American Primitive 2
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Edition: Music CDCD Release Date: 2005-10-04
Music Label: Revenant Records
Free Music Notes for American Primitive 2
Free Music Review: Manic hillbilly jam sessions... drunken ragtime jamborees... backcountry kazoo virtuosos... droning banjo ragas...
Hit: 5 Stars
I feel like I should clarify a few things right away here...
1. I haven't heard American Primitive Vol. I
2. I am far from an expert or even really a fan of Americana / roots / blues / folk / old-timey jazz / etc.
3. There are many things I'd rather do than listen to a bunch of digitally remastered scratchy old 78rpm records
4. I love this album...
Billed as "John Fahey's final curated work for Revenant," American Primitive Vol. II inspires a very rare and exciting sense of wonder and discovery in each of its 50 tracks. You feel as if you've been granted exclusive access to a secret, forgotten, and neglected library of old recordings that have been buried in dusty attics and rickety storage sheds for decades. Of course, Revenant Records seems to specialize in sonic revelation, previously lavishing upon us two of the greatest CD box sets of all time -- Charlie Patton: Screamin' and Hollerin the Blues and Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost.
It would be pointless to attempt a track-by-track description of this two disc set -- just dive in head first and enjoy the ride... You'll hear spooky gospel dirges... manic hillbilly jam sessions... yelping bluesmen... drunken ragtime jamborees... freewheeling Appalachian shape note singing... backcountry kazoo virtuosos... droning banjo ragas... barely coherent harmonica solos... barroom jazz-folk-blues ballads... scary sung/spoken fire-and-brimstone sermons... For a few precious minutes, each track transports you to some kind of strange yet very vivid alternative early American universe.
The sound quality is surprisingly clear and clean throughout, especially considering the age (and likely condition) of some of the source recordings... in fact, some of this music sounds so "modern" (or "post-modern?") that you almost wonder if it's all some kind of elaborate Fahey-esque prank (some of the liner notes make you wonder too...) Perhaps my jaded ears can hardly believe that there was once a time when a recording could be so raw, sincere, unpretentious, unproduced, and defiantly "unmarketable." While these records were all apparently "professionally" recorded and produced in one way or another, they have more of the unaffected sound and spirit of "amateur" home recordings.
John Fahey and Revenant should be saluted as American heroes for preserving and sharing these forgotten treasures for all of us to hear. American Primitive Vol. II is evidence of an American musical past far more varied, eccentric, exciting, and just plain fun than you've ever imagined.
As an added bonus (just as you'd expect from this label), the artwork, packaging, and extensive liner notes are a total class act. Vol. I, here I come...
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