The Fahey Thread

user_138 · Post by **user_138** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:31 am

I love John Fahey with a large passion, but at this time Ive only heard about four of his albums. Anyway, I think hes going to become an obsession of mine, so I just wanted to do a general Fahey roundup. Post in here any thoughts about how great (or not great) he is, and also i'm curious to know peoples opinions on his different albums.
These are the four i have heard, with awesome notes:

The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death - This is the first one i heard. There's so much good stuff on this album, and of the four I've heard this is easily the most straightforward. I've heard that in his later years he kind of disregarded this album and most of his early stuff as simply reproduction? I guess I could understand that, but I still love it. Favorite track = Brenda's Blues.

The Yellow Princess - This record is fucking great. Its got a couple tracks that feature a whole band, and one that is kind of a musique concretey type thing ('singing bridge'). I understand that he has done a lot of tape experiments and other stuff in this vein, but this is the only one that i've heard. Favorite track is probably "dance of the inhabitants..."

America - This is actually my least favorite of the ones Ive heard. I still like it though. I have the cd reissue. apparently it was originally just realeased as a single album and I kind of understand why. I have a hard time listening to the whole thing. Also, apparently they cut down some of the tracks in order to fit it all onto one cd? I kind of wish i had a copy of this on record just to compare. Anyway, favorite track = probably dvorak.

Fare Forward Voyagers - Yeah, this is my favorite of these four. Only three tracks, and all are long and droney. Great nighttime listening. Its kind of weird to say favorite track, but its probably the title one...

Feel free to add thoughts on these or other albums. Are there any in particular that I should look out for? This is the longest post i have ever crafted.

dave quam · Post by **dave quam** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:37 am

i havent heard too much of his stuff but the little amount ive heard has been great stuff. i posted because i was curious about that table of elements 12 inch of his they put out, i was just curious what that was all about.

user_138 · Post by **user_138** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:45 am

is that called "womblife"? If so i was curious about that one too...

Post by **mudd** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 3:25 am

womblife is a full-length, it's not the 12".

i am totally in love with 'red cross'. it's a great record in a beautiful package, and it was his last work, regardless of what might get released since then.

there are other records as good, but this is the one i've probably spent the most time with.

m

user_3 · Post by **user_3** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 7:41 am

I don't have too much to add right now, except for that there's a great version of "Dance of the Inhabitants..." on the new live CD (The Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick) that just came out on Water/Revenant.

user_257 · Post by **user_257** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:56 am

Check out Requia too -- it's my personal favorite simply because I picked it up solely on the merits of the cover photo of Fahey sitting on a stool in front of a barn in a suit (?). I had never heard of him before, but it's a great, weird record. Some beautiful fingerpicking in the beginning, then by the end Fahey's playing against great chunks of seemingly random records and sound effects. Pretty out there and amazing, in my opinion, though I don't think it's held by many to be a great example of Fahey's stuff.

Also, a question: the last track on Gastr Del Sol's "Upgrade and Afterlife" is, if i remember properly, a Fahey cover, but what album is this song from?

user_305 · Post by **user_305** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:55 am

the only fahey i have is the 'return of the repressed' anthology set. the two discs seem to be mostly straightforward guitar only stuff, but it's a great collection.

'tell her to come back home' should be in the 'last song that made you feel like crying' thread. one of my favorite instrumental pieces ever.

carlos · Post by **carlos** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 11:53 am

i lent "america" to my mom (who is 77) and she loved it so much she still hasn't returned it.

user_396 · Post by **user_396** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 12:41 pm

Transfiguration Of Blind Joe Death is probably my fave album of his, with my favorite song being "St Patrick's Hymn". Are there any other albums of his that have such an "austere" sound?

I've always wondered just what makes him so good.

As best as I can divine, he has figured out, through countless hours of playing, how to transcend the medium of the guitar, and you're hearing his true voice. He truly owns his songs.

When I first started playing music, I remember that I wanted to be like the guys who played as fast and as elaborately as possible. Now, I strive to be like the guys who can play a few simple notes and make them really sound great.

rs

user_109 · Post by **user_109** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 1:21 pm

Days Have Gone By is probably my favorite of his, especially "Impressions of Susan" and "A Raga Called Pat". Also his most varied that I've heard, with the sound of trains and other things cutting in here and there, and insanely catchy songs like "My Grandfather's Clock".

scumtron · Post by **scumtron** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:00 pm

Has anyone else heard his album of Christmas songs? I was shocked to find it at the library last year, and it was surprisingly good, mind you, i don't think i've heard any Fahey i haven't liked so far.

user_3 · Post by **user_3** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 2:11 pm

scumtron wrote:Has anyone else heard his album of Christmas songs? I was shocked to find it at the library last year, and it was surprisingly good, mind you, i don't think i've heard any Fahey i haven't liked so far.

