Customer Reviews

London Conversation

5 star:		(4)
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3 star:		(1)
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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.

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.

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.

This album is like a snapshot, frozen in time, of a lost moment. A simpler time when folk songs were sung by young men with beautiful voices. And this one is the most angelic voice of all - soft, inviting, with just a hint of the jazz phrasing and husky slur that would become John Martyn's trademark in a very short time. Although Martyn has declared war on on his own folk roots, there's no denying that his later songs and vocal style are grounded in the resilient blues and and folk-style songs of this album. It's the dark hollows of his voice that give these songs their depth, adding a bittersweet touch to even the sweetest fairytale lullaby. "Rollin' Home" and "London Conversation" are classics. A must-have album for any John Martyn fan.

I heard the remake of "Run honey run" by Morcheeba and thought that the lyrics were beautiful and had a touch of old school folk music. Turns out the original artist is John Martyn. I am a huge fan of folk music of any country. It's whimsical and down to earth. It's reality with all senses considered. This album is everything I expect from excellent, well-composed, well- played, well-versed, folk music. Any fan of folk music would be ever so lucky to add this selection to their collection. Absolutely beautiful.