John Martyn
One World

THE REVIEW

One World is a truly unique album. A little gem that does not receive its deserved recognition.  

John Martyn recorded it back in 1977 after returning from a retreat in Jamaica, where he went to detox from alcohol and drugs. He was also escaping from his marriage disappointments and the show business that during the '70s had seen him as a key figure in the prolific folk-blues scene across the Channel.

The album was released by Island Records, Chris Blackwell's historic and glorious English label that also produced artists like Nick Drake, a great friend of John Martyn, and a gentleman who had a little something to do with Jamaica, Mr. Bob Marley. Upon returning home, surrounded by a host of old friends including Danny Thompson, Dave Pegg, and Steve Winwood, good old John recorded 8 tracks heavily influenced by the Caribbean vibe (consider "Big Muff" written and produced with reggae-dub godfather Lee "Scratch" Perry, but also "Smiling Stranger" and "Dancing"). Yet, once again, his unrivaled ability to blend blues, folk, and jazz with the mastery of few others emerges.

The blend is perfect.

In the album, joy and melancholy follow one another, alternating between upbeat and sunny tracks and more reflective, sparse, and intimate moments where John's voice and guitar are the undisputed protagonists, as in the splendid acoustic ballads "One World" and "Couldn't Love You More", which over the years have become true classics in his live performances. Compared to his earlier works, whether more predominantly folk or more experimental, "One World" appears more commercial, less bold and enterprising, with even concessions to pop (in the noblest sense of the word), like "Certain Surprise". Nevertheless, there are episodes of pure experimentalism reminiscent of the John Martyn of "Inside Out," such as in "Dealer" and the closing nocturnal jam "Small Hours".