Album Reviews
Movies
Concert Reviews

Top 10
Resources
Contact Us

The Shirley Sessions  Artist: Martyn Joseph Label: Pipe Records  Length: 8 tracks/31.44

Now you see I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking that Martyn has just released a full album and that as this is no more than a maxi ep he’s probably filled it with the b-sides he used to need in his Sony days but now hasn’t the singles to give them birth. You’re thinking that you’re not sure about buying eight sub standard songs. These were only written to fill in time after being thrown off the Dame Shirley Bassey tour.

I know that is what you are thinking. Well think again. I sat in a songwriter circle at Greenbelt where Martyn was asked to sing his most recent song. When he played "Undiscovered Love" the crowd’s applause was like a 5 star Q review. It is as beautiful a song as the Welshman has ever written. It’s an indication too of how far Joseph’s song writing has come. He just keeps maturing. Here we see great images, brilliant economy of words, superb melody and gorgeous mood. 

"Kiss the World Beautiful" is not far behind "Undiscovered Love." Already available to his Passport Queue members (sign up now to get news, interviews and fab free CDs-­ hppt://www.martynjoseph.com) it has still not been explained why it didn’t make "Far From Silent."

And on and on it goes. Just beautiful songs. Social issues and injustice are here as always. "Half of a Man" and "Hush Mother" deal with family violence and world injustice killing our children-­this time it’s Chernobyl. Personal and spiritual reflection are here also with "We Are Men" another Canadian tour inspired introspection and then "He’s Mine" is little rhyming altar to Martyn’s faith journey. Interesting that where in the past “he will follow” is now a hope to follow. Seems to be looking for some grace to cover his sin which is described as something that he does best. Very Rich Mullins in its ragamuffin honesty.

If song writing was golf then Joseph would be a cert on the next Ryder Cup team and maybe David Gray’s surprising and gorgeous success will bring such great songs to a wider audience. This release is a sign that Martyn Joseph is no longer in search of that illusive deal. He’s just doing what he does and getting it out there to those who know that they want to hear it. Glad I’m one of them.

Steve Stockman 9/7/2000
 
 

Last year's Far From Silent, Martyn Joseph's first step into own-label recording, was a lesson in consistency. But consistency often comes at the price of a number of fine songs which don't quite fit the mould that the others are made from. So while we await his forthcoming "best of" release, Joseph has produced a slightly more varied mini-album to give voice to some of those tracks and to let us in on his recent written musings.

"Kiss The World Beautiful," a paean of love to the world and its people, has jokingly been referred to as too happy a song to go on this release's downbeat predecessor. That just might be true, cause it certainly isn't the quality of songwriting which kept it off there. The standard isn't all that high, though that song isn't alone in it, with the understated "Undiscovered Love" perhaps pushing past to claim the title of "standout."

Martyn Joseph is one of those songwriters who always have more strong material than the standard album release cycle can represent and in the last couple of years he seems to really have found his writing stride. So it's our privilege that through the net and his own Pipe Records he's also found the medium to get that writing out at regular intervals.

James Stewart  09/24/2000