| Grace and Danger | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 13, 1980 [1] | |||
| Recorded | Summer 1979 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Folk rock, folk jazz, jazz-rock, blue-eyed soul, reggae rock | |||
| Length | 39:25 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Martin Levan | |||
| John Martyn chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
Grace and Danger is the eighth studio album by John Martyn, released on October 13, 1980 by Island Records.
The album was written and recorded while John Martyn was in the process of divorcing his wife Beverley, and the songs strongly reflect the emotional upheaval that he was experiencing at the time. Martyn and Phil Collins forged a close friendship during the writing and recording of the album with both musicians going through painful divorces at the time - Collins played drums and provided backing vocals. In fact, a strong kinship exists between Grace And Danger and Collins' contemporaneous album Face Value , which also contained a strong narrative relating to relationship breakdown. The release of the album was delayed by Island Records for well over a year because Chris Blackwell, the label owner (and friend of both John and Beverley) found the album too depressing. Producer Martin Levan said of the delay that "the messages I was getting back was that Chris [Blackwell] felt it was too sad and he didn't want to put it out. He felt it too depressing and didn't want it released." Speaking in 1981, Martyn captured his frustration at the situation, "I freaked: 'Please get it out! I don't give a damn how sad it makes you feel - It's what I'm about: direct communication of emotion.'"
When released, Rolling Stone described the album as "a very strong outing for John Martyn, placing him in a class with such intelligent eclectics as Joan Armatrading and Joni Mitchell." [5] Grace and Danger was released in a deluxe edition in February 2007, which featured the original album remastered, with a second CD of demos and offcuts. The BBC Scotland programme Scotland's Music, presented by Phil Cunningham included a performance of "Hurt In Your Heart" by Martyn during its November 2007 episode "Love & Loss". [6] It was voted number 327 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000). [7] In the book he stated “Martyn shared the break-up of his marriage to Beverly with us, tearing open his heart and exposing all his emotions on record." The album cover was created by UK photographer/artist Sandy Porter.
All tracks are written by John Martyn, except "Johnny Too Bad", written by Winston Bailey, Hylton Beckford, and Derrick Crooks with additional lyrics by Martyn, and "Our Love", co-written with Beverley Martyn.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Some People Are Crazy" | 4:20 |
| 2. | "Grace and Danger" | 4:03 |
| 3. | "Lookin' On" | 5:12 |
| 4. | "Johnny Too Bad" | 3:57 |
| Total length: | 17:32 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweet Little Mystery" | 5:28 |
| 2. | "Hurt In Your Heart" | 4:59 |
| 3. | "Baby Please Come Home" | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Save Some (For Me)" | 3:34 |
| 5. | "Our Love" | 3:57 |
| Total length: | 21:53 | |
Disc 1
Disc 2
Tracks 1-12 from CD2 recorded at Basing Street Studios, London, 29 March 1979. Tracks 4-6 were mixed there 4 June 1979. The rest 9 June 1979.
Iain David McGeachy, known professionally as John Martyn, was an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a 40-year career, he released 23 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".
No Jacket Required is the third solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 18 February 1985 by Virgin Records in the UK and by Atlantic and WEA internationally.
Judie Tzuke is an English singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 1979 hit "Stay with Me till Dawn", which reached number 16 on the UK singles chart.
Peel Slowly and See is a five-disc box set of material by the Velvet Underground. It was released in September 1995 by Polydor.
Face Value is the debut solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released on 13 February 1981 by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in North America. After his first wife filed for divorce in 1979, Collins began to write songs during a break in activity from Genesis with much of the material concerning his personal life. The album was recorded from mid-1980 to early 1981 with Collins and Hugh Padgham as producers. Additional musicians include the Phenix Horns, Alphonso Johnson, and Eric Clapton.
Johnny Cash at San Quentin is the 31st overall album and second live album by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, recorded live at San Quentin State Prison on February 24, 1969, and released on June 16 of that same year. The concert was filmed by Granada Television, produced and directed by Michael Darlow. The album was the second in Cash's conceptual series of live prison albums that also included At Folsom Prison (1968), På Österåker (1973), and A Concert Behind Prison Walls (1976).
Johnny the Fox is the seventh studio album by Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy, released in 1976. This album was written and recorded while bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott was recovering from a bout of hepatitis that put him off the road halfway through the previous Jailbreak tour. "Don't Believe a Word" was a British hit single. Johnny the Fox was the last Thin Lizzy studio album on which guitarist Brian Robertson featured as a full member of the band, as the personality clashes between him and Lynott resulted in Robertson being sacked, reinstated, and later sacked again.
John Giblin was a Scottish musician who worked as an acoustic and electric bass player spanning jazz, classical, rock, folk, and avant-garde music. He was a member of Simple Minds from 1985 to 1988, and worked as a session musician for a variety of artists including Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and Kate Bush.
Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur is a 1967 live album by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by the big band of Duke Ellington.
What Up, Dog? is the third studio album by Was. It became the group's breakthrough album worldwide and was ranked #99 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Best Albums of the 1980s. The cover illustration was credited to Christoph Simon and Karen Kelly.
Unearthed is a box set by American country singer Johnny Cash. It was released by American Recordings on November 25, 2003, two months after Cash's death. The album was compiled by Cash and Rick Rubin, who also produced the set. It was certified Gold on December 2, 2004, by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Solid Air is the fourth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter John Martyn, released in February 1973 by Island Records.
Bless the Weather is a 1971 album by John Martyn and marks his return as a solo artist having released two albums with his wife Beverley Martyn. The writing reflects their move from London to Hastings Old Town. When it was released it garnered his best reviews to date, and remains a firm favourite among fans, featuring such standards as "Head and Heart" and the title track. The album is predominantly acoustic, although it does feature Martyn's first real 'echoplex track' in "Glistening Glyndebourne".
Sunday's Child is a John Martyn album released in 1975. John Martyn's follow-up to 1973's Inside Out is a more song-oriented, less experimental album. His eighth record, including two with his wife Beverley Martyn, shows the many facets of Martyn's playing, from his effects-driven electric guitar to his acoustic work. This album contains a collection of original songs along with a pair of covers: the traditional British ballad "Spencer the Rover", and the country standard "Satisfied Mind". The song "The Message" features a pair of verses written by Martyn sung in his typical style, alternating with a pair of verses from the Scottish folk ballad "Mairi's Wedding" sung with a Scottish lilt.
One World is the seventh studio album by Scottish guitarist and singer John Martyn, released in November 1977 by Island Records. The album, produced by Island owner Chris Blackwell at his Berkshire farm, was recorded with myriad musicians, including Steve Winwood, Danny Thompson, John Stevens, Hansford Rowe and Rico. The album followed a sabbatical where, at Blackwell's invite, Martyn holidayed in Jamaica in 1976 with his family, having become disillusioned with the music business. The trip helped revitalise his interest in music.
Beverley Martyn is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist.
Glorious Fool is the ninth studio album by musician John Martyn. After a long association with Island Records, this was Martyn's first of two albums for WEA. The album was produced by Phil Collins and engineered by Nick Launay and Steve Travell. The album is named for the title track satirising Ronald Reagan's ascent to the White House as the 40th U.S. President.
The Slickers were a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae group in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The Long Road Home – In Concert is a DVD and double live album by American singer-songwriter John Fogerty released by Fantasy Records in 2006. The DVD was released on June 13 with the live album following on October 31. The album featured many songs from the 2005 compilation The Long Road Home.
Ain't No Saint is a career-spanning retrospective of folk musician John Martyn, released on the eve of the singer's 60th birthday in 2008.
