History
Since his move to Salem, Oregon in 1981, Fahey met guitarist and producer Terry Robb, who accompanies him on all but two of the songs on Let Go. He would work with Robb on three subsequent releases. Since his final album on Takoma (Railroad) Fahey had signed with Varrick Records, an imprint of Rounder Records. It was to be his first of four releases on the label.
His liner notes distance himself for the folk music label he had had since his career began. The notes begin "No folk music on this record—not even that sounds or suggest folk music... it's hard to break out of a bag I never intended to be in—never thought I was in... I'm not a Volk. I'm from the suburbs." He also noted the influence of the Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete. He had commented on Sete's influence in 1977 in the notes to his guitar transcription book The Best of John Fahey 1959–1977. He did his first cover of a Sete composition on his 1979 album John Fahey Visits Washington D.C..
He had previously record the "River Medley" on 1972 Reprise release Of Rivers and Religion. "Dvorak" is based on themes from Antonín Dvořák Eighth and Ninth symphonies. Regarding the duo's cover of the Derek and the Dominos song "Layla", Fahey commented: "Talk about ambition, Chutzpah—that’s us."
Read more about this topic: Let Go (John Fahey Album)
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