John Fahey died at 61. During his lifetime he recorded 40 albums, participated in the rediscovery of Bukka White and Skip James academically (he was a scholar), started two labels, one of which - Takoma - was the first artist-owned label ever and one of the most successful independent labels of its day. He started the careers of Leo Kottke, Peter Lang, Al Wilson, George Winston, and influenced hordes of others from Bob Dylan to Pete Townshend to Jerry Garcia to Thurston Moore. He wrote four books and contributed liner notes to many, many records. He canvassed for records throughout the South, did field recordings, looked for people who recorded those 78s, lived on the two coasts and Hawaii, was married and divorced three times. Most importantly, he was the first person to create an audience for steel-guitar music without vocals. In that way he’s hugely influential, even for people who might not know he influenced them by creating a market for it in the exact same way that Segovia created a market for classical guitar music in the 1920s. John Fahey had "genius" written all over him. RIP
5 years ago this video changed my life. I encourage everyone learning guitar to look into how to fingerpick in the style of john fahey. It's such a meditative/blissful thing to sit down and be able to do. It brings me so much peace in times when I need it, but it also can be an intense and creatively demanding framework if you want it to be.
@@snow-ei3jt myself, I just had a desire to go beyond using a pick and strumming. I'd already opened up the guitar a lot by using alternate tunings, and basically taught myself to finger pick by watching other players, listening to records and trying to imitate what I was hearing, then using that to build my own ideas. I don't know if I'm particularly good at it, but it's something I love to do, sometimes for hours at a stretch. Just a word about alternate tunings - if you're going to fingerpick then using different tunings, particularly open G or D or DADGAD (just for starters) is going to open up worlds of possibilities and you might find yourself being unable to put the guitar down!
RIP John Fahey....this man made my life infinitely richer with his glittering jewels of sound.....absolutely wonderful..no flash, no crap, no padding....Deep as the ocean and wide as the sky. To call this Art would not do it justice. If you don't know what I mean then check out his entire back catalogue. It's just a crying shame that he didn't get due credit when he was alive.
I don’t know what it is about him. At first, his playing sounds so simple, but his music just grows on you. I can’t get enough, so many of his songs are masterpieces.
@@bobgreen623 Trust me to create such sound is extremly difficult. Just because his left hand never did extremly uncomfortable positions doesn't mean it's techincally easy. It's all about your right hand on Fahey.
I saw Mr John Fahey in performance many years ago in Melbourne Australia. It was one fine concert not easily forgotten. He came on with a six pack of Aussie beer and rested his foot on it, he slowly drank the beer till all the cans were gone. End of the act. He did give an excellent encore though.
Steven Homan I saw the equivalent show at The Basement in Sydney. An ice bucket full of Fosters cans next to him and I thought 'oh no, this will be a mess' but it was amazing. At interval I saw the door open to backstage, went in. Fahey was changing strings between sets! I asked if I could help out he said sure! Put a string on John Fahey's guitar! I asked him what he thought of Leo Kottke's playing 'Leo's a good technician'. Great night
I am intrigued by that Steven. A friend saw the same show: he came on wearing an old blue singlet during the garbo's strike. Played, drank the beers, didn't say a word and then left! An alcoholic; a sad family upbringing; astute intelligence; a curiosity; etc....etc...etc........
i don't know that i'd recommend this lesson for a beginner, but if you have some knowledge of finger style guitar under your belt, then this is one hell of a lesson. in addition to being a phenomenal guitar player, he was a great teacher too.
I saw Fahey at the Matrix in San Francisco in about 1970 or so. Even though he drank something wrapped in a brown paper bag the entire set, his music was wonderful. The Matrix was a small club so nobody was very far from whomever was playing there and neither was I far from Fahey. I still try to play bits and pieces of his stuff to try and remember that night...
His mannerisms might appear muddled or subdued but, he was no fool. He had multiple college degrees and a symphony flew out of any guitar that was under his vision.
First heard this around 1973 having bought the vinyl LP in Manchester University Students' Union and Gareth, my mate, taught me it having learnt it by ear! How easy it is for you all now to see the Maestro playing it on video! Good old John F! May he rest in peace.
I have heard an interview where he said that he wanted to learn to play fast like Leo Kottke during this time but later realised that he, in fact, preferred to play at a slower tempo.
I am so glad he found the strength to make some lessons like this. I can tell by his appearance (from having relatives with this issue) that he is experiencing alcoholism. It is amazing he was able to be coherent to record this.
Fahey had the clarity and richness of tone to be able to play such a piece slowly. Guitarists who play country blues fast usually do so because they are trying to conceal their lack of technique.
Loved his magic for many many years. My grandfather was a master guitarist and I once played recorded Fahey for him and he loved it. I myself play some keyboard but no guitar and mainly compose. I can recognize greatness though. My dad, uncle and grandfather were a trio for many years before both my dad and uncle went to WW2. They used to play theaters in the breaks between movies pre ww2, were on Major Bowes etc National champions, two mandolins and a guitar. They were the best mandolin players I ever heard. (objectively) Sorry for the long story but I recognize greatness when I hear it and Fahey was great. When you are that good you make a lot of people jealous I think. Like my grandfather always said, practice, practice, practice ... and Fahey intros himself very humbly here. ;-)
Playing guitar is hard. Youre not a musician, youre a magician. Youre trying to make magic out a simple piece of wood with steel strings. And its the most honorable of endeavors.
Structurally this song is fairly simple, it is just the technique and execution especially in all his flourishes and embellishments that makes it difficult to master.
