Audio CD review:
John Fahey - Of Rivers and Religion

John Fahey - Of Rivers and Religion

Band: John Fahey Title: Of Rivers and Religion Rating: Release Date: 11 September, 2001 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Steamboat Gwine 'Round De Bend 2: Medley: Deep River/Ol' Man River 3: Dixie Pig Bar-B-Q Blues 4: Texas And Pacific Blues 5: Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt 6: Medley: By The Side Of The Road/I Come, I Come 7: Lord Have Mercy 8: Song

Customer Reviews Before buying this particular item.... Some tracks solo, some with a small "orchestra. This is truly one of Fahey's finest albums. " BUT. . . do yourself a favor and purchase the 2-fer on Rhino UK of OF RIVERS & RELIGION and AFTER THE BALL on a single disc. Really, you'll be much happer. It has Rhino's terrific re-mastering, courtesy of Bill Inglot (Collector's Choice seems to have done a simple transfer with no re-mastering), much more complete liner notes, courtesy of Sid Griffin, and a slipcase. At this writing it's available right here on Amazon USA -- you don't even need to pay the import shipping. . a spiritually soothing and beautiful recording. Time magazine agreed with me, when it named this recording to its Top Ten List of 1972. This disc is IMHO, one of Fahey's best in both execution and in vision. Unfortunately, the 2000 initial pressings didn't sell that well. I'm glad I bought one of them. The first of two albums that John Fahey recorded for Reprise in the 1970's---`After the Ball' was the second. Both featured orchestral accompaniment by a crew of Dixieland jazz greats hand-picked by Fahey and producer Denny Bruce. `Of Rivers and Religion' has only eight tracks, but each one is outstanding in a different way. Track 1, `Steamboat Gwine Round de Bend' is a slow, sliding delta blues tune in which you can almost envision the steamboat drifting thru the turgid river on a hot Mississippi day. When I had this on vinyl, I'd turn down the tracking and play it even slower. Wish I could do that on my CD. `Medley: Deep River/Ol' Man River' When Fahey plays hymns and sacred music, he seems to offer up his playing as in prayer, regardless of whatever beliefs John had at the time. Fahey loved medleys, and became particularly adroit at blending tunes together. I believe Kottke picked that up from him. The medleys on this disc are two of JF's finest. `Dixie Pig Bar-B-Q Blues' An elegantly arranged piece of deliberate, fingerpicking guitar accompanied by 4-string banjo strumming ,mandolin, and fiddle, all of them interlacing their melodies, without colliding with each other. `Texas and Pacific Blues': Dixieland instruments back a pair of slide guitar/dobros and 4-string banjo, while a trumpet plays the lead blues melody, as majestic and proud as a Preservation Hall performance. `Funeral Song for Mississippi John Hurt': A best-known JF tune, recorded many times, but always with reverence and respect for Hurt and his music. This is JF's clearest recording of the song. You can hear every Fahey finger striking every string. `Medley: By the Side of the Road/I Come, I Come' One of the most beautiful sounds that can be heard on a guitar occurs at the point of where `By the Side of the Road' transitions to `I Come, I Come'. . Must have, must hear music. Another one for the Ages. John's use of a "folk" orchestra here seems prefectly appropriate, a worthwhile extension of his guitar style. This album may not be as consistently STRONG as some of Fahey's solo instrumental records, but it is the equal of any in inventiveness. Here the orchestra picks up where the moody, evocative overtones of John's solo guitar leave off. The orchestra's brass captures some of the very same moods and timbres Fahey's solo guitar captured on the earlier instrumental guitar records. Fahey really knew what he was doing when he put this orchestra behind him. Yes, his guitar work is a bit "buried" in the mix, but the sound has the same effect: haunting and very memorable. . . You can see a complete list of all John Fahey discography, or go back to the John Fahey tabs