Johnny Would Love This...A Tribute To John Martyn
[Hole In the Rain; 08/16/2011]

By Suyeon Kim
August 15, 2011

Beck, Bombay Bicycle Club, and 28 More Say Goodbye, Hello, to a Cult Hero

It’s been rainy and gray in New York City this weekend, full of gusting winds and rolling cloud. It was a good time to listen to Johnny Would Love This…A Tribute to John Martyn, which floated through my speakers and helped me feel a little less lonely on a sunless Sunday.

John Martyn, the innovative British folk singer, passed away in 2009 at age 60. He left behind a large body of experimental folk, and a devoted cult following. In this collection of 30 cover songs (out tomorrow), artists as diverse as Bombay Bicycle Club, Phil Collins, and The Blind Boys of Alabama come together and somehow cohere into a unified, joyful album.

Martyn, who was born in Surrey but raised partly in Scotland, is beloved in England as a folk musician and studio innovator. Martyn used delayed tape loopings in his live performances in the 70s, and his music inspired folks like Brian Eno and The Edge. Martyn took the familiar acoustic guitar song, and pushed the envelope in the direction of jazz, ambient, and outer space. It makes sense that weird rock genius Beck is a fan.  

Beck’s version of “Stormbringer” sounds, well, like a Beck song. Even the sad, beautiful lyrics seem familiar, “She never looked around to see me/She never looked around at all/All I saw were shadows on the wall.” Beck’s Martyn cover wouldn’t be out of place on Mutations, with its subtle synth overlays and delicate rhythm guitar.

Robert Smith’s, “Small Hours,” is poppy, with sounds of oceans and echoey guitar. The long instrumental intro reminds us of the best of ’80s guitar-driven, synth-cushioned songs. Other standout songs are “May You Never,” by Irish alt-rockers Snow Patrol, and Vashti Bunyan’s whispering, textured version of “Head and Heart.”

Close with Eric Clapton, Nick Drake and Phil Collins in the 70s, Martyn collaborated often with Phil Collins, who co-wrote “Tearing and Breaking” (which Collins recorded for this album). Unlike his friends, he never broke into the mainstream and superstardom. Still, Martyn never stopped putting out albums, and his albums in the ’90s endeared him to a new generation of trip hoppers like Morcheeba, who contributed “Run, Honey Run,” And even the generation after that — 2010 UK chart-topper Paolo Nutini’s version of “One World” is a reggae-flavored, soulful jam.

Martyn’s songs were sometimes joyful, and often despairing. But the album grooves overall, full of happiness. It has the spirit of a campfire singalong, by a group of people who put down their worldly attitudes for an evening and just went round robin with songs they loved.

The album introduces an under-appreciated artist to new audiences, and also tours through the breadth of the last 30 years of English (and a few American) pop artists. But it’s also an album for remembering and touring through your own memories. Whether it’s 6am coming home from a long night out, or 6pm after a long day of watching the rain, John Martyn’s music shows you the way.