Caesar's Sword (I): The Red Death

Description

John Fahey is to the solo acoustic guitar what Jimi Hendrix was to the electric: the man whom all subsequent musicians had to listen to. Fahey made more than 40 albums between 1959 and his death in 2001, most of them featuring only his solo steel-string guitar. He fused elements of folk, blues, and experimental composition, taking familiar American sounds and recontextualizing them as something entirely new. Yet despite his stature as a groundbreaking visionary, Fahey's intentionsas a man and as an artistremain largely unexamined. Journalist Steve Lowenthal has spent years researching Fahey's life and music, talking with his producers, his friends, his peers, his wives, his business partners, and many others. He describes Fahey's battles with stage fright, alcohol, and prescription pills; how he ended up homeless and mentally unbalanced; and how, despite his troubles, he managed to found a record label that won Grammys and remains critically revered. This portrait of a troubled and troubling man in a constant state of creative flux is not only a biography but also the compelling story of a great American outcast.;Front Cover ; Front Flip; Title Page; Half Title; Copyright; Contents; Foreword by David Fricke; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. When the Catfish Is in Bloom; 2. Sunflower River Blues; 3. The Legend of Blind Joe Death; 4. On the Sunny Side of the Ocean; 5. Poor Boy Long Way from Home; 6. Voice of the Turtle; 7. View East from the Top of the Riggs Road B & O Trestle; 8. Old Fashioned Love; 9. Let Go; 10. When the Springtime Comes Again; 11. Dance of the Inhabitants; 12. Red Cross; Epilogue: I Remember Blind Joe Death; Source Notes; Bibliography; John Fahey Discography; Index; Back Flip.