Which one did you get? There are a couple, and one kind of sucks.
I like The New Possibility a lot.

Dohol · Post by **Dohol** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 3:14 pm

Blind joe death
What a record
He has a lot of filler in his discography. Some really awful stuff as well.
Live in Tasmainia? Ha. Red Cross is from another world though.
Beautiful.

user_379 · Post by **user_379** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 5:01 pm

I love Fahey, but haven't really gone past his 60s work. Transfiguration is my favorite because every song is perfect and he covers a LOT of stylistic ground on the record. I'm surprised no one has mentioned Death Chants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes yet, a classic for sure. I give it thumbs.

user_421 · Post by **user_421** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 5:07 pm

When I was first getting into Fahey, Transfiguration was my least favourite.

An awesome record that gets looked over is God, Time, and Causality released on the Shanachie label in 1990.

I've got the Anthology (Repressed), America, Causality, Red Cross, and the Hard Time Empty Bottle Blues 12" on TOTE.

Brian Olewnick · Post by **Brian Olewnick** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:06 pm

I've yet to hear a Fahey disc I haven't enjoyed at least some aspect of and usually much more. What I have:

Blind Joe Death
Requia
Death Chants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes
The Dance of Death & other Plantation Favorites
God, Time and Causality
Georgia Stomps, Atlanta Struts and other contemporary dance favorites
City of Refuge
Womblife
Red Cross

The last several use tapes and other detritus, sometimes successfully sometimes with a heavy hand. Hard to go too far wrong with him though I'm told there are a few clunkers out there.

Don't know what album that Gastr cover (Dry Bones in the Valley?) is from, but it's a wonderful track. Genius choosing a Tony Conrad Drone to augment Fahey.

scumtron · Post by **scumtron** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:20 pm

TexasMile wrote:
scumtron wrote:Has anyone else heard his album of Christmas songs? I was shocked to find it at the library last year, and it was surprisingly good, mind you, i don't think i've heard any Fahey i haven't liked so far.
Which one did you get? There are a couple, and one kind of sucks.
I like The New Possibility a lot.

I believe it was Christmas Guitar.

jon abbey · Post by **jon abbey** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:23 pm

from his comeback phase, I like Womblife the best by far, although I haven't heard Red Cross. I don't like Georgia Stomps... at all. I also like the Cul De Sac collaboration, which I don't think has been mentioned yet.

as for the older stuff, I like most of what I have a lot:

America
The Dance Of Death & Other Plantation Favorites
Days Have Gone By
Death Chants, Breakdowns, and Military Waltzes
Fare Forward Voyagers
The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party and Other Excursions
The Legend of Blind Joe Death
Requia
The Voice Of The Turtle
The Yellow Princess

I didn't like the new live one much on one listen, not sure why. and the Rhino compilation doesn't really work for me either, maybe it's sequencing, again not really sure.

I also have a live recording of him with Loren Connors, from the NNCK loft maybe 5 or 6 years ago, which I enjoy a lot, and which someone should release. I should give this to Nirav to SLSK sometime.

faster · Post by **faster** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 10:45 pm

Haven't heard him in a while, but I used to quite like Mill Pond (a "comeback" double 7"). I also had a triple 10" 78rpm recording that I gave to my friend Pat because my player didn't do 78s, sadly, but it was nice. Portland music stores used to be full of that womblife one, cutout, as Fahey would roll into town and sell them for some extra bucks.

I heard him play at the now-gone EJ's in Portland, too, and his set was pretty marginal; he used a flanger and seemed put out. Didn't really finish anything he started. The one time he got his fingerstyle on was impressive, but didn't work well in the context for me. Also, I'd brought some friends in an effort to turn them on (guitarists), and they were antsy and I was driving so we left before he finished.

nirav · Post by **nirav** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 11:28 pm

I've listened to my copy of "Vists Washington D.C." more times than I can count. It's has this grandiosity to it; it gets really involved and melodramatic in a kind of sort of sheepishly fun way.