John Martyn - Don't Want To Know

This cut off Solid Air is my favourite John Martyn song by some way. There is something poetic about the lyrics given my previous post about Mugabe and I just felt that it would be a worthy follow-on to what is a depressing situation in Southern Africa.

John is rock 'n roll, even if he is a folky. He had to have a leg amputated after years of alcohol abuse following his divorce from his wife that resulted in him writing Grace & Danger, which he described as such, "I was in a dreadful emotional state over that record. I was hardly in control of my own actions. The reason they finally released it was because I freaked: Please get it out! I don't give a damn about how sad it makes you feel—it's what I'm about: the direct communication of emotion. Grace and Danger was very cathartic, and it really hurt."

I love Solid Air and it is one of the best records in my collection (but Paul will tell you that I probably think they're all the 'best records', which is half true) and this cut in particular is a beautiful and warm piece of work that sounds great first thing in the morning. One of those records that invariably puts a smile on my face from one of the greatest musicians of our time.

John Martyn - Don't Want To Know