Search - John Fahey :: Let Go

Not to be missed, as good as any Fahey album, listen and see

tomfrompennsylvania | Greater Philadelphia | 05/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Fahey at his very best. No jive at all. A gorgeous album, a lively and vital disc, full of desire to create and do something different. And the results are startling. It's hard to pick my favorite track here, from the title track "Let Go", to "Black Mommy", to the all-acoustic (but uptempo!) cover of Eric Clapton's "Layla", this is quite good throughout. This is a TOTAL MUST for Fahey fans, although less gloomy than many of his other works, this should not make it less attractive to you, it's just as engaging as "Legend of Blind Joe Death", "After The Ball", "Old-Fashioned Love", or "Of Rivers And Religion", his most essential works. And a real comeback from the disappointed and dispirited "Railroad", his previous release. Money very, very well spent if you buy this, trust me. A safe risk even for those who don't know his work."

It's NOT an option to pass up this album, Fahey fans, no way

tomfrompennsylvania | 04/03/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"... Absolutely no way! Only "Legend of Blind Joe Death" (Volume 1) and rare and hard-to-access "After The Ball" exceed this one for greatness, and any one of these three releases will have you making a 2nd CD purchase of Fahey soon after, or sooner or later; so these are the place (and really the only place, if not the Anthology) for the unitiated to start. That doesn't say enough yet about what a totally unexpected and lovely surprise this album was when it came out (I had/still have the Varrick vinyl), and the new and unforeseen artistic heights Fahey manages to reach again. This one for its sweet beauty (that never sours) makes this unique in the Fahey canon, maybe that's why it's not to be seen on Return of The Repressed by any little bit, the tone is so bright here, and the recording sound is spellbinding to boot, too! My favorite tracks are the title track, and "Black Mommy" (blows me away all the time); and of course the piece-de-resistance is the accomplished acoustic take on Eric Clapton's "Layla", as he trades riffs with co-hort Terry Robb as they do the Clapton/Duane Allman thing acoustic, paced like the original. This is also a Fahey album for those who so far my not otherwise be impressed with Fahey; this is a good first purchase (actually a great first purchase); as well as for the legion of "convinced". Unless you about to purchase "Legend Of" or Complete B.J.D. or After The Ball, I say you can push back your purchasing schedule even for lesser wonders like "Transfiguration" , the essential "Old-Fashioned Love", or the amazing "Of Rivers And Religion", all of which you should search out and own eventually. This is Fahey at his most dazzling - what a comeback, what an artistic rebirth after the disappointing "Railroad I"! He must have gone through some kind of spiritual rejuvenation between that point and this, because boy oh boy, he really hits it out of the park here! Don't delay too long, this will be a collector's item again and/or secret higher initiation into the greatness of Fahey if it ever goes out of print again. Even some Fahey semi-veterans who own 4 or 5 of his albums, upon hearing this for the first time, might say "I never thought he was capable of something like this!" Buy this now with assurance. Recommended without reservation. And you'll love this! I mean it."

Fahey's most accessable album

Peter Balanzategui | 09/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a big John Fahey devotee. However you have to be in the mood to enjoy his spare challenging earthy playing. However Let Go is accessible throughout and a very easy listen, he must have been at a happy time in his life. The brillant version of Layla is stunning (as he says Chutzpah),Let Go, Pretty Afternoon, Old Country Rock etc not one weak track; good variety and great melodies. It is an album to be enjoyed by all."