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Classic Album Review And Commentary: Annotated Discography of John Fahey - Part 1
Except for small corrections, this reprint is published as it was in the September 1995 Delta Snake E-zine on Usenet, AOL and other sites and bulletin boards.
9/95 Notes: This is an annotated discography. I've decided to write it in a conversational style and avoid a "track by track" approach. The record dates are a bit dicey but will be fixed in a revised issue later.
My first exposure to Fahey was at a Paul Masson concert in the Saratoga foothills in California. He was the show opener. He was introduced, walked onto the stage, picked up his guitar and started playing.
The opening number turned out to be the beginning of a long improvisation that moved effortlessly from ragas to ragtimes. When it was time for a break, he simply sat there and stared back at the audience, as if he were watching us performing, then picked up the guitar and played the rest of his set.
When it was all over, he sat up, waved to the crowd to acknowledge the applause, and then ran off the stage, up the hillside and towards (as far as I can guess) the parking lot and disappeared from sight. The announcer mentioned that John was playing an evening show up north and needed to get a head start to arrive on time.
He never spoke a word during the entire concert. Oddly enough, I never did sense that this odd persona was hostile or angry...it's just that this guy truly follows an idiosyncratic vision of his art. Most of the crowd, including the emcee, just chuckled and shrugged shoulders (most were there for the headliner). Whatever it was in the music, it definitely captured my attention, and on the way home
from the show, I bought my first Fahey record.
Since then, I've developed a better idea of what that attraction was...hopefully, I haven't wasted too many words expressing that to you all ;-)
EARLY HISTORY:
John Fahey is probably one of the most famous obscure artists in America. He's created a body of work that includes over thirty recordings, most of which are considered excellent and influential.
A short bio starts with the first record, which like the first Takoma record was called "Blind Joe Death." It was a small pressing of only a few hundred units, and was financed by a loan from a Episcopalian Priest. This 1958 record became, as one rock critic called it, one of the most famous obscure records in America. It's never been reissued, and my guess is that most of the compositions were recorded again in later releases anyway.
In the Early sixties, Fahey was both a scholar who released a well regarded work on Charlie Patton as his thesis (later published as a book), and an important figure in the "rediscovery" movement. His most well known discovery was Skip James, who was located by him and two friends (one being Henry Vestine, later of Canned Heat) in a hospital in the south. This lead to Skip's triumphant
debut performance at the Newport Folk Festival.
THE FAHEY GUITAR STYLE:
Fahey's guitar style has been described as being similar to Mississippi John Hurt's, which is an oversimplification. The two did use a similar fingerpicking approach, but in terms of tone the two were fairly different. Hurt tended to play at a fairly fast clip, and rarely played any slow numbers in what would be considered the Delta style. His songs were generally done in "open tunings," and mostly in keys commonly associated now with folk music. Fahey did play uptempo "raggy" numbers, but also played the slide in an impressionistic style. His tonalities showed the influence of such artists as Charlie Patton and Elizabeth Cotton, not to mention the heavy irony of a college educated eccentric.
Fahey's liner notes were an influence on the often hilarious Leo Kottke liner notes. Although, I'd be hard pressed to explain to the average listener what any of Fahey's bizarre treatises ever really meant. A key difference, and one that also differentiated him from other guitarists of his time was that his concept of space and time was idiosyncratic. A song would often change tempo and speed, and transition in a way that would be difficult to notate in written music.
Also, he used fingerpicks, which on one hand eliminated much of the same feel the Delta men had in their music, but made possible the use of a wide range of overtones and echos. When one listens carefully to a Fahey song, one can tell that he is covering a range of picking approaches, from light taps to bring out overtones to a sharp attack designed to create a metallic tone.
Fahey is not a technician or a virtuoso. His main strength is as a distinctive stylist and composer. Peers such as Leo Kottke or Peter Lang were more technically proficient and rarely anything less than pleasant. Also, unlike a Kottke, Fahey is not always that accessible. His greatest works can sound very ordinary to the casual listener. To enjoy his music, one often has to see where he is coming from and feel the same time sense. There is a very strong undercurrent of reserve in the music, and the impatient will almost miss the point.
Finally, there is the mystery. Of all the blues guitarists, he as much as anyone else captured that sense of mystery that was always inherent in the Delta blues. When one listens to a Fahey masterpiece, one is always transported back to another time or place.
