Proofs & Refutations

Description

Recorded in 1995 and 1996, mostly in John Fahey's room in Salem, Oregon, the performances of Proofs and Refutation foreshadow the proud turning point that marked the final years of the American songwriter and guitarist, pulling yet another enigmatic rabbit from his seemingly bottomless musical hat. It is an uncompromising vision that you can either disdain or embrace as proof of his genius. It is also a complete rejection of certainties. Institutions, systems, accepted wisdom. From the outset, John Fahey materializes before us, somewhere between the oracle of Delphi and the clown prince of Olympus. Parts of this record appeared on obscure vinyls from the late 90s, in 45 RPM or double 78 RPM formats, but as a complete session, they remained dormant for over a quarter of a century. Taken together, we can now consider these pieces as the secret drafts of John Fahey's final provocations, several years before albums like City of Refuge and Womblife, released in 1997.