Days Have Gone By, Vol. 6

Days Have Gone By, Vol. 6

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
When John Fahey recorded this album in 1967, he was at the peak of his considerable powers as a musician, writer, and composer. His fingerpicking is astounding; surely no stronger thumb ever struck a bass string than the one that drove "Night Train to Valhalla," no surer fingers ever plucked a melody than the ones that coaxed the epic sweep of "The Portland Cement Factory of Monolith, California" from six strands of steel and a wooden box with a hole in it. This album includes some of Fahey's best-loved tunes, including the aforementioned songs, the bluesy "Revolt of the Dyke Brigade" (Fahey was tweaking the sensitivities of folk music audiences before anyone knew what political incorrectness was), and the uncategorizable "Raga Called Pat." The latter isn't Indian music at all, but a sprawling two-part odyssey constructed from train whistles, bird calls, and dancing guitar figures. This well-mastered and lovingly packaged reissue includes two sets of liner notes; Fahey's originals are a hilariously obtuse parody of poetic, philosophical, and historical pretensions, while a new set by journalist and poet Monica Kendrick acknowledges his passing mere months before this record came out by paying homage to Fahey's enduring artistry. --Bill Meyer

Tracks:

The Revolt Of The Dyke Brigade
Impressions Of Susan
Joe Kirby Blues
Night Train Of Valhalla
The Portland Cement Factory At Monolith, California
A Raga Called Pat (Part One)
A Raga Called Pat (Part Two)
My Shepherd Will Supply My Needs
My Grandfather's Clock
Days Have Gone By
We Would Be Building

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

When John Fahey recorded this album in 1967, he was at the peak of his considerable powers as a musician, writer, and composer. His fingerpicking is astounding; surely no stronger thumb ever struck a bass string than the one that drove "Night Train to Valhalla," no surer fingers ever plucked a melody than the ones that coaxed the epic sweep of "The Portland Cement Factory of Monolith, California" from six strands of steel and a wooden box with a hole in it. This album includes some of Fahey's best-loved tunes, including the aforementioned songs, the bluesy "Revolt of the Dyke Brigade" (Fahey was tweaking the sensitivities of folk music audiences before anyone knew what political incorrectness was), and the uncategorizable "Raga Called Pat." The latter isn't Indian music at all, but a sprawling two-part odyssey constructed from train whistles, bird calls, and dancing guitar figures. This well-mastered and lovingly packaged reissue includes two sets of liner notes; Fahey's originals are a hilariously obtuse parody of poetic, philosophical, and historical pretensions, while a new set by journalist and poet Monica Kendrick acknowledges his passing mere months before this record came out by paying homage to Fahey's enduring artistry. --Bill Meyer

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2003-12-17

This is my favorite album of all time. I have never heard more beautiful or haunting music. I heard this album for the first time when I was five, and I must have heard it a thousand times since then, but it continues to be fascinating. My dad once said that this is the music you would hear after the world ended. And he's right. Fahey's music sounds organic, like it came from the earth, not from the hands or mind of a person.

Fahey's best recording.......2003-12-15

I love this album. It is one of my favorite recordings of all time. When I had the lp, which I acquired from a little record store in Takoma Park two doors down from the gas station were Fahey used to pump gas as a teenager and sell his own pressed copies of his first recording, Blind Joe Death--I literally wore it out. By that time, his recordings were out of print, and I had to wait decades for a re-release on CD. Oh happy day! He achieved his creative zenith with this recording, and moved off in different directions, never as compelling as his earlier work. Night Train to Valhalla, The Portland Cement Factory, and others are so fully realized that it is as if he is speaking a long forgotten language, his guitar lines forming complete sentences. I last saw him perform in 1977, at the Cellar Door, and he came on stage wordlessly, sat, assumed a posture not unlike a Picasso painting, and played guitar for the next two hours without ever pausing or stopping. Hypnotic. Trance inducing. His Raga named Pat saga continues, as well. A fascinating concept to draw out a piece of music, like a Triptych, across many recordings. A must have. At the time this recording was released, one could never have imagined the sad manner in which his story would end.

THIS is Fahey at his very best........2001-12-19

After having heard most every other Fahey recording out there, including the epic "America", "Volume IV", "The Voice of the Turtle", and his first record, I thought I had heard the very best of John Fahey's output. "Days Have Gone By", in my view, surpasses all of those, and it's Fahey's most personal and most beautiful work. This record, first issued on Takoma in 1967, is unique in Fahey's repetoire for its gorgeous use of reverb, as well as for the subtle harmonic details evoked from Fahey's guitar. On "Days Have Gone By", Fahey created a landscape of sounds simultaneously intimate and vast, incorporating at points train calls and various abstract sampled sounds (sort of akin to what he did on "Requia", but more understated), and at others dipping into the eastern-tinged playing more familiar to "Fare Forward Voyagers". At the bottom of all of this is, of course, Fahey's fantastic blend of classical technique and love of blues/folk/mountain music, played not so much with the pyrotechnical fervor that can be found on some of Fahey's recordings as with the subdued charm of a guitarist quietly possessed. This may be thought of as "otherworldly" music to some, but I think of "Days Have Gone By" as a kind of testament to the beauty and mystery of this life, and I'm delighted to see it's been reissued for everybody to experience.

Last of the great Fahey 60's works - Fans will like it.......2001-08-22

Finally, the last of the great Fahey Takoma albums from the 60's has been released! (I can retire my old scratchy LP). Fahey fans will be astounded again by this very consistently good ablum. That having been said, be warned it is less folky and melodic and more experimental, in a gentle sense, than, say his "Dance of Death".

When John did this, he was deeply involved in the experimental music of the day (John Cage, Beatles etc). This one is highly listenable, standout "hits" - if that word can be used about Faheys recordings, are "The Revolt of the Dyke Brigade" - a slide guitar piece, one of his best, and the darkish expresssionist "Portland Cement Factory at Monolith".

The "Raga called Pat" is a precursor of New Age Music, nature sounds, recorded sometimes too close, for comedic effect, with guitar in the background. In the title track, Fahey plays while a group of drunks comment on the music.

And as a contrast - a hymn - followed by a two guitar version of the happy "My Grandfathers Clock" with Fahey's amazing patented clockwork thumb bass going in one direction while the melody, syncopated with the other fingers, hops all around the beat!

Enjoyable - finally available - Performance gets 4 1/2 stars, slightly murky recording gets 3, under my tough grading system. See my updated list of Fahey Favorites now that all the good stuff is available!