John Fahey/Elizabeth Cotten; Robin Williamson In Concert

A pair of 1969 programs from the series Guitar, Guitar, produced by Laura Weber, John Fahey/Elizabeth Cotton is a disappointing collage of poor interviewing and great music. Perhaps it's attributable to the times, perhaps not, but the accomplished legendary guitarist John Fahey comes across as an obnoxious jerk who is constantly arguing with the giggling interviewer. He talks about his influences, playing styles, and early years, but since the two are often talking over one another, it's hard to make heads or tails of what's being said at times. However, the renditions of Fahey playing "In Christ There Is No East or West" and "The Death of the Clayton Peacock" are very nice. The session with Elizabeth Cotten is much better, though again, the interviewer is not very accomplished. Cotten talks about her left-handed guitar playing and performs her classic "Freight Train," as well as other tunes. Good music, poor concept.Robin Williamson in Concert, on the other hand, is an incredible program of enchanting music (played on the harp, guitar, tin whistle, and Jew's harp) and knee-slapping funny stories. A superb storyteller who could stand alongside such greats as Jay O'Callohan, Alice McGill, and Jon Spelman, and not suffer by comparison, Robin Williamson gets a big laugh out of his Canadian audience early on by describing America as "the only nation in the world to go from barbarism to decadence with no intervening culture." Enhancing his stories of "Tristan and Iseult," "The Devil's Grandmother," and "The Lad With the Goatskin," with literary allusions and constant references to contemporary pop culture (describing a medieval princess looking down from her tower bedroom, Robinson says: "she parted her Laura Ashley dimity curtains..."), Robinson is also a gifted physical comedian whose face is constantly contorted into comic expressions. People who come to the tape expecting to hear beautiful harp playing will certainly find it here, but what a pleasant surprise that there's so much more. Great music, great storytelling, grand time.John Fahey/Elizabeth Cotten would have been much better as a straight concert video, and is not a necessary purchase. Robin Williamson in Concert is an outstanding program, and is highly recommended and an Editor's Choice.(Available from: Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, P.O. Box 802, Sparta, NJ 07871; (201) 729-4240.)