Eclectic Discs
1971
Bill Fay
About This Album
Songwriter Bill Fay's self-titled debut album was issued on Decca in the aftermath of his "Some Good Advice"/ "Screams in the Ears" single in 1970. It is a startling but uneven collection of unusual folk-pop songs that stand the test of time for their idiosyncratic vision and unique, if at times overblown, nearly Baroque arrangements by Mike Gibbs. The album sold poorly, but well enough for the label to invest in a further offering, the stripped-down Time of the Last Persecution issued in 1971, before releasing him from his contract. Bill Fay is very much a product of its time; more lushly orchestrated than Nick Drake's Bryter Layter, it was recorded in one day. Gibbs had taken a cassette of Fay's demos of the songs and worked on them for a few weeks beforehand, showing up to meet the songwriter in the studio on the day of recording with a 27-piece orchestra. The small band that backed Fay included guitarist Ray Russell and drummer John Marshall. This was Gibbs' first set of arrangements for a full album, and it shows. Fay's songs are delicate, spiritually dense, and searching -- particularly the searing "Garden Song" and the sprawling "The Room.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11)

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