John Fahey Live Germany 1978 Hamburg Part 1

[@jongenvid]

The Essential John Fayhe! Tell the truth, first time I met Fayhe, he was drying out in the guest house of a monastery. I was there as a monk having a hard time with the company he brought with him: Miss Teen Queen USA, 1968. I forget her name. Some Polish gal. That's one of those real challenges, y'know. But John was so likeable; so entertaining. After I gave up on the monk thing, ran into him in OKC at a small eclectic joint calle the Second Frett. Every time I was around Fayhe playing I always wanted to tune his guitar. So, before the show, he let me go on stage and tune it. But then . . . . this is pure Fayhe . . . . he required me to play as his opener. I mean, talk about unprepared. He didn't care. He was serious. So, I played and sung a piece had written called Memory Fields. Got a stading ovation and no rotten tomatoes. Later played that at Lone Star Con in Houston, hanging out the the Society for Creative Anachronisms and won the Bardic Competition. Probably wouldn't have if not shoved into performing it by John. Fayhe was pushy, impulsive. But in those days it seemed always in a very positive way. Later on when the alcohol began eating him up, I didn't see him. Totally shocked when I learned he had died. Somewhere, on one of his Thirty albums, is probably his rendering of St. Patrick's Theme . . . Hymn to St. Patrick maybe. He composed that at the monastery. Some people with all their faults and foibles are just larger than life. You know it when you encounter it. Fahey was that!

[@TvDaddyAndTheTabloidArmy]

was the teen queen 16,, or 15?

[@camielgilissen346]

Great story and gives a great insight about the way he thought about music and life

[@TruthAndReconciliation]

What a nice story. Thank you for sharing 👍🏻

[@MarkSeibold]

I was driving in my car one day in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. I overheard a local radio station announce that John Fahey will play for free in the next hour. It was at the famous Music Millennium record shop, in southeast Portland. When I arrived, it was a grey and drizzly day, I believe in late 1998. Perhaps a hundred people had overcrowded the store to hear him play. John eventually hobbled in through the front door of the store, in a dirty T-shirt with stains and holes in it. And he was dragging an old beat up guitar case. He sat down, opened up the guitar case, pulled out his acoustic guitar, then looked upstairs and asked for somebody to throw him down a wrench, or a screwdriver, or a spark plug. I believe it was a screwdriver that somebody walked down and handed to him. John began scratching on the strings of the guitar as it sat flat in his lap. I think many of the audience was perplexed at first until he put the screwdriver down, and started playing in great classical style. I believe the number was Oh Come All Ye Faithfull. There were people in tears in the audience. He played a few more numbers, and then everyone lined up to buy his recent last CD, City of Refuge. He was autographing the CD's and giving away an 8 by 10 glossy photograph, that's also included in the liner notes. I shook his hand and told him thank you for coming to play in Portland.It was a few years later when I was picking up old copies of the New York Times newspapers in my dining room for recycle, as I accidentally came across the obituary a few months later. That, he had passed away in February 2001. It's one of the most amazing obituaries that I've ever read in my life. You can search it in Google. Just search John Fahey Obituary, New York Times February 2001. [I've also placed a copy of it. In my Facebook albums.]

[@irchristo]

Thank you for the obit reference.

[@Joe_Gonzo]

Thanks for sharing your story. The part with the screwdriver is quite interesting, do you know what he achieved by scratching the strings? I never heard of that technique, I wonder if it changes timbre or how playability.

[@Pan3405]

I can really understand why it was for free... OMG!! I could play this kind of crap after my first 4 lessons!

[@themememachine3945]

@@Pan3405 Then you must be some kind of prodigy... or a liar. The latter seems most likely.

[@Pan3405]

@@themememachine3945 Or you have been a bad guitar player all these years!

[@JLCoslett]

I just spent the last several hours listening to John Fahey's amazing work, and he's one of those artists that I want to selfishly keep as my own little secret while simultaneously wanting to share his magic with everyone I love and care about.

