Chet Atkins Albums (66)
'Chet Atkins at Home'
Release Date 2/11/2008
Tracks 12
Label U'Ground Connection
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What The Critics Say
The photo of Chet Atkins thoughtfully leaning on his guitar, surrounded by now-coveted vintage recording equipment in his knotty pine-paneled home recording studio, immediately conjures cozy images of the 1950s. Yet the record still sounds timeless for its musical beauty and taste, as well as a catholic repertoire that now falls completely outside the boundaries of Nashville country. There is some elegantly played Ellington ("Sophisticated Lady"), two Lecuona tunes ("Say Si Si," "Jungle Drums"), novelties like "Nagasaki," and a clever contrapuntal teaming of two tunes ("Yankee Doodle Dixie") where Atkins ends the Civil War by uniting Northern sophistication and Southern down-home feeling. As usual, he employs harmonics, the tremolo bar, electronic echo, and reverb effects with discretion and restraint. In addition, the record allegedly features an early electronic accompanying instrument that Atkins called the "Invisible Bass Man," which is almost as inaudible as it is invisible. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
'Discover Japan'
Release Date 3/5/2002
Tracks 13
Label BMG International
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What The Critics Say
This critically acclaimed 1980 release by two musical legends has finally made it to CD, and listeners are all the more fortunate because of it. Two of the finest guitarists the world has ever produced are together on one fun-filled record. It's odd to imagine, but a fact nonetheless, that Doc Watson and Chet Atkins both sprang from the Great Smoky Mountains at almost the same time, and really didn't grow up all that far down the road from one another. It's also interesting to note that each of them idolized the guitarist Merle Travis to such an extent that both men named their children after the picker (Doc's son, Merle Watson, and Chet's daughter, Merle Atkins). Chet Atkins was by far one of the most popular guitarists of all time, and his six-string magic shines brightly here. The red-hot picking flows like water from a backyard faucet on "Dill Pickle Rag," an old '30s ragtime number. More ragtime is included in the medley "Tennessee Rag/Beaumont Rag"; "Texas Gales/Old Joe Clark," is another medley that allows both musicians to show their stuff. The flat-picking is marvelous. The same holds true for "Black and White/Ragtime Annie." "Flatt Did It" was written by Atkins and Watson to commemorate the musical accomplishments of their friend, the late Lester Flatt, and they fill the piece with enough Flatt-inspired licks to please any Flatt & Scruggs fan. There are also some really nice vocals on the record, one of the finest of which is "You're Gonna Be Sorry," an old Alton and Rabon Delmore tune from the '40s. There is also the tongue-in-cheek "Me and Chet Made a Record" and the outstanding Karl Davis composition "Don't Monkey 'Round My Widder." "Goodnight Waltz" is a beautiful old Midnight Ramblers song, and Atkins and Watson create an impressive interpretation from beginning to end. The set closes with the foot-stompin' spiritual "On My Way to Canaan's Land," with an arrangement from Atkins and Watson that incorporates a few names of fellow country music artists, adding another personal touch to an already deeply personal recording. ~ Michael B. Smith, All Music Guide
'The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World'
Release Date 3/11/1997
Tracks 11
Label Sony
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What The Critics Say
At 73, with hundreds of albums and countless sessions to his credit, Chet Atkins still had another great recording in him -- this splendid duo session with the young Australian guitarist/composer Tommy Emmanuel. Here, Atkins leaves all of the smooth jazz experiments from the previous decade and a half behind him, choosing superior material for their acoustic guitars, with the rhythm section laying down swinging country-pie tracks underneath. Emmanuel's fingerpicking style isn't quite as tied to the rhythm as Atkins'; it's a little sharper in attack, fleeter in technique and a bit flashier in temperament, yet remarkably well-matched to that of the east Tennessee master, almost an alter ego. Indeed Atkins' tune "Tip Toe Through the Bluegrass" plays the two styles off each other quite revealingly. Emmanuel turns out to be a top-notch tunesmith in his own right, too. His "Dixie McGuire," a disarmingly affectionate mid-tempo tune that won't let you go, inspires a performance that is one of the high points of Atkins' Columbia period -- or for that matter, equal to anything from his long RCA period, too, in sheer emotional effect. The title track, which Atkins adapted from a lyric that dealt with bass players (as opposed to fingerpickers), finds the two reciting and singing a mock-horror flick tale -- and "Ode to Mel Bay" good-naturedly mocks beginning string players everywhere. As a tribute to the visitor from Down Under, there is also a slyly countrified "Waltzing Matilda." This would be Atkins' last album of new material released during the 20th century -- leaving it, glory be, on a very high note. