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The Best of John Fahey, Vol. 2: 1964-1983

performed by John Fahey (Takoma, 2004), 1 hour 19 mins, 15 page(s)

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In keeping with the great perversity, virtuosity, and humor that marks all releases of John Fahey records, guitarist Henry Kaiser has compiled a second volume of the late picker's Takoma sides to coincide with the first, self-selected set issued in 1977. Kaiser, a wildly idiosyncratic player and cultural iconoclast, is better-suited than just about anyone to compile such a project, and he has kept the strange, perverse Fahey humor as part of his... In keeping with the great perversity, virtuosity, and humor that marks all releases of John Fahey records, guitarist Henry Kaiser has compiled a second volume of the late picker's Takoma sides to coincide with the first, self-selected set issued in 1977. Kaiser, a wildly idiosyncratic player and cultural iconoclast, is better-suited than just about anyone to compile such a project, and he has kept the strange, perverse Fahey humor as part of his duties as producer. For starters, he completely reinvents the term "best-of": Three of the pieces here are previously unissued in any form from a forgotten, never-daylighted set called "Azalea City Memories" from around 1991. Recorded for the Shanachie label, it falls outside the Takoma recordings, but since it never appeared, it's fair game. Two of the pieces from that set, "Twilight on Prince George's Avenue," and "Sligo Mud," are, in fact, reinterpretations of material from his first two Takoma outings: John Henry Variations and Stomping at Night on the Pennsylvania/Alabama Border. The last, "Tuff," is a strange, labyrinthine walk through minimal landscapes, but it holds a place of its own in Fahey's catalog. Also included here is "The Fahey Sampler," a piece never issued on an album, but performed often during Fahey's live sets: it is a kind of spooky yet riotous medley that reaches through the '60s and '70s for the roots and branches of some of his more well-known and obscure compositions. In addition, one will find tracks from Old Fashioned Love, Railroad, Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death, and Visits Washington D.C., among others. Kaiser has done a masterful job of presenting the complete emotional range of Fahey's expression, and had free-range over his catalog in order to present a varying but consistently honest view of the man as composer, as player, and yes, even as an improviser. This is, in some ways, better than the original best-of, because it comes from the heart of a fan as well as the vision of a master musician. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide Show more Show less

Tracks

1. Twilight on Prince George's Avenue, 6 mins

2. Frisco Leaving Birmingham, 4 mins

3. Sligo Mud, 6 mins

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John Fahey: Live in Tasmania

performed by John Fahey (Takoma, 2004), 42 mins, 6 page(s)

John Fahey was well known as a perfectionist who played concerts for over two decades without releasing a live album. It was therefore something of a surprise when he not only recorded a full album in front of an audience, but did so at a concert booked on four days notice, at a hall he had never seen much less ch...

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John Fahey: The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death

performed by John Fahey (Takoma, 1997), 40 mins, 15 page(s)

A strange man, John Fahey, with an unusual set of guitar styles. This album, originally released on Riverboat Records and later reissued by Fahey's own Takoma label, has a lot of rough edges in terms of the recording but a tremendous amount of power when it comes to the music. Fahey was at the top of his game, alt...

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John Fahey/Peter Lang/Leo Kottke

performed by John Fahey, Leo Kottke, 1945- and Peter Lang (Takoma, 1996), 36 mins, 12 page(s)

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Leo Kottke: 6 and 12 String Guitar

performed by Leo Kottke, 1945- (Takoma, 1996), 38 mins, 14 page(s)

Leo Kottke's debut came about after he sent a cassette to John Fahey's Takoma label. Not surprisingly, it recalls Fahey's work in a number of respects: the synthesis of numerous influences from blues, pop, classical, and folk styles, the weirdly titled instrumentals, even the tongue-in-cheek liner notes. Kottke's...

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