[@michaelverner6609]

During the same 1978 tour John made a stop in Enger-Spenge, a small town near Bielefeld. My friend and me who had some records of him went there. The small hall of the youth club was sold out from the beginning and I wondered how the hell so many people (about 100) knew about him. John was due at 20:00 but arrived only at 22:00, drunk and dirty. He took a shower of sorts in the boys toilett, flooding the ground and arrived at the stage with three guitars and two bottles of Liquor at about 22:30. Including a break of 10 minutes he then played until 2:00 in the morning. This more than three hours of beauty will always be in my mind as one of the four or five moments in my life which made it worth living for. The audience felt the same I guess. Imagine 100 people averaging 25 years sitting for such a long time and making so little noise, that you could hear a needle fall to the ground. It was amazing.

[@C.Hawkshaw]

Michael Verner - Thanks for this.

[@jondoyle44]

Great story 🎙 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@abozzone]

Love to read this history! Thanks

[@MrMjp58]

An argument could be made that he was the most pure of all exponents of the world's most popular instrument. He seemed to instinctively know what a guitar was for.

[@m.b.crawford5464]

The atmosphere and moods he evokes take the music to rare heights. I realize there are more technically talented guitarists out there. But Fahey’s unique voice comes through in this performance and it shows him to be one of the greatest artists of all time.

[@dtongay]

I've studied Fahey and his inspired student, Kottke, for decades and still retain my prized John Fahey songbook with his amazing stories, arrangements, and ramblings. I saw him just once at a ski chalet in Northern Illinois somewhere. He played for several hours then asked if anyone in the audience had any downers. He looked forlorn and depressed. His playing is what everyone who has ever had the privilege to hear him: inspirational and downright amazing. He was not technically the best, but he sure captured the spirit of America in his playing.

[@deenibeeni3938]

I started listening to Fahey around 1980. Still amazed at how he could get 10 guitars' worth of sound out of one instrument.

[@richfiryn]

In 1973 or 1974 i won tickets for both nights of John & Leo's guitar seminar in Eugene Oregon. We got to bring our guitars and sit in and play with them at various points. It was an amazing 2 nights.

[@user-lq5ev8hg9q]

that's incredible! what did you learn? what was it like? i'd love to know literally any / everything about that experience that you recall and care to share!

[@MarkSeibold]

Rich - that's amazing to hear. I've seen many of Leo Kottke's free sessions where he played in bookstores in Portland before he performed the next night in local theaters and concert halls, here in Portland Oregon. I also saw John Fahey play for free one day at the Music Millennium record store in Southeast Portland, and we all lined up to buy recent CD, City of Refuge. Yet seen cocky play many times for free in local stores before his scheduled ticketed concerts on the following nights, as playing in the bookstores was kind of like a tutorial session at times, but I didn't ever know that Leo Kottke played with John Fahey live. It would be great to hear you describe that experience a little more. What an amazing story. Thank you for posting it, and at least mentioning this to us. I look forward to hearing if you can express a little more about the experience. Say, what numbers they played or did they play as a Duo. Gosh, I wish somebody would have recorded that, at least an audio, or videoed it.

[@johnnyelizabethton]

I was in danger of forgetting just how great John was. Thank you, TV LIES.

[@BushyHairedStranger]

As a native Son of Oregon this brings tears to my eyes. Bless John Fahey.

[@Timo-89]

Everything I expected of a Fahey video is in here; great fingerpicking, amazing creativity and a fearless combover

[@michaelhaydn3493]

With the level achieved by John Fahey ( RIP ), there shouldn't be comparison to other guitarists. He is uniquely talented, inspired. Sure, in conversations there will be others mentioned, comparisons made. But, finally, it ( his playing ) is breakthrough, mystical, inspiring.

[@kriley9386]

maybe Segovia?

[@chiconmaui]

Wow fucking wow. Listened for many years imagining what goes into playing those sounds . Live wow unimaginable. Brilliant

[@MalMotorDedo]

It's incredible to see. It's also incredible to understand that his left hand isn't a fan of the complicated stuff, but has some amazing speed. On the other hand, pun intended, he plays the notes as if he was the guitar. Dude is a breath of fresh air to me.

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

best 2 AM tunes available, thanks so.

[@mito88]

LOL!

[@frankroger1551]

john and Leo are the reason why I've kept playing my guitar

[@alanguerrero7789]

Leo?

[@Toctoctoctoc]

@@alanguerrero7789 Kottke? :)

[@mikelord9860]

Yep, them and Peter Lang, for me...and Michael Johnson, too.

[@r-tyomfrolov4211]

and don't forget Robbie Basho!

