If you know, you know that a collection of newly discovered John Fahey recordings is a rare treat to behold. The guitarist—who, it must be said, is not for everybody—made music that transcends every possible description you could have thrown at him, and he would have thrown it back at you, too; that’s who he was. Proofs and Refutations, this new collection out now on Drag City, collects recordings made in 1995 or 1996, but they sound like nothing that belies those years. Dreamy, spacey, and occasionally hauntingly spooky, these songs are a delight to those who know. Best of the lot is “F for Fake,” which starts off with gentle guitar picking, which he then augments with a voice that goes low guttural like Scott Walker and then soars high in the sky like Liz Fraser after traveling thirty years of bad road. It’s that beautiful, this rare thing.
Purchase: https://thejohnfahey.bandcamp.com/album/proofs-refutations
The Recoup 
Leave a Reply