The Voice of the Turtle

by John Fahey

The Voice of the Turtle cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 1968
  • Label: Takoma
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 39:19
  • Community rating: 3.79/5 from 3 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Steering slightly away from pure solo acoustic performance, the fingerstyle guitar pioneer heavily integrated field recordings, tape manipulation, and historical blues samples into this visionary release. The album functions as a surreal, audio-collage tribute to the pre-war American rural musical tradition, further establishing his deeply idiosyncratic approach to modern folk.

Genres

Descriptors: Acoustic, Folk, instrumental, lo-fi, melodic, atmospheric, avant-garde, acoustic, folk, guitar-driven, experimental

Tracklist

  1. Bottleneck Blues - Instrumental (3:03)
  2. Bill Cheatum - Instrumental (1:52)
  3. Lewisdale Blues - Instrumental (2:13)
  4. Bean Vine Blues - Instrumental (2:42)
  5. Bean Vine Blues - #2 (2:48)
  6. A Raga Called Pat - Part III (9:03)
  7. A Raga Called Pat - Part IV (4:25)
  8. Train - Instrumental (1:44)
  9. Je Ne Me Suis Revellais Matin Pas En May - Instrumental (2:20)
  10. The Story Of Dorothy Gooch - Part 1 (5:24)
  11. Nine-Pound Hammer - Instrumental (1:57)
  12. Lonesome Valley - Instrumental (1:42)

Credits

  • John Fahey - primary artist, guitar, vocals, vocals, guitar
  • Hubert Thomas - fiddle
  • Nancy Mclean - flute
  • Joe Bussard - vocals
  • Mayne Smith - banjo
  • Mark Levine - guitar
  • Ed Denson - harmonica
  • Virgil Willis Johnston - fiddle

More from John Fahey: full discography