[@nelsonx5326]

He's like Ravi Shankar in a way. The music settles in and and becomes trance like. EDIT: He doesn't play cliches. I would fool with the guitar like this, just messing around till something worked. John does that on a higher plane of course, and can play his explorations as songs.

[@tomhicks1525]

I saw Fahey for the first time at GW University's Lisner Auditorium in 1973. I thought I was on drugs. Then I knew relaized that Fahey was better than drugs. It was transcendent.

[@BernieHollandMusic]

That's an interesting comment Tom, because I took my first (and only) acid trip at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London, UK in 1970 and I lied back on the floor and drank in over an hour of this wizard - and then bought "The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death" and set to work teaching myself to play some of his stuff

[@chrisschinell7362]

My thoughts too! You don't need drugs for Fahey's music ... they only distort it and, he does all the distortion needed to fully appreciate it.

[@shembob3601]

@@chrisschinell7362 You've got some bad shit if it "distorts" music for you, it makes me hear it all the better. I don't know if I would have ever truly understood music without smoking cannabis, I don't know if anyone can.

[@pelumaad331]

Once I got past the strangeness of rural black music of the first half of the 29th century as concert music I was able to recognize what a fantastic player Fahey was...The man mastered every aspect of country blues guitar and then used it to create a one-of-a-kind body of work. His Christmas album is a first rate classic.

[@carson6097]

+Pelu Maad John Fahey was so good, he played music from 900 years in the future!

[@mrmusic248]

Pelu: I still have a copy of that album. A masterpiece, for sure.

[@bootlegapples]

best setting for this kind of music solo performance is in a backyard veranda with some good food and drink where it's real casual.I like how he weaves different styles without owing too much to anything.

[@wulfshead]

No one, but no one, plays like Fahey. They might be technically more competent, they may have better musical structure, but there is, and will only be, one John Fahey. Originator and destroyer. Alpha and Omega. None come close.

[@DwainDwight]

the emotional depth in his playing is pretty much unequalled. mind boggling & beautiful. his music play in my house daily that's for sure.

[@davidtice371]

I was talking to Leo Kotke one night in about '74 at the Great Southeast Music Hall in ATL and Kotke talked a little about stayong with Fahey when he (LK) was starting out. Fahey made him leave because Kotke was "keeping him awake". "Like from playin' while he wa tryin' to sleep?" "No," said Kotke, " he just had trouble falling asleep.He would plug his ears and put on a blindfold and he still couldn't get to sleep, so he told me I had to leave."

[@joecurmaci5880]

First time ever wow I'm so glad I had the opportunity I watched two of his videos so far just being the second the other he was a young man with some guitar teacher lady

[@jimmyblues15]

My dad actually met him in the 80's. He was at a show of his taking pictures to make slides with, and John's current wife saw him and invited him backstage. My dad used to play guitar a long time ago and always loved Fahey's playing and style, so it was a cool moment to meet his hero for a few minutes. I wish I was old enough to have been there, because I would love to ask him from one musician to another about the chords he used and modes and so on and so forth

[@flightplan1000]

In the early seventies I was given two tickets to hear Fahey play at a small club in San Francisco. The club was called The Matrix and was small enough so that everybody sat close enough to really enjoy his music. Most of the night was play a song, drink something from a bottle in a paper bag, play a song, drink something...you get the picture. I kinda' felt sorry for the guy but I was mesmerized by his guitar work. I checked in on him over the years, always amazed that he held to his roots playing so well. Sorta' miss him...

[@ryanburrowes6222]

One of the best videos on KZbin

[@MtnLiner]

John was TRULY one of a kind. I was proud to call him my friend. He and Leo shared a house Culver City. Leo was a bit of a prick. Leo got a lot of musical ideas from John. Miss ya, bro.

[@ficheye00]

Leo Kottke I guess you mean. Yes, there were a lot of similarities. I think you're right. I'll be listening to a lot of John Fahey from now on.

[@lindsaymorrison5456]

@@ficheye00 Leo speaks of John in glowing terms.

[@jimmetesky6019]

At the top of his game, no one was better.

[@evansgate]

besides his incredible musical prowess and capacity for deep sounds, he is also a man who did not let baldness tell him what to do.

[@oceanfloormusic]

Great music and a brave combover.

