Customer Reviews

Dance of Death & Other Plantation Favorites

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am transported by this music, maybe a dusty road in the country, or a dark wood, or a lazy afternoon by the river with a long reed in between my teeth, lightly splashing my feet in the river, watching a turtle or something. Or its Mexico in the late 1800s..Or... Its really an amazing album with a slew of wonderful compositions. My favorite Fahey album, though America and Blind Joe Death are close. The best song is perhaps Wine and Roses. I would describe these records for the uninitiated as fine finger-picking steel string compositions, no singing (thank goodness), similar to some Kottke but less flashy and more contemplative. Folksy and bluesy but more than that. Melodic, rhtyhmic, very accessible but not predictable, not sugary sweet, sophisticated construction. A rambling feel generally. All kinds of different images and colors being suggested. Just a great composer! Anyway if you are only going to buy one Fahey album I recommend this one.

Ask yourself, what would it sound like if a civil war veteran rose up out of a battlefield grave so that he could relate to any listeners his ancient story? Imagine skeletal hands pressing against frets, conveying a feeling of long lost, spook, and mystery. Now ask youself once more, what would it sound like to convey a total revelation? A life changing experience that altered the way you comprehend all things. Fahey's album sounds old, but each original song is played in a new and masterful way. An incredible combination that is worth your while.

Being sans record player and all my LPs in storage I thought it was about time to start replacing some of my favorites with CDs. I bought all of Fahey's albums in the 60's after hearing this one at a friends. I was zapped! I think that's the way it is with Fahey. You have ten or none. In my opinion his early work was his best. John is at his somber best here! I don't have a favorite Fahey album but this one ranks high for sure! You can't go wrong with any of those 60's "color" albums. This one is,"You know, the yellow one"! Great!

I was led to this album [...]. There is great guitar work on this album, both fingerpicking and slide. I really don't know how it compares to other Fahey albums, but this album on the surface has a laid back sitting on the porch quality, but the more I listen to it, the more I hear a foreboding dark quality to the playing. It's not the highest quality sound since it was recorded on the fly in the '60's. Don't let my review be the only one you read about this album.

This is an old favorite from a rather unique acoustic player. I have this on
vinyl and decided to get it on CD. Nice blend of simplistic folk blues and imaginative
playing.

Have listened to John Fahey since the 70's......his music is relaxing, energizing, and uplifting. I never get tired of it and still play it often. His playing is wonderful company....peaceful, retrospective, and makes me happy to hear it.....JS

The long overdue re-issue of the original Fahey Takoma series from the 60's continues.

In this Volume 3, John continues to play contemplative versions of old blues songs, played with moody modal open tunings. As always, the open tunings carry a drone compulsive hypnotic quality that draws the listener in and captivates his attention. Hot dusty Southern roads, cotton fields, bright sun. Why some clever movie director has never used Fahey's music in a soundtrack I will never know. Songs are some of the best he ever wrote. Listen to "the Last Steam Engine".

Recording quality seems slightly fuzzy and unfocused, as compared with vol 1 and 2, but that quibbling. John had a habit of secretly re-doing his older albums as recording techniques improved, so sometimes you get the original and sometimes you get the new improved version. My guess is the one I have is an original.

Highly recommended, guitarists and Fahey fans will be astounded at what he does with six strings,a few mics and a tape recorder.

There is a lot of Fahey out there, The Takoma stuff is the best of the lot. And of that, Vol 1 through 6 and "America" are preferred.

I would like to change my rating to four stars but I can't figure out how to do that.

Fahey was a modern Orpheus.
He stands head-to-head with such great intrumental "pickers" as Manitas de Plata and Ravi Shankar.
All guitar players young and old (especially young) should ingest Fahey NOW.
All guitar lovers (and indeed all music lovers) should
sit back,
relax,
and let his music transport them into transcendental states.
I do.