"Four ecstatic, lo-fi grabs for the ring of eternity, recorded in Fahey's Oregon hotel room. Containing the first graspable evidence of John's throat-singing abilities, this represents the merging of the bull and the china shop. The crudity of the electronics and the delicacy of the string work make for a wonderful match." -- Byron Coley "His music speaks of a boundless freedom." -- Gary Lucas
The Mill Pond was originally released on vinyl only. This limited edition CD reissue includes the first-ever collection of Fahey's paintings in the accompanying booklet. John Fahey has been around since the 1950s, making records (mostly) with just his acoustic guitar. He has influenced countless guitarists, from Jim O'Rourke and Thurston Moore to Nels Cline and Wham-O. His music has been called folk, blues, bluegrass, noise, and even (gasp!) new age, so you're never quite sure what you're going to get with any of his releases. But all of them, almost without exception, are excellent. On this EP, Fahey uses heavy reverb, electric slide, and feedback to create an eerie mood. He gets a bit of help from Jeff Allman, who recorded the songs and adds some electronic noise in spots, and from Scott Colburn, who mixed the tracks, but this record is all Fahey. The Mill Pond is all over the place stylistically, so it should confuse those who try to pigeonhole Fahey into any one category. It further proves that there is only one category into which he fits: truly innovative guitar genius.