[@kintonbruce7768]

okay fahey and homer simpson are gods watch what u say to the lord

[@Beastw1ck]

Calling a combover brave is fucking hilarious

[@maxroyle6750]

@@Beastw1ck MORON-IT'S HIS MUSIC-FOOL

[@mariadamon4975]

i think we realize this,@@maxroyle6750, that's why we're here

[@themememachine3945]

@@maxroyle6750 Yo max, chill and listen to some Fahey.

[@anmainisto]

Thank you so much for posting!!

[@Fritz3619]

First saw John at a bar in Georgetown DC ....the place was packed and he was very well received. The year was 1970 ....I forget the name of the bar ....it was at the bottom of the hill in Georgetown and a river was across the street.

[@deanallen927]

John's genius is the obvious thing here, but I'm also reminded of the great sound of just micing up an acoustic guitar old school. No lousy sounding pickup, no modeling. No sound like it. It's just the best.

[@mnc3428]

Mi ha regalato Red pony John Fahey, tramite qui si,...tocca ammetterlo poiché questo brano (come diversi altri di artisti)sono diventati fortunatamente e miracolosamente parte integrante di me e le mie 6/12corde,manco fossero un epatite musicale e positiva o boh,comunque è tre anni credo oramai che sono sedentario, un po da prima di conoscerlo sempre da qui ovvio,ma ha fatto in modo che il primo anno dei tre non era andato nel WC🙏🏿🙏🏿un Monaco nuovo per me,diciamo pureda poter venerare!❤

[@speedydeliverycarolinas213]

Thanks for John's Spirit

[@PericolososporeJerzy]

One of the greatest tv archives ever...

[@garydion3488]

Thanks for these - wonderful!

[@berachtdorian6191]

I am extremely displeased with this being interrupted by an ad.

[@shovelhead4558]

Amazing player it’s a pleasure to hear this man.

[@tylerbrandon460]

Listening to another guitarist after John Fahey is like stepping in fresh dog poop without socks on.

[@je7647]

easy to wash off at least

[@charlesrouse535]

He had to do some kind of introduction, but, "American primitive guitar," for Fahey was both informative and inexact. I don't think anyone but John did exactly what he did. Which I think was wonderful.

[@riasadislamrasha_HOYTO_RASHA]

Thanks for such a gem !!!

[@A_Pa-Plainjane]

thank you kindly, mister TV L

[@arlenroth8373]

We were both playing in Boston, and I came backstage and shook his hand and all he said was "do you have any drugs?" I said "no" and then he said "then what good are you!?"

[@MrDizzyvonclutch]

Really Arlen!?! Why isn’t your channel any better? I’ve seen you in guitar mags man… can’t you work your channel some!?! Hell there’s probably a hundred different little… well…TWERPS is a god enough description, making money off of your material in here. Smh if this is even you….

[@MrDizzyvonclutch]

Of course the people that owned those magazines are all TWERPS too! lol smh… nuff said

[@lilmoe4364]

Sounds about right.. I can relate

[@BernieHollandMusic]

Watch from point 10:00 onwards and observe just how high the action is - this demands great strength

[@nickriviere6137]

Bernie Holland okay

[@MrMjp58]

And the strings look like ropes.

[@evansgate]

@@MrMjp58 those strings are telephone lines

[@jawedmars5573]

Listening to another artist after Fahey is like drinking water after rum

[@christopher4098586]

Robbie basho...

[@teleosus1]

Cheers, I look at him as incomparable which might be a way of interpreting your comment, :-)

[@SpicyNotSalty]

No truer words have ever been said

[@tylerbrandon460]

The genius of Fahey what a true artistic visionary. Another shining light of musical genius, sadly shit on by life, and the world never allowed to fully shine. Never getting the respect he deserves. As with most talented introverts, their is no place in society for us.

[@emericpollet9820]

Sitting on an original Arne Jacobsen chair. Classy.

[@MrBuzz13]

HAIL THE MIGHT FAHEY.......

[@rollingvee]

exquisite. thank-you for posting.

[@Hikaru109Ichijyo]

LOL so that's what they called US folk acoustic back then? American primitive guitar but thanks for throwing this up, this dude JF is a guitar ace

[@shawnsmith8558]

its essentially a style he created himself, and is pretty different from other folk music of the time actually

[@deweypug]

Holy out of this world beauty!!!

