Classic Album Review-Chet Atkins “Finger-Style Guitar”
This is not a traditional country album, not by today’s standards, and especially not by 1957 standards, the year of it’s release. In fact, based on the albums being promoted on the back cover; a Mario Lanza release, “Madame Butterfly”, and The Chicago Symphony; RCA didn’t even have country listeners in mind on this release.
And yet, while the album is a collection of pop and classical selections of the time, there’s still somewhat of a country feel to the overall presentation by Mr. Atkins.
This is a good album, though. I think this is Chet Atkins at his best; playing a varied selection of songs, all with minimal backing, which gives the listener an almost unimpeded access the Chet’s virtuoso playing.
The disc begins with the bouncy “Swedish Rhapsody”, a cut which certainly has to be considered one of the album’s many highlights. “Liza” is another; a close listen really shows off Chet’s incredible talent. I won’t even try to describe how this song is; words are useless. One has to hear to understand.
Chet takes Glenn Miller’s classic “In The Mood”, strips it down, slows it’s tempo just a bit, and the result is another of the album’s highlights.
Those who are old enough to remember the 1940′s, or else are well-versed in 1940′s pop music, will be familiar with the Ted Weems hit, “Heartaches”. Chet glides through this one seemingly so effortlessly, as he does with most songs.
“Dance Of The Goldenrod” and “Petite Waltz” may not be standout tracks, but Chet’s handling of these two selections, makes them more than merely listenable.
Much like “Heartaches”, “Adelita” is another track where the word effortless comes to mind when I hear it. This is a song that just sounds like it would be difficult to play for most people. But Chet just effortlessly glides through the continual switches between major and minor chords, like it’s no big deal.
Chet tackles classical music with “Gavotte in D” and Brahm’s “Waltz In A Flat”. Both are excellent cuts, but “Waltz In A Flat” is especially worthy of praise. Intimate, tender, beautiful.
“Unchained Melody” is the first of at least two versions Chet recorded in his career (the other, on a later album with Hank Snow). Again, the words intimate and beautiful are the only ones worthy of description for this cut. When hearing this version, one feels like this is what the song’s writer surely had in mind, when he first set the melody to paper.
Chet wraps up the album with the Spanish-flavored “Malaguena”, a song that I’ve heard guitar players say is very tough to play. As expected, though, Chet breezes through it, and the result is yet another outstanding cut from the master.
This album is actually available on CD (an import) and MP3 download. And although now discontinued, you may still find some CD copies of a package in which this was released with another of his albums, “Stringin’ Along”, though it looks to be somewhat pricey. I was also a bit surprised to see so many vinyl copies on the market, most in the $5-$15 range. There were even a few copies for sale of the album on extended play 45′s. Remember those?
This is the best Chet Atkins album in my collection, and in the opinion of many of his fans, one of his best, ever. This one easily rates a 5 out of 5.
I once read a quote from Eddy Arnold about Chet. While I don’t recall it, word-for-word, basically he said that when they debate the world’s greatest guitar players, the argument starts with who’s number two, because everyone agrees who’s number one, Chet Atkins.
MORE GREAT MUSIC FROM CHET AND MORE
“Chet Atkins Picks On The Beatles”
Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler “Neck And Neck”
Charlie McCoy – “Good Time Charlie”
Interestingly enough, Atlins regarded Jerry Reed as the greatest guitar picker in the world. Chet may have been right
Jerry certainly is one of the best, no doubt. And unfortunately, I think he’s a bit underrated, as well. We always hear Atkins, Clark, Clapton, Hendrix, etc. Certainly, all are masters of the strings, but Jerry Reed has to be included in the mix, as well. He was in the same league as these masters.