John Fahey plays "Red Pony" 1969

rosesredvioletsblue Says:

May 29, 2009 - Excellent! thank you, for posting the video.

CroatAndNettles Says:

Jun 13, 2009 - Does anyone know what became of the Bacon Day?

whosiskid Says:

Jun 14, 2009 - Still breaks my heart that I missed seeing him play just a few months before his death. He was very ill and doing a tour to pay medical bills. I showed up at the Empty Bottle in Chicago to hear him only to be told he was too sick to perform. I understand his last years were not good ones. But lord could he play guitar.

daf827 Says:

Jun 17, 2009 - What a treasure Fahey was in his prime! Such a wonderfully eccentric artist. My only time seeing him was in the early '80s at Folk City in NYC and he was seriously inebriated (it was the second set). He had trouble sitting up, much less picking guitar. It was sad to see a musical hero in decline. But this video keeps the essential Fahey alive. Thanks for posting.

discovery301 Says:

Jul 18, 2009 - Wow, what a treat to see Laura Weber. Rest in peace to a wonderful woman. I watched that show regularly in the 60s.

Krittikas Says:

Jul 24, 2009 - Could listen to this one all day and never tire of it. John was truly "one of a kind." Gone but never forgotten, and still very loved.

deepislandboy Says:

Aug 12, 2009 - is there a particular reason he's using his thumb to play notes at like 2:25 and 0:23 ? or is he just showing off lol?

DiamondSoul Says:

Aug 16, 2009 - at 2:25 he is holding more than one string from the top, this is difficult (although not impossible) to do from the bottom. No clue why he does it at 0:23 though, maybe he likes the sound better? I don't know.

derekdeprator Says:

Aug 25, 2009 - if he used a finger to do it, he could accidentally mute the high e string.

ELGROOVER Says:

Sep 2, 2009 - Hey Nom - time to hear it again. It is incredibly excellent isn't it!! I never tire of this song ; I have to hear it 5 or 6 times every time I go near it lol ☺ Pure magic ☺

Mjollnir50 Says:

Sep 10, 2009 - I know people who'd kill for THAT one. I've seen several others that totally sucked. It's always a treat to hear the Fahey right hand.

guitarslim56 Says:

Sep 30, 2009 - He uses his thumb so that his fingers do not accidentally mute the high strings.

1RoaringMonk Says:

Oct 8, 2009 - das is oon oinking per beat

OspreyD40 Says:

Oct 10, 2009 - Just after this, Laura Weber asks him about the thumb-over part at the end, doing his Holst bit. He shows and explains that the sequential release of the upper strings as the closing music progresses just wouldn't be possible using fingers from the other side of the neck. At 0:23 he is just being economical. In his style, the thumb is essential for bass notes. At low-neck positions like a low F chord, it makes notes available on the upper strings that would be impossible with a barred F chord.

deepislandboy Says:

Oct 10, 2009 - haha, now I know, thanks

OspreyD40 Says:

Oct 10, 2009 - The complete TV show, with some amusing interchanges between Fahey and Laura Weber, is available on the DVD John Fahey In Concert And Interviews 1969 1996. Weber can be quite insistent in her ideas, trying to persuade Fahey that his playing of In Christ There Is No East Or West should be seen as 'variations' and Fahey saying no, it just gets faster and slower- that's not 'variations' in a strict sense. She 's surprised when he uses his Hawaiian guitar as an ashtray! JF: "It's a cheap guitar."

charmister Says:

Oct 24, 2009 - Wow, what a beautiful guitar. Great picking and thanks for sharing the video.

ColossusOfRhodes Says:

Nov 2, 2009 - that douchebag, andy mckee, could never even approach the depth of emotion this cat's got.

halfbaked44 Says:

Nov 3, 2009 - i love how modest he was

IOYC Says:

Nov 16, 2009 - This is so amazing. John Fahey is one of those people who are just completely out of the box, like a present from another planet.

Lostmychops Says:

Nov 17, 2009 - It's in England now. Apparently Fahey hit some guy over the head with it, smashing it to pieces, and then basically gave it to country Joe MacDonald, who had it repaired. It ended up in a pawn shop, and was bought by a visiting English art teacher who then sold it to one of his former students, who still owns it to this day. I'm fortunate enough to have played the guitar, and it sounds amazing. Unsuprisingly, it's not for sale! (and yes I have asked... twice)

Lostmychops Says:

Nov 17, 2009 - I've always felt a bit of an affinity for this piece in particular, as Gustav Holst lived in a village just down the road from me. Interestingly, the guitar that Fahey is playing here is also housed very near to where I live, and I own his fingerpicks, so i'm possibly the only person, other than fahey, to play that guitar with those picks. I've got this show on VHS, but no longer have a player to watch it on, so thanks for uploading! R.I.P. John.

majorhoop Says:

Nov 19, 2009 - @Lostmychops -----as there will thankfully never be an official "American Primitive Guitar Hall of Fame" its nice to know these things are valued nonetheless...."like a present from another planet" (IOYC)---exactly......

MultiParasite Says:

Nov 21, 2009 - Yes, I'd take that piece.

CroatAndNettles Says:

Nov 22, 2009 - Thanks for letting me know. If it ever does come on the market, I too would be interested in learning the proposed terms. Wonder why Country Joe MacDonald let it go after rescuing it?... Ah well.