As time has passed, the idea of a solo acoustic guitar player outside of the classical realm has become more common, and many artists such as Leo Kottke and Alex DeGrasse have become prominent in that genre. That genre of solo acoustic guitar has also become more technical and at times that has produced music ornate enough to be modern divertamentos, only suitable for parties and meditations. It can lack the soul of a Fahey masterpiece.
So...we have an idea of the man, we can now move on and examine the music.
THE CASUALLY ANNOTATED JOHN FAHEY DISCOGRAPHY:
Volume 1: Blind Joe Death (1967 Takoma 1002)
This was the first of a series of records I tend to associate with colors, as the jackets were always some bright, flat color, and illustrated with odd or macabre medieval woodcuts. This one I think of as the "blue one." Also, many of these Takoma releases had volume numbers, this one being number one.
The set contained many of the types of numbers that one would later associate with Fahey's style. The archetype was "In ChristmThere Is No East Or West," a cover of an old classic hymn that began slowly, and then built into a fast Mississippi John Hurt type number. The opening, which is basically strummed chords and some melody, moves along at a pace clearly set in Fahey's mind, as anyone trying to count out the beat would find it slows at times, but in a way that's perfect for the arrangement.
The "Transcendental Waterfall" was an impressionistic piece, that rolled along, fast and slow, in a way that could strike the unbeliever as being meandering and diffuse. It took me years to really listen to it, and now consider it to be one of his master works.
Volume 2: Death Chants, Breakdowns & Military Waltzes (1967 Takoma)
This was the second of the "color" series, which was a bright orange. It was one of his best, containing a couple that would end up on his later best-of record, and one that would become a full length title number for another. It felt lighter in tone than the first and this was partly due to the light, almost airy ragtimes such as "Spanish Dance" and a personal favorite, "Take A Look At That Baby."
This was also the recording where his eccentric personality began to come out. Song titles such as "Downfall of The Adelphia Rolling Grist Mill" and "Dance of the Inhabitants of the Palace of King Phillip XIV of Spain" began to appear, with meanings so personal as to be totally obscure to the average listener. Don't ask me what it all meant, you obviously had to be there.
"America" was the archetype Fahey improvisational piece, and one he did in an earlier Takoma compilation that also featured Bukka White. This version opened slowly, and then moved into a fast, and often beautiful theme, and then slowed again. This piece was later expanded and became most of an entire side of his "America" record. “John Henry Variations" was also an improvisational piece, although it didn't change much other than a heavily echoed middle section. It is one of his more well known songs, however, and a fan favorite.
One final note, his habit of putting hymns continued, with "Episcopal:Hymn" on this one. This might have been the first show of outward emotion, at least of thanks, as it was an Episcopalian priest who lent him the money to put out his first record.
Volume 3: Dance of Death and Other Plantation Favorites (1967 Takoma)
This was the first Fahey record I ever bought, in fact, I picked it up on the way home from the concert mentioned aforehand. I liked it then, and like it now even more. However, it was both the first truly polished record he ever put out, and the least interesting of the first three in this trilogy. Which is interesting, as it's the most strange in terms of cover art and coloring. The illustration shows a medieval woodcut of Death dancing with a peasant, and evokes such darker images as those in the old tarot decks. It lacked the eccentric touches of the first two, although the average listener will find it moves along well, and is well played. "The Last Steam Engine Train," later ended up on his best-of, and was later covered by Leo Kottke on his Mudlark album on Capitol. It was, as such, an influential record.
The title piece, however, was a high water mark in his art. It opens up with a dark, slow mood, and then goes into an jerky, uptempo dance that literally sounded like a dance of death. It was both dark in mood, yet compelling...a perfect dance of death. Being Fahey, though, it wasn't the dance of a death symbol from a Bergman film, but the kind one would find in the Ichabod Crane story.
THE GREAT SAN BERNARDINO BIRTHDAY PARTY (Takoma)
This record may have been a shock to some fans. After three well conceived sets, this is the sort of record one see after an artist's death. It is a mishmash of current performances mixed in with old archive material of varying sound quality. Two of the songs, a duet with a flute player doing the old "900 Miles" and the interesting "Guitar Excursion Into The Unknown" sound like private recordings done on a portable tape machine.
However, the music sounds clear enough, and criticizing Fahey music on the basis of sound quality is like saying that the Beatles only played with four instruments (they did many of their most famous songs on a jury-rigged four track, so being a good recording engineer isn't a factor in genius).
