John Fahey - Lion

[Arrivald]

2:08 he has wasp stings for fingertips, you can't beat that.

[gt40mk21]

I totally forgot about this tune. I used to listen to his original recording of it in the early 70s.

[ericcongdon]

This guy just had more imagination than anybody else.

[ellioteaston93]

i typed lion so i could find something about the new mac lion os, but this is cool too so no complaining

[mikie8865]

for you "technicians" out there-Fahey was a true original who made his guitar sing as an extension of himself, with heart and soul-something you'll never understand I suppose -that's why I listen to him instead of you

[1blastman]

Fahey brings to the guitar what James Booker brought to the piano. If you never heard Booker - give him a look on youtube.

[scratchy45]

@1blastman Excellent parallel! It had never occurred to me, but it's spot-on.

[1blastman]

@scratchy45 I'm sure some music scholar could do a nice paper on the comparative qualities of musical genius that both possessed.  Living in New Orleans, Booker's music comes by us easily. I rarely hear Fahey down here, on a whim, I brought the Fahey, Kottke, Peter Lang lp and was blown away by Fahey's emotional touch on guitar. I still swell up whenever I listen to his version of "In Christ there is no east or west."

The Yellow Princess album is also a favorite. RIP John and JCBIII

[scratchy45]

@1blastman I arrived by the opposite route, up here in Montréal: I randomly picked up Fahey's Live in Tasmania second-hand not long after it came out in '80ish; and was entranced, even though most of what I was listening to then was punk & reggae. I didn't come across James Booker 'til much later, when I equally randomly won a copy of The Return of the Bayou Maharajah after I pledged some bucks to a local community station's blues show

[GlennKJones]

Too fast!

[slubberde]

Don't forget about Suni McGrath; the Andres Segovia of the steel string guitar!

If you like Fahey you will go bonkers on McGrath!

I have 20 of his pieces on my channel...

Best wishes to all the Fahey lovers out there,

Slubberdegullion

[rogkeista]

the Johann Sebastian Bach of the Mississippi Delta

[sexykatie911]

walterneff my msn in profile! John Fahey - Lion

[UHKappaSig]

john fahey is simply amazing. if you're new to this style of guitar playing, its worth it to check out guys like leo kottke, bert jansch, and john renbourn. all these guys are awesome.

[fathergloom]

might be the best song i've ever heard...

[xXAjaxXx]

Some of the most interesting finger picking I've heard in awhile. Simply beautiful.

[fathergloom]

not hearing the 'swing low'

to me it sounds like all fahey

[THEwilliamcheek]

@fathergloom It's really abstracted...but definitely a clear fragment at 2:05 - 2:15ish. Don't think there'd be sufficient evidence for a copyright case, though ;)

[sleepswalks]

this song is about his cat.

[kieran1920]

Fahey is the king of oronaic gruppo sliding delta postings

[communty]

Swert haircut

[tubby6411]

I know things in life are meant to happen. One day John walked into where I worked and we had a conversation.

[irchristo]

@tubby6411 any more on that?  I am interested!

[tubby6411]

@irchristo - I was working in a tire shop in Aloha, Oregon in 1991. I saw what looked to be an old overweight haggard ol sailor getting a pop out of the pop machine. I walked over to him and said, "you're John Fahey". He said "maybe I am". Anyway , his manager was with him. His old station wagon had bald tires and we fixed a nail in his tire. He gave me an autographed copy of God, Time and Casualty. We talked for about twenty minutes. he didn't remember recording some of his albums - drunk.

[chengharp]

amongst the greats

[1Delta]

that blues riff at 2:42 is awsome.

[1Delta]

Man, this is the beautiful version of Swing Low Sweet Chariot.  1:20 -classic performance. The way Fahey can play medley's of great American songs, weaving them together with the blues is priceless.

thanx for posting.

[g00dz]

I love that he can make one guitar sound like 2... on acoustic...without any machines...live. Amazing performance.

[doubleotwentyone]

...and that is definitely a D35....

[pompitus]

Check out the video called 'John Fahey plays "Red Pony" 1969' if you want to see the Bacon and Day guitar Fahey used, this is definitely a D-35.

[SprishNautical]

its a martin d-35 not a bacon and day. The only bacon and day guitar he played was tragically destroyed early on in his career.

[Bandy500]

one of the best tracks from this show

[miasm]

eulogy for his cat named lion... medley of 'a rag' by buddy boy hawkins (with elements of charley patton), 'amazing grace' and 'when the saints go marching in'.

[ultimatio]

I don't hear "when the saints" in it....and I also used to think it was "amazing grace", but it's actually "swing low, sweet chariot".

[Krittikas]

NOBODY does it like Fahey! What a privilege to be able to watch him play! Have loved him for decades but never saw him play, until youtube. Thank you for the pleasure, and God bless John Fahey's soul now and always!

[KarloR27]

RRRRAAAAARRRRR! here comes the lion. Good video.

[nuggz123]

Things im tired of:people posting fake fahey vids of themself raping a fahey tune, people that use fahey to brag about how much they know about music. people that talk about other guitarists and how they are better than fahey,people that point out flubs in his songs, yet cant even spell their criticisms right. discovering John was a tuning point in my life and he is the fucking man. thank you John for playing what i could never imagine possible.You truly humble me.