[@frederikp1353]

Im loving all the anecdotes in the comments! !

[@Darltornjacket]

He was one of the nicest men I ever met!

[@1994g0]

I knew Fahey. He was an arrogant selfish unrestrained wretch. He made passes at Al Wilson`s female biographer Rebecca Winters. Rebecca couldn't stand him. I don`t deny that Fahey was a great acoustic guitarist. But he was a rotten person.

[@stevedavis8329]

part of me watches that and just thinks about the tens of thousands of hours he spent just getting his thumb to pick, his first and second fingers to pick, gaining the dexterity to make moving between chords look effortless.

[@ilovehifi]

So breathtaking gorgeous. Miss him so much.

[@Zepster77]

Wow he sure positoned the guitar in an unusual way as he played...

[@johnhulsker9123]

Not sure why I add another comment, bought his first album, I was seventeen or so, studying blues, sitar et al. Played in this modal style for many years. Now play surbihar as well as slide, don't think Fahey took this world very seriously,

[@mito88]

THANK YOU!

[@MrLeaff]

thanks for this!

[@melvins74eyehategod]

The One and Only....John Fahey

[@pupusaslordking5617]

Lmao. The germans are so freaking polite to him. I live for that shit. Love you germany from a loving canadian.

[@abrahamfeigenbaum7766]

yo I respect that comb over

[@tyfinn8738]

A man whom truly had better shit to think about than his fucking hair.

[@maxroyle6750]

@@tyfinn8738 AGREED-OLD ABE'S A CRETIN

[@marksaltveit]

Listening to this, esp. Lion / Tiger, I think you can hear where Alex DeGrassi got his ideas. And I really like Alex DeGrassi.

[@danielkral9896]

that's the guitar god

[@JAGRAFX]

First Fahey album was BLIND JOE DEATH in 1968. People and friends still ask "Who IS that; anyway?"

[@SWHBOYCE]

Plantation music and beyond in the south to the north ,east and west....

[@JAGRAFX]

@@SWHBOYCE John Fahey's style has been enormously influential and has been described as the foundation of the genre of American primitive guitar, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the self-taught nature of the music and its minimalist style. Fahey borrowed from the folk and blues traditions in American roots music, having compiled many forgotten early recordings in these genres. He would later incorporate 20th-century classical

[@jongenvid]

Blind Joe Death only existed in Fayhe's legend. John really did not have musical talent. This is something many do not get about him. He literally decided one day he was going to be a famous musician and did it. It was his genius in other parts of his mind that made it happen. Somebody somewhere has written or talked about John's encounter with Black Spiritual music. At first it put him off. Then he listened more and loved it. I'm just not sure one can trace a lineage, per se. Because what ended up coming out of his creative mind was pure Fayhe in the end result.

[@Burchsong]

Fantastic!

[@umavunga]

First heard him on the record, "Blind Joe Death". Must have been 1966.

[@bud4164]

John Fahey Was the greatest.

[@StellarFella]

Played the first piece almost slowly enough, but not so rushed as other performances. He seemed to have stage anxiety to the point of getting too juiced up on booze before a performance.

[@mariadamon4975]

evidently he learned how to put himself into a mild hypnotic state in order to perform

[@martinholt7229]

The 2nd song that is labeled as Hawaiian 2 step is actually Spanish 2 step, or at least that is how I have seen it titled elsewhere.

[@sbrons1]

Wow! Found it!

[@matthewfuller5209]

Sensational!

[@umavunga]

Soooomezmerizing!

[@SweetChicagoGator]

Same thought...Brave combover !! 😁

[@davesheather4306]

...AWESOME !!!!!

[@ВалИод]

упоительно!)))

[@danielschaeffer1294]

There were a lot of more technically accomplished players, but Fahey takes you to some other dimension. Only Pat Metheny's best comes even close.

[@reidwhitton6248]

His technique is pretty darn good. But his playing has tons of heart and soul. That's what keeps me listening.

[@ilovehifi]

His student Leo Kottke?

[@BernieHollandMusic]

art is beyond technique

[@ficheye00]

Fahey steps off the tracks laid by traditional pickers and starts improvising, using scales and chords that aren't really favored by travis pickers in general. I knew of him but I got him confused with Kottke, who stole a lot of techniques from John. I think I'm going to get a collection of his playing.