I will say, however, that "900 Miles" does stick in my mind, as it is a mediocre cut (just sounds too beatnik or something) and the way the flute endlessly drones on was a major league annoyance. I will admit that I don't like the flute much anyway, so it may just be me.
Other cuts that elicit mild enthusiasm are his cover of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and "Guitar Excursion Into The Unknown." The former a number I've always thought was significant to another generation and audience, and the latter, a nice sketch of ideas done on a small tape machine. It explored modes that he expanded on better in later works (such as "Fare Forward Voyagers).
This record does contain one of my favorite Fahey performances (with Alan Wilson contributing a strange and wonderful veena), the traditional "Sail Away Ladies." It has its roots in old country music, and I've heard it played on banjo a few times. It begins slowly, almost languidly, and then goes into a uptempo mode with overtones ringing out like a banjo. It's a wonderful cut, and I was disappointed it didn't end up on his later best of collection.
This stuff isn't for the uninitiated, but fans like me will want it and have it, flaws and all.
DAYS HAVE GONE BY - Volume 6 (1967 Takoma)
This is also a mishmash, a collection of current performances but with sound effects and voices added for atmosphere and such. Sort of a Fahey meets John Cage sort of thing. However, this time out, the "different" cuts are the best. Two of those, "Raga Called Rat," parts one and two, include such sounds as trains, idle porch talk, and various animals. One actually feels the ambience of a hot summer night spent sitting on the porch, idly plucking away at the guitar. It has a different time sense, and once one gets in tune with it, it makes the other more standard cuts seem almost plain.
One exception is his cover of the traditional "My Grandfather's Clock," which, like his later "Brenda's Blues," feels too short. It's another song I've heard played most often on the banjo, and I don't think I'd be the first to say that sonically and in tonality, his music most resembles the ethereal and sometimes melancholy clawhammer banjo music of the Appalachians.
THE TRANSFIGURATION OF BLIND JOE DEATH (Originally issued on River Boat, later on Takoma)
Although there are many better records, this one is my personal favorite. I think he must have enjoyed making this one and liked the company he was in at the time this was recorded. It has a thin sound, like a home recording would, and the mikes also picked up other sounds like guitar capos being moved on the neck. For the benefit of those who don't know, a capos is a sort of bar one can strap to a guitar neck to make it sound "higher," although the technical terms would be changing keys.
My most favorite Fahey cut, "Brenda's Blues" is on this one. It's a short, unusually structured rag that uses a more lilting chord progression than usual and the theme is actually a very long and complex melody line not often found in ragtimes (except for a Scott Joplin composition). Also, he has the guitar pitched higher, so it has a piercing tone that really cuts through. Another grave omission from his later "best of," although that's been remedied on my own personal tape compilations of his music.
One interesting number is his "Southern Medley," which combines Stephen Foster with Charley Patton into a surprisingly smooth flowing mix. I remember an older "Southern Medly" with Bing Crosby, so that may have been the reference. Only Fahey could make "Camptown Races" sound so majestic.
The key set is the last half of the first side, a series of short songs that flow into one another and has got to be one of his artistic peaks. The music is simple, yet the different tempos truly are different, as if the guy developed a new time sense for each number and didn't just count 1-2-3-4 slow and fast.
The opener to this group, "On The Sunny Side Of the Ocean," opens slowly and is really just a strummed bunch of chords, but timed so well, it has a perfect mood. How perfect it was is best seen by listening to his later re-recording of it for his "Best Of" and seeing how stiff and mechanical it sounded compared to this version. It really was, and always will be a perfect snapshot of a particular moment in time, and he managed to lock it into place.
The cycle then runs through to "Tell Her To Come Back Home," "My Station Will Be Changed After Awhile," "101 Is A Hard Road To Travel," and "How Green Was My Valley." Each a totally memorable melody with a sense of place. His soul was as apparent on this one as it ever was and will be.
One final note on this one. It feature both incredibly detailed cover art, and the longest, most obtuse pamphlet (all handwritten in calligraphic script) I have ever tried to read. I still couldn't tell you what it all means, but someday I'm sure it will all be revealed. You don't find this pamphlet in later reissues.
I happen to have the old Riverboat and early Takoma releases, and so was able to pass on the confirmation of that pamphlet's existence. It’s message will have to wait for delivery from one wiser than I am.
