London Conversation [Extra tracks, Import, Original recording remastered]

John Martyn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 21, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 1967
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Ume Imports
• ASIN: B000A2H9B6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,255 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

1968 debut album for Scottish born folk singer-songwriter/guitarist. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The folkie roots of a mystic rocker..., November 3, 2001

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: London Conversation (Audio CD)

Great record. Martyn's debut showed a strong, almost embarrassing debt to Dylan, which of course wasn't uncommon at the time. What was unusual, though, was his almost strident self-confidence, which lurks just below the surface, hinting at a brashness which fell just short of the arrogance of, say, a Richard Thompson. There's also a strong American blues influence, mixed in with the lovely folkie balladeering, inviting stylistic comparisons to John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, and Davy Graham. Yet Martyn was clearly his own man, and as future albums would bear out, his self-confidence was well-warranted.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars london conversation, April 17, 2001

By 

daniel mcvey (collingswood, nj United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: London Conversation (Audio CD)

john martyns first album, recorded when he was only 18, is my favorite of all his work. my favorite track, back to stay is a sad love song that seems to shake a tear from every person who hears it. this record is a must have for fans of leonard cohen, nick drake, and other melancholy folk singers. also featured on this album aside from his original compositions are cover versions of don't think twice, cocaine blues, and sandy grey. this album is highly reccomended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For completists only..., January 27, 2008

By 

B. Bowman "Double B" (Jersey, United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: London Conversation (Audio CD)

John Martyn was 18 years old when he recorded the music on this CD, which to me is the most impressive thing about this disc. His guitar technique was already amazing for someone of his age; looking back it isn't surprising that he ended up recording such a solid body of work with talent like that. His voice had not yet developed into the raspy and haunting instrument it would later become, but hints of it are all over this album. This is a CD that I admittedly don't listen to very often. To me it's a typical "folk" album from the late sixties: the obligatory Dylan cover (Don't Think Twice Its Alright), blues standards (Cocain) and a slew of songs in between that I would classify as pleasant. I don't think this is a bad album by any means, it just doesn't strike me as spectacular when compared to the rest of Martyn's catalog. It is a disc that may be of interest to completists like me, but I wouldn't say it's an essential purchase for the curious. However, if you are a big fan of the folk music of that time period, this is a decent album. Martyn's guitar style makes it a cut above some of the other folk artists of the day, but in my opinion his later albums were his best. Fans of Nick Drake may also be interested in this album, as the song "Sandy Grey" was reportedly written about Drake by a mutual friend of Drake's and Martyn's, and makes this the first song Martyn sang about Drake, the second being the song "Solid Air" off of the album by that name.