LONDON CONVERSATION

London Conversation was John Martyn's first album, which was recorded when he was just 18. It is much more folk oriented than his jazz/blues tinged offerings that came later. But his altered, mainly acoustic tunings give a different feel to the album than to some other Folk albums of the time. His playing was already slick and thoughtful, accompanied by his raw, melodic vocals. It's also largely self-penned with just one or two covers, including Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's Alright". His own "Fairy Tale Lullaby" and "Back To Stay" are sublime. "Rolling Home" is also an eye-opener and I believe it's him that plays the sitar. It's quite a stonker. Recommended to anyone who enjoys Nick Drake and Bob Dylan etc. It's a strong album but not among Martyn's most progressive, I'll give it three and a half stars.