The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album

This reissue of the folksy acoustic guitarist's classic mid-'60s Christmas album reminds one of the simple charms of the season and how easy it is to capture that when you keep a no-frills approach. Because he rarely varies the tempos among the tracks -- he's mostly in the slow to gently loping ballad mode -- the songs have a slight tendency to run into each other. But for mellowing out by the fire, or as background music at Christmas dinner, it's a keeper. Taken individually, the songs have a certain majestic power, and his strumming has a warm and inviting feel about it. Some of the more clever arrangements are "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Fantasy" and the more lively twist on "Good King Wenceslas."