VOICE OF THE TURTLE: (1968 Takoma)
This one is both one of the funniest musical jokes ever played on the music world, and one of the most abstract. A new fan would find it a real puzzle. Imagine...the fan buys this new Fahey record, probably because out of the bunch it has a weird and cute cover of a turtle, takes it home, and after reading the bizarre notes and noticing that the music is totally atypical of Fahey, realizes (wrongly) that this isn't John Fahey at all, but a collection of music from some totally obscure artist.
In other words, it's a parody-tribute to those often arcane and terrible sounding discovery-reissues of old 78's from artists whose records became rare for the most obvious reason...it wasn't a great record. Obviously, there are true neglected masterpieces in the whole bunch, but the sound of tinny music and loud scratches coming from an earlier era destroyed more than one expert's taste and common sense. If it was old, the 78 often gave the music a credibility the same person would deny a contemporary one.
So, what is on the record? Well, basically old blues, string band and old-timey stuff, the best of the lot being the cover of "Bill Cheatham." It's a cool version, with a fiddle to boot, but redundant. I listened to the record a lot when I got it, but I'd steer a new listener away from it. Most jokes simply aren't so funny the second and third time around, especially if the object of the joke is serious-old-record-collectors like me ;-) For the committed only, or in my case, having found it in a one dollar bargain bin at my local used record store.
THE NEW POSSIBILITY (1969 Takoma)
This was Fahey's first Christmas album, and as far as I know, his best selling of all time. It's not bad, as Fahey records go, but it is pretty much a collection of kinda draggy renditions of Christmas songs we've all heard before. It has one extended improvisation number, several fair to above average versions of old hoaries, and really good covers of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing medly." The latter has found its way on many tapes I've made for personal listening.
The liner notes actually are quite thought provoking, and point out the origins of the way we celebrate Christmas (combining the birth of Christ with the Winter Solstice and such). Also, this record certainly is better than 99% of all those silly Christmas records that come out every year. 99% of those who put out Christmas records simply want to have a perennial seller...Fahey wanted to make a point about this holiday and that's what puts this one into the one percent category.
JOHN FAHEY GUITAR "REQUIA" (1968 Vanguard)
Beware of records called "Requia." It's a red flag similar to "concept album" or "rock opera." The music may or may not be bad but a certain seriousness will tend to set in. In this case, the music has a certain stiffness of execution, as if Fahey was trying to show that he could do songs with even tempos and no rough edges. On the plus side, the sound is clearly superior to the Takoma releases.
One interesting cut is his "Requiem For John Hurt," which would be recorded in a vastly superior version for his later Reprise records. This version is actually quite nice, although it lacks the normal flow Fahey always showed in his performances.
The four part "Requiem For Molly" harks back to his "Days" period but lacks the feel and looseness. It comes off as sort of impressive but ultimately a bit dull. A well played, well recorded, and totally average quality work. Later packaged with his other Vanguard LP as "The Essential John Fahey."
THE YELLOW PRINCESS: (1969 Vangard)
This was the second, and last one for this label. It is better than the first, and contains one truly outstanding piece, "The Yellow Princess," which was about a ship. The intent was to make a song that had the same epic feel of movie music.
"Yellow Princess" is an archetype Fahey improvisation in that starts off slowly, and then gradually speeds up into a fast and often epic section. What makes it so much his is that transition part where the tempo gradually works its way up, as opposed to simply starting a fast section. Also, the melody lines are clearly superior and would be attractive to a listener on any level.
All in all, a good one. I like "Lion," and "Dance of the Invisible City of Bladensburg," and the record comes off as an above average folk-instrumental set that sounds good and is well played. It's not the first choice for the dedicated Fahey fan, but you could do a lot worse.
AMERICA: (1971 Takoma)
This was the start of a two record cycle of long improvisational works, which in a sense could be said to have captured his live act. The themes in this one had been explored in earlier records, and he added a great many ideas to those themes. Also, the extended pieces show a natural flow that could only come from the familiarity one gets from performing material live.
It was also a period when he also recorded for Reprise, a major label, and Takoma. The former got his "mainstream" efforts, and the latter continued in his typical improvisational vein.
The cover, which is typical Fahey, could be offputting to the new fan. It shows a man running away from a mob with an obviously turtle carried in his arms. What it all means will someday become obvious when Fahey finally writes an autobiography. The overall tone is blusier than the Vanguard records, and sounds like a more flowing version of his first three Takomas. It's an essential for any fan, although its impact will vary depending on how you react to long extended improvisations.
