RFI: Bill Fay

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Ever since I heard Jim O'Rourke & Glen Kotche's cover of his "Pictures of Adolph Again" I've been wondering about this guy. AMG kind of dismisses him as fake dylan. Is anything available on CD besides that outtakes session? Is that or anything else worth getting?

― Hurting (Hurting), Saturday, 16 October 2004 04:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

i'm pretty sure Acme re-released at least one of his albums quite recently..

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Saturday, 16 October 2004 06:11 (8 years ago) Permalink

no, sorry, i've confused him with mellow candle (happens all the time, er..). there was a cd on see for miles of his deram nova and decca albums but it's out of print and a copy is currently going for 40 pounds on ebay...

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Saturday, 16 October 2004 06:14 (8 years ago) Permalink

"from the bottom of an old grandfather clock," which apparently consists of rejected decca/deram demos and is supposed to be good. i haven't heard any of his stuff.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Saturday, 16 October 2004 07:11 (8 years ago) Permalink

The CD on See For Miles records mentioned above is well worth getting if you like Barrett-era Floyd and his solo stuff, or more recent bands like Cardinal, Olivia Tremor Control and such. I would go so far as to say the first record is like Barrett crossed with Scott Walker 2.

Don't hear the Dylan, but AMG is crap so that figures.

― Garibaldianne (Garibaldianne), Saturday, 16 October 2004 13:11 (8 years ago) Permalink

That outtakes thing is fabulous...I prefer it to the two albums proper. The Syd Barrett comparison's a little misleading--he's (or at least he sounds) more compos mentis by far. Scott Walker, maybe, but it's delicacy over bombast. And "fake Dylan" is just a lazy-ass comparison. But yeah, he's very good...worth hearing either way.

― Dark Horse, Saturday, 16 October 2004 18:41 (8 years ago) Permalink

I don't know about more "compos mentis" than Syd - take a look at his photo on the Last Persecution! And I believe Bill Fay pulled a long disappearance a la Syd and Skip Spence, so I wouldn't bet your whole paycheck that Bill would be any more likely than Syd to show up if you payed him 10 bucks to rake your yard.

As for Scott Walker...do you have "The Room" on your Bill Fay disc? That's bombast!

― Garibaldianne (Garibaldianne), Saturday, 16 October 2004 22:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

Current 93 has recorded a cover from Bill Fay. It's called "Time Of The Last Persecution" and it's a great song (I only listened to the cover; not the original).
Durtro Records, Current 93's own label is going to re-release an old Bill Fay Group record in the next months.

― salvador, Sunday, 17 October 2004 16:10 (8 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

I am not at my most lucid at the moment, real hard day at work, but I own his "Time of The Last Persecution" record which I bought on ebay for an ineffable quantity of money, but it's well worth-it. I think it's absolutely awesome. It's backed by Ray Russel's (great) band, so the instrumentation / orchestration is always interesting. "Sing Us One Of Your Songs May" is so heartbreaking, I was listening to that today. His other s/t record is pretty swell, too.

It's a bit hard to find. Anyone interested in the mp3s of the record can email me.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Friday, 24 December 2004 04:24 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Cool 4 page interview with Fay in the new Wire. Also news on the forthcoming reissues.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 17 February 2005 14:12 (8 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

I just shelled out $20 for the reissue of Time of the Last Persecution, which would be unfortunate, if it weren't fucking fantastic.

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 13 June 2005 13:25 (7 years ago) Permalink

I've got a cdr of the s/t and Persecution and I really prefer the second one. Some of the orchestration on the s/t is just distracting, but everything fits in place on Persecution.

― Tripmaker (SDWitzm), Monday, 13 June 2005 13:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Don't hear the Dylan

the dylan is all in the voice. not much else.

― metal assembly (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 13 June 2005 14:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

I like how the sticker on the album calls him "The missing link between Nick Drake, Ray Davies, and Bob Dylan."

Hmm, lets see:

Nick Drake -- Five Leaves Left, 1969
Kinks -- s/t, 1964
Bob Dylan -- s/t, 1962

Bill Fay -- s/t, 1970

How's that again?

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 13 June 2005 14:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

If I ever reissue a record, no matter what it is, I'm going to write sticker copy that includes "RADIOHEAD" "JAMES BROWN" and "THE BEATLES" in big letters.

