1001 Albums: One World

#381

Album: One World

Artist: John Martyn

Year: 1977

Length: 38:38

Genre: Experimental Pop / Dub / Blues / Jazz-Funk / Rock / Ambient

“Going to get on up and fly away
Go on out for another way
And a new day’s dawn
Going to carry on.”

Small Hours

After I had listened to Steely Dan’s Aja and found myself unsure of what to really say about it, I had a moment where I reassessed how I was listening to music in general. I questioned whether I truly didn’t have much to say because the album didn’t do much for me or because my current listening habits were getting in the way of me truly listening to the album. I’ve become habituated to just listening to as many as albums as I possibly could and having them play whenever I can, which means they would often play in the background as I work or do chores or just chill and relax, that I became more excited about getting to the end of the album to say I’ve listened to it than actually being excited about listening to the album itself. That attitude was definitely hindering my album listening experience.

Seeing as One World was next, I felt I needed to focus more and truly give this album a listen. I really loved John Martyn’s Solid Air and seeing another one of his albums pop up on the list, I figured it would be the best thing for me to actually allow myself to experience the album fully and not somewhere in the background. It’s the least I could, especially since I loved the last one so much, I had to give myself the opportunity that I would possibly love this one just as much. So I did. I sat down and gave my full attention to the album and really tried to focus and listen to it so I can absorb as much as possible. It’s time I change my listening habits.

All pretensions aside, I already knew ahead of time that I wouldn’t be able to decipher any lyrics or be able to analyse them in any way. I always have difficulty fully understanding lyrics when I listen, so I knew that wouldn’t really happen entering this new mind set. However, I definitely let myself lose myself to the music and tried to keep track of any feelings I had through the album. I wanted to make sure I really did take it all in as much as I could. I even listened to it twice to really get a hold on how I felt and I’m happy I did because this was a positive experience.

I loved Solid Air and I can safely say I also loved One World. Entering this challenge, I never expected I would have found myself quickly becoming a fan of John Martyn’s work (mainly because I didn’t even know who he was before starting the challenge) and it seems his style of music is really resonating with me in a deeper way. Somehow it touches me down to my core and into my soul and just tickles it in a way that a lot of other music doesn’t. I find myself just feeling in a good place when I listen to it and this album had a sort of calming effect on me, which is always a plus. It’s hard to define his style of music but the mix of experimental pop and funky folk stylings just works wonders for me in a way that other music in this genre just doesn’t.

The whole album had this sombre yet uplifting feel to it that made me think of driving down the highway in the middle of the night. It helps that the final song is even called Small Hours, which make me think that’s what he was going for. As someone who works overnight, I’ve driven down the highway at 3 am many, many times and the vibes I was getting from this album brought me back to those nights, driving through the misty air, stars and moon in the sky, surrounded by peace with nary a soul moving. The sleeping city passing me by as I cruise down alone on this patch of road. It felt like midnight but the best parts of midnight. When we think of midnight in a nostalgic way, the sky painted a dark blue with sprinkles of street lights guiding the way. It was a good feeling.

One song in particular that stood out for me, Smiling Stranger, fit right into this style of music I like to call Music For Frogs. A style of music that sounds like its made for frogs to enjoy. With watery sounding blurps, croaking timbres and swampy sounds, Smiling Stranger was an incredibly pleasant surprise of Music For Frogs I did not expect to hear on this album. If I knew how to make music, I would love to make an album called Music For Frogs that incorporates these kinds of sounds, and Smiling Stranger would definitely serve as an inspiration of the kind of sounds I’d like to get. I love Music For Frogs and anything that fits into that category becomes an automatic favourite.

It’s safe to say John Martyn is a musician I’ve grown to really enjoy and with this album now on my radar, I think it’s time for me to do a deep dive into his work and see what other gems I can discover. He has this knack of just writing music that sits nicely with me and I can’t deny myself having more of that in my life. That’s just not acceptable.

Favourite Song: Smiling Stranger

-Bosco