Recorded at Sound Techniques in Old Church Street, Chelsea in Spring 1970 The Road to Ruin was to be John and Beverley’s last album together, recording was completed in July and the album was released in November.

John’s enthusiasm for spontaneity and exploring other musical directions put him on a collision course with producer Joe Boyd and there were numerous disagreements. John later recalled, “By the time Beverley and I recorded our second album my ears were opening a little and I was listening to a lot more music. I’d been to a lot more gigs and was hanging out with other musicians non-stop. I was exposed to more music every day through other people’s record collections, gigs they took me to and gigs I went to on my own.”

The album featured the introduction of session acoustic bassist Danny Thompson. There was some discussion as to what to call Say What You Can and in the sleeve notes it is also referred to as Let It Happen. Good friend and musician Paul Wheeler wrote Give Us A Ring.

The Road to Ruin, John explains “is really an adolescents’ views of mortality, you know the idea, isn’t all fun, we’re all doomed but we may as well enjoy it: we’re all going one way, but we may as well get down to it while we’re here.”

“The Road To Ruin stands apart from other John Martyn albums… it enjoys distinctly jazz instrumentation in what is basically a rock format.” (Andy Childs, ZigZag No.41)

John stopped gigging for some time and spent an increasing amount of time with his family in their home at Hastings. He was soon to become a father for the second time. After The Road To Ruin, Joe Boyd disbanded Witchseason and decided that John and Beverley should record solo albums. Of this quiet period John said, “…we hadn’t had a number one single, and Radio One didn’t like us, and all that kind of stuff. There wasn’t too much interest from the A&R men and the powers that be, so Island said, ‘Give him six grand and see what he comes up with’….And that’s how the next album, Bless The Weather came about.”

1. Primrose Hill (B. Martyn)
2. Parcels (J. Martyn)
3. Auntie Aviator (J. Martyn, B. Martyn)
4. New Day (J. Martyn)
5. Give Us A Ring (Paul Wheeler)
6. Sorry To Be So Long (J. Martyn, B. Martyn)
7. Tree Green (J. Martyn)
8. Say What You Can (J. Martyn, B. Martyn)
9. Road To Ruin (J. Martyn)

Catalogue Number: ILPS 9133 Island
Matrix / Runout: Side A – ILPS 9133 A-2U and Side B – ILPS 9133 B-2U

Arranged by – John Martyn and Paul Harris
Bass on Say What You Can and Give Us A Ring – Dave Pegg
Bass on Primrose Hill, Road To Ruin and Sorry To Be So Long – Alan Spenner
Double Bass on New Day – Danny Thompson
Drums – Wells Kelly
Drums on Auntie Aviator – Mike Kowalski
Congas – Rocky Dzidzornu
Flute on New Day and Saxophone on Say What You Can– Lyn Dobson
Piano – Paul Harris
Saxophone on Road To Ruin, Soorry To Be So Long and Say What You Can – Dudu Pukwana
Saxophone on Primrose Hill – Ray Warleigh
Arrangement for Say What You Can – Tony Cox
Producer – Joe Boyd
Engineer – John Wood
Photographs and Design – Nigel Waymouth
Front Cover Engraving – Max Ernst (from Une Semaine De Bonte)