[siep57]

Maybe there are some people who like to play his music including myself.

I also hope you know that John has past away,because your text is in the present time.

Bye

[nuggz123]

ummm yeah i know hes dead. nothing i said implied otherwise. Yes he IS the fucking man, that doesn't mean hes alive or dead.Hes in heaven right now jamming with someone cool. hes still the man. fuck yeah the immortal john fahey lives on! i hope next time you reply to something it actually has a purpose other than trying to make someone look bad.

[meatymouldia]

heh nuggz - i thought that was what the great youtube bunfight was all about!

[BaptistPicker]

Right on nuggz123. You fuckin said it.

[tubby6411]

@nuggz123 - couldn't have said it better

[bertdockx]

AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFULL

[nickowatts]

Anyone know what Martin this is? Year/Model?

[GristlyAdams]

If I'm not mistaken, it's not a Martin. I'm pretty sure that Fahey used a Bacon & Day guitar. They're more known for their banjos of course. But he used their guitars.

[schacem]

It's a martin d-35. don't know what year, but he says on an instructional cd that i have that he plays mostly on a d-35, and this sure looks like one to me.

[gtispwn]

the talent he has... cannot peel myself from listening to him. anyone who can hear surely must feel the same.

[floppylunch]

slayage

[manysons]

Fell into John's music some time ago. Milestone moment.Thanks for posting. I need this!

[bwe243]

This is a great Fahey clip!. I have watched it many times. But what I didn't realize is that the song starts off as Lion from the "Yello Princess" album, but is primarily "How Long" from the "Dance of Death" recording. It is an amazing piece of Fahey craftsmanship and improve. I am sure the German audience didn't know what hit them. I have been trying to find clips of "How Long" on youtube, and it has been contained in this clip. AWESOME!

[GaryHurd]

zo, I modify the speaker software. I switch from earphones to loud speakers.

I clown around.

This is the best.

Thank God. Thank Fahey. Thank anyone. Thank you.

[GaryHurd]

There are rare peak preformances. These may have been recorded- even more rare.

This was one of those rare moments in history saved for (I hope) all time we humans have.

[miasm]

truly inspiring to aspiring guitarists

[mradamcooley]

uNBELIEVABLE.

I wish there was a live video of death of the clayton peacock.

[NuG919]

i wish there was a live version of give me cornbread when i'm hungry..come to think of it i wish there were lots more fahey here

[ShaneWednesday]

can't. handle. the beauty. <3

[marlanmcdonald]

thank you walter neff

[itsmeyoufool37]

oh man, my youth, my father, great stuff man , great stuff

[elgaucho565]

One of my favorite fahey compositions. Thanks for posting all the great fahey vids. Great handle too; Double Indemnity's one of the best Wilder noirs.

[hyperpoesia]

it's awe-inspiring that such a person walked among us. it's inspiring, when he writes just get in touch w/ your feelings and you'll be inspired. well i guess he doesn't say just that, but he's definitely an inspiring creative force.

[674iak0000]

only if you have good speakers though golum TR :(

[nomoretakenusernames]

I think this is the actual recording session used on On Air. The applause timing is exactly the same.

[brent3270]

This is one of my all time favorites. And what a great liver version. Thanks for posting it walterneff

[TAschemeyer]

It's such pure expression.

[santistacof]

NICE SONGGGGGGG

[brent3270]

Lion was the name of a Johns pet kitty cat. After it died he wrote this.

[wertherellerbrock]

Asi es amigo, este cabrón es un genio! Saludos desde Mexico!

[temiscaming]

Thanks for the precious post.

[sinthbuck]

thanks for posting this. a pleasure to be able to type "john fahey" and find this in 2 secs flat.

[GolumTR]

YouTube is truly wonderful for music.

[urheadonastick]

yer so right youtube is the best thing to happen to music in a long time.The radio is dead thanks to clear channel- MTV was good for the first 5 years then the boys with fat cigars killed that too-lets hope they never figure out how to get there grubby hand on youtube LOL

[nassreiskulturen]

@urheadonastick someday they will.

[urheadonastick]

@nassreiskulturen

Unfortunately your right but somehow something always comes forward to save the day, the money grubbing scoundrels are always a step behind those with creative minds. 

[nassreiskulturen]

@urheadonastick You`re right. So lets enjoy it as long as we have the possibility to.

[1blastman]

@GolumTR YouTube - music by the people, for the people and of the people. This Fahey playlist is a real treat!

[1Delta]

absolutely incredible to see him play this after listening for all these years. thanx a million!

[mrm86]

eat yr heart out jimmy page

[jullex92]

great! =(

[torjansons]

i love you tube where else could you watch this stuff

[rhabarberkompott]

fahey at his peak, technical-wise.

sounds like somebody got his shit together.

[mars123456789]

(say this with hill billy acent)adur its hill billy time not to hate this is cool and better than i can do so yeah lol

[miasm]

my fucking god

[magicdave93]

Great let's have more of this

[yeildtotheden]

Just plain fabulous from the Master !!

A great great clip thanks for posting it.

Cheers

[folkya]

Very nice! You wouldn't happen to have Poor Boy/Steel Guitar Rag, would you?