Cover of the 1997 reissue The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death is a 1965 by and composer. Originally issued in a hand-lettered edition of 50, it was Fahey's first album to be released by a label other than his own. As with all of Fahey's independently released early albums, it had little critical recognition upon release. The album has grown in stature since its reissue on CD in 1997 and is now highly regarded critically. It was Fahey's fourth album to see release, though after his fifth album, was labeled Guitar Vol. 4, reissues of The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death were subtitled John Fahey, Volume 5. Contents.
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History The title refers to a fictional bluesman named Blind Joe Death, first introduced by Fahey on his debut album. For years Fahey and continued to treat the imaginary guitarist as a real person, including booklets with their LPs containing biographical information about him and that he had taught Fahey to play. The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death was issued by Riverboat Records, initially in a hand-lettered edition of 50, before The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party ( Guitar Vol.
4), but was later reissued by Takoma. Once reissued by Takoma, it became Volume 5, but was already labeled Volume 5 on the Riverboat album sleeves. It was the first Fahey album to be released in the UK, on.
The original 1965 liner notes came in a separate booklet, were lengthy and were written by John's roommate of though attributed to one Charles Holloway, Esq. They begin: 'A disgusting, degenerate, insipid young folklorist from the Croat & Isaiah Nettles Foundation for Ethnological Research meandered mesmerically midst marble mansions in.
It was an unsavory, vapid day in the summer of 2010 as the jejune air from Back Bay transubstantiated itself autologically and gradually into an ozone-like atmosphere.' The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death was partly recorded on the East coast, but more tracks were needed to make the album., Fahey's friend and some-time producer and contributor, stated: 'We didn't have the budget for a legit studio for that one. So I found someone who had a real nice home recorder and a quiet room. I pretty much set John up and let him play. He was all by himself for most of it. I wasn't even around for many of the takes. He sat there with a dog at his feet.
There's one track where the dog barks in the middle of the music—it was my decision to leave that false start in.' Cover The distinctive cover of The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death is briefly focused on in a shot of a record store in 's film. The jacket design and drawing are. Reception Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating (not rated) (no rating) A+ After its reissue in 1997, 'The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death' received highly laudatory reviews. In his review for, Chris Smith gave it an A+ rating and wrote 'Fahey excels at conjuring up a painstakingly developed sense of time and place in his playing, and if its predecessor at times accurately mapped out the restive confines of the dark night of the soul, this record no less vividly represents a (mildly acid-fried) return to the front porch and the prairie.' Calling 'On the Sunny Side of the Ocean' the 'undeniable highlight of the album', he refers to the rest of the songs generally as '.unpredictable, complex, and evocative as any of Fahey’s previous, more aggressively daring work.' Likewise, a 5 out of 5-star rating from reviewer Steven McDonald conceded the album 'has a lot of rough edges in terms of the recording but a tremendous amount of power when it comes to the music.
Fahey was at the top of his game.' Said it '.balances whimsy and dignity, melody and dissonance, in a wholly original and very bent manner.' And music critic Jeff Lindholm, writing for the and magazine, called it '.a mix of old-timey country, ragtime, Spanish flamenco, Indian classical music and more. Quiet, beautiful and jaw-droppingly intricate.' In a review for the 1967 Takoma reissue, called the liner notes '.a paranoid vision of reality unrivalled since.
Nothing is what it purports to be directly, but everything is 'in a certain sense' — people make statements like characters in B-grade horror films, the trivial becomes significant, the meaningful, nothing.' Reissues. The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death was reissued on by Riverboat Records in 1967, 1970 and 1972. The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death was reissued on by in 1968. The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death was reissued on LP by Takoma Records in 1967 and 1973. The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death was reissued on LP by in 1980.
The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death was reissued on CD by Takoma Records in 1997 with notes by pianist and guitarist. Track listing All songs by John Fahey unless otherwise noted. Song times are from the original release.
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Fahey, John. Takoma Records. Retrieved January 5, 2010. Sullivan, John Jeremiah (2009). Gordon, Robert (2001).
Simon and Schuster. David, Rebecca.'
Blind Owl Blues'. Gross, Jason. Perfect Sound Forever. Retrieved March 5, 2009. ^ McDonald, Steven. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
^ Lindholm, Jeff (August–September 1997). 'Review: The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death'. ^ 'Review: The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death'.: 90.
^ Meyer, Bill (September 2003). External links. at (streamed copy where licensed).
This album was first released in a numbered limited edition of 50 copies with hand-written labels. The copy shown here is #1.
Interestingly, this label shows the record as being 'IV' but Riverboat's February 1967 commercial release was of course 'Volume 5'. The Riverboat copies are pressed on a strange semi-translucent vinyl (try holding one up to the light).
Early copies are all peppered with small craters; later copies are less translucent and have a flat surface. Takoma acquired the Riverboat metals and continued to use them for their own pressings.
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