John Metzger
2006-02-12 14:49:50 UTC
Album Review - Various Artists - I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to
John Fahey
Considering that finger-picking legend John Fahey founded his own label,
dabbled in everything from Indian ragas to dissonant pop, and
subsequently influenced everyone from Jim O'Rourke to Leo Kottke, it
isn't a stretch to call him the original DIY artist. Consequently, it
also isn't surprising to discover that on the 13-track I Am the
Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey, it's the musicians of the indie
rock world who come together to pay their respects. At its heart,
Fahey's music was rooted in old-time folk and blues, but by viewing
these styles with a fresh perspective that straddled the line between
classical composition and avant-garde psychedelia, he imaginatively
reinvented them. By definition, there's nothing on I Am the
Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey that is anywhere near as
groundbreaking or strange as Fahey's own recordings. Yet, what the
performers -- who also include Granddaddy, M. Ward, Cul de Sac, and Howe
Gelb -- accomplish is still strikingly potent.
This is an excerpt. To read the complete review, please visit:
http://www.musicbox-online.com/ms-women.html
John Fahey
Considering that finger-picking legend John Fahey founded his own label,
dabbled in everything from Indian ragas to dissonant pop, and
subsequently influenced everyone from Jim O'Rourke to Leo Kottke, it
isn't a stretch to call him the original DIY artist. Consequently, it
also isn't surprising to discover that on the 13-track I Am the
Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey, it's the musicians of the indie
rock world who come together to pay their respects. At its heart,
Fahey's music was rooted in old-time folk and blues, but by viewing
these styles with a fresh perspective that straddled the line between
classical composition and avant-garde psychedelia, he imaginatively
reinvented them. By definition, there's nothing on I Am the
Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey that is anywhere near as
groundbreaking or strange as Fahey's own recordings. Yet, what the
performers -- who also include Granddaddy, M. Ward, Cul de Sac, and Howe
Gelb -- accomplish is still strikingly potent.
This is an excerpt. To read the complete review, please visit:
http://www.musicbox-online.com/ms-women.html