Artiste: John Martyn
Nationality: British
Album: Grace and Danger
Year: 1980
Label: Island
Genre: Folk Rock
Tracks:
Some people are crazy
Grace and danger
Lookin' on
Johnny Too Bad
Sweet little mystery
Hurt in your heart
Baby please come home
Save some (for me)
Our love
Chronological position: Tenth album
Rank: High Priest
Comments: Superb stuff, as I remember. Right from the off, “Some people are crazy” is a great slab of smoking soul folk, if you can imagine such a thing, whereas the title track rocks all over the place before “Lookin' on” takes Martyn back to his jazz roots. Unsurprisingly, not one of my favourites on the album. Not too crazy about “Johnny Too Good” either; it's okay but nothing special. But then we get the sublime “Sweet little mystery”, just beautiful, and from here it just keeps getting better. “Hurt in your heart” is a bittersweet ballad almost on a par with the previous, better-known track, with some gorgeous fretless bass and soft tender percussion from Phil Collins. “Baby please come home” is simple and yearning, but “Save some” has Collins's annoying handprints all over it, very poppy, even electronic and teeth-grindingly aggravating. Back to the soul of the opener for the closer, with “Our love” being the only song on the album co-written by his wife.
Intention: I have all his albums. Must make time to check out some more.
