Kill Your Idols
P. Bryant | Nottingham, England | 07/04/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"One of those extraordinary encounters which make the story of John Fahey so fascinating, this a fine mixture of psychological terror, straightforward Freudian psychology and of course some radical-but-cuddly music. Imagine the situation: you are Glenn Jones and for years you've idolised John Fahey. Now you're a fine guitar-player yourself, with your own band (Cul de Sac), and you get a chance to make a record with your hero. You feverishly prepare for the precious few days of studio time. You rehearse the band, and send stuff to Fahey so he can arrive prepared. On the great day everyone meets at the studio, and Fahey immediately denounces you, your music and your band as old fashioned and pretentious - wow! Major trauma! Hang on to your ego! After some fraught hours trying out this and that, JF stated bluntly that either he took over the project or he was walking. So they made this record, which is a series of abstract textures with a couple of great blues interpolations (Come On in my Kitchen, Maggie Campbell). Pretty good stuff, in the end - it won't frighten you (like "City of Refuge" might) - although it frightened Glenn!"