‘what is american primitive anyway? what is the definition?’

so horsemouth published a musicians of bremen american primitive top ten tracklist

you know the sort of thing, 

1) blue crystal fire (robbie basho) secret cover version on 'covers'.

2) wonky - late era fahey crossed with syd barrett. on 'volume four'. all played by the other musician of bremen. very nearly an instrumental. 

3) pagodas - strange tunings/ slide guitar take on fragments from debussy's 'pagodes'. all played by horsemouth. on 'volume four' … 

and so on (and a large chunk of volume three), because while american primitive isn't the only thing musicians of bremen do it is a major part of everything horsemouth does. 

the other musician of bremen chimed in that wonky was a genius track, horsemouth replied that it was indeed but only his second favourite track on volume four (after amarach).

the other asserted that it was his first time playing slide guitar. horsemouth asked’ what about 'everything is going to be ok'?’

the other replied that that was the second time. horsemouth argued that that track wasn’t in the american primitive list because that's another syd barrett type guitar part but there the influence is more psychedelic/ trip hop.   

it is an odd track. neither here, nor there. remarked the other musician of bremen. 

the other musician of bremen then asked 

'what is american primitive anyway? what is the definition?’

hence the opening of our current can of worms. so here's a definition. 

horsemouth replied that this wikipedia entry seemed  very fair and clear. it all begins with fahey's repurposing of fingerstyle blues playing (not to back up singing but as a mainly instrumental music). but it doesn't end there. 

for it to be american primitive it must not be a straight recreation of the folk thing (like norman blake, or much rhiannon giddens) nor is it the new age guitar thing (william ackerman/ wyndham hill). it must be neither but it taking or feeding something to both. 

the other musician asked  ‘what the best example of an american primitive song? (I only ask because someone over here asked me what AP was and I couldn’t give an answer.)’

horsemouth replied; 

instrumental or sung? fahey or basho? is there  a 'best'? what's interesting is that there is a genre - marissa anderson is american primitive (but she plays an electric) but if anyone is doing neck tapping and using a looper pedal that isn't american primitive for horsemouth. there's a whole sub-genre of what is basically improv on an acoustic guitar. 

to aid your understanding horsemouth refers you to some podcast interviews with current practitioners by a practitioner and ten podcast shows from NTS of other american primitivism. 

here it is a rainy and grey morning. 

horsemouth will probably wait until he has had breakfast before he goes for a wander. tomorrow he returns to a rainy day in the seaside towns (thereafter the weather becomes pleasant). horsemouth abandons his trusty laptop to the tender mercies of his ex-employer. there may be an interruption to service while horsemouth rejigs his  blogging offer. friday he probably meets up with the other musician of bremen (assuming the other musician does come back from the states). 

horsemouth was reading the torygraph (his parents newspaper of choice). it is unsurprisingly pessimistic. strikes, inflation, cost of living crisis, declining academic standards, culture wars etc. but then they always were. 

yesterday several wanders on the common. his parents were excused shutting up the abbey (so horsemouth and his mum went up onto the common instead).