Old Fashioned Love (John Fahey album)

Old Fashioned Love is an album by American fingerstyle guitarist and composer John Fahey, released in 1975. It is credited on the cover to John Fahey & His Orchestra.

Old Fashioned Love
Studio album by
Released1975
Recorded1975
StudioBlue Rock Studio, New York City and United/Western Recorders, Hollywood, CA
GenreFolk
Length35:31
LabelTakoma, Sonet (UK issue)
ProducerDoug Decker
John Fahey chronology
Leo Kottke, Peter Lang & John Fahey
(1974)
Old Fashioned Love
(1975)
Christmas with John Fahey Vol. II
(1975)

History

In a similar manner as his previous Reprise releases with accompanists, Old Fashioned Love did not sell well. For his part, Fahey remarked that he had never worked with such sympathetic, understanding musicians as he did on this release.[1]

The front cover is a 1901 photograph of Anna Held, the wife of impresario Florenz Ziegfeld.[2]

Woody Mann plays duets with Fahey on "In a Persian Market", "Jaya Shiva Shankarah", and "Marilyn". Guitarist Stefan Grossman responded to "The Assassination of Stephan [sic] Grossman" with his own composition, "The Assassination of John Fahey" on his album Thunder on the Run. "Dry Bones in the Valley" was shortened by one minute on subsequent CD reissues.

The 1930s title song, written by Frank Loesser and Fritz Miller, was the theme song of Fritz Miller and his Orchestra.[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
The Great Folk Discography6/10[5]
Pitchfork8.4/10[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]

In his Allmusic review, Richard Foss states that Old Fashioned Love "is a wonderful release, a celebration of early 20th century musical styles. Every track is played with charm and wit, from the solo guitar pieces to the full orchestral works" and then later notes that it "was acclaimed by many critics but was rejected by the folk crowd that Fahey himself was coming to detest."[1] Critic Andy Beta called it "a consistently surprising collection of Fahey's many loves" and singled out the final track for special praise as "one of his truly magical works".[6]

Reissues

Track listing

Side one

  1. "In a Persian Market" (Albert Ketèlbey) – 7:41
  2. "Jaya Shiva Shankara" (Traditional) – 4:59
  3. "Marilyn" (Fahey) – 6:33

Side two

  1. "The Assassination of Stephan Grossman" (Fahey) – 2:11
  2. "Old Fashioned Love" (Frank Loesser, Fritz Miller) – 3:30
  3. "Boodle Am Shake" (Jack Palmer, Spencer Williams) – 3:17
  4. "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" (Fred McDowell) – 3:06
  5. "Dry Bones in the Valley" (Fahey) – 8:52

Personnel

  • John Fahey – guitar
  • Bobby Bruce – violin
  • Dick Cary – piano
  • Joe Darensbourg – clarinet
  • Nick Fatool – drums
  • Woody Mann – guitar ("In a Persian Market", "Jaya Shiva Shankarah", "Marilyn")
  • Allen Reuss – guitar, banjo
  • John Rotella – saxophone
  • Ian Westley – tuba
  • Britt Woodman – trombone
  • Jack Feierman – trumpet, vocals

Production notes:

  • Doug Decker – producer, mixing
  • John Fahey – producer, arrangements
  • Jack Feierman – arrangements
  • Joe Tarantino – remastering
  • Sam Charters – reissue liner notes
  • John Ayres – photography
  • Josephine Ayres – photography

References

  1. Foss, Richard. Old Fashioned Love at AllMusic. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  2. Guerrieri, Claudio (2014). The John Fahey Handbook, Vol. 2. ISBN 978-0-9853028-1-8.
  3. Loesser, Arthur (1950). "My Brother Frank". Notes. 7 (2): 217–239. doi:10.2307/891581. JSTOR 891581.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  5. Strong, Martin Charles (2010). The great folk discography. Volume 1, Pioneers & early legends. ISBN 9781846971419.
  6. Beta, Andy. "Old Fashioned Love > Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  7. Sheffield, Rob (2004). "John Fahey". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). London: Fireside Books. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
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