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 13 June 2005 14:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

On further listening to "Time of the Last Persecution," I think it's good, but falls short of "fantastic," as I initially said, mostly because the lyrics are quite awkward and weak at times.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 1 July 2005 21:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

Dunno if anyone knew about this already, but Bill Fay was the studio guest on Stuart Maconie's Freakzone programme on the radio yesterday. Not listened to it yet, but it's available online all this week. Looks like a Momus vs. Comus death-match in the tracklist too.

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 4 July 2005 10:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

anyone know what the deal with (possibly current) The Bill Fay Group cd i saw recently? i was able to listen to brief clips at the store, but it sounded jam bandy?

― jaxon (jaxon), Thursday, 26 January 2006 00:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

That's a nice album cover.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Thursday, 26 January 2006 04:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's a damn nice record. Gary Smith on guitars instead of Ray Russell - not a bad stand-in! If you like Time of the Last Persecution, I can't imagine that you won't enjoy it. But I've got a terribly flaky memory, so can't really go into specifics. Marcello wrote some nice stuff on it somewhere on the internet I think. Will try and dig that up if I get the chance.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 26 January 2006 10:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

Oh, and it's the first release of a record originally recorded in the late seventies if you didn't already know.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 26 January 2006 10:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Well, that was easy to find. (Where did Marcello go anyhow? Did I miss something? Hope he's in fine fettle anyhow...)

Looks like a readable review on Dusted here too.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 26 January 2006 10:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

He has a new job, Nick. Less time for ILX, I think.

― Dr.C (Dr.C), Thursday, 26 January 2006 10:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ah thanks - am glad to hear he's away for a nice reason. Hope he's enjoying the new job.

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 26 January 2006 10:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

He's back to updating ihttp://cookham.blogspot.com though. which is nice

― mms (mms), Thursday, 26 January 2006 14:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

Yes, Bill Fay sounds like Dylan and Nick Drake, but in terms of atmosphere and production, "Time of the Last" falls somewhere between Judee sill's dreamy, elegy folk and Neil Young's "On the beach" subtle instruments.

The sometimes amateurish style of Fay's vocals, only adds to the quality of this record - it makes the songs more fragile and touching.
Ray Russell's 70's guitars are great, the lyrics are powerful, and it's one of the best folk rock records ever made.

― emekars (emekars), Wednesday, 28 June 2006 08:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

3 years pass...

Hoping for a highish placement for Last Persecution in the 70s poll but probably not gonna happen

― Jamie_ATP, Friday, 1 January 2010 18:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

It was in my top 20...I really need to get the 3rd album too.

― Ork Alarm (Matt #2), Friday, 1 January 2010 19:03 (3 years ago) Permalink

There are actually 5 albums now.

Bill Fay, Last Persecution, Tomorrow Tomorrow And Tomorrow (unreleased until 2005), From The Bottom Of An Old Grandfather Clock (demos from late 60s-early 70s) aaaaaaaaaaaand this month on Durtro there's a double release, one disc of more old 70s demos and a new album recorded in the last year. Waiting for it in the post right now...

http://mog1.state51.co.uk/tid/40802637d548a898547be12fd5e12dbceca64214/ecitrdw/fwoayblac/1225170960054.jpeg

― Jamie_ATP, Friday, 1 January 2010 19:06 (3 years ago) Permalink

Hope the new album's better than its cover art...

― Ork Alarm (Matt #2), Friday, 1 January 2010 19:21 (3 years ago) Permalink

4 weeks pass...

http://copticcat.greedbag.com/buy/bill-fay-still-some-light-cd/

^ how is this new one Jamie?

― We should have called Suzie and Bobby (NickB), Saturday, 30 January 2010 11:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

my post/postman has been playing up so not arrived yet annoyingly.

― Jamie_ATP, Saturday, 30 January 2010 12:00 (3 years ago) Permalink

Oof, that's vexing.

― We should have called Suzie and Bobby (NickB), Saturday, 30 January 2010 12:03 (3 years ago) Permalink

Was just looking at it on emusic, but it'd wipe out most of my credits in one go.

― We should have called Suzie and Bobby (NickB), Saturday, 30 January 2010 12:05 (3 years ago) Permalink

Oh wait, this is one of the 2009 tracks...

― We should have called Suzie and Bobby (NickB), Saturday, 30 January 2010 12:07 (3 years ago) Permalink

Sounds like he's just picked up where he left off, you'd hardly know all those years had passed.

Horrible cover art, looks like the Organisation album though, whose cover I like.