OF RIVERS AND RELIGION: (1972 Reprise)
This was his first major label release, and one of his best. It's a laid-back work, yet rich in its attention to details. The slow numbers, such as "Dixie Pig Bar-B-Q Blues" are languid almost to the point of being other-worldly. When one listens to his cover of "Old Man River," one can imagine a very slow river on a hot day.
One number also introduced a new element, a full blown trad-jazz orchestra. It opens with John playing a simple, swinging melody. One by one, instruments enter until the full band is playing, then fade away until Fahey finishes the song alone. He's done numbers with other guitarists and even members of the rock band Spirit on one, but this arrangement is the best realized.
"Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt" had orginally been done on "Requia" and is done here in a looser, more Hurt-like arrangement. The original rhythm is replaced by more syncopated bass work, and on the whole comes off better as a tribute.
The original issue came with a sort of yellowed photo on the liner sleeve, which showed through the LP cover, which was cut like a picture frame. Later versions didn't have this, so it is a collector's item of sorts.
FARE FORWARD VOYAGERS (SOLDIER'S CHOICE): (1973 Takoma)
This one featured two side long pieces, of which one, "Fare Forward Voyagers" (an improvisation on the older “When The Catfish Are In Bloom”) is a true masterpiece. The structure is basically as I've described before, but as perfectly realized as anything he's ever done since. The basic tonalities are Eastern, and much of it reminds me of "Scheherazade" and other forms like Sitar music. One can't listen to this one and not be totally transported to another world. I've heard him perform this one live (on the radio...I wish I had taped it!), and this it's obvious that this one captured his live act at that moment in time.
The cover shows this intricate dark brown pattern, sort of paisley-like, and compares favorably to the cover art of "Anthem Of The Sun." When asked about the faster tempos in the record, Fahey said “Everybody was playing faster after Keo Kottke came along,”
AFTER THE BALL: (1973 Reprise)
This was the second and last major label release on this label. It was similar to "Rivers" in intent, but took on a slightly more 1920s jazz era feel. By now, one could feel like a "schtick" or formula was being concocted for Fahey, particularly in the band numbers. It's hardly a bad record, for sure, and one of his most listenable. It does feel just a tad bit, uh, bland at points, and I think Fahey must have realized that he was being put into a formula-type format.
"I Wish I Knew How It Was To Be Free," was a good cover of the old classic and "After The Ball" has a classic feel like a Dixieland Orchestra record. The best stuff is the solo numbers, such as Hawaiian Two-Step, which showed yet again that in discussions about great slide players, one of the biggest omissions is always Fahey, who is as great a stylist in this genre as any blues legend. Although it doesn't have the feel of a classic, like "Rivers" was, it's worth a listen, and is probably the most accessible of his works.
OLD FASHIONED LOVE: (1975 Takoma)
Sort of an "After The Ball" but done on a small label. The cover showed a woman on a gay 90's couch, with a dress and corset so tight it still makes me dizzy to look at it, and had instructions in female self-defense with an umbrella and sharp-toed shoes in back. How they came up with this cover concept must have been interesting.
The record has two personalities. One side is the Fahey of the "Fare Forward" and "America" style, with one song, "Jiva Shiva Shankarah" that I call a classic. The other is a mix of guitar solos and band numbers in the "After The Ball" vein. It's actually more fun though...it's as if doing this for a smaller label allowed him to loosen up and show a sense of humor again.
The best is "Boodle-Am-Shake" which is done so straight that one can almost imagine the smirk on the singers faces. It's both funny and well played, which is about all we can ask of a Fahey and orchestra number. "The Assassination of Stephan Grossman" is sort of a parody in it's own way, which features a ragtime done so stiffly, one can't help but think about the one criticism one ever hears about Grossman. Given Fahey's strong feelings about guitar playing (he once got on Chet Atkin's case for overdubbing bass string parts on records), one can't be sure if the song is in fun, or is a statement.
This one ended up in a lot of bargain bins, so it must have been a record Takoma had high hopes for (and pressed a lot of copies). It's too bad it didn't sell better, since it's one of the most enjoyable of the lot.
CHRISTMAS WITH JOHN FAHEY, VOL 2: (1975 Takoma)
Fahey once mentioned that his first Christmas record is still his best selling. I'll never be sure personally, since I don't own this one.
