Time of the Last Persecution...

On Monday I got the re-releases of the two Bill Fay albums: Bill Fay and Time of the Last Persecution. I had heard so many good things in anticipation of the albums although the music of which I was yet to hear. I was not disappointed. I first heard Be Not So Fearful on the Wilco documentary 'I Am Trying to Break Your Heart', where Jeff Tweedy sings it surrounded by a stunned-looking band after the World Trade Centre attacks in Spetmeber 2001. It doesn't need me to comment that it's a touching moment.

Both cds have a sticker quoting Uncut magazine, 'The missing link between Nick Drake, Ray Davies and Bob Dylan'. I can't find any element of Dylan in the two albums. And while Fay may have passages similar to music of Drake and the lyricism of Davies, to me, Scott Walker and Robert Wyatt pervade as the artists Fay mostly resembles. This, of course, neglects to say that Fay is quite unlike all of the above. Garden Song touchingly talks of pursuing 'lasting relations' with the real world, in Fay's case maggots and plants. He loves resolving his suspended fourths and when the orchestra kicks in Garden Song (Bill Fay's opening song), it's a 'shivers down the spine' moment.

I want to quote the liner notes from Bill Fay that Fay wrote a few months ago:

I'd also like to thank Colin Miles for reissuing the albums in 1998 after twenty
seven years, which led to Jim Irvin reviewing them favourably in 'Mojo'
magazine, and to Jim O'Rourke playing them to Jeff Tweedy when he mixed their
Wilco album, and to Jeff performing 'Be Not So Fearful'

An then on the notes to 'Time Of The Last Persecution':

Special thanks to Jim O'Rourke for championing my music and covering 'Pictures
of Adolf Again' which I haven't heard yet. A lot is owed from me to him.

Two thank yous to Jim O'Rourke. Well, that just made my day. And the albums are awesome. Buy them. He also thanks Rob Young, editor of The Wire. Their feature (I'm not sure what issue it is) was the first I had read about him. There seems to be have been one of these myths surrounding Fay with the suggestion that he had committed suicide or had burned out after Decca didn't renew his contract. This rumour seems to have originated merely from his appearance on the sleeve of his second album. The Wire article, as well as the liner notes, reveal this not to be the case at all.

Jim O'Rourke, Bill Fay, Wilco, music