John Fahey - Sea Changes and Coelacanths

John Fahey is one of those names it’s seemingly impossible to escape. Constantly referenced and dropped, musicians are falling over themselves to claim how much of an influence he's been, how seeing him/listening to his records changed their sad, lonely lives into colourful and beautiful existences. Fahey was excited and moved by the reaction to his work in the 90s and set about recording new material for the hugely influential Table of the Elements label. He recorded three albums – ‘Georgia Stomps, Atlanta Struts, And Other Contemporary Dance Favorites’, ‘Hard Time Empty Bottle Blues’ and ‘Womblife’ all of which are included on this fantastic set. Subtitled ‘A Young Person’s Guide to John Fahey’ this is surely one of the best ways to get into the master guitarist – he flirted with many styles in his time, but this late period work actually saw him come up with some of his most incredible material. ‘Georgia Stomps…’ is particularly highly regarded; recorded just before the man’s 60th birthday it sees him jump around many of the styles he mastered over the course of his career; blues, samba and swing – yet come out sounding totally unlike anything he had committed to wax before. However, it is the dreamlike acoustic meandering of ‘Hard Time Empty Bottle Blues (Parts 1-4)’ which really has me salivating. The piece was recorded at Table of the Elements' Yttrium Festival in 1996 and sees Fahey on top form, and as melancholic and ethereal as he had ever been. This extended piece, originally released on clear vinyl, is one of the understated highlights of Fahey’s catalogue and it's fantastic to see it available once again. Finishing off the collection is Fahey’s 1997 album ‘Womblife’ which interestingly enough was produced by long-time fan Jim O’Rourke, who adds his finesse to the proceedings to come up with another unique statement in Fahey’s extensive catalogue. One of the finest collections of Fahey material out there – this is a lovingly put together and utterly essential package, and if you haven’t got these recordings already, it's an absolute must-buy.

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