John Martyn : Solid Air

Full title is: Solid Air

CD edition of the British Folk singer/songwriter's landmark 1973 album. Solid Air has long since been considered by many to be his best album. John Martyn began as a folksy minstrel but seemed drawn to experimental, free form improvisation. Solid Air is where John Martyn's love affair with effects and echoplex became serious. The title track, dedicated to his close friend Nick Drake, became a eulogy, while the breezy 'Over The Hill'--one of the greatest songs ever written about a train journey--is a feathery delight. 'May You Never' and 'Don't Want To Know' continued the simple, stoned ballad approach, although it is his interpretation of Skip James' 'I'd Rather Be The Devil,' totally reshaped with hypnotic shifts, tidal echoes, and a slurred growl, which broods over the whole album. A record that remains Martyn's youthful zenith.