John Martyn - "London Conversation" (remastered)

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John Martyn - "London Conversation" (remastered)

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This was the first full album I heard by John Martyn and has remained my favourite since purchasing Grace & Danger, Solid Air and One World. All of his work is marvellous, but this has so many strong songs on it. I can't believe how overlooked JM and this album are. London Conversation includes a cover version of Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice, Its Alright which John does brilliantly. What I think makes him special are his unique guitar tuning and pickings and his stunning voice. Unbeatable.

It is a shame that London Conversation does not get the same praise and acclaim as other Martyn records (allmusic.com notoriously gave it a miserly 2 star rating) as it is one of his finest. It is an album that at first does not seem necessarily indicative of his later work. When compared to Solid Air it’s hard to appreciate that they are even by the same artist.

With its choice of cover material the record harks back to the earlier part of the sixties revival. Martyn turns his hand to a terrific cover of Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, its Alright as well as blues' staple Cocaine.

But though it is an album of an artist trying to find his voice and direction, it still contains the components which one comes to expect from one of his later records. The song-writing on the original cuts are strong throughout, the guitar playing is lyrical and understated, and his voice belies his age.

Most of the tracks deal with love and loss and are imbued with a sense of melancholy. The title track, Back to Stay, Run Honey Run and Ballad of an Elder Woman are all inward meditations on these themes, and are all intensely intimate portrayals of emotion.

The standout cut on the album has to be This Time; a haunting track in which Martyn manages to rail between disgust and despair over the torment caused to him by love. It is a gorgeous tune, and the interchange between guitar and voice perfectly compliment each other to stunning effect.