Solid Air  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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Solid Air is a folk/jazz album released in 1973 by John Martyn on Island Records.

A reissue of the album, with the additional track 'I'd Rather Be The Devil (Live)', was rated as the 67th Greatest British Albums Ever by the British music magazine Q, and also included in their list of Best Chill-Out Albums Of All Time. In 2006 the album was performed live in its entirety as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties-curated Don't Look Back series.

Track listing

All tracks by John Martyn unless noted otherwise.

1. "Solid Air" – 5:46
2. "Over The Hill" – 2:51
3. "Don't Want To Know" – 3:01
4. "I'd Rather Be The Devil" (Skip James) – 6:19
5. "Go Down Easy" – 3:36
6. "Dreams By The Sea" – 3:18
7. "May You Never" – 3:43
8. "The Man In The Station" – 2:54
9. "The Easy Blues" – 3:22

Bonus track

1. "I'd Rather Be The Devil" (Recorded live in 1975)

Notes

• 'Solid Air', the title track. Dedicated to a friend of Martyn's, Nick Drake, who was suffering from depression and died of an antidepressant overdose 18 months after the album was released.

Personnel

• John Martyn – vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, synthesizer
• Richard Thompson – guitar, mandolin, violin, autoharp
• Simon Nicol – mandolin, violin, autoharp
• Sue Dranheim – violin on "Over The Hill"
• Tony Coe – saxophone on "Dreams By The Sea" & "Solid Air"
• John "Rabbit" Bundrick – acoustic & electric piano, organ, clavinet
• Tristan Fry – vibraphone on "Solid Air"
• Danny Thompson – acoustic bass
• Dave Pegg – bass
• Dave Mattacks – drums
• Neemoi "Speedy" Acquaye – congas