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BILL FAY, "FROM THE BOTTOM OF AN OLD GRANDFATHER CLOCK"
Wooden Hill
For better or worse, many artists slip through the cracks, their worktoo idiosyncratic or esoteric to ignite any interest in the public. Asunfortunate as it is when great art is ignored, it creates the perfectsituation for record collectors and rare music enthusiasts, who deriveendless pleasure from discovering innovative music that wasmarginalized in its era. Once called "Britain's pop Salinger," a namethat is accurate in more ways than one, Bill Fay's unique discographyis perfectly suited for a renaissance of interest and enthusiasm. BillFay recorded two fabulously rare LPs in the early 70's that combinedhis acerbic wit, impressionistic lyrics and apocalyptic religioussymbolism with huge, Scott Walker-style MOR string arrangements andpsychedelic guitar riffs. His songwriting talent is immense, craftingMcCartney-esque pop masterpieces that seem entirely alien to thebizarre, hallucinogenic lyrical themes. Both his debut self-titledalbum and the follow-up Time of the Last Persecutionwere issued together on CD by the now-defunct See For Miles label, andhave since gone out of print. David Tibet's Durtro Records is on theverge of issuing Fay's unreleased third album Tomorrow and Tomorrow.In the interim, British rare-psych label Tenth Planet has released thiscollection of 25 early demos and outtakes on their Wooden Hill imprint.These demos include never-before-heard songs as well as nascentversions of tracks that eventually appeared on the two LPs. This is anextremely exciting release for Bill Fay converts, but it is far fromessential for newcomers, who would be advised to seek out one of histwo original LPs. The recording quality of many of the original tapesis rather poor, and the digital conversion doesn't seem to have helpedmuch. Further, Bill Fay's artistic voice is not as strong in some ofthe earlier material, which seems at first listen a little too similarto The Beatles. Tracks like "Warwick Town" and "Maxine's Parlour" arefine examples of urbane British psych-pop, but they rarely reach thetranscendent weirdness of his later work. However, there are many gemsto be found on Grandfather Clock. The haunting early version of"Garden Song" included here is startling, highlighting Fay's beatificdelivery on spaced-out lines like: "I'm planting myself in thegarden/Between the potatoes and parsley/And I'll wait for the grain toanoint me/And the frost to awaken my soul/I'm looking for lastingrelations/With a green fly, spider or maggot." Though I have a deepaffection for the extravagant string and horn arrangements on thealbums, it's fascinating to hear these songs liberated from the denseproduction. This collection quietly proves that Bill Fay was much morethan an amusing footnote in the history of British psych-pop; he was aliterate and emotive songwriter of the highest order.
For better or worse, many artists slip through the cracks, their worktoo idiosyncratic or esoteric to ignite any interest in the public. Asunfortunate as it is when great art is ignored, it creates the perfectsituation for record collectors and rare music enthusiasts, who deriveendless pleasure from discovering innovative music that wasmarginalized in its era. Once called "Britain's pop Salinger," a namethat is accurate in more ways than one, Bill Fay's unique discographyis perfectly suited for a renaissance of interest and enthusiasm. BillFay recorded two fabulously rare LPs in the early 70's that combinedhis acerbic wit, impressionistic lyrics and apocalyptic religioussymbolism with huge, Scott Walker-style MOR string arrangements andpsychedelic guitar riffs. His songwriting talent is immense, craftingMcCartney-esque pop masterpieces that seem entirely alien to thebizarre, hallucinogenic lyrical themes. Both his debut self-titledalbum and the follow-up Time of the Last Persecutionwere issued together on CD by the now-defunct See For Miles label, andhave since gone out of print. David Tibet's Durtro Records is on theverge of issuing Fay's unreleased third album Tomorrow and Tomorrow.In the interim, British rare-psych label Tenth Planet has released thiscollection of 25 early demos and outtakes on their Wooden Hill imprint.These demos include never-before-heard songs as well as nascentversions of tracks that eventually appeared on the two LPs. This is anextremely exciting release for Bill Fay converts, but it is far fromessential for newcomers, who would be advised to seek out one of histwo original LPs. The recording quality of many of the original tapesis rather poor, and the digital conversion doesn't seem to have helpedmuch. Further, Bill Fay's artistic voice is not as strong in some ofthe earlier material, which seems at first listen a little too similarto The Beatles. Tracks like "Warwick Town" and "Maxine's Parlour" arefine examples of urbane British psych-pop, but they rarely reach thetranscendent weirdness of his later work. However, there are many gemsto be found on Grandfather Clock. The haunting early version of"Garden Song" included here is startling, highlighting Fay's beatificdelivery on spaced-out lines like: "I'm planting myself in thegarden/Between the potatoes and parsley/And I'll wait for the grain toanoint me/And the frost to awaken my soul/I'm looking for lastingrelations/With a green fly, spider or maggot." Though I have a deepaffection for the extravagant string and horn arrangements on thealbums, it's fascinating to hear these songs liberated from the denseproduction. This collection quietly proves that Bill Fay was much morethan an amusing footnote in the history of British psych-pop; he was aliterate and emotive songwriter of the highest order.
