The Road to Ruin | ||||
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Studio album by John and Beverley Martyn | ||||
Released | November 1970 | |||
Recorded | spring 1970 | |||
Studio | Sound Techniques, Chelsea, London | |||
Genre | Folk rock | |||
Length | 42:18(2005 reissue) | |||
Label | UK Island: ILPS 9133 USA Warner Bros.: WS 1882 | |||
Producer | Joe Boyd | |||
John and Beverley Martyn chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Mojo | [2] |
The Word | (favourable) [3] |
The Road to Ruin is a 1970 album released by husband and wife John and Beverley Martyn. It was the second (and last) album released as a duo. Island Records persuaded John Martyn to resume his solo career as they believed that the public was more interested in John as a solo artist rather than as part of a duo. The album marked the first collaboration on record between John and bassist Danny Thompson, who featured on many of Martyn's subsequent recordings.
The album's first track "Primrose Hill" written and sung by Beverley Martyn, and featuring Ray Warleigh on saxophone, about the simple joys of domesticity, was extensively sampled by Fatboy Slim for the track "North West Three" from his 2004 album Palookaville .
All tracks composed by John Martyn except where indicated.
The remastered CD release includes the following previously unreleased track:
Arrangement for "Say What You Can" by Tony Cox. All other arrangements by John Martyn and Paul Harris.
Iain David McGeachy, known professionally as John Martyn, was a British guitarist and singer-songwriter. 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".
Daniel Henry Edward Thompson is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson and John Martyn.
A Hard Road is the third album recorded by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, released in 1967. It features Peter Green on lead guitar, John McVie on bass, Aynsley Dunbar on drums and John Almond on saxophone. Tracks 5, 7 and 13 feature the horn section of Alan Skidmore and Ray Warleigh. Peter Green sings lead vocals on "You Don't Love Me" and "The Same Way".
Finale is the second live double album by singer-songwriter duo Loggins and Messina, released in early 1977. Tracks on the album are from performances while touring in 1975 and 1976.
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".
Inside Out is an album released in 1973 by British singer-songwriter John Martyn. His fifth solo album, it was also his most experimental, and the jazziest album in his catalog. The album features two that are favourites with his fans, "Fine Lines" and "Make No Mistake", as well as two songs that he enjoyed playing live as jazz epics, "Outside In" and "Look In".
Stormbringer! is a 1970 album released by John and Beverley Martyn. It has no connection to Michael Moorcock's 1965 Elric novel of the same name. John Martyn wrote six of the ten songs and Beverley four. The album was recorded under the direction of Paul Harris in Woodstock, New York.
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.
Live at Leeds is a live album by John Martyn. He independently released this album himself in an initial run of 10,000 that were numbered and signed, after a disagreement with Island about its commercial viability. The working title was "Ringside Seat"; photos of Martyn and bassist Danny Thompson in a boxing ring were taken for a prospective cover, though never used. It was recorded on 13 February 1975, at Leeds University, at the same venue that The Who recorded their Live at Leeds in 1970.
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.
Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake is a 1994 compilation album featuring tracks by English singer/songwriter Nick Drake, taken from his original three albums plus Time of No Reply. The album reached gold certificate in the U.K. on 30 September 1999 after selling 100,000 copies. In United States in the year 2000 sales have jumped to 67,916 units.
On the Cobbles was the final studio album by John Martyn released during his lifetime, released in 2004. The album was recorded at various studios in Ireland, the UK and US including Woolengrange in Ireland; The Toolshed, Chicago USA; Doon The Cellar, Birkenhead; Swan Yard Studios, London; Parr Street Studios, Liverpool; Hornyold Road Studios, Worcestershire and at The Caliope Recorders, Chicago, USA. It features guest appearances from Paul Weller, Nick McCabe, and long-time collaborator Danny Thompson.
Mixed Emotions is the third studio album by Beverley Craven, released in 1999. The album was released after a 5-year hiatus, in which Craven gave birth to two daughters and took time off to take care of her three children.
Heaven in a Wild Flower is a 1985 compilation album featuring tracks by English singer/songwriter Nick Drake, taken from Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter and Pink Moon. The title of the compilation is taken from the lines of William Blake poem Auguries of Innocence. The album does not feature any of Drake's posthumously released material and because of the availability of more comprehensive compilations, such as Way to Blue and Fruit Tree, this collection is largely out of print.
Say What You Feel is a 2005 album by Irish singer/songwriter Paul Brady, his ninth solo album.
Morning Star is the ninth studio album released by Spear of Destiny.
Bumpers is a double sampler album from Island Records, released in Europe and Australasia in 1970; there were minor variations in track listings within Europe but the Australian release was fundamentally different. The title refers to the basketball-style shoes on the front of the album cover and to the meaning "unusually large, abundant or excellent". The album is left to present itself: there are no sleeve notes; the gatefold interior consists of a photograph showing publicity shots of the featured acts attached to the stump of a tree on a seemingly wet and gloomy day, without any identification. This image is flanked on each side by the track listings, but even there, the information given is unreliable. Unlike its predecessors You Can All Join In and Nice Enough To Eat, there are no credits for cover art. [It was in fact by Tony Wright - his first sleeve for Island.] The English version of the album came out in two pressings, first with the pink label and "i" logo, and later with the palm motif on a white background and pink rim, each version with some minor variations in the production of individual tracks.
Double "A" was the second album by UK band The Movies, released in 1977. The album was produced by Ray Singer, with additional production by James Guthrie at Utopia Studios, Primrose Hill.