John Fahey - Take a Look at That Baby

[SmarticusRex]

Made me feel good.

[MrPundaddy]

just stumbled onto him yesterday renewed the blues bug in me! Just about the only thing in the world to get me through accounting assignments.

[Fruscianteistheman]

I just gave John a standing ovation... lol, felt that if anyone deserves a standing a standing ovation for a musical performance it would of been this one.

[Fruscianteistheman]

lol, this is literally amazing, ~~~ beyond belief, so good.

[DonSchwacka]

the babby looked at me, and it was great!

[Hemmersfield1]

didnt feast do a cover of this, sounds just like the harmony's she sings in one of their tunes...

anyway this is sweet without question..

[biggiesmallsdentist]

This piece fucking rules

[Sergiussssssssssssss]

what an imagination! I love this guy

[treetoptop]

@bgandl1 Thanks, awesome reply. My feeling this era was John at his best was just my personal preference. I do love all the Fahey eras, from the 50s Fonotone stuff with him singing to the late electric reverb/noise stuff. They all have their certain charm and magic. There were certain players who were better technically and in other areas, but John just had that "X" factor that cannot be described. He was dialed in to something really amazing. I have seen Kottke, wish I saw Fahey live also.

[mrboxman00]

helps me sleep.

[fenderboy88]

The actual name of this tune is ''Ann Arbor/Death By Reputation.

[sabbathdisciple94]

are most of his songs in standard tuning

[lectrikdog]

@sabbathdisciple94

No, Maybe a third of them are, he used many different open tunings

Open C and variations on it, Standard, Dropped D, Open D, Dm, G, Gm and others.

[tubby6411]

this is fahey at his peak - impeccible timing , greasy combover and a belly-full of whiskey.

[treetoptop]

While many people say the 60s Fahey was his peak, I strongly disagree. I think this period right here was John at the height of his technical prowess. He is pulling off every technique he had with ease, and is really playing "in the pocket"

[tubby6411]

3 of John's favorite albums of his were "Yes, Jesus Loves Me" , "Railroad 1' and "God, Time and Casualty" - He told me - and I'm not joking.

[lectrikdog]

@tubby6411 Causality, Not Casualty

[kdc12321]

3:06 starts probably the most unique/awesome riff i've ever heard on guitar.

[Larrynager]

But, title aside, he never DOES do "Take a Look at That Baby"

[Larrynager]

He starts out with "See You In My Dreams," then goes into a sort of second part of the Carter Family/Lesley Riddle "Cannonball Blues" then meanders a while and finally into a what seems a variation on the second part of Sam McGee's "Buckdancer's Choice." Sort of Fahey's stream of semi-consciousness.

[2hot2trot4you]

Ann Arbor/Death by Reputation from The Best of John Fahey Vol 2

[tubby6411]

i fixed a flat on his old green station wagon. He autographed a copy of God, Time and Casualty for me.

[lvsid1]

i'm having a hard time figuring this all out. can someone please tell me what this song is actually called? newswood is right, this is mislabeled. anyone know what this song is actually called?

[hkfortytwo]

death by reputation on the album 'best of fahey vol 2'.

and yeah, i agree that the strumming bit is definitely pretty tricky. hard to get the rhythm right.

[lvsid1]

no, it's quite easy "strumming". i'm actually playing with thumb and fingerpicks. i've figured out about 90% of it now. the beginning is pretty much "I'll See You In My Dreams", but the rest i don't recognize. plus niieuportll doesn't even recognize any of the song as "Take a look at the Baby". also i don't see a "death by reputation" on "The best of john fahey" vol 2 at all. Years 1964-1983 right? i don't even see the song 'death by reputaiton" appear in the discography until 1987. so, what???

[hkfortytwo]

well, i think the strumming is difficult for me since i have exclusively fingerpicked since i started (never bothered learning even basic strum techniques).

anyhow, i was wrong about the cd. but i'm pretty sure it is death by reputation. and the first bit is 'ann arbor', i believe it's supposed to be a medley.

check out 'John Fahey Visits Washington DC, Takoma 7069, (1979)'

the song title is 'ann arbor - death by reputation'

[treetoptop]

I think this concert showed Fahey at an amazing point in his playing career. He is in "the zone" here like I have never seen, almost on auto-pilot - straight from the soul. RIP John!

[hkfortytwo]

at about the 3 minute mark, i think fahey is playing 'death by reputation' which is track 9 on the best of fahey volume 2.

[newswood]

'take a look at that baby' is not what this should be listed as.

[LowStackTom]

somebody should tell him ... ;)

[mishajoel]

Thanks for posting!

Fahey is great!!

[nieuportll]

First part of this song is "I"ll See You in My Dreams". I don't recognize any part of this song as "Take a Look at That Baby".

[silverstag67]

This looks like it's in standard tuning. Can anyone confirm?

[mark1800]

Yep, can see clearly at 2:30 ish onwards he's doing a C first inversion chord, comes out sounding the same on my standard tuned guit.

[hkfortytwo]

yeah it's definitely standard.

[weatherboxlisp]

yeah it's make me a palette by mississippi john hurt at around the two minute mark. i'm almost certain. the song's on youtube, you should listen and hopefully enjoy.

[weatherboxlisp]

around the 2 minute mark the song he's playing is 'lay me down a palette' by mississippi john hurt. I think so anyway. check out the song anyway, it's essential listening.

