Blind Joe Death – John Fahey

Artist: John Fahey

Year: 1959

Genre: American Primitive Guitar

Grade: A

John Fahey’s guitar style sounds ancient, avant-garde and biblical. Self-produced and self-released, the self-proclaimed Blind Joe Death uses a glorious lo-fi aesthetic to create a new genre of American folk music. Fahey’s so-called “American Primitive Guitar” is minimal and expressive, experimental yet traditional, equally influenced by Blind Willie Johnson and Charles Ives. As a result, Blind Joe Death is timeless: even though Fahey’s debut originally sold less than 100 total copies, the album’s legacy will never die.