[@probablynoturdad]

Lion/Tiger definitely has some Bola Sete influence in it.

[@mito88]

beautiful! can you play "blueberry hill"?

[@Dirtyshinobi]

Hot damn!

[@johnny987345]

Adverts in the middle of songs tho 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@MisterNiles]

They're only saying he's the master of "primitive guitar" because he was a primate. It's true. He was.

[@stevenhoman2253]

Yes

[@mito88]

4:35 glory be!

[@ilovehifi]

Von wegen "primitiv". Ich würde eher sagen: Göttlich!!!

[@flitzmaster_piep]

widerspricht sich das?

[@ilovehifi]

In unserem deutschen Sprachraum, glaube ich, ja. Aber klar, the roots are in USA.

[@FunkyCrumpet]

how the hell is he playing that at 8:12

[@blorkblob2645]

... Funky Crumpet ... maybe im a little late but he is in open G tuning fretting 1 on the B string the whole time while rolling the B and high D strings. The bass notes are 0D, 4D,0D,2D,0G(low),4G,2D,,0D(repeat). The right hand is rolling the B and D strings while plucking these bass notes listed above as the start of the roll. Sorry if this was a little confusing haha. Best of luck.

[@rod1404]

Sometimes I think Fahey was God disguised as a drunk.

[@carlfrodsham3604]

Transfiguration of blind joe death amazing

[@mikebiketrike]

hahah he flicked his leg at 16:49 lol what a tripper

[@MtnLiner]

His hands are bigger than your feet.

[@KCBarr1]

Just wondering, and if I wasn't so lazy, I could research it myself, but what model of Martin is Fahey playing in most of his vids, and did Martin guitars ever do anything to honour him?

[@taiyoinoue]

This one is a Martin D28. This is not the only guitar Fahey used during this period.

[@taiyoinoue]

Littoral Power Systems I stand corrected! Thank you.

[@danielstoddart]

@@taiyoinoue I think it's a Martin D-18. You can tell because D-28s don't have bound necks and three-piece backs like this one does.

[@SuperOlds88]

No guitar stands in Germany?

[@Riverdeepnwide]

Neither John or Leo Kottke used them.

[@marshsherrif2824]

a savant

[@paulthanasse7405]

Yes it is exceptional music & very bold combover indeed!

[@frankroger1551]

why do they call it primitive? seems pretty complicated to me

[@olywahomes]

Frank Roger primitive often refers to self taught, but in this case it’s a genre. From Wikipedia: American primitive guitar is a fingerstyle guitar music genre which was first originated by John Fahey in the late 1950s/early 1960s...

[@jamesdebesse5147]

This style comes from Mississippi John Hurt and Rev Gary Davis. Apparently in 78 the guys who invented this stuff were considered primitive.

[@greeleymiklashek6774]

John Fahey is anything BUT primitive, which may not be true for his commentators.

[@ghostinmagic]

what guitar is this? anyone?

[@TVLIES2YOU]

+Agustín Silva a Martin D28

[@TOCS94]

+TV LIES Actually, it's a D-35. The D-28 doesn't have fretboard binding. =)

[@TVLIES2YOU]

Thank you for clearing that up :)

[@danielstoddart]

Yes, it's a Martin D-35, which is a slightly fancier version than the D-28 and the next step up in the Martin line in terms of appointments on a dreadnought acoustic. The main difference is that the D-35 has a 3-piece Indian rosewood back. But the way you can tell from looking at the front of Fahey's D-35 in this video is the bound fretboard which the D-28 doesn't have, and the multi-stripe soundhole rosette decoration which isn't quite as fancy as the top of the line D-45.

[@ethanjohnson9091]

what tuning is this

[@nediareyaprostovodospady]

open g

[@alexpelley3291]

His Voice sounds like Kermit the frog

[@maxroyle6750]

SO-AND YOURS? JOHN PLAYS GUITAR -ASS

[@doughelms558]

Kermit's the frog's voice was based on Fahey. Or someone like him.

[@davidtice371]

Leo Kotke (in the liner motes of Kotke's first album, which was produced by Fahey, stated that he(Kotke) didn't sing on the first album because Fahey had told him "Your voice sounds like geese farts on a muggy day."