Review

An acoustic guitar giant helps save Christmas.
Arguably one of the greatest Christmas recordings of modern times, A New Possibility was recorded by just one visionary folk icon and his acoustic guitar — no overdubs. John Fahey accomplished a lot in his lifetime: he virtually re-invented the acoustic guitar as a solo instrument with his idiosyncratic and mournful style, and he founded Takoma and Revenant, two influential independent record labels. For a great many people in the '60s and '70s, the bearish-looking dude also saved Christmas, rescuing holiday music from the schmaltz that so often drenched it.

Recorded in a beautiful, loping and often very simple style, the melodies resonate throughout the entire, unadulterated album. On the first three songs alone — "Joy to the World," "What Child is This?" and "Medley: Hark the Herald Angels Sing / Come All Ye Faithful" — Fahey's tone slips from joy to reverence and back again. As Fahey wrote in the original liner notes, "I hope that you like my new arrangements — they are not progressive; 'different' is the word — and I hope that you will celebrate Christmas with me." It's hard to think of better music to mellow out next to the tree with.