THE BEST OF JOHN FAHEY 1959-1977: (1977 Takoma)
This is his only "best of" release. It was originally accompanied by special tablature sheets published by Guitar Player. It covers the Takoma output, and thus has no Vanguard or Reprise material. It is a good sampler of the more conventional side, focusing on short uptempo songs, including an unreleased, "Spanish Two-Step." It seems to stress the music of his first few records, and contains none of the long improvisational pieces (that changed in later versions of this compilation).
One of the songs, "On The Sunny Side Of The Ocean," had been re-recorded for this one, with gains in clarity and sound, but suffers a little from slight loss of feel. The tempo is sped up, and the beat made regular and clocklike, and it now has a mechanical and rushed feel. P
On the whole, the material is well chosen, and shows an excellent, if narrow, view of the artist. Some day, a true retrospective should be released with material from all labels represented. However, Fahey's output has so many classics that no one set would ever cover it all well. One can't say that about many artists.
VISITS WASHINGTON, D.C.: (1979 Takoma)
The bright yellow cover, with Arabs dates this one as being recorded during the heyday of OPEC (before we began to fear that the Japanese were buying us out, not the Oil Sheiks). It is a solid, if unspectacular recording. By now, John is playing a cleaner, more technical style, which indicated he was comfortable with an approach and had more of a "formula." This puts more focus on the compositions, which in this case are above average, but not great.
Medley's are becoming frequent now, and this one has three. He does have a knack for these, so none are anything less than enjoyable. When I heard this at the time it was released, the feeling I got was that he'd put out a predictable "Faheyesque" album that wouldn't disappoint the vast majority of fans. I've become more reasonable since and simply enjoy it, but it's not his best by a long shot.
YES! JESUS LOVES ME: (1980 Takoma)
Gadzooks...21 short songs on one LP...almost like a Punk rock record or something! The idea must have sounded great on paper, instead of doing a hymn on every release, do an entire set of hymns and religious songs. Medley watch indicates four on this one ;-)
The idea does work. Much of the stateliness of his earlier material often derived from similarities to hymnals and such, so this comes off pretty well. The material is overtly religious in feel, and with no singing involved; I doubt the average listener would object to the content at all. Besides, the cover art indicates that it's at least a little
tongue in cheek.
Long time fans will recognize "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel," and regular Episcolpalian goers will recognize most of the rest. I personally love the opening title cut, and find it a both joyous and at times irreverent celebration of some very great melodies. Like any great Fahey record, a bit narrow, a bit obscure in it's purpose, but well worth a listen. P The cover art compares well to modern art renditions of old fresco/Ikon art.
JOHN FAHEY LIVE IN TASMANIA: (1981 Takoma)
It's always amazed me that it took this long to finally come out with a live recording. What's equally amazing is that it does truly capture him in all his eccentric and off-the-wall splendor. I never did actually get to hear him talk when seeing him live, so this was quite a treat in itself.
The introduction by Stefan Markovich stresses the pleasure of seeing him live, and also some puzzlement that this artist would pick Tasmania of all places. Fahey later illuminates this, by explaining that it was thought Tasmania would be this exotic place with all sorts of mystery and atmosphere and in a hilarious deadpan, indicates mild disappointment that it really seems rather normal after all. The audience laughs along with him, and it's obvious that there is a close rapport, and this reflects in the music, which with one exception is top notch. He opens with a rushed and overly fast "On The Sunny Side Of The Ocean," which isn't an ideal show opener in any case.
That would be quibbling, however, this is a great record, and it would be enjoyable even for nonfans. Some of the numbers like "Tasmanian Two-Step" are simply older rags retitled for the benefit of the locals, although differ enough to at least be called new improvisations. Two numbers from the Reprise records, "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt" and "Steamboat Gwine 'Round de Bend" are featured here, and are beautifully done. "Steamboat" in particular, has some of the most beautiful slide work I've ever heard.
In a sense, it works as a live document and as a pretty good "best of" also. An essential record.
RAILROADS: (Takoma/Allegiance)
This was another "theme" record similar to his "Jesus" one, but are musical impressions of various railroads. As such, it features his creative side completely, and contains as much of his own personality as any he'd recorded since the late 60's.
Like a harmonica player, he sometimes uses the slide to create the classic "train" effects, but it never sounds like a novelty record. It's really a beautiful work, with a distant feel combined with just a touch of melancholy here and there to create a real sense of mystery and of being in another time and place. One of his masterpieces.
Note: This is where this discography ends. Fahey has recorded actively since, and has numerous recordings available. Someday, a part two will be written to cover those.
Al Handa
1995
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