John Martyn: Grace & Danger (Deluxe Edition) on 2 CDs

Grace and Danger was released in October 1980 having been held up for a year by Island boss Chris Blackwell who was a close friend of John and Beverley's and who found it too openly disturbing to release. Only after extreme pressure from John was it finally released and John got the exorcism that he needed. In the late 1980's John would cite this album as his favourite. The album features Phil Collins and John Giblin. Giblin's harmonic bass playing was in the style of Weather Report's late (and great) Jaco Pastorius, a band and style John had long admired. Relying increasingly on his Gibson S. G. electric guitar, John's playing was highly inventive and beguilingly. With John's distinctive vocal delivery and painfully honest lyrics, Grace and Danger became a stunning exposition of confusion, heartache, love and remorse. John later said that it was "probably the most specific piece of autobiography I've written. Some people keep diaries, I make records."

CD2: Tracks 1-3 Recorded at Basing Street studios 29th March 1979 – Mixed at Basing Street studios 9th June 1979 Previously unreleased

Tracks 4-6 Mixed at Basing Street studios 4th June 1979 - Previously unreleased Tracks 7-12 Mixed at Basing Street studios 9th June 1979 - Previously unreleased Track 13 Johnny Too Bad (dub mix) Released as promotional 12-inch single in March 1981 – Previously unreleased on CD

(johnmartyn. com)

Rezensionen

"At times the blending of Martyn's voice and guitar, John Giblin's beautiful bass and Phil Collins immaculate drumming is simply breathtaking." - Melody Maker

John said, "I was in a dreadful emotional state over that record...I was hardly in control of my own actions. The reason they finally released it was because I freaked: Please get it out! I don't give a damn about how sad it makes you feel - it's what I'm about: direct communication of emotion."

"Grace and Danger was very cathartic, and really hurt, I was really in love with that woman."

Reviews

F.​ Schöler in Stereo 5/07: "Der Künstler John Martyn hatte Autobiographie so in Songs transformiert, dass die der- gestalt objektivierten Gefühle auf einer ganz anderen, weit höheren Ebene berührten als auf einer rein zwischen- menschlichen.​ Eine Qualität, wie sie eben nur jemanden von der schöpferischen Kraft wie diesem Singer/Songwriter gegeben ist.​"