Guitar Country/More Of That Guitar Country

Performer: Chet Atkins
Engineer: Al Pachucki
Producer: Bob Ferguson
Distributor: Gotham Distributing Corp.

Notes: 2 LPs on 1 CD: GUITAR COUNTRY (1964)/MORE OF THAT GUITAR COUNTRY (1965). Originally released on RCA (2783) & RCA (3429). Recording information: Nashville Sound Studio, Nashville, TN. Arranger: Chet Atkins. Chet Atkins is a great guitar player. His fingerpicking style set the pace in the '50s, leading budding guitarists to play his LPs at slower speeds to discover the master's technique. Atkins' genius, however, has not always come across in the recording studio. As author of the Nashville sound, he has often found it expedient to add background singing, strings, and syrupy arrangements to his records. These problems crop up on Guitar Country/More of That Guitar Country, but they are less "problems" than distractions. Atkins, even in less than perfect situations, still plays guitar like no one else. He covers a number of classics -- "Sugarfoot Rag," "Freight Train," and "Nine Pound Hammer" -- but also shows himself to be a "with it" guy by tackling "Blowin' in the Wind" and Donovan's "Catch the Wind." Atkins' trademark style of combining chords with a steady bassline comes across wonderfully on Johnny Cash's "Understand Your Man" and the original "My Town." One would be remiss for not mentioning that More of That Country Guitar kicks off with "Yakety Axe," a lovely guitar romp like no other. It is perhaps odd, now that most music comes on CDs, to realize that many LPs lasted no more than 30 minutes. This, however, has allowed Collectables to put both of these records onto one CD, giving the listener nearly 60 minutes of prime Chet Atkins. For guitar players and fans, Guitar Country/More of That Guitar Country will be an enjoyable release. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

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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