The Best of John Fahey 1959-1977

The Best of John Fahey, Vol. 2: 1964-1983	6- and 12-String Guitar For decades, Leo Kottke would inspire generations of fingerpicking acoustic guitarists (and help pave the way for New Age and contemporary instrumental music), but this 1969 album is the one that started it all. Kottke's brilliant debut was released, fittingly, on John Fahey's Ta...	The Legend of Blind Joe Death	John Fahey/Peter Lang/Leo Kottke	The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album John Fahey has made a habit of recording a new album of Christmas music every five or six years, but The New Possibility, which was originally released in 1968, is still his best. On it, Fahey has pulled off the near miraculous feat of taking old holiday chestnuts like "Joy to th...
The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death 1959's self-released Blind Joe Death had an enigmatic spare cover that read "Blind Joe Death" on one side and "John Fahey" on the other. The playful 20-year-old "American primitive" guitarist had created an alternate identity: that of the obscure, unknown guitar great Blind Joe D...	Dance Of Death & Other Plantation Favorites	Days Have Gone By, Vol. 6 When John Fahey recorded this album in 1967, he was at the peak of his considerable powers as a musician, writer, and composer. His fingerpicking is astounding; surely no stronger thumb ever struck a bass string than the one that drove "Night Train to Valhalla," no surer finge...	Greenhouse Fingerstyle guitar legend Leo Kottke has released his share of duds over the years (virtually all of his albums with the exception of his seminal 6 & 12 String Guitar have a few throwaway tracks), but this disc is one of his most consistent efforts. Originally released in 1972, i...	The Complete Studio Recordings Mississippi John Hurt Gentle, graceful, subtle, sweet--these aren't descriptions generally applied to the blues, but they offer a sense of Mississippi John Hurt's uniqueness and enduring legacy. Rediscovered during the 1960s folk boom after last recording in the late 1920s, Hurt cut the three albums c...

John Fahey, Guitarist
I listened to John Fahey when I was in High School and college. Haven't heard much of him since but purchased a CD. A fine bit of Classical Guitar.

Classic and Upbeat Fahey
I am a major fan of John Fahey because he plays music that sounds like a guitar, rather than songs that can be played on guitar. Some of his albums feature songs that may sound obscure to the uninitiated, but this one is very approachable and really showcases his best. One of my all time favorite guitar albums.

Lively Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals
John Fahey excels as performer and composer in this outstanding compilation of his distinctive brand of solo, finger-picked, steel strung acoustic guitar blues and folk. This well selected set covers a period when Fahey was really sharp and focused. Melodic, original, engaging solo instrumental pieces, played with attack and gusto - Fahey always thumb and finger picked a full loud sound out of his dreadnought Martin guitar. The instrumentals are a fusion of traditional blues and folk and John Fahey's gutsy reinventions of both - here we have striking metal strung guitar sounds and strident melodies. Many of these sharp, punchy, lively, highly original guitar pieces will become favourites you'll feel compelled to hear again and again. This re-release comes remastered and with three new bonus tracks (tracks 16-18) making it a must buy.

Great collection chosen by Fahey himself
One of the most inventive guitar players you'll ever hear on a compilation chosen by none other than Fahey himself. The CD adds thee highly generous bonus tracks to the original, including the 23-minute "Fare Forward Voyagers" -- a jaw-dropping passacaglia of sorts that never dips in invention or interest for its entire length.

Acoustic guitar's most brilliant pioneer
This single-CD best-of has a fair amount of material in common with Rhino's 2-CD "Return Of The Repressed" collection, but is a more compact and cohesive reading of the first half of Fahey's career. Stunning acoustic guitar work with the undying creativity that Fahey infused into all his work. If you haven't heard Fahey's work before, this is an excellent starting point; exploration into his original, full albums is also highly recommended.