― We should have called Suzie and Bobby (NickB), Saturday, 30 January 2010 12:21 (3 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

The new album has some nice moments but it's mostly ruined by the dreadful production. The real treasure here is the old demos and such: the piano arrangement of "Love is the Tune" is the most shamelessly lovely thing I've heard from him.

― Turangalila, Sunday, 21 February 2010 18:56 (3 years ago) Permalink

http://themagiclantern.tumblr.com/post/397515042/bill-fay-love-is-the-tune

And you can hear it on my tumblr. :)

― Turangalila, Sunday, 21 February 2010 18:57 (3 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

i just got this and am enjoying it immensely but the production (the bass specifically) on the reissued recordings sounds kinda weird to me. has anyone read the entire liner notes? i made it to the part about john boden and then promptly went blind.

the recent photographs are really cute too. wkiw bill fay.

― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Monday, 5 April 2010 14:16 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Those liner notes are great, one of my favourite things about the release. I really love the archive stuff, i could listen to a thousand different versions of those songs and never get bored. Production isn't great but thats to be expected; there isn't really any production!

Yes the new stuff is definitely a little weak, those keyboards are very 80s phil collins/landing on water neil young. but still it's nice to hear him still going. From listening to Last Persecution you'd think he would have imploded/committed suicide from mental anguish some time in the 70s so it's lovely to hear that the guy from those songs is still there.

Love Bill Fay.

― Jamie_ATP, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 10:45 (3 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

'Time of the Last Persecution' seriously fucking me up today. What a bleak, beautiful album. Also, Ray Russell's band is amazing in it; just listen to the perfectly controlled chaos towards the end of the title track.

― silence is a rhythm too (Turangalila), Monday, 24 May 2010 00:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

Some of the new tracks on his latest release oddly remind me of Spiritualized. That's just me, though. I wouldn't expect any of you to agree with me.

― henry s, Monday, 24 May 2010 00:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

Haha, no, I can totally see what you're saying. Esp. in a song like "My Eyes Open".

― silence is a rhythm too (Turangalila), Monday, 24 May 2010 01:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

Also, seconding Jamie ATP upthread:

From listening to Last Persecution you'd think he would have imploded/committed suicide from mental anguish some time in the 70s so it's lovely to hear that the guy from those songs is still there.

Indeed.

― silence is a rhythm too (Turangalila), Monday, 24 May 2010 01:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

Endless SBummer

― silence is a rhythm too (Turangalila), Monday, 24 May 2010 01:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

Some of the newer recordings are actual lyrically pretty beautiful and not that removed from his old stuff, its just a massive shame the production / arrangement lets them down.

― reallysmoothmusic (Jamie_ATP), Wednesday, 22 September 2010 22:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

Got the first album on. GOD DAAAAAAMN IT'S SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOD.

― I'm A Genius, Too! (Jamie_ATP), Wednesday, 13 July 2011 15:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

New album out in August:
http://www.deadoceans.com/onesheet.php?cat=DOC061

― gonna send him to outer space, to hug another face (NickB), Sunday, 8 July 2012 19:50 (10 months ago) Permalink

Bill is reunited on several tracks with Ray Russell and drummer Alan Rushton, who played on Time Of The Last Persecution

fuck yes

― gonna send him to outer space, to hug another face (NickB), Sunday, 8 July 2012 19:51 (10 months ago) Permalink

life is people

― gonna send him to outer space, to hug another face (NickB), Sunday, 8 July 2012 19:52 (10 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

great album. also has totally redeemed this from overplay for me

― Jamie_ATP, Monday, 20 August 2012 12:04 (8 months ago) Permalink

sounds lovely. is the rest of it that spare or are there other players on it?

― tylerw, Monday, 20 August 2012 17:25 (8 months ago) Permalink

haven't heard this rec yet, but i know ray russell is on some of the tracks

― Ward Fowler, Monday, 20 August 2012 17:47 (8 months ago) Permalink

the rest of it is a lot more band based, but not overly complicated - its fairly similar to some of the quieter
stuff from the first two albums

― Jamie_ATP, Monday, 20 August 2012 22:47 (8 months ago) Permalink

I had no idea he was still alive!

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 20 August 2012 23:04 (8 months ago) Permalink

oof this album *is* great.

