JOHN MARTYN

ROCKPALAST 1978

This just in from Aquarium Drunkard

Now I loved John Martin and have pretty much everything I think. A genius guitarplayer who extended the capability of the instrument through electronic gizmos but it is his more pure guitar sound and songwriting I admire more in retrospect and despite becoming a grade one pain in the ass alcoholic (they are all the SAME) and coke freak par excellence who began to lose limbs towards the end, inevitable in some, I have seen it over and over in the addict and especially those who combine their drug of choice washed down with untold volumes of alcohol. Despite all this he remained a soul tortured by demons we can only imagine who bastardised his talent and saw it finish him off before his time, his influence by Nick Drake and his interstellar rise to greater heights than his mentor left us some fine fine songs . . . not least 'May You Never' which always reminds me of my brother who adored him too

John Martyn Rockpalast '78 - Aquarium Drunkard