Solid Air (LP)

A record that has grown in stature since its 1973 release, John Martyn's Solid Air has become a cult touchstone, pointing the way towards ambient, trip-hop and more abstract sonic textures. Vivien Goldman remembers the man behind the masterpiece and explores its lasting legacy.

If you appreciate irony, you may have noticed that some of the most tortured souls - Marvin Gaye, for one - deliver music that deeply heals; maybe its very creation is self-medication. Such is the case with John Martyn's pivotal 1973 LP, the revered Solid Air. Located at the same crossroad where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil to play like he did, the dichotomy of Solid Air pointed to future directions, such as ambient and trip-hop, unusual for a product of the folk scene. (Vinyl Factory)