[Tchaile]

i only found now about his music and it is extraordinary. his music is very melodious

[Krittikas]

What a beautiful soul. Could sit and listen to Fahey all day long. Hope he knew/knows how much he was and still is loved!

[flabbdad]

this track is off the 'visits washington DC' album

[CroatAndNettles]

I too am very grateful these Fahey performances have been posted. I first saw Fahey play in 1967 in Annapolis Maryland. The stage was a flat bed truck and the venue was a car repair garage. He was extraordinary. I have loved his music ever since. What a rare talent he was!

[aleatoric12]

That is the coolest thing I have heard all day!

[wfbrown12]

I have been a huge Fahey fan for about 30 years. used to listen to him when I was working in a woodshop in SE PA. I learned to play his tunes and wrote to John (via his agent) when he was living in Oregon in the 80's. John actually wrote me back. I had listed some of my favorite tunes. John made comments on each one and told me what his favorite tune was. I enjoy these videos very much! Thanks and God bless, Wm Brown

[WoodstockImprov]

Please tell me: what was his favorite tune?

[wfbrown12]

John told me in this letter that his favorite tune was "Sun Gonna Shine in my Back Door Someday Blues". I wrote a list of many of my favorites and John (who said he just returned form Australia and was very, very tired) returned the letter with all these handrwritten notes alll over it. He made comments on many of the tunes that I had listed. it was really nice of him to take the time to do that.

[wfbrown12]

I think that John was a magnanimous and big-hearted man, blessed with a discipline and work ethic that enabled him to translate his soul into his guitar. If anyone has a tab for Knott's Berry Farm Molly please let me know!

[gabrielangello]

"A Good Disciple of the REVEREND GARY DAVIS."

He learnt from the Master well! GREAT PLAYING! THE REVEREND WOULD BE PROUD OF THIS!

[Bandy500]

the first song is I'll see you in my dreams right?

[walterneff]

yes!!

[1blastman]

@walterneff Is there a full video of this concert? The world needs to see this in total. This is one of the finest live acoustic guitar concerts ever recorded.

[TomBandfield]

Absolutely stunning.

[revdolaf]

Dear Walterneff, thx for posting your Fahey-videos.....terrific stuff! This guy must have listened to the universe with senses we others aint got yet. Holy Mackerel what a guy!

Peace n Love

[LANKYNIBS9000]

I think what you described is part of the definition of genius.

[Adeptmind]

@revdolaf Love that comment.. absolutely perfect way to put it

[Adeptmind]

I usually forget to hit like on videos that I like.. but this one I could not forget!

[wojo403]

Yes, great story, Metesky. What a player.

[bdsessionmusician]

this is a great guitar number - fahey is IT.

hey metesky thats a great story

[metesky23]

Thanks to Walterneff for posting all these. I saw Fahey twice -- once in an absolutely jaw-droppingly inspired performance in the mid-80s . . . then a few years later when he was so out of it that he needed to be helped off the stage and (unfortunately great moment in my life) I gave him a ride to the airport after the gig, because the club was so pissed off at him that they were providing no assistance whatsoever. For true music of the gods, give me Fahey and Coltrane at their peaks.

[dpg25]

Who cares about the names of the songs, this is brilliant, just enjoy it.

[trimagna3]

Looking for Sail Away Lady.

They played it every weekend at the MIT campus radio station.

[duinnerfs]

He certainly had his own style, can't tell if it was awesome or autism... great posting, I like it...

[ilurvwomen]

thanks so much for posting this concert ..i never got to see him play...I have loved his music since the late 60's

[francobegbie22]

i'm pretty sure it's Candy Man followed by Ann Arbor/Death by Reputation, the Leo Kottke song

[francobegbie22]

correction, the first part is I'll See You In My Dreams, then there's the Kottke song

[jessupar]

most definetly not candy man. dont think i've ever heard chet atkins play that lol (where i know i'll see you in my dreams from)

[timjmoran]

YA know.. I am REALLY sick of all these freakin' MORONIC IDIOTS putting their STOOPID damn ADS in the

comments sections!! Isn't there SOME way for YouTube

to block these out? NO ONE wants to see these!! Why

don't you douchebagz get a REAL job and quit buggin' us!

Damn!!

[JeremySatan]

Yeh, if you click the spam link it marks them. enough people do it, Youtube takes them off.

Great musician, bad combover.

[TheeDarkBarometer]

As I'm sure yer all aware, Fahey would change arrangements to his songs; there are chords in this reminiscent of 'Take A Look...' but it's not a version i'm particularly au-fait with! LONG LIVE FAHEY

[plautus5648]

It starts with See You In My Dreams then goes into a number of tunes with which I am unfamiliar. None of them is Take A Look At That Baby. Great stuff, of course.

[NuG919]

Fahey is the soundtrack of my mind!!

[Colmonde]

That is definitely not take a look at that baby but there is a proper version of it on the tube, I have it listed in my favourites

[mikemckv]

The first one is definitely 'I'll see you in my dreams',an old ragtime tune.

[gazmaher]

I'm unfamiliar with the penultimate one as well but recognise the rest.

[Colmonde]

None of those tunes were Take A Look At That Baby but they were all quite awesome and I would love to know the title of the penultimate track from that performance

[darkworld8]

fantastic!!

[RyelandMoonshine]

Are you that is Take A Look At That Baby ?

It doesn't sound like it, and I don't know what does it sound like because I don't know all of Fahey's tunes.

[edresch]

I think the first one is Take (...) the other one is called Ann Arbor/Death by Reputation... one of the bests songs from him.