With more young whippersnappers breaking onto the music scene than you can shake a stick at, it’s important to remember the oldies to whom today’s artists are indebted. The Greatest Song In The World This week, therefore, is “Solid Air”, by none other than the King of English folk-rock, John Martyn. The folk-blues classic that is “Solid Air”, taken from the 1973 album of the same name, set the precedent for the hundreds of guitar-wielding crooners that followed.
Martyn, who this week picked up the coveted Lifetime Acheivment Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards , has over the last forty years released twenty studio albums, most notably ‘Stormbringer‘, with his then wife Beverley Martyn, “Solid Air”, and “Bless the Weather”. Signed to Island records in its early seventies heyday, Martyn has worked with some of the greatest talents of the twentieth century, including Nick Drake, of whom he was a close friend, Fairport Convention, and Eric Clapton.

The heavy bass, coupled with Martyn’s deep gravelly vocals on ‘Solid Air’, create a sound that feels like sitting in a dark, smoky, blues club. Perfect! Well, if you like that kind of thing…
Check out this live version, supported by Fairport Convention veteran Danny Thompson, taken from the Transatlantic Session series in 1998.

Possibly related:

1. Radio 2 honour John Martyn with a Lifetime Achievement Award

2. Rhythm Festival 2007 hosts Dr John and John Martyn

3. The Greatest Song in the World This Week: Laura Marling - “Ghosts”

4. The Greatest Song in the World This Week : ‘House of Cards’ - Radiohead

5. The Greatest Song in the World This Week: ‘Manchester Girl’ - Eels

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Posted by laurasilver on Thursday February 7th, 2008 at 1:45 pm