Grace and Danger


Grace and Danger is the eighth studio album by John Martyn, released on October 13, 1980, by Island Records.

Background

The album was written and recorded while John Martyn was in the process of divorcing his wife Beverley, and the songs strongly reflect the emotional upheaval that he was experiencing at the time. Phil Collins played drums and provided backing vocals. Martyn and Collins forged a close friendship during the writing and recording of the album, with both musicians going through painful divorces at the time – a strong kinship exists between Grace and Danger and Collins' contemporaneous album Face Value, which also contained a strong narrative relating to relationship breakdown. The release of the album was delayed by Island Records for well over a year because Chris Blackwell, the label owner found the album too depressing. Producer Martin Levan said of the delay that "the messages I was getting back was that Chris felt it was too sad and he didn't want to put it out. He felt it too depressing and didn't want it released." Speaking in 1981, Martyn captured his frustration at the situation, "I freaked: 'Please get it out! I don't give a damn how sad it makes you feel – It's what I'm about: direct communication of emotion.'"
The album cover was created by UK photographer/artist Sandy Porter.
Grace and Danger was released in a deluxe edition in February 2007, which featured the original album remastered, with a second CD of demos and offcuts.

Reception

When released, Rolling Stone described the album as "a very strong outing for John Martyn, placing him in a class with such intelligent eclectics as Joan Armatrading and Joni Mitchell." The BBC Scotland programme Scotland's Music, presented by Phil Cunningham included a performance of "Hurt In Your Heart" by Martyn during its November 2007 episode "Love & Loss". It was voted number 327 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums third edition. In the book he stated “Martyn shared the break-up of his marriage to Beverly with us, tearing open his heart and exposing all his emotions on record."

Deluxe edition track listing

Disc 1
  1. "Some People Are Crazy" – 4:19
  2. "Grace and Danger" – 4:02
  3. "Lookin' On" – 5:11
  4. "Johnny Too Bad" – 3:56
  5. "Sweet Little Mystery" – 5:28
  6. "Hurt In Your Heart" – 4:58
  7. "Baby Please Come Home" – 3:56
  8. "Save Some " – 3:34
  9. "Our Love" – 3:57
  10. "Sweet Little Mystery" – 4:56
  11. "Lookin' On" – 5:10
  12. "Some People Are Crazy" – 4:19
  13. "Grace and Danger" – 4:25
  14. "Save Some " – 3:34
Disc 2
  1. "Small Hat"
  2. "Johnny Too Bad"
  3. "Running Up The Harbour"
  4. "Sweet Little Mystery"
  5. "Dead On Arrival"
  6. "Some People Are Crazy"
  7. "Baby Please Come Home"
  8. "Grace And Danger"
  9. "Hurt In Your Heart"
  10. "After Tomorrow Night"
  11. "Our Love"
  12. "Lilo Blondino"
  13. "Johnny Too Bad"
Tracks 1–12 from CD2 recorded at Basing Street Studios, London, 29 March 1979. Tracks 4–6 were mixed there 4 June 1979. The rest 9 June 1979.

Personnel

;Original album
  • John Martyn – guitar, vocals
  • Tommy Eyre – keyboards, synthesizers
  • John Giblin – bass
  • Phil Collins – drums, backing vocals
  • Dave Lawson – additional synthesizers on "Some People Are Crazy", "Sweet Little Mystery" and "Baby Please Come Home"
;Other musicians, Deluxe Edition
  • Alan Thomson – bass on Disc 1, tracks 10–14
  • Danny Cummings – percussion on Disc 1, tracks 10–14
  • Jeff Allen – drums on Disc 1, tracks 12–14
;Technical
  • Martin Levan – producer, engineer
  • Mark Freegard – assistant engineer
  • Bruno Tilley – design
  • Sandy Porter – photography