Chet Atkins "Galloping Guitar: The Early Years" (Bear Family Records, 1993)
A 4-disc collection covering Atkin's earliest work, from 1946-54 (not including the countless sessions he played on other people's records...) A ton of great music, plus all the great Bear Family archival material -- old photos, liner notes, the works!!
Chet Atkins "The Essential" (RCA Nashville, 1996)
A nice, compact collection of his work on RCA. The fella sure could pick guitar, as can be heard on these recordings (Note: in 2007, a revised, 2-CD set came out, which is meant to replace this single-disc collection... See below!)
Chet Atkins "RCA Country Legends" (BMG/Buddah Records, 2001)
Another best-of set, although this one -- like others in the Country Legends series -- pleasantly tilts towards lesser-known material. So much so, in fact, that there is only one song shared between this disc and the 2-CD Essential collection that came out a few years later. If you're an Atkins buff, looking for more material on CD, this is a mighty fine option!
Chet Atkins "Mr. Guitar - The Complete Recordings: 1955-1960" (Bear Family Records, 2004)
This 7-CD set follows up on the earlier Bear Family box, gathering all of Atkin's solo work from the late 1950s, an incredibly prolific period where he veered away from his hillbilly roots and established himself as one of the slickest, sleekest superpickers in town. A must-have item for diehard fans, though only a distant fetish item for the rest of us...
Chet Atkins "The Early Years: 1946-1957" (Proper Records)
This 5-disc package mirrors the Bear Family box set, but without the fancy packaging and the depth of archival presentation... Pretty cool, though, if you're just looking for the music.
Chet Atkins "The Essential Chet Atkins: The Columbia Years" (Sony Records, 2004)
Atkins spent several decades helming RCA Nashville, and his stint with the Columbia label (1983-97) came late in his career. Of course, he'd long since established his predilection for softer, EZ-style music, though it must be said that these recordings are particularly muzak-y and syrupy. Fine playing, as always, and if easy listening is your bag, this is the real deal, with forays into classical music and hippish-hoppish production to boot. From a country perspective, though, this set doesn't have that much to offer...
Chet Atkins "The Essential Chet Atkins" (Sony-BMG Legacy, 2007)
(Various producers)
A great set profiling one of the hottest guitarists of the 20th Century... This is an excellent upgrade from the similarly-titled, single-disc RCA Essential best-of collection that came out a decade ago... This 2-CD set ranges wider, reaches back further and gives a better picture of Atkins' overall career. This is partly because of sheer size -- there are twice as many tracks -- but also, I'll admit it, because of the real-life synergy brought to bear by the merger of the Sony and BMG labels. The second disc closes with a series of duets, including one with Jerry Reed and another with Mark Knopfler that the old BMG best-of couldn't have included, since they come from old, Sony-owned albums. There are also several tracks earlier on that highlight Chet's behind-the-scenes studio work, with stunning backup on tracks such as "Should We Tell Him" by the Everly Brothers and Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me." His own albums were all over the map -- I suppose Atkins could generally be pegged as an "easy listening" artist, but he had a lot of twang in there as well, particularly on the earliest stuff from the late 1940s and early '50s. Lounge fans will enjoy the numerous instrumental covers of showtunes and '50s/'60s standards, but the would-be co-optations of rock'n'roll ("Boo Boo Stick Beat," "Teen Scene") and spy jazz ("Slinkey," "Man Of Mystery," etc.) are just plain fun, even after all these years. Chet's relationship with his protege and righthand man, Jerry Reed, could have been explored further, but as an introduction to the legacy of Nashville's #1 axeman, this collection is hard to beat. Recommended!
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The Country All-Stars "Jazz From The Hills" (Bear Family Records, 1993)
This high-powered team of Nashville studio superpickers included Chet Atkins, George Barnes, Jethro Burns, Jerry Byrd, Homer Haynes, fiddler Dale Potter and others, plunking out playful jazz with a twangy touch... This collection includes the entire 1953 String Dustin' 10" as well as other sessions led by guitarist George Barnes, but with significant overlap in the musicians. Want to hear Chet Atkins indulge his jazz sweet tooth? And Jerry Byrd adding a few spiffy licks on the steel guitar? Then you'll want to check this one out... it's a mighty fine record!
Chet Atkins "Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar" (RCA Victor, 1952) (10-inch LP)
Chet Atkins "Stringin' Along With Chet Atkins" (RCA Victor, 1953) (10-inch LP)
Chet Atkins & The Country All-Stars "String Dustin' " (1953)
Chet Atkins "A Session With Chet Atkins" (RCA Victor, 1954) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Stringin' Along With Chet Atkins" (RCA Victor, 1955)
Chet Atkins "Chet Atkins In Three Dimensions" (RCA Victor, 1955)
Chet Atkins "Finger Style Guitar" (RCA Victor, 1956)
Chet Atkins "Chet Atkins At Home" (RCA Victor, 1957)
Later reissued in an expanded, CD-era version as Chet Atkins At Home... Plus.
