions with some very heavy, super starry people and didn't like it. I scrapped it, much to everyone's dismay. Consequently I left myself with about eight days to do the album - because the deal was that I had to have one to coincide with the American tour [supporting Traffic]. I've never sung as good as on that record. But at the time I made it I was capable of singing even better - and playing better. It was all too rushed. The next one's going to be a lot heavier. There'll be more blowing on it from me."

'Solid Air'  features John Martyn on vocals, synthesizer, and acoustic & electric guitar; Richard Thompson on guitar, violin, autoharp, and mandolin; Simon Nicol on mandolin, violin, and autoharp; Sue Draheim on violin; Tony Coe on saxophone; John "Rabbit" Bundrick on acoustic & electric piano, organ, and clavinet; Tristan Fry on vibraphone; Danny Thompson on acoustic bass; Dave Pegg on bass; Dave Mattacks on drums; and Neemoi "Speedy" Acquaye on congas.   Wood remembers:   "Tracks were recorded live with few overdubs, in around eight days. Many artists I have worked with since find it difficult to believe that an album of this musical stature and integration could have been made so quickly. Fortunately John was working with musicians who quickly understood the shape and form of his songs, not easy when you realise that John's guitar would be in his own tunings which Rabbit and Danny then would have to transpose for their normal concert tunings...No song took more than three or four takes, and John always insecure about his vocal performances, seemed to be much happier with these than on previous records. We were on a very tight time line, as the album release had to tie in with a US tour. Within a couple of weeks we were back at Sound Techniques for the mixing sessions, prior to me taking the finished mixes to New York to master the album."

Martyn considered:  "Traditional music is so strong, rhythmically and melodically, that I find electric instruments fight against the original values. They're there for dramatic effect. Like mutton dressed as lamb. The music's not meant for huge stages and loud volume. It's meant for intimate circumstances or small social settings. It's meant for your heart, not your head. Very few people are trying to reach the heart these days...I'm really hung up on heads and hearts. I mean, obviously they fuse together in your life, but they're two quite different things. Initial reactions, to me, are heart reactions. I wouldn't trust head or heart finally, though. The closest I can get is that I use my head to temper the judgements of my heart. I feel strongly that there's a great dearth of heart everywhere right now. The drug culture has laid too heavy an emphasis on the expansion of the head. The point of my music is to pull people back to this heart thing. It's no battle to get up there and sing whatever's in your head at the time, but it's a whole other scene to lay your heart on people. I want to be able to take my clothes off in front of everybody and say: 'See? I'm just like you.'"











http://www.johnmartyn.com/











1."Solid Air" – 5:46
was written about Nick Drake, who died of an antidepressant overdose a year and a half later.  Martyn almost explained: "It was done for a friend of mine, and it was done right with very clear motives, and I'm very pleased with it, for varying reasons. It has got a very simple message, but you'll have to work that one out for yourself."

You've been taking your time
And you've been living on solid air
You've been walking the line
And You've been living on solid air
Don't know what's going wrong inside
And I can tell you that it's hard to hide when you're living on
Solid air.
You've been painting it blue
And you've been looking through solid air
You've been seeing it through
And you've been looking through solid air
Don't know what's going wrong in your mind,
And I can tell you don't like what you find,
When you're moving through
Solid air.
I know you, I love you
And I could be your friend
I could follow you, anywhere
Even through solid air.
You've been stoning it cold
You've been living on solid air
You've been finding that gold
You've been living on solid air
I don't know what's going on inside
I can tell you that it's hard to hide
When you're living on
Solid air, solid air.
You've been getting too deep
You've been living on solid air
You've been missing your sleep
And you've been moving through solid air
I don't know what's going on in your mind
But I know you don't like what you find
When you're moving through
Solid air, solid air.
I know you, I love you
I'll be your friend
I could follow you, anywhere
Even through solid air.
You've been walking your line
You've been walking on solid air
You've been taking your time
But you've been walking on solid air
Don't know what's going wrong inside
But I can tell you that it's hard to hide
When you're living on
Solid air, solid air.
You've been painting it blue,
You've been living on solid air
You've been seeing it through
And you've been living on solid air
I don't know what's going on in your mind
But I can tell you don't like what you find
When your living on
Solid air, solid air.
I know you, I love you
And I'll be your friend
I could follow you, anywhere
Even through solid air.
Ice blue solid air
Nice blue solid air

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UikPQOaJpfU



2."Over the Hill" – 2:51
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwjL3ipBAhg





3."Don't Want to Know" – 3:01

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIqQ01RduIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stRmPH0PbPs



4."I'd Rather Be the Devil" (Skip James) – 6:19

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wJevkA7_O4




5."Go Down Easy" – 3:36

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz8uNRWsmFY




6."Dreams by the Sea" – 3:18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKgsZkFFecI



7."May You Never" – 3:43
was later covered by Eric Clapton on his 'Slowhand' album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQs6MvsPCXA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOi_wxypeGc





8."The Man in the Station" – 2:54

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LUIg2QMdmk





9."The Easy Blues" – 3:22

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hamLeJGAWVs



outtakes:

10."Keep On"

http://www.last.fm/music/John+Martyn/_/Keep+On

11."When It's Dark"

http://www.last.fm/music/John+Martyn/Solid+Air/When+It's+Dark+(Demo)

12."In the Evening"

http://www.last.fm/music/John+Martyn/Solid+Air/In+The+Evening