Pickin' the Hits

Performer: Chet Atkins
Artist: Mark Knopfler; Larry Carlton; Jerry Reed
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel includes: Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler, Larry Carlton, Jerry Reed (guitar). Sony Special Products' Pickin' the Hits culls ten covers of pop tunes that Chet Atkins recorded for Columbia Records over the years. Although the songs date from all different eras, from Gershwin's "Summertime" and Gone with the Wind's "Tara's Theme" to John Lennon's "Imagine" and Don McLean's "Vincent," they were all recorded in the'80s and '90s, which gives the album some sort of sonic consistency, at least. That said, the collection remains a little weak, largely because these are tasteful but curiously flat performances. Still, fans enamored with Atkins' flirtations with smooth jazz/pop/country fusion may find this budget priced compilation to be an enjoyable listen and perhaps even a bargain. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Among fingerstyle country guitar players, perhaps only Merle Travis can rival Chet Atkins, whose distinctive sound defined an entire generation of Nashville country. Atkins has played an equally important role as a record producer. As RCA's chief Nashville producer in the '50s and '60s, Atkins oversaw sessions for Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Jim Reeves, Don Gibson, and countless others. He was one of the chief architects of the polished country style that came to be known as the "Nashville sound," but his own productions were more tasteful and appealing than those for which the genre is frequently lambasted. Atkins remained active into the '90s, but succumbed to cancer in 2001.

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