John Martyn - Solid Air

The Deluxe Edition of John Martyn's classic album was issued only a few months after his death in 2009. That said, bittersweet as it is (because if ever an album deserved this kind of treatment, it's this one), it's important to note that this release was in preparation for reissue by long before Martyn's passing, and was given his complete blessing. Solid Air (whose title track was written for Martyn's friend, songwriter Nick Drake) is one of the defining moments in British folk, in the same league as Fairport Convention's Liege & Lief Richard & Linda Thompson's Shoot Out The Lights, and Michael Chapman's Rainmaker. Martyn stepped out of his comfort zone to record and produce it, including not only jazz and blues but rock and plenty of sound effects, and featuring Rhodes piano on some of its tracks, dismaying some fans while winning a ton more for its genre-blurring presentation. A number of its cuts -- such as the title track, "Over the Hill," "I'd Rather Be the Devil," and "May You Never" -- remained staples in his live sets until the end of his life. This Deluxe Edition presents the original in gloriously remastered sound by Paschal Byrne . Finally, fans can hear this set on CD in a way that not even the finest LP pressing can render.

That said, it's the second disc that opens the treasure trove to listeners and fans. There are nine alternate takes of cuts that appeared on the original. These are in full stereo and present different accents, shades, and sounds to the finished versions. Martyn was meticulous in his scrutiny of the many takes of some of these tracks. These alternates (including an instrumental reading of "Man in the Station") add shades of meaning and deepen the context of the released versions. In addition to these, there are three unreleased cuts. "Keep On," a blues, and "In the Evening," a haunting folk-jazz number, were songs Martyn wasn't happy enough with to include on the album; they are being presented for the first time here. In addition, another song, "When It's Dark," is here in demo form. It's a stark, simply presented ballad, and Martyn claimed that he'd never quite finished the song and decided not to record it. The other two he felt equally ambivalent about, but felt they were more or less "finished" versions, but would take away from the strength of the album. In the case of "In the Evening" and "When It's Dark," both love songs, he was simply wrong. They are stellar, important, and utterly beautiful. Also included is the 7" single version of "May You Never." In addition to all this are live versions of "The Easy Blues," "May You Never," and "I'd Rather Be the Devil." Some might question their inclusion, but simply put, they're necessary here because they reveal quite startlingly the difference between what Martyn would do in the studio and on a stage in front of a sometimes confrontational audience. This is a tremendous document that presents in its proper light both aesthetically and historically, and should be sought out not only by fans, but by anyone interested in great songwriting and guitar playing.

 Thom Jurek - All Music Guide