Life Is People
| Life Is People | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Bill Fay | ||||
| Released | August 21, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | Snap Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Progressive folk | |||
| Length | 58:27 | |||
| Label | Dead Oceans | |||
| Bill Fay chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 86/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Consequence of Sound | B |
| The Daily Telegraph | |
| The Guardian |  |
| The Independent | |
| musicOMH | |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10.0 |
| PopMatters | 7/10 |
| Prefix magazine | 6.5/10 |
| Uncut | 9/10 |
Life Is People is the fourth studio album by English singer, pianist and songwriter Bill Fay, released by Dead Oceans in August 2012. Fay had been without a record label after being dropped by Deram Records following the release of his second album, Time of the Last Persecution in 1971, and could not secure a release for his third album Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow. In order to support himself, Fay took various jobs outside of the music industry, while continuing to record music at home. In 1998, Fay's first two albums were reissued on compact disc by British record label See for Miles Records, prompting a revival of interest in his work, and Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow was finally released in 2005.
Fay was persuaded to return to the studio to record a new album by American record producer Joshua Henry, who was a fan of Fay's Deram albums after he had heard them played by his father. Fay and Henry assembled a group of musicians that included guitarist Ray Russell and drummer Alan Rushton, who had both played on Time of the Last Persecution. Recording took place across ten days at Snap Studios in North London with engineer Guy Massey. It was released to critical acclaim, featuring on several critic's year-end lists and reaching number 56 on the UK Albums Chart. Fay donated the proceeds from the album to the humanitarian aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières.
Bill Fay released his first two albums, Bill Fay (1970) and Time of the Last Persecution (1971), on the Deram Records label. The recordings did not perform well and Fay was dropped from Deram soon after the release of his second album. After failing to secure another recording contract, Fay took various jobs including fruit picking, working in a factory and in a supermarket. Fay continued to write songs and entered the studio with a group of musicians in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Tapes of the resulting album, Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow, were sent to twelve record companies but the album did not receive a release. In 1998, British record label See for Miles Records re-issued Bill Fay and Time of the Last Persecution on compact disc, reviving interest in Fay's work.Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy, who sang Fay's "Be Not So Fearful" during the 2002 Wilco documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,Current 93's David Tibet,Okkervil River's Will Sheff, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck,Jim O'Rourke and Nick Cave declared themselves fans of Fay's music.
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