A finger picking Knave

[gregk25]

Didn't know the Knaves' ("Leave Me Alone") John Hulburt had a Fahey tribute album up his sleeves:

http://www.fretboardjournal.com/audio/stream-john-hulburts-opus-iii

Probably not for many around here, but I like these arid finger picking albums a lot. So if anybody has an original gathering dust, please PM.

 

[paul messis]

regardless of folks' opinions, Fahey was the ultimate punk in music.

 

[Frantic]

regardless of folks' opinions, Fahey was the ultimate punk in music.

Surely you jest?

 

[gregk25]

As much as I like Fahey it never crossed my mind to call him a punk (except maybe when reading B. Coley's Wire piece on Fahey's sorry trailer-park existence). But it's a good excuse to plug this amazing piece of music research:

http://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/the-john-fahey-handbook-vol-1

Don't let the ugly sleeve fool you: It's one incredible achievement and everyone with a vague ambition to collect Fahey vinyl needs this!

 

[paul messis]

No I don't jest... the guy was one of the first punks, he releases his own LPs, put them onto record store shelves without getting any money and yet influenced a shit tonne of people proceeding him whilst never getting the recognition or respect he deserved.... Fahey was a punk if any.

also anyone who has an LP called "Old Girlfriends and Other Horrible Memories" is a punk in my book.

 

[Frantic]

No I don't jest... the guy was one of the first punks, he releases his own LPs, put them onto record store shelves without getting any money and yet influenced a shit tonne of people proceeding him whilst never getting the recognition or respect he deserved.... Fahey was a punk if any.

also anyone who has an LP called "Old Girlfriends and Other Horrible Memories" is a punk in my book.

Hardly a punk though the one word that comes to my mind for Fahey's music does have a U and a K in it.

 

[Dave Baldwin]

Hardly a punk though the one word that comes to my mind for Fahey does have a U and a K in it.

I wouldn't call Fahey a "punk" exactly...but he was maybe the first 'indie record' guy and an American patriot. If you read his autobiographical novel How Bluegrass Music Ruined My Life he recounts how he was flown to Italy and wined and dined by film director Michelangelo Antonioni, who had him record soundtrack music for his awful movie Zabriskie Point. When the champagne was flowing freely at dinner, Antonioni, a rabid Communist, started to trash the United States and American culture in general. Fahey reacted like a good ol' boy from Prince Georges County, MD, would and punched the drunk Commie's lights out. Needless to say, you won't find much John Fahey music on the Zabriskie Point soundtrack LP now.

 

[Frantic]

When the champagne was flowing freely at dinner, Antonioni, a rabid Communist, started to trash the United States and American culture in general. Fahey reacted like a good ol' boy from Prince Georges County, MD, would and punched the drunk Commie's lights out.

Well, that's one reason to like to the guy.

 

[chas_kit]

Thanks for the Hulbert link, I'm listening to it now.

I was lucky enough to see John Fahey at Tipitina's in New Orleans when I was 19 years old (in the mid-80s New Orleans didn't care about underage drinking except in the French Quarter tourist bars). Admission was $10. He was drunk, disparaging of his own legend, and at the end of the show pathetically ranted about how the club wouldn't drive him to the airport, and if anyone could drive him he'd give them some free LPs (Visits Washington D.C. and Railroad I). Unfortunately I didn't have a car at the time or I would have done it. His playing was great, fluid and undiminished, at times very obscure and hard to follow - but that wasn't unusual for his concerts even in the early '70s.