Search - John Fahey :: Dance of Death & Other Plantation Favorites

Great Compositions

07/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

The Dance of Death and other Plantation Favorites

Matthew C. Hersant | Seattle, WA | 04/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

A great listen!

Charles Wilder | Dover, NH United States | 09/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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 orange one"! Great!"