Solid Air: Compare the Nine-Track Album with Later Versions

When shopping for Solid Air, the first useful distinction is between its original nine-track LP program and later CD or digital listings. John Martyn’s official discography gives nine tracks for the 1973 Island LP, ending with “The Easy Blues.” Later editions may expand the presentation or include alternate recordings. One current Apple Music listing reports ten songs, but its visible track information does not clearly identify the difference from the original sequence. That is not a reason to assume every copy of the LP has ten printed tracks. Verify the exact product and treat each track list as evidence about that edition.

Start with the original nine-song sequence

The 1973 LP runs from “Solid Air” through “Over the Hill,” “Don’t Want to Know,” “I’d Rather Be the Devil,” “Go Down Easy,” “Dreams by the Sea,” “May You Never,” “The Man in the Station” and “The Easy Blues.” The official John Martyn discography identifies the Island catalog number ILPS 9226 and lists this nine-title order. Keeping the sequence nearby helps you avoid mistaking a deluxe package or digital bonus selection for a change to the original album.

For a first listen, compare the opening title track with “Over the Hill.” The official album notes describe the record as moving across folk, blues and jazz colors, and credit different players to particular tracks. Try following the acoustic guitar on one piece and the bass or keyboard on another. Write down what you notice without forcing every song into a genre. This makes the album’s variety easier to describe and keeps the advice grounded in the credited ensemble rather than a generic claim that it “mixes everything.”

Hear how the credited players shape individual tracks

The album credits list Danny Thompson on double bass, Dave Mattacks on drums, John “Rabbit” Bundrick on keyboards, Dave Pegg on bass, and additional players on selected tracks. Tony Coe is credited with saxophone on “Solid Air” and “Dreams by the Sea”; Tristan Fry plays vibraphone on the title track. Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol and Sue Draheim contribute mandolin, autoharp and violin to “Over the Hill.” Use these credits as a guide to what to listen for, not a guarantee that every instrument is equally prominent in every playback system.

Choose one track and follow a single credited color. On the title song, for example, listen once for the main vocal and guitar, then again for how the saxophone or vibes fit around it. On “Over the Hill,” compare the guitar with the other credited string instruments. If you cannot isolate a part, that is useful information too: the arrangement may work for you as a blended texture. The exercise gives you an album-specific way to explore the record without needing a technical vocabulary.

Keep the two versions of “May You Never” apart

“May You Never” has an edition history that can confuse buyers. The John Martyn archive notes that an earlier version, paired with “Just Now,” was issued as a single in November 1971 and included drums and a guitar overdub by Paul Kossoff. Martyn was dissatisfied with that version; John Wood later recorded the album performance. The 1973 LP track is therefore not interchangeable with the earlier single merely because the song title is the same.

If a listing advertises “May You Never” as an extra, ask whether it means the album take, the 1971 single version, a live performance or another recording. Check the source edition’s track list and credits. This is more useful than a vague “bonus version” label because the question is whether you want the same performance again or a genuinely different arrangement. If you compare audio, use matched passages and levels and note that different mixes or transfers can affect the comparison.

Understand the closing track and later editions

The original LP closes with “The Easy Blues.” The official 2009 deluxe-edition notes describe a “Gentle Blues” coda at the end of the album’s closing sequence. A later digital listing may display a different track count, but the reviewed Apple Music page does not expose enough title detail to identify the extra entry with confidence. Do not assume that a ten-entry screen is simply the original LP with one track split in two; it may include a different recording or an added selection.

The official discography records a remastered and expanded CD from 2000 and a two-CD deluxe edition from 2009, as well as later vinyl issues including a 2016 half-speed edition. Those are identifiable releases, not universal properties of every Solid Air. If you want the original program, confirm the nine titles and format. If you want outtakes or live material, check which deluxe package contains them. A “half-speed” or “expanded” note should be tied to an edition with a specific product description, not repeated as a blanket endorsement.

Make a careful used-copy comparison

For an original-issue claim, ask for the catalog number, label photographs, sleeve details and the complete runout inscriptions. The official archive lists ILPS 9226 and gives matrix information for an original UK issue. Compare the full combination with a release-specific reference and match the country. A single color, a gatefold sleeve or the title’s 1973 date cannot confirm a first pressing, condition or mastering history by itself.

For a documented reissue, note the product name, format and credits. The John Martyn site identifies the 2016 half-speed vinyl release, but that description applies to that release rather than every later copy bearing familiar artwork. If your goal is simply to listen, a clean, accurately described reissue may meet it. If your goal is a specific pressing or source chain, ask the seller for the evidence that answers that specific question.

A short listening route

Play “Solid Air,” “I’d Rather Be the Devil” and “The Easy Blues” in that order, then return to “May You Never.” For each, write one thing about the texture and one credit you want to check. This route contrasts a title song with credited saxophone and vibes, a Skip James composition and the album’s acoustic closing number. It also creates a reason to investigate the 1971 “May You Never / Just Now” single if you want to hear how a song changed between release contexts.

When comparing versions, confirm the recording, not just the song name. Keep playback level, passage and playback equipment as consistent as practical, and record surface noise separately from musical preferences. The result is a clear decision: original nine-track LP, a documented reissue, or an expanded edition with additional material. That distinction helps you buy the Solid Air you actually want and gives your next listen a precise place to begin.