- Audio CD (2 Nov 1989)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: CD
- Label: Universal / Island
- ASIN: B000025XMG
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Vinyl | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 24,599 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Ever broken up with a wife? Or a long-term girlfriend? How did it make you feel? Pretty low? Start losing touch with reality? Or full of the joys of spring? I guess it affects us all in different ways. It sent John Martyn into a fit of raging creativity which resulted in this fantastic album, complete with the staggeringly wondrous drumming of an equally distraught Phil Collins. Which is a bit odd.
Martyn's music is pretty moody - "Solid Air" is THE 3 a.m. album. But I've never tried listening to this at 3 a.m. It'd scare the hell out me - I'd be terrified of ex-girlfriends crawling out from under the bed to get me. Martyn faces up to his own demons here only after he's travelled through self-loathing (for the first four tracks) and denial (for the next three - and what tracks!) with his admission "You didn't get it all because I saved some for me...I cheated on the side."
But none of that is very important. What makes this stand out from other "break-up" albums is the the incredible efforts Martyn makes to get just the right sounds for each track. Take, for instance, the incredibly piercing guitars on "Baby Please Come Home", whose notes are like terrible fingers trying to break into the soul; or the crashing cymbals and choppy rhythms of "Looking On", which sound like a mind unable to settle, unable to find any answers to any of the questions asked by the lyrics. If you listened to that at 3 a.m., you wouldn't sleep for a week afterwards. And what about those drums! To hear that sort of sensitivity, you'd never believe this was the same Phil Collins that ruined Genesis. Crazy what a divorce can do for a man!
The three killers come in the middle, beginning with "Sweet Little Mystery" - here the pace slows a little and Martyn makes room for simple sadness; but it's all so exquisitely executed, and so generously lucid, that the listener doesn't take the pain on board, only the sense of hope which comes from hearing a man meeting such pain with such monolithic creativity, and gratitude that he's made such efforts to express that pain so lucidly. It's really like nothing else.
Martyn's music is pretty moody - "Solid Air" is THE 3 a.m. album. But I've never tried listening to this at 3 a.m. It'd scare the hell out me - I'd be terrified of ex-girlfriends crawling out from under the bed to get me. Martyn faces up to his own demons here only after he's travelled through self-loathing (for the first four tracks) and denial (for the next three - and what tracks!) with his admission "You didn't get it all because I saved some for me...I cheated on the side."
But none of that is very important. What makes this stand out from other "break-up" albums is the the incredible efforts Martyn makes to get just the right sounds for each track. Take, for instance, the incredibly piercing guitars on "Baby Please Come Home", whose notes are like terrible fingers trying to break into the soul; or the crashing cymbals and choppy rhythms of "Looking On", which sound like a mind unable to settle, unable to find any answers to any of the questions asked by the lyrics. If you listened to that at 3 a.m., you wouldn't sleep for a week afterwards. And what about those drums! To hear that sort of sensitivity, you'd never believe this was the same Phil Collins that ruined Genesis. Crazy what a divorce can do for a man!
The three killers come in the middle, beginning with "Sweet Little Mystery" - here the pace slows a little and Martyn makes room for simple sadness; but it's all so exquisitely executed, and so generously lucid, that the listener doesn't take the pain on board, only the sense of hope which comes from hearing a man meeting such pain with such monolithic creativity, and gratitude that he's made such efforts to express that pain so lucidly. It's really like nothing else.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I have owned this album in various forms over the years and can categorically state that this is the best version of it that I have had yet. The remastering has been done with a strong emphasis on sound quality, not just a quick eq and a hike in the loudness. Phil Collins drumming comes across so clearly on this new cd that every brush stroke and cymbal crash can easily be heard, and it is wonderful stuff indeed.
This separation of instruments let more of the music get out, there are keyboard fills, guitar licks and a host of subtleties that I never heard before.
John Martyn certainly laid it on the line when he was writing this lot. Every emotion is played out across the main album. I was never aware of just how low he was at the time. Needless to say the remastering has made his vocals that bit clearer and easier to decipher.
The extra tracks are not really why this album ought to be bought. They do not match the quality of the original album for various reasons. Interesting, but not essential.
A must buy for fans of John Martyn, or those who need converting to his works.
This separation of instruments let more of the music get out, there are keyboard fills, guitar licks and a host of subtleties that I never heard before.
John Martyn certainly laid it on the line when he was writing this lot. Every emotion is played out across the main album. I was never aware of just how low he was at the time. Needless to say the remastering has made his vocals that bit clearer and easier to decipher.
The extra tracks are not really why this album ought to be bought. They do not match the quality of the original album for various reasons. Interesting, but not essential.
A must buy for fans of John Martyn, or those who need converting to his works.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
To show that the best music/literature and art in general comes from bad times one should listen to this fine album. It is written in part as a result of a marriage break up and one can really feel the pain he is going through on some of the tracks. A much underrated performer and songwriter and a great introduction if you don't already own any John Martyn.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
One of my favorite albums
I have been listening to this album since I was 19 years old and still living in Italy. I am now 50. What can I say? I love it.
Published 1 month ago by Martin
Grace & Danger Review
Excellent album, both conceptually and musically. John Martin's songs and arrangements reverberate long after the music stops. Read more
Published 5 months ago by M Daffern
great find
looking up ben sheperd on youtube i came across john martyn i have never heard of this singer songwriter and after just one song i am hooked i ordered grace and danger and will... Read more
Published 9 months ago by J. shaw
A wonderful album lovingly re-mastered,
This classic album was always one of John's stand-out pieces and this re-mastering really does an excellent job. Read more
Published on 17 May 2010 by Small Mercies
Good Album
I'm still getting into this but if you want a better introduction definite buys are Stormbringer, the brilliant One World and Solid Air - the latter three are exceptional music... Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2010 by Mr. P. Mendes Da Costa
This is the one
John Martyn made many albums. Some were musically of their time and have dated; a few were just not that good. This album is not stuck in a 1980s timewarp and is one of his best. Read more
Published on 14 April 2009 by Phil
His pain is our pleasure...
When the artist remarks "Grace and Danger was very cathartic, and really hurt, I was really in love with that woman" you just know that this is not going to be a rib-tickling... Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2008 by Greville Rob
Sublime perfection
Martyn is perhaps one of the most erratic recording artists, a reflection presumably of the ups and downs in his own life. Read more
Published on 12 Nov 2007 by Black Box
Make no mistake - this is brill!
What can I add to the previous reviews except to right an injustice. The songwriting and performances on this album are among Jm's best. Read more
Published on 17 April 2007 by Mr. G. O'doherty
raw emotion
Great to have a well remastered version of this classic album. For personal reasons this will always be my favourite John Martyn record. Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2007 by Paul Millington
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