John Martyn Bless the Weather (1971) (+bonus tracks)

John Martyn, OBE (11 September 1948 – 29 January 2009), born Iain David McGeachy, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a forty-year career he released twenty studio albums, working with artists such as Eric Clapton and David Gilmour. He has been described by The Times as "an electrifying guitarist and singer whose music blurred the boundaries between folk, jazz, rock and blues".

Bless the Weather is a 1971 album by John Martyn and marks his return as a solo artist having released two albums with his wife Beverley Martyn. When it was released it garnered his best reviews to date, and remains a firm favourite among fans, featuring such standards as "Head and Heart" and the title track. The album is predominantly acoustic, although it does feature Martyn's first real 'echoplex' track in "Glistening Glyndebourne".

Q magazine chose Bless the Weather among the dozen essential folk albums of all time in 1999. According to Q, the album was apparently recorded in three days. In November 2007, Bless the Weather was included in a list by The Guardian newspaper entitled '1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die'.[1] Beck remade "Go Easy" for a webcast performance.

All tracks composed by John Martyn; except where indicated

1. "Go Easy" – 4:15
2. "Bless the Weather" – 4:29
3. "Sugar Lump" – 3:43
4. "Walk to the Water" – 2:49
5. "Just Now" – 3:39
6. "Head and Heart" – 4:54
7. "Let The Good Things Come" – 3:05
8. "Back Down The River" – 2:40
9. "Glistening Glyndebourne" – 6:30
10. "Singing In The Rain" (Nacio Herb Brown, Arthur Freed) – 1:28

Bonus tracks Recorded at a demo session, Sound Technique Studios, Chelsea 16 April 1969

1. "Walk To The Water" (Take 3) (3:34)
2. "Bless the Weather" (Take 4) (5:37)
3. "Back Down The River" (Take 1) (2:44)
4. "Go Easy" (Take 1) (4:39)
5. "Glistening Glyndebourne" (Take 2) (7:48)
6. "Head and Heart" (Band Version) (10:17)
7. "May You Never" (Single Version) (2:45)


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Variable kbps in all.
Includes seven bonus tracks.