First released in 1968, The New Possibility offered a revelatory re-imagining of familiar carols as if they had been written by old country-blues and ragtime musicians. Even the most straightforward tune, such as "Joy to the World", took on an enigmatic cast under the spell of Fahey's dazzling 12-string.
The ghosts of Charley Patton and the Rev Gary Davis haunt these songs: a medley of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and "O Come All Ye Faithful" has the loping blues bounce of Fahey's beloved ragtime instrumentals, while "Silent Night" gets a languid slide-guitar arrangement. Much to the guitarist's annoyance, it proved to be his most successful album by far, and was followed a few years later by Christmas With John Fahey Vol II, most of which is added to this reissue; there's "Russian Christmas Overture", assembled from themes of Prokofiev and Rimsky-Korsakov; a medley including a stately "Oh Tannenbaum" and bluesy "Angels We Have Heard On High"; and a sprightly fragment of "Jingle Bells".
Download this: 'Russian Christmas Overture', 'Carol of the Bells', 'Joy to the World', 'Angels We Have Heard On High'
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