Recorded between 1959 & 1977. Includes liner notes by Henry Kaiser, Leo, Kottke. Peter Lang, Michael Gulezian, Jim O'Rourke, Terry Robb, and George Winston.
Personnel: John Fahey (guitar).
Audio Remasterer: Joe Tarantino.
Liner Note Author: Henry Kaiser.
Recording information: Larrabee Sound, Los Angeles, CA; Sierra Sound Recorders, Berkeley, CA; United Recording Corp., Hollywood, CA.
Arranger: John Fahey.
One of the finest and most underrated blues acoustic guitarists to come out of California, John Fahey was a master of fingerpicking, modal blues, and gospel explorations. He also had the ability to reinterpret Elizabethan ballads and other English folk material. All of this talent is represented in this excellent anthology. On cuts such as "Poor Boy a Long Way from Home" and "St. Louis Blues," Fahey is virtually a reincarnation of Son House and Mississippi John Hurt. Medieval-oriented tracks like "Revolt of the Dyke Brigade" show Fahey's incredible mastery of modal tunings and complex chord structures, all of which come out sounding deceptively simpler than they really are. A real guitar player's record, this is excellent to learn by, and even more fun to listen to. ~ Matthew Greenwald
