I remember hearing Chet say that he sounded like 2 bad guitar players playing at the same time. Because so much is going on with his right hand when he plays, it actually sounds like 2 or 3 guitar players. I must admit it’s nice to see that some areas of country music are heading back to their roots and bringing back the “twang” – sorry Chet.Chet is best known for his finger-style technique on his right hand, which always consisted of a walking bass line (his thumb), and a rhythm and melody (his second, third, and fourth fingers). To help increase country album sales, Chet helped create the “Nashville Sound” which was basically a movement to scrap all of the fiddles and pedal steel guitars and “twang” that had been associated with country music up to that point and introduce a more contemporary, “produced” sound with heavy back-up vocals from groups like the Jordanaires and even orchestral string arrangements. In the late 1950’s as rock n roll became more and more popular, traditional country albums sales were starting to decline. Chet worked as a session player and backed up several great acts in his early career before graduating on to a solo artist and then on to a prominent Nashville producer, producing acts such as Waylon Jennings and Elvis Presley. It wasn’t until I analyzed what was actually going that I began to realize what a genius he was.īorn Jin Luttrell, Tennessee, Chet Atkins was a pioneer that helped reinvent the guitar. I thought it sounded clean and simple and… well, nice. and to be honest, when I heard my first Chet Atkins album (my dad’s), I wasn’t immediately blown away. Even if you never refer another album to me, which is highly unlikely, you have given me the gift of a lifetime with “Neck and Neck”, which I’m hoping to pay forward.So you may be asking, what’s the big deal about Chet Atkins? When I first started becoming obsessed with learning the guitar I kept reading article after article about Chet Atkins and how he pioneered this or influenced that. I’m glad we can still get out there and punish ourselves, as it is always worth it when it is done. Even if you are eternally youthful to the point of being confused for my son during a marathon, when in fact you are four years older than I am, I still love you as I do all of my running friends, Dwayne, David and his Oingo Boingo devotion, Steve and some great names from the past like Jim, Mike, and David the Sloth. You inspire me with your intelligence and unmatched work ethic, and you have always pushed me to be a better person and a better runner.
Mike, thank you for almost 30 years of friendship. The last song, featuring Knopfler, “The Next Time in Town”, is a perfect closer to this amazing album you probably haven’t discovered… yet.ĭr. “So Soft, Your Goodbye” is another incredibly well-played country ballad, and “Yakety Axe”, featuring Atkins, is a clever parody of the Boots Randolph song “Yakety Sax”. “ Ohh, I miss you so, Ohhh I need you so, I’d give this heart of mine, If I could see you just one time.” This song is about separation, distance, and sadness, and although I hope the ending in real life is better than the state of this song, it has some highly relevant and heartwarming lyrics that speak to my long-distance girl Christie.
My favorite song is “Just One Time”, another beautiful Don Gibson ballad, again featuring their sweet blended harmony vocals. Mark isn’t quite convinced, but it is a hilarious listen and the dueling guitars are spectacular.
Perhaps the most entertaining song on the record is “There’ll Be Some Changes Made”, where the lovably square Atkins tries to convince Knopfler he’s ready for the rock and roll lifestyle, complete with money for nothing and chicks for free. “Sweet Dreams” is one of several 1950s country songs by Don Gibson that they cover on the album. The album opens with a great song, “Poor Boy Blues”, which was the only single they released from this record, and you can clearly hear that distinct Knopfler guitar sound wrapped within their wonderfully paired harmony vocals.
Mike and I, they are an eclectic pairing, but this is a beautiful album you probably haven’t heard, but probably should. While he helped me expand my appreciation for reggae and Bob Marley, his biggest gift musically to me is today’s album, “Neck and Neck”, a collaboration between the old-school country guitarist Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler, leader of the Dire Straits. I would often borrow CDs from Mike’s office as we could listen to music while we worked. Mike and I first met as coworkers in 1994, and formed a friendship around basketball, running, and music. Today’s album came into my life specifically because of one particular Mike we will call him Dr. Of my many friends in the world, by far the most common name among them is Mike.
0 kommentar(er)
