Bill Fay - Garden Song
The recent interest around Mr Fay has centred upon the second album, Time of The Last Persecution. Although Bill himself has clearly stated he was nowhere near as nutso as he appears on the sleeve photo, the dark tone has been leapt upon as evidence that he was going the way of Syd. Bill himself says he was simply addressing certain concerns he had at the time, working things through. Whatever the assumptions or the intent, the work has resonance and so it survived, despite public apathy. The freaks quietly moved in and ran up a flag or two. God bless the freaks.
But what about album number one? Well, if you think big arrangements are best offset by a vulnerable, human voice, then it’s for you. It seems lazy to go for the very first song, but I really have no choice. I was told to damn well buy Bill Fay years ago by no less a figure than David Late Tibet of Current 93 fame, but did I? No. It took Johnny Walker to shake me up. He played this track one evening and the shivers ran down my spine. I knew who it was without having to be told. It was inevitable. “That’s something a bit different for you”, said Mr Walker, fully aware of what he’d dropped in just before the 7 O’clock news.
Bill is back - like Vashti Bunyan, a thirty odd year break between releases is acceptable because what was done back then was so good, there’s an audience for what they want to do now. Like I said: God bless the freaks.
Buy - Time Of The Last Persecution Amazon
Visit - Bill Fay
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