Bill Fay, “Methane River,” Bill Fay (Nova 1970)
If you are looking for a grand message, Bill Fay might not be the right wordsmith to deliver. There is often a certain bluntness to his lyrics that keeps him from achieving the status of Dylan, who clearly served as his model. But for the sheer delight of his whimsical arangements and juxtapositions, Fay is masterful. His most famous song, “Be Not So Fearful,” carries its message crisply and unceremoniously, and it is a thing of beauty (Wilco have covered it for years). “Methane River” is an altogether more peculiar song, its eco-tinged lyrics quite prescient for their time. What makes it so moving is the outstanding orchestration, as if the song were a blend of several works-in-progress that found there way into this two minutes and fifty-two seconds.
