The Return of the Repressed: The John Fahey Anthology | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 1994 | |||
Genre | Folk | |||
Length | 121:42 | |||
Label | Rhino | |||
Producer | Barry Hansen, James Austin | |||
John Fahey chronology | ||||
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The Return of the Repressed: The John Fahey Anthology is a compilation album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1994. Fahey's career, health and personal life had been in decline. The release of The Return of the Repressed, along with an article in Spin magazine by Byron Coley served to provide a renewal of his career.
Most of Fahey's catalog was out-of-print at the time Barry Hansen began working on the Return of the Repressed compilation project for Rhino Records. He interviewed Fahey in Oregon and together with James Austin of Rhino, they selected the tracks to be included. At the time, Fahey was divorced from his second wife and was living in homeless shelters or cheap hotels. Hansen related in an interview with Jason Gross: "He came down with the Epstein-Barr syndrome, which was something that just kind of snuck up on him. Then the divorce. Those two things were linked, I think. The Epstein-Barr syndrome sapped his energy and [his wife] just got tired of him lying around the house, not doing anything. Then there was that sad story that he lost his house and didn't have any money." [1] Dean Blackwood, later Fahey's partner in Revenant Records, relates that Fahey was never penniless, "He lived in a series of welfare-motels, weekly rentals, and all of them were more expensive than weekly rent on apartment. He always had this publishing income and that never went away." [2]
Following a 1994 entry on Fahey in Spin magazine's spin-off Alternative Record Guide publication, Fahey learned that he now had a whole new audience, which included alternative US bands Sonic Youth and Cul de Sac, British comedian and writer Stewart Lee and the avant-garde musician Jim O'Rourke. Byron Coley published a large article called "The Persecutions and Resurrections of Blind Joe Death" (also in Spin magazine). New releases started to appear in rapid succession, in parallel to the reissue of all the early Takoma releases by Fantasy Records. [3]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [4] |
Christgau's Record Guide | A− [5] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [6] |
MusicHound Folk | 4/5 [7] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
Tom Hull | B+ [9] |
Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album an A− rating, writing "...after two decades of asking myself why he's any better than Leo Kottke I've decided it's a spiritual thing—he's maintained a direct line to his inner amateur. For two whole CDs, definitely not boring. Just close enough to make you question the category." [5] Rick Anderson, writing for Allmusic recommended the box set with reservations, also stating "...but the faint-hearted should try to listen before buying." [4]
Both the Baltimore City Paper and The New Rolling Stone Album Guide recommended The Return of the Repressed as an excellent place to start for listeners new to Fahey. [10] [11]
Eric Watford of CMJ New Music wrote "His unshowy style is quiet, unhurried and flowing, using unusual tunings for gorgeous open-string resonances, and focusing on melodies and harmonies which he occasionally augmented with a taste for Indian ragas and 20th century classical composers like Ives and Bartok." [12]
All songs by John Fahey unless otherwise noted.
Blind Joe Death is the first album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey. There are three different versions of the album, and the original self-released edition of fewer than 100 copies is extremely rare.
John Aloysius Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who played the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been enormously influential and has been described as the foundation of the genre of American primitive guitar, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the self-taught nature of the music and its minimalist style. Fahey borrowed from the folk and blues traditions in American roots music, having compiled many forgotten early recordings in these genres. He would later incorporate 20th-century classical, Portuguese, Brazilian, and Indian influences into his work.
The Voice of the Turtle is the seventh album by American guitarist John Fahey. Recorded and released in 1968, it is considered one of his more experimental albums, combining not only folk elements, but shreds of psychedelia, early blues, country fiddles, ragas, and white noise. The album had many reissues with various track listings, jacket designs and mismatched titles.
Moments is the third album by singer Boz Scaggs, released in 1971. It was his debut album on the Columbia label.
The Yellow Princess is the ninth album by American folk musician John Fahey. Released in 1968, it was his second and last release on the Vanguard label.
Death Chants, Breakdowns & Military Waltzes is a 1963 album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey. Various sources show either a 1963 or 1964 original release. It was Fahey's second release and the first to gain a national distributor.
Fare Forward Voyagers (Soldier's Choice) (or simply, Fare Forward Voyagers) is an album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1973. It contains three songs, one comprising a complete side of the original LP.
Days Have Gone By is an album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1967. The cover labels the album Volume 6 while it was preceded in 1966 by The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party which is labeled Guitar Vol. 4.
America is an album by American folk musician John Fahey, released in 1971. Originally intended to be a double album, it was released as a single LP. The unreleased material was subsequently restored in later CD and vinyl reissues.
Of Rivers and Religion is an album by American folk musician John Fahey, released in 1972. It was his first recording on a major label and is credited to John Fahey and His Orchestra. It marked a significant change from Fahey's previous releases, incorporating a backing band and performing songs and arrangements in a Dixieland jazz style. Although Time picked it as one of the Top Ten albums of 1972, it was also a difficult album to market and had little enthusiasm at Reprise.
After the Ball is an album by the American folk musician John Fahey, released in 1973. It was his second and last recording on the Reprise label and like its predecessor, Of Rivers and Religion, it sold poorly.
The Best of John Fahey 1959–1977 is a compilation album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1977. The songs are collected from four of Fahey's dozen or so releases up to that point.
Christmas with John Fahey, Vol. II is a Christmas album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1975.
I Remember Blind Joe Death is an album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1987.
God, Time and Causality is an album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1989.
Rain Forests, Oceans and Other Themes is an album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1985.
City of Refuge is an album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1997. It was his first original release in over five years and helped start his career resurgence.
Red Cross is the 33rd and final studio album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released posthumously in 2003. The Revenant Records catalog refers to the album's title as Red Cross Disciple of Christ Today.
Live in Tasmania is a live album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1981. It was his first live album release after 18 albums.
Let Go is an album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1984. It was his first release on the Varrick label after over 25 years on his own label Takoma, as well as a few releases on other labels.
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