Search - John Martyn :: The Electric

Electric, but isn't the Acoustic John Martyn even better?

Gavin Wilson | 02/16/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Released by Island just after Martyn had departed for Warner Records and just before the arrival of CD, this album features 48 minutes worth of the Plugged John Martyn. There are three tracks from SUNDAY'S CHLD, three from ONE WORLD, two from GRACE AND DANGER and one from INSIDE OUT.So there's absolutely nothing from Martyn's first masterpiece, SOLID AIR, even though that was an Island recording. The principal merit of this album is that for as long as Island sticks to its idiotic decision to delete ONE WORLD (widely regarded as Martyn's second masterwork) from its catalogue, we must make do with the scraps deposited on compilation albums such as this.The trouble is that this is plainly not the best Martyn compilation. 'Sweet Little Mysteries' is far better. Although a double CD and consequently a little more expensive, it is a far more comprehensive survey of Martyn's Island career. It also has some sleevenotes, a feature entirely missing from this CD.John Martyn never made it big in the US. I don't know whether he ever tried. But this is America's loss. No-one's CD collection should be without SOLID AIR or ONE WORLD, however hard Island try to deprive us of the latter."