Ralph playing John Fahey's version of Worried Blues by Frank Hutchison
February 26, 2016
John Fahey - New Sounds on WNYC 1991
by Tyler WilcoxDig into an hour's worth of music and chat with John Fahey, broadcast in the early 1990s on John Schaefer's New Sounds program on WNYC. This period is a bit of a "lost" era for Fahey, as he battled Epstein-Barr virus and various psychological traumas. Typically, John is very candid in recounting these troubles during the interview segments -- Schaefer seems a bit taken aback by some of the guitarist's casual revelations. But Fahey sounds in good spirits, despite some dark turns, discussing the early Takoma Records days and fellow players like Leo Kottke and Robbie Basho ("I never liked him," Fahey says of the latter), and even apologizing profusely for coming up with the term "American Primitive." And the playing is sharp and enjoyable, including some choice selections from the then-new Old Girlfriends & Other Horrible Memories, as well as a nice rendition of Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen" (which Fahey would record with Cul de Sac a few years later).
Download it HERE
February 25, 2016
John Fahey - Live at Stoneybrook 1972
01 Medley - Sunflower River Blue - Revolt of the Dyke Brigade - Requiem for John Hurt
02 Steamboat Gwine 'Round de Bend
03 The Death of the Clayton Peacock
04 Fare Forward Voyagers
05 On the Sunny Side of the Ocean - Spanish Two Step
06 Lion
07 The Dance of the Inhabitants of the Palace of King Philip XIV of Spain
08 In Christ There is no East of West Fantasy
Download Stoneybrook
Another one from Damian!! Thanks!!
February 24, 2016
Ralph Johnston - Delta Slider Blues
Now seriously, who gets a song dedicated to their blog?...I do! Ha! It's really an honor to have Ralph do this song and name it Delta Slider Blues. So cool. The tuning is EBBEBD
Thanks Ralph!
John Fahey - The Jabberwocky Nightclub 1972 live bootleg
This has been posted before but Damian has sent me a better sound quality version with some editing. Oh, and this time the titles are correct!
July/15/1972
The Jabberwocky Nightclub
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
01 Medley_ Stomping Tonight Fantasy _ In Christ There Is No East Or West _ Beverly
02 The Dance Of The Inhabitants Of The Palace Of King Philip XIV Of Spain
03 Fare Forward Voyagers
04 Medley_ Some Summer Day _ Brenda's Blues _ When You Wore A Tulip (& I Wore A Big Red Rose)
Get it here: Jabberwocky
February 23, 2016
John Fahey - Andy Kershaw Session 1987 (BBC)
ANDY KERSHAW SESSION 15 October 1987St. Patrick
Nightmare-Summertime
Spanish Two-Step
On the Sunny Side of the Ocean
Dance of Death
Supposedly, Richard Thompson, the great English acoustic-electric guitarist and singer-songwriter, a Fahey fan himself, was so appalled at what he perceived to be Fahey's sloppiness in this set that he phoned Andy Kershaw and asked to record an acoustic set for the programme to make up for it, in some karmic way. Richard was probably unaware of Fahey's various health problems, which by 1987 were beginning to affect his guitar playing. from: JohnFahey.com
I would not characterize this as a poor effort. There are a few bum notes but it sounds lively and the production is excellent.
The 1980 Fahey release "Yes! Jesus Loves Me" finds Fahey giving a previously recorded hymn a make over. Saint Patrick's Hymn from Transfiguration is given to a more bluesy interpretation and doubled in length. Great piece now called simply, St. Patrick
This appears to be the only live recording Dance of Death. I find this live version of the song important for a couple reasons. First, and this may sound silly, but I feel rather awed to hear Fahey playing this live, I guess because I have always thought that this was one crazy sounding piece of music. As though I have subconsciously been suspicious that Fahey was using some sort of studio trickery to play this song. The tuning, the dissonance, the meter all combine to make it sound as if one man couldn't really play it all by himself.
This download is an edit of the radio show, the DJ has been removed and Nightmare/Summertime is missing but the quality is excellent.
The edit of John Fahey on the BBC
UPDATE: When I wrote this post I knew it was missing a song: Nightmare/Summertime. I had the post all written up before I discovered it. Then I spent a fair time searching for it to no avail. By the time I posted this, I had forgotten to mention it.
Fortunately, Joe over at the John Fahey blog noticed it and did something about it!! I must say that is a much better version than the sad one presented on the studio release. Thanks to Joe and Stephen! The radio show version is not as high quality as the other source but has other advantages noted above. I would get both!!
Download the radio show
February 22, 2016
John Fahey Guitar TAB
Today it's a duo of open D tuning!
Steve Talbot on the Keddie Wye
From the liner notes: First he worked on the Espee, later the Western Pacific. He used to tell me hair-raising stories about running down out of the mountains and hitting the Wye and the tunnel at Keddie, California going west. Feather River Route. Now, I hear the whole town's for sale. Nevertheless, the Union Pacific bought the W.P. Something's up.
I was just reading where Woody Guthrie said to collect titles, good titles and save them up. Funny, cause I think I've come up with some good ones in the past, and they are around here some where. But there's so few of my own songs that I've composed that each one has about three titles!
John Fahey - Live at Swarthmore College 1968 & Carnegie Hall 1973
Great to hear such an enthusiastic crowd at this show. A note on the quality of the recording. Realize that this is a recording made by an audience member most likely on the sly and the year is 1968. I don't know who did this but bless him!!
A note on the quality of the performance. Fahey is in fine form and complete control of his guitar, his fingers and his musical pieces. In short, playing like a stud.
Fair warning, when track three is over, it'll break your heart.
1. Some Summer Day/Joe Kirby Blues
2. The Death Of The Clayton Peacock/Worried Blues
3. Requiem For Russell Blaine Cooper/Variations On The Coocoo
Enjoy.
Since this is such a short show I can offer both the lossless format and the mp3.
Download FLAC
Download Mp3
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| Carnegie Hall |
Stupid piano!!!! Just imagine Fahey sitting out there on that vast stage. Just him and his guitar, sitting on a chair...playing...
This is a quite good recording, again for the time, 1973, but quite good even so. I hope you enjoy this one, I love FFV. Just one of my all time favorites and then he wraps it with Beverly. Can't get much better for me!
Only MP3 for this one.
Download it here.
February 21, 2016
John Fahey Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop 1972 and Wolfgang's Vault
What began in 2003 with the personal archives of famed promoter Bill Graham now includes 12 different collections.
Music fans find free music streaming online here, along with thousands of concert recordings from the last 50 years, digital downloads, as well as vintage rock posters,rock photography, and vintage and retro concert t-shirts
Availability for John Fahey currently includes this stuff.
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John Fahey
McCabe's Guitar Shop
Santa Monica, CA
Sep. 1972
01. Stomping Tonight on the Pennsylvania-Alabama Border/When The Fire & The Rose Are One/Beverly
02. The Dance Of The Inhabitants Of The Palace Of King Philip XIV Of Spain
03. On the Sunny side of the Ocean/Logan County Blues/Hawaiian 2-Step
04. Lion
05. Wine & Roses
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