John Martyn

Born Ian McGeachy in 1948, John Martyn was a singer, guitarist and all round musical pioneer. He has been described as the "One Man Pink Floyd", in part due to his experimentation with guitar effects, particularly the Echoplex delay pedals he used on songs such as Dealer. His songs are blunt and honest, whilst his guitar playing is everything from subtle tenderness (e.g.Couldn't Love You More) to psychedelic ethereal soundscapes (Small Hours). His early career and the songs he wrote at that time hold most interest for me as that was when he was most creative with the acoustic guitar.