John Martyn - The Church With One Bell (1998)
BAND/ARTIST: John Martyn
- Title: The Church With One Bell
- Year Of Release: 1998
- Label: Thirsty Ear #thi 57053.2
- Genre: Folk Rock, Blues
- Quality: EAC Rip -> FLAC (Tracks+Cue+m3u8,Log) / MP3 CBR320
- Total Time: 00:48:30
- Total Size: 310 / 154 Mb (Full Scans)
- WebSite: Album Preview
The Church with One Bell is a 1998 covers album by John Martyn. It was recorded in one week at CaVa Sound Studios, Glasgow, Scotland. The CD has a hidden bonus track after a 50 seconds break attached to the last track. It is a slower and remixed version without synthesizer of "How Fortunate The Man With None". The cover depicts a former church in the village of Roberton in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Martyn, who at that time was living in an adjacent cottage, purchased the church and converted it into a recording studio.
Iain David McGeachy, known professionally as John Martyn, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 22 studio albums, and received frequent critical acclaim. The Times described him as "an electrifying guitarist and singer whose music blurred the boundaries between folk, jazz, rock and blues".
Martyn began his career at age 17 as a key member of the British folk music scene, drawing inspiration from American blues and English traditional music, and signed with Island Records. By the 1970s he had begun incorporating jazz and rock into his sound on albums such as Solid Air (1973) and One World (1977), as well as experimenting with guitar effects and tape delay machines such as Echoplex. He struggled with substance abuse and domestic problems throughout the 1970s and 1980s, though continued to release albums while collaborating with figures such as Phil Collins and Lee "Scratch" Perry. He remained active until his death in 2009.
Track List:
01. He's Got All the Whiskey [3:21]
02. God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind) [3:31]
03. How Fortunate the Man with None [5:09]
04. Small Town Talk [2:54]
05. Excuse Me Mister [4:37]
06. Strange Fruit [4:04]
07. The Sky Is Crying [4:04]
08. Glory Box [5:45]
09. Feel So Bad [3:31]
10. Death Don't Have No Mercy [11:36]
Personnel:
John Martyn - vocals, guitar
John Giblin - bass
Spencer Cozens - piano and keyboards
Arran Ahmun - drums and percussion
Iain David McGeachy, known professionally as John Martyn, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 22 studio albums, and received frequent critical acclaim. The Times described him as "an electrifying guitarist and singer whose music blurred the boundaries between folk, jazz, rock and blues".
Martyn began his career at age 17 as a key member of the British folk music scene, drawing inspiration from American blues and English traditional music, and signed with Island Records. By the 1970s he had begun incorporating jazz and rock into his sound on albums such as Solid Air (1973) and One World (1977), as well as experimenting with guitar effects and tape delay machines such as Echoplex. He struggled with substance abuse and domestic problems throughout the 1970s and 1980s, though continued to release albums while collaborating with figures such as Phil Collins and Lee "Scratch" Perry. He remained active until his death in 2009.
The Church with One Bell is an interesting covers album, finding John Martyn tackling songs that are both ideal and absolutely ill-fitting. Since Martyn is such an idiosyncratic talent, maybe it shouldn't be surprising that he succeeds on "Strange Fruit" and not with Randy Newman's signature craftmanship on "God's Song," but there's still a bit of shock that the former works. Furthermore, the choice of material is often puzzling, but he makes songs like Ben Harper's "Excuse Me Mister" work through committed performances. Ultimately, The Church with One Bell is too uneven to qualify as even a minor gem in his catalog, but there are enough interesting moments to make it a worthwhile listen for long-term followers.
~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music
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Track List:
01. He's Got All the Whiskey [3:21]
02. God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind) [3:31]
03. How Fortunate the Man with None [5:09]
04. Small Town Talk [2:54]
05. Excuse Me Mister [4:37]
06. Strange Fruit [4:04]
07. The Sky Is Crying [4:04]
08. Glory Box [5:45]
09. Feel So Bad [3:31]
10. Death Don't Have No Mercy [11:36]
Personnel:
John Martyn - vocals, guitar
John Giblin - bass
Spencer Cozens - piano and keyboards
Arran Ahmun - drums and percussion
Blues | Folk | Rock | FLAC / APE | Mp3 | CD-Rip
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