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On this album of nearly solo guitar instrumentals, Chet Atkins plays with his usual ease and dexterity, beginning with some tasty originals and gradually moving into such standards as "Mr. BoJangles" and "Cheek to Cheek." The most unusual track is the in-concert vocal performance "I Still Write Your Name in the Snow," which is a bit more risque than you might expect, but makes a welcome change of pace. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Almost two decades after their series of collaborations had apparently run its course, Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed returned for an encore -- a most welcome one. This reunion starts out on Atkins' new contemporary jazz-flavored turf, with comfortable associates like bassist David Hungate, keyboardist Darryl Dybka, rhythm guitarist Paul Yandell, and familiar guests like fiddler Mark O'Connor and guitarist Mark Knopfler filling in the band. But before long, the old Atkins/Reed country ways filter in, the rapport and good humor between the two intact and bubbling on "Here We Are," trading and stealing licks from each other with acute, long-simmering telepathy. There are a few attractive Reed originals to be savored, including a remake of the picking special "The Claw" and a dignified duet on a tune entitled "Major Attempt at a Minor Thing." Knopfler again plays a key guest role on an Atkins album, giving "Cajun Stripper" much of its chugging drive and lending a hand to the most memorable tune on the CD, "Gibson Girl," a double-entendre ode to a favorite guitar. A few star singers like Suzy Bogguss and Amy Grant turn up in the chorus on "Nifty Fifties" -- and the sauntering title track truly sneaks up on you. ~ Richard Ginell, All Music Guide
'East Tennessee Christmas'
Release Date 10/25/1990
Tracks 12
Label Sony
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What The Critics Say
Chet Atkins' '80s makeover into a contemporary crossover jazz guitar player continues unabated here, with a difference. With keyboardist Darryl Dybka co-producing, the level of material is somewhat higher than it had been on some earlier albums, boosted by a handful of superior rock tunes. "Chinook Wind" has an interesting, terse tune, and the track has a tension that keeps it afloat, while "Put Your Clothes On" -- co-written with fiddler Johnny Gimble -- brings a native country flavor into the smooth jazz recipe. There is a touching, perfectly straight rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" for acoustic and electric guitars without rhythm section, and John Sebastian's "Daydream" is given a boogie/Latin feeling. "Knucklebusters" is a very good Atkins original, with a tense bass guitar theme, chugging electronic drums, and some of Atkins' old effects (echo delay, tremelo bar) for old times' sake. Finally, in a live concert appearance, Atkins takes to the microphone on "I Still Can't Say Goodbye," a poignant, almost tearful tune about a fellow who can't quite shake the memory of his dad. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Another of Chet Atkins' attempts to break into the jazz world during his Columbia period, this recording veers well across the line into new age music -- at this point in time, when a record opened with soothing ocean waves, followed by a gentle wash of synths, you could pretty much expect the new age to be lapping at your feet throughout. As he has with so many other genres, Atkins displays an instinctive grasp of this feel-good idiom. Yet even amidst the twittering sound effects and electronic drums of "Up in My Treehouse," Atkins' guitar always exudes dignity. Encouragingly, several of the tunes that Atkins composed himself are the most interesting ones on the disc. "Laffin' at Life" allows for some fingerpicking by the master and some OK doodling by other guitarists and keyboardists, and the smooth jazz "On a Roll" has other facets of the Atkins personality, with Earl Klugh apparently taking a guest solo. One of Atkins' favorite latter-day collaborators, Mark Knopfler, is also on the record. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
