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Album Review
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Scene, Album Review >>
Postcard from Milwaukee: John Martyn & T. Rex
By: Blaine Schultz
John Martyn Heaven and Earth
(Hole in The Rain Music)
After the iconic Scottish guitarist John Martyn died in 2009, producers Jim Tullio and Gary Pollitt took up the task of assembling the recordings that would become Martyn’s last studio album. Martyn’s legacy of tape-delayed acoustic guitar and world beat influences showed a musician ahead of his time.
A close friend of Nick Drake, Martyn’s song “Solid Air” was written about the doomed guitarist who only recorded three albums. Conversely Martyn’s career would encompass more than three decades of albums and performances.
Unlike so many posthumous releases Heaven and Earth does not feel cobbled together from demos. Tullio and Pollitt have managed to incorporate the late artist’s tracks with music that supports Martyn’s songs in a manner that add a fine chapter to Martyn’s discography.
The soul horn section and background vocals on “Bad Company,” the downchill vibe of “Heal of the Hunt” and ominous vamp “The Gambler” showcase Martyn’s thoughtful lyrics.
Throughout, the music buoys Martyn’s gruff vocals, which often are as much instrument as voice. 06/07/11 >> go there
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