Recording at Island boss Chris Blackwell's Berkshire farm, a rejuvenated Martyn refined his echoplex-guitar genius and jazzy vocals into a first-rate batch of songs, supported by dozens of musicians from the British jazz fusion and Canterbury scences. The resulting album has been described in retrospect as 'proto-trip-hop', a genre that to be honest passed me by in its 90s heyday, so can't comment, but I do absolutely love the sound and production of One World. The uptempo songs are dark and dublike, with Lee Perry's surreal wit inspiring the lyrics of Big Muff.
The album's second half is for the most part much more meditative, with the sweet plaintiveness of Couldn't Love You More giving way to the Latin lilt of Certain Surprise. The upbeat Dancing was released as a single; don't suppose it had much success as such, but with an intro that wouldn't sound out of place on a Harmonia album, it's a definite favourite of mine. The rest of the album is taken up by one of those absolute capturing-lightning-in-a-bottle production moments: with monitor speakers being recorded in the middle of a lake for ambience, and Martyn's guitar mastery at its height, Small Hours is just incredible to listen to on headphones.
pw: sgtg
Previously posted at SGTG: Inside Out
I'm pretty sure I have every possible alternate and outtake from this - which you can actually configure into about five full albums worth of stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe "proto hip-hop" thing has always bugged the living crap out of me. Some of that stuff I enjoy, but basically what they're really doing is trying to glom onto and connect themselves with this utter masterpiece. Which, in a word - no.
The true "lineage" thing, and unsung hero, who is also never remarked upon, is Phill Brown. It is pretty hard to not see how the man who was helming these sessions was also the absolutely right man to do the Talk Talk albums a decade later.
trip-hop, different than hip-hop, but your point stands
DeleteTypo, yes, sorry, thank you.
DeletePS. The version of "Dealer" on here is not as good as the other one. (Whether it's the US or UK and I've never been sure, as I've heard the different ones labelled different ways in different places.) But the other one has Winwood wailing much more prominently on the Minimoog. (And while I'm thinking of it, he's the other hero of this record. His playing on "Small Hours" is also outstanding.)
"...US or UK ONE I've never been sure....", not and. Typo machine today.
DeleteInteresting - just went back to double-check which mix appears where. According to Discogs, the "US mix" has only been released digitally on the 2-CD deluxe edition. Mine is just a standard single CD reissue, so it'll be the "UK mix".
ReplyDeleteCould be. As mentioned, along the line I have seem different tags applied to each. (There are also people out there who, due to an initial printing error, know it with the sides reversed.)
DeleteAs far as the whole shebang, there's also the semi-official "Another World" 2 disc set out there, some (but not all) of which was later on the official Deluxe Edition. And later, the further extras that were on the jumbo Island box. (Most notably the epic 17 minute take of "Black Man At Your Shoulder".)
Blessings and thanks for the post. This is my introduction to John Martyn, and it's a stunner to these ears. Known about him for decades; never heard the music till now.
ReplyDeleteHearty thanks for opening the door.