'Now some people play this song real fast, you know, and show off fast they c'n do it... But I like to play it kind of wistfully you know like, kinda quietly, kinda like old train whistles."
The original song had lyrics, and was recorded by Rev Robert Wilkins a Memphis based blues singer and minister which he wrote originally in 1929 as “ that’s no way to get along”. Later for religious reasons he stopped singing the lyrics thought of as sinful since the content was secular, so he played it as a solo guitar piece. It evolved into the song " Prodigal Son", which the Rolling Stones covered on the album " Beggars Banquet". Wilkins was credited as the writer originally but on subsequent pressings it was credited to Jagger and Keith Richards. The copyright issue was eventually corrected and Rev Wilkins got his deserved royalties.
This song was inspired by Gus Cannon's rendition in 1927 (with Blind Blake on guitar and Gus on slide banjo), it does sound strikingly like the Robert Wilkins tune you mention and he definitely grabs from his immense knowledge of the blues
Lots of complaints, he was Alcoholic... Well, Some people drink and mess up everything including others life too.. John Fahey drunk and still managed to make others life beautiful wt gems like this...!
@@JohnDoe-gk7ok he was on a cocktail of prescription drugs that caused him to sweat profusely and live in a haze along with alcoholism. You should read the biography about his life, highly recommended. It's on Amazon and I don't remember the title.
One more thing, I still think his masterpiece is "The Portland cement Factory at Monolith California." Wow! Talk about mystical! I designated it as my funeral song (really) as it is so much about nature and the turtles, things and animals/plants of the earth. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who has not heard it. It's here on RU-vid.
John Fahey changed the way he played this (sorry if someone else mentioned this - there are a lot of comments to wade through). It was orginally basically a 16 bar blues (on Blind Joe Death). Here it is 24; he's basically adding repeats of the GtoD and AtoD sections. Both versions are good and the original is easy to pick up off the record, if you prefer. That version is also available in Happy Traum's 2nd fingerpicking book, which is a gem.
His laconic teaching style is either a supreme achievement of sarcasm or he's doped to the gills. I believe it's the former. The way he gazes at the camera as he plucks the A string at 3:05 is incredibly funny.
Doped to the gills. Love that expression, zzugyzh. I tend to think he’s far from straight here(straight in the old sense of non-intoxicated). I get see why he’d be sarcastic here. He’s teaching music which meant so much to him. But who knows. Fahey was an odd fellow, and time made him more eccentric.
In the early 70s i would see the likes of John Fahey , Leo Kottke or Ry Cooder at places like McCabes , the Golden Bear and all of the other smaller lesser known venues in the L.A. area.
Saw John at the Golden Bear in 77. It was an amazing concert...so eccentric and strange! Got to know him a little. HE was eccentric and strange, but a brilliant guy.
John was a road warrior and went thru many battles.Look at the mans face,the poor guy looks like a merchant seaman from the British Navy,,,like a deckhand on "The worlds deadilest catch" think about what he's went thru... But can you deny the brilliance of the mans many works ? Books ,Songs and Recordings? He gave joy to millions.You stand up and criticize.Ok my dear! You dont like that fact he's had his pints here. Well dear dear me!! What a crime!. Stand up and show us your video picking and tutoring on this amazing tune.
I cant believe all the negative comments! The guy lived hand to mouth due to diabetes and other health problems.....he invented this style of playing.....he used to look for his own albums and resell them to eat....for God's sake the man is dead.....you kids have no respect for anything....disgusting!
Gibby I love Fahey, and he definitely brought some new harmonic ideas to the world of solo fingerpicking guitar, but saying "he invented this style of playing" is disrespectful towards Elizabeth Cotten, Etta Baker, Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Dock Boggs, old Appalachian banjo music, Piedmont blues, etc., etc.
Sounds romantic, but there's a 2 problems: 1. In interview with Laura Weber Fahey says, he's a bad teacher. And it's true. 2. I think he was doing these lessons only for money. Late Fahey, actually, hate his early music.
John Fahey is unique and original. His perfect music and performance exceeds imagination most hardcore music lovers: it is simple through, ease of "fingerstyle" of guitarist, and wealthy, through approach, several subjects imresioniste, and also surreal,subjects accumulated from other previous lives and real of the artist. "Poor Boy A Long Way From Home" is rather premonition the author toward his true home...
@@josephtravers777 there's a guy I'n my home town Newcastle, England who owns bukka whites guitar it's crazy, possibly found bukka aswell, furry Lewis possibly also
sometimes you can see when he bends up on the 8th fret he goes a bit too far and kills the D string, which is probably because he was thinking about cakes at the time
Fahey was never wealthy. He was actually homeless much of his life Bobby. Old strings, new strings, the trick is to try and play like him. Few have that touch that he had and that's what made him a special guitarist. I don't believe I ever saw him play an expensive guitar. He was a major influence and I believe he discovered Leo Kottke (among others) and signed him to the label he founded -- Takoma. He sold that label when he needed money. Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of all time ranked Fahey 35th. Makes him better than any of us here. He was eccentric and didn't socialize with many musicians who were mainstream. But he had a long career and was respected by many great guitarists before him and after.
I learned to play this from an Artie Traum book. The arrangement sounds good. John needed a haircut and a shave. I liked his music. You don't have to worry about those old strings anymore. John Fahey is dead. He croaked.
The version on "John Fahey on air" is just so good... So crisp and fluid, far superior to any other version like this one where it feels like he's too drunk to play it unfortunately... especially the bends.
@@floobuscanoobus I respectfully disagree. To me it comes down to is it better to have 100 addicts who are ostracized or 1000 addicts who are. As a society we have chosen that 2nd.
