Vanguard Visionaries (John Fahey album)

History

Vanguard Records had a high profile during the 1960s folk revival and released music by many folk artists such as Doc Watson, Odetta and many others. To celebrate their 60th anniversary, Vanguard had released a series of artist samplers called Vanguard Visionaries from the 1960s and early-'70s era. Each contained a small track listing and all the tracks are available on other compilation packages.

Fahey recorded two albums for Vanguard: The Yellow Princess and Requia.

Reception

Allmusic critic Thom Jurek favorably reviewed the album, writing "[Fahey] is forever unpredictable, no matter how often one hears these songs. His playing is simply the element of imagination and surprise itself. While it's true that "Requiem for Milly [sic]," may be off-putting for those looking for a real introduction to Fahey, this is his earliest experimentation with the electronic sounds he explored a great deal more in his later career, and stands as a singular moment in his catalog."

Track listing

All songs by John Fahey.

1. "Lion" – 5:10
2. "March! For Martin Luther King" – 3:43
3. "Requiem for John Hurt" – 5:09
4. "Dance of the Inhabitants of the Invisible City of Bladensburg" – 4:10
5. "The Yellow Princess" – 4:51
6. "Irish Setter" – 7:16
7. "Requiem for Molly, Pt. 1" – 7:40
8. "Requiem for Molly, Pt. 2" – 7:45
9. "Requiem for Molly, Pt. 3" – 2:33
10. "Requiem for Molly, Pt. 4" – 2:56

Personnel

Production notes: