John and Beverley Martyn are an English folk singer/songwriter husband and wife duo, who mostly had their own individual careers apart from their work as a duo, but did make two albums together, with this album, The Road To Ruin (1970), being the second of the two albums they made as a couple. There’s not a whole lot of other information about the album online from what I can find at a quick glance, other than the album falling under the folk rock category in terms of genre. I’ve been on a big folk music run lately, so I’m pretty excited to give this one a listen. With that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Primrose Hill” starts out with some really tasty folksy piano, which is soon joined by some really warm saxophone and some vocals Beverley Martyn. Oh wow, I really dig the little interplay going on between the guitar and bass; the guitar adds some really sharp and tasty accentuations while the smooth bass grooves the tune forward really nicely. Great track, and I’m excited for the rest of the album.
Oh wow, “Parcels” starts out with some really delicate and tasty acoustic guitar lines that slowly envelop you into the soundscape. Oh wow, the piano plays off the guitars really well while the simple percussion from what sounds like a tabla adds another delicate layer to the soundscape; super sweet. I really dig John Martyn’s vocals in this one, which take on a sort of droning chorus kind of sound that keeps with the delicate nature of the instrumentation. Oh wow, the soundscape seems to be increasingly pleasant as the song continues. Great track.
“Auntie Aviator” starts out with some super flavorful acoustic guitar chords, which are soon accompanied by some airy drums, weighty piano, and relaxed vocal performance from Beverley. Oh wow, I really dig this tune. Holy smokes, the piano is super tasty. I’ve audibly gasped a couple times during the song already, as there’s a ton of flavor found in the soundscape. The steady bass guitar combined with the sturdiness of the airy drums drives the tune forward as the piano goes in with a really flavorful solo. Holy smokes, the electric guitar seemingly comes out of nowhere as it somewhat ominously drones and drips into the soundscape with some nice clean tone. Another great track.
“New Day” pulls you in with some super sweet folksy acoustic guitar combined with what might be the congas, while a flute introduces a really pleasant melody as a counterpoint to the vocals and guitar, which almost reminds me of Van Morrison to a certain extent. I really dig the vocals in this one, oh wow, this is super sweet. The vocals had a sort of pseudo-choral droning effect that brought a lot of flavor to the soundscape throughout much of the track. Great tune.
“Give Us a Ring” has a ton of flavor behind the piano melody that seemingly takes the lead in this tune, while the steady drums, sturdy bass, warm acoustic guitar chords, and nearly breeze-like vocals all combine as a backdrop filled with warm, inviting, and jangling sounds. Holy smokes, I really dig this tune. The tune feels super dynamic as John and Beverley seem to switch leads with the vocal lines. Oh wow, the clean electric guitar at the end was super sweet to as it seemed to drip into the soundscape. Great track.
Holy smokes, “Sorry To Be So Long” starts out with some rockin’ bongos that set the tone for this rollicking folk rock tune. Holy smokes, the piano really has a groovy rollicking sound while the acoustic guitar creates a nice jangle in the soundscape. Beverley’s vocals have a really tasty folk rock sound that amplifies the rollicking sound even more. Holy smokes, the harmonica sounds like it swishes around and melts right into the soundscape, bringing in a ton of groovy flavor. Holy smokes, the saxophone comes into the tune and turns things up to 11 and breaks off the knob. Awesome track.
Oh wow, “Tree Green” is super pleasant as it seems to be mostly a solo piece with only some acoustic guitar and John Martyn’s vocals, which seem to combine a super nice reflective piece. Oh wow, a second acoustic guitar comes into the soundscape with some noticeably twangy playing, giving even more flavor and range to both the song and the album as a whole. Great track.
“Say What You Can” starts out with a really groovy sound between the groovy congas, tasty acoustic guitar, flavorful piano, and driving bass playing that all combine to make the tune sound like it’s bouncing around itself. Holy smokes, the orchestral horns and the saxophone come on to further increase the immense flavor in the soundscape. Beverley’s vocals provide a great feel to the soundscape as well. Great and super tasty track.
“Road To Ruin” seemingly returns to the self-reflective sound from “Tree Green”, with the acoustic guitar providing a nice bass melody in the track and percussive piece to the soundscape, while there’s a really delicate and light electric guitar that seems to make the soundscape nearly space-like at times. Holy smokes, the first movement of the song segued over to a really grooving and rollicking folk rock piece, with the bass and drums bouncing in a sort of contained manner while the rest of the instrumentation further seems to bounce around that. Holy smokes, the combination of the groovy congas and the airy traditional drums brings a ton of flavor to the rhythm section. Holy smokes, the saxophone(s), guitar, and piano all seem to be playing off of one another, with the saxophone(s) taking what seems to be the lead at the moment. This extended jam is awesome, holy smokes. I keep making different faces as the jam continues – this is one groovy tune. Awesome track.
“Here I Am Now”, an additional track that wasn’t included on the original release, starts out with some super tasty distorted guitar, some really light and seemingly delicate organs from the background, with some groovy and rollicking piano on top of that, and some rockin’ drums serving as a tasty platform for the tune, with the bass digging deep into the soundscape with some super flavorful bass lines. Oh wow, this is a really interesting tune, and even more so in the context of the rest of the album. The tune seems to be tying things up and resolving things in a manner I didn’t even realize might be necessary, while making me want to sit back and let it keep playing long after the track finishes. Wow, great tune and a super tasty and interesting way to wrap up the album.
Wow, this album is awesome. If you enjoy folk music and especially folk rock to any degree, I would recommend you check out this album. There’s a ton of a super tasty folk flavors with a nice rollicking sound intertwined with folk tunes that soften the playing up and seem to get nearly autobiographical and introspective, all while retaining an extremely natural sound throughout in terms of the flow and progression of the tracks. The album is a bit over 40 minutes in terms of total duration, but it easily felt like only 10 minutes, as I felt further on the edge of my seat as the music continued. This album is definitely one I’ll be looking into getting on vinyl. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A