John Martyn - Sapphire (2015) [Deluxe Edition]

Recorded in the Bahamas with the help of Robert Palmer, Sapphire continues in the vein of the early-'80s slicker John Martyn sound. By now the guitar has sunk so far into the mix to where it's become virtually nonexistent, and keyboards and drum machines have taken over. Not that omnipresent guitar is necessary for a good Martyn album, but a career that's built so much with guitar, when changed to less guitar, needs to have something else going for it. Martyn's unique voice and adept songwriting have proven to be enough since his guitar sank into the background, but unfortunately these attributes aren't enough to sustain this particular album. The only really memorable tracks are "Fisherman's Dream" and "Mad Dog Days." "Over the Rainbow" (yes, the song from Wizard of Oz) is a surprisingly good choice for Martyn, yet it works much better in his live shows than here in a studio version. -- Rob Caldwell