Cover artwork of “Still Some Light Part 1” by Bill Fay
Before Bill Fay celebrated an unexpected and profound comeback in 2012 with the album “Life Is People”, which fortunately was followed by two more albums full of spiritual farewell songs, his narrow fame was based on two studio recordings from the 70s.
Recorded in just one day, the self-titled debut remains one of the most neglected masterpieces of transcendental music, laced with mournful reflections on God, man and nature, uplifted by jazz spirit and orchestral sound. Comparisons with Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake had no consequences. The work was not rediscovered until almost 40 years later, when Nick Cave was publicly delighted and Wilco covered “Be Not So Fearful”.
Fay transformed his image and music for his somber second album, Time Of The Last Persecution (1971), giving the Christianized Schrat (which he continued to do without music afterward). In keeping with the inner contemplation, he also saved himself numerous instruments, whereby the at times cynical texts and harsh guitar improvisations by Ray Russell promoted the apocalyptic atmosphere.
Numerous demos and rough drafts from this period appeared for the first time in 2010 on a double CD entitled “Still Some Light”. They once again form the backbone of a compilation split into two parts, with the part that is to come representing the lost album, so to speak, which Fay was unable to complete in the 70s.
Vocal-struggling singer and gifted musician Fay is already here, though: the pleading, heart-rending vocals on “Just To Be A Part” reveal the filthy guitar whining on “I Will Find My Own Way Back,” how at some point he had to lose the euphony, and “Laughing Man” proves how moving Fay found his own form on the piano.
Nice accessory: Four tracks by Bill Fay are reinterpreted as 7″ singles, including Steve Gunn’s “Dust Filled Room” and Kevin Morby’s “I Hear You Calling”.