BLESS THE WEATHER

As both albums recorded with his wife Beverley were critically well received, the sales proved to be deceiving, so when Beverly was again pregnant (their second child), John went public criticizing the production of the albums (rightly so, IMHO), and finally giving in to Island's pressure resumed at being a "solo" artiste again. The couple then resettled in the UK in Hastings (a stone's throw from Canterbury), Kent. Recorded mid 71, Bless The Weather is filled with an all-star cast of guests such as Pentangle Danny Thompson, Colosseum & Greenslade's Tony Reeves, roger powell's, Fairport's Richard Thompson and of course his wife.

Although there are still some pure folk tracks like the opening Go Easy and the cover of Singing In The Rain or straight blues like Sugar Lump, Bless The Weather (both the track and the album) are the cornerstone on which Martyn's most revered part of his career is built upon. Indeed the title track takes the previous' album Road To Ruin had left things at. In this track and on Walk On Water, Martyn's style veer frankly jazz with his Echoplex pedal effect, with the huge Danny Thompson double bass assuming most of the blue notes and on the latter track, there is a marimba to give it a Caribbean touch. But nowhere in this album and previously did Martyn reach greatness than with the to-die-for Glistening Glyndenbourne. Starting out on a Tyner-like piano, rarely will Martyn ever reach such perfect sense of fusion between jazz and whatever folk he's still willing tio feature in such a track. Of course the man behind all of this is the amazing Danny Thompson (his namesake Richard is doing a few brilliant licks behind Martyn's Echoplex-filled guitar, providing a fantastic bed of guitars. This track will be quickly a concert favourite and will grow to gargantuan proportions. In between these two extremes (the pure styles and the fusions) there are tracks, there are tracks like Just Now and Back Down The River are slightly mixing styles but still very folky. On the other hand, Head And Heart, Good Things Come (Hi, Bev), XYZ

While it's clear that Martyn has not reached his top form yet, Bless The Weather is the album where he breaks loose. If the following brilliant Solid air album exists, it's clearly that it took things where Glyndenbourne, Weather and Walk On Water left things at on this album. Certainly in the top 7 of most of John Martyn's aficionados, Bless The Weather is John first essential album.

Bless the Weather is one of John Martyn's best albums and it is my personal favourite album of his. In my opinion all his albums from Bless the Weather to Grace and Danger are essential but there is something about Bless the Weather that sets it apart from the rest. The album starts with a beautiful and mournful guitar riff that begins Go Now, one of the albums many masterpieces. It sets the mood for the rest of the album; relaxed, sombre but untimely positive. Next is the title track which seduces you with its haunting intro with Danny Thompson's bass adding extra oomph to an already emotional song. Martyn uses the changing nature of weather as an analogy for finding and losing love. The song ends with a wonderful interplay between Martyn's guitar and Thompson's bass. The next song Sugar lump is the only misstep on the album and it stops me from giving the album 5 stars. It is a boring county western style song that is completely forgettable. Thankfully the rest of the album recaptures the magic of the first two tracks: Walk to the Water is a wonderful song celebrating spiritually with has bongos and vibes adding an extra layer of depth to the song. Just Now starts with a beautiful piano medley that continues throughout the song. It is a song about loss friends and the changing circumstances of life but its message is very positive as John sings about being happy with the life he has just now. Head and Heart is probably the most commercial sounding song on the album; the song is a plea to your lover to love you for who you are both intellectually and emotionally. Like the title track it ends with a wonderful instrumental passage where John and Danny bring the song to a slow serene end. Let the Good Things Come is one of my all time favourite John Martyn songs; he duets with his wife Beverley who sings haunting in the background. In it he asks his lover to be with him and provide for him in all the joys and hurts of life. It has a very relaxed feel that is characteristic of the album as a whole. Back Down the River is yet another of the many beautiful love songs that John seems to write and sing effortlessly. Next is probably the albums experimental centrepiece; Glistening Glyndebourne is over six minutes of pure experimentation. It is a marked contrast to the other simpler songs on the album and foreshadows the more experimental approach John would take on his next two albums. The first two minutes are a loose interplay between guitar and piano that have an almost improvised feel. The song really gets going at the two minute mark when John introduces the Echoplex which he would use to great effect from then on. The last four minutes of the song are a musical journey as John's guitar plays the same repeating guitar riff with the added effect of his Echoplex while the drums and piano jam along to it; he subtlety adds more complex sounds on his guitar to the songs general guitar riff as it progresses. The song ends with the guitar, piano and drums reaching a kind of musical climax as they all converge together before dying away and leaving only John's guitar to bring the song to a relaxed and subdued end. The album ends with a wonderful and uplifting cover of Singing in the Rain. I don't really like the original song but John adds a warm and charming feel to it which turns it into a dreamy folk ballad; a fitting way to end a relaxed and uplifting album. This album is one of my all time favourites and I give it 4 and a half stars; Sugar Lump stops it getting full marks. Anyone who likes music that is emotionally driven and full of warmth and character will love Bless the Weather. While John would do many more albums that were excellent and from a prog perspective more experimental; Bless the Weather is, in my opinion, his best work. I can't think of many albums that strike such a perfect balance of being both somber and uplifting at the same time. The album acknowledges the sad and troubled areas of our lives with hope and optimism and stands as one of the finest albums of all time.

Bless The Weather along with the album Solid Air are known as John Martyn's best efforts and there should be no disappointments from either, but somehow this album has the edge. The songs shine with innocence and inspiration. From the sublime opening piece "Go Easy On Me" we're presented with warm vocals and playing, which often remind listener's of Martyn's friend Nick Drake. But the music here floats by as though borne on a breeze. Given the right mood it is really a positive experience. As another reviewer already said, this marked the point in this artist's career where he was showing more of a fusion of styles, the unusual blend of his folk and soft jazz in particular, which is quite special. The title track is one of the most beautiful examples with the double bass and acoustic guitar interplay. Other touching arrangements include the mellow piano and guitar on "Just Now". Many fan favourites often include the title track mentioned above and "Head and Heart". Martyn's first real 'echoplex' track "Glistening Glyndebourne" is also quite a gem and not self indulgent as some people might expect. And I love his version of "Singin' In The Rain". I don't think many could sing it in a softer, more charming way than Martyn. Stunning album in all, whose power grows stronger on each listen. Four solid stars.

John Martyn's Bless the Weather doesn't quite have a sound as compelling as the stark minimalism of Solid Air (in particular, the jazz influences on Martyn's music haven't really manifested yet), nor does it have any compositions which stand out quite as much as the subsequent album's title track, but it's still enjoyable as a folk album in its own right and offers a fascinating insight into the early development of the guitar techniques and vocal stylings which would come together so effectively on Solid Air. Whilst subsequent work would win him more attention, folk listeners would be well advised not to overlook Bless the Weather.