John Martyn‘s Island Years will be collected in a 17-CD box-set.

Although Martyn is primarily known as a folk singer and guitarist, in truth his music took in a lot more, and he released over 20 albums before dying in 2009. The standard entry point for Martyn beginners is 1973’s Solid Air, but for those looking for a more substantial portion of their shelves to be dedicated to Martyn, The Island Years collects 12 of his studio albums (the press release simply states 12 key albums released between ’67 and ’87, so we’d presume that it’s the run of London Conversation (’67) through Piece by Piece (’86), minus Stormbringer and The Road to Ruin, a pair of albums recorded with his wife Beverly, and one other solo album), plus another 5 discs of “previously unreleased mixes, outtakes, unheard songs and two previously unreleased live solo concerts.”

Buyers also get the complete demos for The Apprentice (’90) and a DVD containing rare television performance, a hard-back book featuring an essay by John Hillarby, who compiled The Island Years, photographs and memorabilia. The whole package can be preordered now, priced at £169.99 [via Clash].