SUNDAY'S CHILD

This album was always a bit of a wonder for me, as it stands clearly as the (clearly noticeable) weaker link (but nothing catastrophic either) in Martyn's strong series/chain of album, ranging from Bless The Weather (71) and Grace And Danger (81), especially coming after his seminal Solid Air and utmost-experimental Inside Out albums. Maybe Martyn thought it was time to go on and find something new, because SC is indeed sounding different, like they lost all of the filters of SA and IO might have had and Martyn might sound crude and raw here. With Martyn now playing all guitars and keyboards, the guests cast is much lesser than usual with Genochey on drums and the now-usual suspect Danny Thompson on bass on most tracks except the short Clutches, most likely recorded in another session than the August 74 of the rest of the album. Even the artwork is bland.

The most striking feature of SC is the willingness to no venture furthering the jazz-infested material that was the main direction (should I say obsession,) of Martyn since Glistening Glyndenbourne. So not only has he changed the songwriting but it also seems he's voluntarily removed a few sure-fire studio tricks. Right from the opening One Day Without You, the feeling is open rawness, but while it might work for some, it backfired on Martyn. Some of the tracks are absolutely strange with huge electric guitar riffs over weird beats (Root Love) and a searing short Echoplex-filled solo or two. Weird and enchanting at the same time, you'll not see Martyn this way until the mid-80's.

Other tracks shows Martyn at loss of clear direction with My Baby Girl (hi, Beverley) or in the traditional Spencer The Rover (Thompson pulls the bow on his double bass) or the funky hard-blues Clutches (different session) and country-esque Satisfied Mind, it's clear most progheads will not find nearly as much happiness in SC than in previous or future albums. With maybe the short Lay It Down and the title track as possible other exceptions, only the lengthy and closing Call Me Crazy returns to the SA and IO realm as if by the end of the SC, they knew they'd gone in the wrong direction, and the track ends in almost naught, as if excusing itself for existing. Just like the album, a puzzling entry and exit.

So it's no doubt that after the release of this album, even John forgot mostly about it as the two live "albums" that came out after SC, the superb legit but private release Live At Leeds 75 and the boot Live At Nottingham 76 both completely ignore the album the tour was supposed to promote. Clearly a voluntary step aside, but most probably involuntarily miscontrolled. And no less significantly it would take almost three years before another studio release hit the shelves. While SC is not a bad record in itself, you'd better wait and discover the other albums before indulging in this UFO.