The Best Of The Island Years 4 disc set was released by Universal Music on 3 November 2014.

A good selection of 56 songs all previously available on The Island Years 18 disc box set released on 30th September 2013.

No additional songs or additional artwork to that previously included in the 18 disc box. If you have the 18 disc box you don’t need to buy this unless you are a completist. Includes a 40 page book with photographs and sleeve notes, edited down from the big box set.

Universal Music press release –

“The Best of the Island Years is a 4-disc digest version of last year’s, definitive 18 disc set covering John Martyn’s classic years with Island Records between 1967 and 1987.  All 56 tracks on the 4-disc edition capture Martyn at the height of his creativity on the label; all of them have been chosen from the out-takes, unreleased songs and rare live recordings that were first included on The Island Years 18CD Box Set. This collection features the best of the rarities from The Island Years and creates an exceptional collection of recordings for fans who have everything but the complete box set. It includes three songs which were unreleased prior to inclusion on the complete box set – ‘Hi Heel Sneakers’, from the Grace And Danger sessions, ‘Love In Your Life’ from Sapphire and ‘Lifeline’ from the Apprentice sessions, Martyn’s final recordings for the Island Records.”

CD1
1. Go Easy
2. Bless The Weather
3. Just Now
4. Head And Heart
5. Glistening Glyndebourne
6. May You Never (Live)
7. Head And Heart (Live)
8. I’d Rather Be The Devil (Live)
9. Solid Air
10. Over The Hill
11. I’d Rather Be The Devil (Devil Got My Woman)
12. Go Down Easy
13. Dreams By The Sea
14. May You Never
15. Fine Lines

CD2
1. The Glory Of Love
2. Make No Mistake
3. Sunday’s Child
4. Spencer The Rover (Live)
5. Eight More Miles
6. Outside In (Live)
7. Solid Air (Live)
8. The Man In The Station (Live)
9. Dealer
10. One World
11. Smiling Stranger
12. Certain Surprise

CD3
1. Couldn’t Love You More
2. Big Muff
3. Dancing
4. Small Hours
5. Black Man At Your Shoulder
6. Some People Are Crazy
7. Grace And Danger
8. Johnny Too Bad
9. Hi-Heel Sneakers
10. Running Up The Harbour
11. Sweet Little Mystery (Live)
12. Our Love
13. After Tomorrow Night

CD4
1. Sapphire
2. Over The Rainbow
3. Fisherman’s Dream
4. Mad Dog Days
5. Love In Your Life
6. Solid Air (Live)
7. Bless The Weather (Live)
8. Lonely Love
9. Angeline
10. Piece By Piece
11. The River
12. Send Me One Line
13. The Apprentice
14. Lifeline
15. Patterns In The Rain
16. John Wayne (Live)

Catalogue Number: 379 384-2 Island