― tylerw, Friday, 24 August 2012 20:45 (8 months ago) Permalink

Nice bit on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/2012/08/19/158894907/bill-fay-a-cult-figure-returns-skeptical-but-optimistic

― dow, Friday, 24 August 2012 21:04 (8 months ago) Permalink

This album is amazing

― I'm not going leftfield on you... (hypehat), Monday, 27 August 2012 16:43 (8 months ago) Permalink

think i like the sparer piano songs the most, but the whole thing is stellar. "the neverending happening"!

― tylerw, Monday, 27 August 2012 16:44 (8 months ago) Permalink

i can't wait to hear this

his collection of demos/outtakes is probably my favorite thing he's done (maybe that's just because it was the first thing i heard though?)and i just noticed that it's going for like $100?! on cd? crazy.

― these albatrosses have no fear of man (La Lechera), Monday, 27 August 2012 16:54 (8 months ago) Permalink

Got the first album on. GOD DAAAAAAMN IT'S SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOD.
― I'm A Genius, Too! (Jamie_ATP), Wednesday, July 13, 2011 11:30 AM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^ this! It's been a while since I've played it (came to Bill via the alt 70s poll back in 2009, went through a period of intense listening, and then shelved everything until yesterday).

― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 2 September 2012 23:41 (8 months ago) Permalink

this album is v good

this is sort of what i'm expecting the next album by the apartments to sound like

― ron pinot (electricsound), Tuesday, 4 September 2012 02:53 (8 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

The new one is sooo good.

― Duke, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 19:24 (8 months ago) Permalink

yeah it is.
though with all the religious stuff -- is he a straight up born again christian? was he always? obviously there was religious imagery on his earlier albums, but not quite as straight up as some of this.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 19:26 (8 months ago) Permalink

I've no idea. I've not found much info about him. (Not that I've really searched that hard, to be honest.)

― Duke, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 19:48 (8 months ago) Permalink

Fay on Time of the Last Persecution:

"It was a religious album - my Slow Train Coming, I suppose," says Fay today. "Biblical ideas, prophecies and so on, had started to permeate and gradually I came to believe. I wasn’t trying to convert people, though. The record’s Christian, but hopefully not in a narrow way".

― Duke, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 19:52 (8 months ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Tweets going round that Bill is on Jools Holland tonight, although there's no confirmation of this on any BBC page afaics.

― Albert Crampus (NickB), Friday, 23 November 2012 11:14 (5 months ago) Permalink

https://twitter.com/DeadOceans/status/271627766544363520

― Albert Crampus (NickB), Friday, 23 November 2012 11:17 (5 months ago) Permalink

and here you go...

― Albert Crampus (NickB), Saturday, 24 November 2012 10:17 (5 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Any idea what's going on with the Life Is People record?

― kafkaesque (c21m50nh3x460n), Friday, 11 January 2013 03:50 (4 months ago) Permalink

c21m50nh3x460n

― goat news for people who love boat news (how's life)

― mookieneb (buzza), Friday, 11 January 2013 04:03 (4 months ago) Permalink

buzzz

― a barbie girl in a barbie world

― kafkaesque (c21m50nh3x460n), Friday, 11 January 2013 04:13 (4 months ago) Permalink

going on with it? in what respect?

― absolvents (electricsound), Friday, 11 January 2013 04:15 (4 months ago) Permalink

Dead Oceans sold out of the LP. So I'm wondering when they will do a second pressing. And some of the records from the first pressing were damaged I heard.

― kafkaesque (c21m50nh3x460n), Friday, 11 January 2013 04:18 (4 months ago) Permalink

Yes, my local record stores tell me the first pressing was faulty and the second pressing is still nowhere to be seen.

― Duke, Friday, 11 January 2013 09:06 (4 months ago) Permalink

Bollocks, spent ages looking for a copy. Hope they sort it out...

― insert witticism here (hypehat), Friday, 11 January 2013 10:06 (4 months ago) Permalink

what was faulty about it? mine played fine, though i guess it may vary depending on country

― Jamie_ATP, Friday, 11 January 2013 10:16 (4 months ago) Permalink

Alright, chaps, some semigood news.

Today Dead Oceans said a second pressing is in the works and that they should have it back on their site 'soon!'.

― kafkaesque (c21m50nh3x460n), Friday, 11 January 2013 18:33 (4 months ago) Permalink

According to SC Distribution, it should be back in record shops. I'll check this weekend.

― kafkaesque (c21m50nh3x460n), Saturday, 12 January 2013 00:29 (4 months ago) Permalink

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