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John Martyn- On the Cobbles

Chris Cooke

pfm Member
Firstly, I don’t feel that we have sufficient mentions of the great John Martyn on this forum. I have to share that I see his work as very much part of the soundtrack of my days.
Anyone else feel the same?
But also to say that when you think of JM very few will reach for On the Cobbles..
So allow me to make a recommendation that you treat yourself to the first three tracks and see what you make of it?
 
Firstly, I don’t feel that we have sufficient mentions of the great John Martyn on this forum. I have to share that I see his work as very much part of the soundtrack of my days.
Anyone else feel the same?
But also to say that when you think of JM very few will reach for On the Cobbles..
So allow me to make a recommendation that you treat yourself to the first three tracks and see what you make of it?

I'm a big fan. First gig I ever went to was John Martyn. Just him, his guitar, foot pedals and a cigarette gently balanced between the frets and the strings.
 
Huge fan here for many many years, have pretty much everything he released. On the Cobbles is great (I have a signed copy), but not up on the top 5 for me. Of the three 2000's albums, I think Glasgow Walker would be my pick.
 
So pleasing to hear that we have not forgotten. I must have seen him live over twenty times, from the early 80s to sadly one of his final appearances at the Barbican a few years back. Always a legend.
And if you are tabling Glasgow Walker I feel that I could raise that with So…

Grace and Danger was my touchstone so many years but strangely find it hard to go back to recently. Might give it a spin right now, tho
 
Big fan here too. Saw him many times, the last was at Brighton Dome on his final tour. I have pretty much everything, some on vinyl and other later stuff on cd. On the Cobbles gets played a lot here, Glasgow Walker more, but they all get played a lot depending on what mood we are in. One of his albums gets played almost every day.
 
A great artist but a truly horrible person.

His best 3 are ‘Grace & Danger’, ‘Solid Air’ & ‘Bless the weather’.

‘On the cobbles’ is pretty decent, I like the duet he did with Mavis Staples.
 
I think I saw him at Uni 78 ish. Reputed to have been occasionally too smashed to go on stage. Has to be Solid Air for me. Instant transport to another world. While we're on it, how about Jake Thackeray? Just sayin.

Solid Air for me too. I also heard a story about JM that he was so fighting drunk backstage before a gig that Danny Thompson rolled him up in a rug/ carpet to calm him down. Don’t know how true it is but it’s a good story.
 
I saw him on his last tour at the Royal Philharmonic, every time I saw him he looked too smashed to even stand upright but always came through with the music. I will search out 'On The Cobbles' as it's one I do not have. I have just bought a promo CD of the re mastered 'Grace and Danger' as I thought that a re working of that album was long over due.
The half speed vinyl of 'Solid Air' is wonderful and my original copy is almost worn see through :)
 
I saw JM several times in concert, in the late 70s and early 80s, after being introduced to Sunday's Child by a relative. Spencer the Rover from that album is a perennial favourite, but the album I listen to most is Inside Out, and then some of the earlier albums like Road to Ruin, and Bless the Weather.
 
If anyone is hankering after a vinyl copy of The Church With One Bell (only 500 copies pressed originally, like hen's teeth to find one), it's being re-released for Record Store Day in June.
 
On the Cobbles is a great late John Martyn Album. Up there with his best. Quite expensive to buy on CD these days I think but well worth it.
 
If anyone is hankering after a vinyl copy of The Church With One Bell (only 500 copies pressed originally, like hen's teeth to find one), it's being re-released for Record Store Day in June.
Lucky enough to own one of the original LP’s I’ll get the reissue just out of curiosity
 
Lucky enough to own one of the original LP’s I’ll get the reissue just out of curiosity

Ditto, apparently it's half speed remaster so will be interesting to hear differences (if any). I suspect they may sell out quite quick...
 


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