John Martyn, One World (side A)

1977's One World was a transitional transitional album for Martyn, drawing from his acoustic folk of the 70s and foreshadowing the more synthetic sounds of his 80s albums.  Many songs feature both electronic drums and live percussion, and the space left from an often-omitted snare leaves extra space for his rich voice to stand out.  The album's sound is exceptionally clear and bright—modern by the standards of 1977 but seemingly timeless compared to the exaggeration that has become popular since.  The stripped down arrangement of "Small Hours" stands out—the only consistent instrument is a guitar drenched in delay and recorded across a pond.  Martyn's resigned vocal take matches the arrangement perfectly.  The cover design fits more with the album's more contemporary aspects, and it stands up better for me than the stylized photos of him on the cover of most of his 80s work.  My copy clearly shows "Couldn't Love You More" as the album's first track, where Wikipedia lists the sides in reverse order.