by James Chrispell

Much denser than before, Solid Air was to reveal a new twist in Martyn's musical style. Slurring his words even more, songs like the title cut fairly ooze from the shadows, and the jazzy inclinations keep the listener spellbound. A cover of Skip James' "I'd Rather Be the Devil" found Martyn using an Echoplex delay effect, which gave his guitar work an otherworldly feel. "May You Never" is a great folk tale familiar to those who own Eric Clapton's Slowhand -- herein lies the original from the writer himself. Excellent!