Chet Atkins "Hi Fi In Focus" (RCA Victor, 1957)
Chet Atkins "Chet Atkins In Hollywood" (RCA Victor, 1959)
Chet Atkins "Hum & Strum Along With Chet Atkins" (RCA Victor, 1959) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Mister Guitar" (RCA Victor, 1959)
The Nashville All-Stars "After The Riot At Newport" (RCA Victor, 1960)
A live set from the Fourth of July, 1960, with the Nashville All-Stars, a country/jazz supergroup including Chet Atkins, Gary Burton (vibraphone), Brenton Banks (piano and violin), Floyd Cramer (piano), Hank Garland (guitar) Buddy Harman (drums), Bob Moore (bass), and Boots Randolph on tenor sax... Some of these guys had played on Garland's jazz recordings of the same era.
Chet Atkins "Teensville" (RCA Victor, 1960)
Chet Atkins "The Other Chet Atkins" (RCA Victor, 1960)
Chet Atkins "Christmas With Chet Atkins" (RCA Victor, 1961)
Nashville's superpicker of superpickers gets homey with the holiday spirit... This'll hit the spot if you're up for a bit of twangy yuletide cheer. (For more Christmas music, check out my Hillbilly Holiday section.)
Chet Atkins "The Most Popular Guitar" (RCA Victor, 1961)
Chet Atkins "Back Home Hymns" (RCA Victor, 1962)
The ever-silky Atkins touch is applied to a dozen old-time hymns, some better known than others. Chet takes it slow, which is pretty nice on the more vigorous melodies, (like "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" and "Lonesome Valley"). On the churchier numbers, though, it can get a little leaden. A nice new take on this traditional material, with Chet's buttery electric guitar weaving a whole new experience of these fine old tunes.
Chet Atkins "Caribbean Guitar" (RCA Victor, 1962)
Chet Atkins "Down Home" (RCA Victor, 1962)
Chet Atkins "Our Man In Nashville" (RCA Victor, 1963) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Teen Scene" (RCA Victor, 1963)
Chet Atkins "Travelin' " (RCA Victor, 1963)
Chet Atkins "Guitar Country" (RCA Victor, 1964)
Chet Atkins & Hank Snow "Reminiscing" (RCA Victor, 1964) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Progressive Pickin' " (RCA Victor, 1964) (LP)
Chet Atkins "My Favorite Guitars" (RCA Victor, 1965)
Chet Atkins "More Of That Guitar Country" (RCA Victor, 1965)
Chet Atkins "Chet Atkins Picks On The Beatles" (RCA Victor, 1966)
Chet Atkins "From Nashville With Love" (RCA Victor, 1966) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Music From Nashville, My Home Town" (RCA-Camden, 1966)
Chet Atkins With Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops "The Pops Goes Country" (RCA Victor, 1966) (LP)
Chet Atkins "It's A Guitar World" (RCA Victor, 1967)
Chet Atkins "Picks The Best" (RCA Victor, 1967) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Class Guitar" (RCA Victor, 1967) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Hometown Guitar" (RCA Victor, 1968) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Solid Gold '68" (RCA Victor, 1968) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Solo Flights" (RCA Victor, 1968)
Chet Atkins "Lover's Guitar" (RCA Victor, 1969) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Solid Gold '69" (RCA Victor, 1969) (LP)
Chet Atkins & The Nashville String Band "The Nashville String Band" (RCA Victor, 1969)
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Chet Atkins With Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops "Chet Picks On The Pops" (RCA Victor, 1969) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Yestergroovin' " (RCA Victor, 1970) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Solid Gold '70" (RCA Victor, 1970) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Pickin' My Way" (RCA Victor, 1970)
Chet Atkins & The Nashville String Band "Down Home" (RCA Victor, 1970) (LP)
Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed "Me & Jerry" (RCA Victor, 1970)
Chet Atkins & Hank Snow "C.B. Atkins & C.E. Snow - By Special Request" (RCA Victor, 1970) (LP)
Chet Atkins "For The Good Times... And Other Country Moods" (RCA Victor, 1971) (LP)
Quick note: the word "moods" in the context of any late 1960s/early '70s Nashville album means "bad," or more precisely, "cheesy." This is always true, no exceptions. How bad is this album? Well, it won a Grammy in 1971 for an instrumental version of Anne Murray's "Snowbird." That's how bad. You've been warned.
Chet Atkins & The Nashville String Band "Strung Up" (RCA Victor, 1971) (LP)
Chet Atkins & The Nashville String Band "Identified!" (RCA Victor, 1971) (LP)
Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed "Me & Chet" (RCA Victor, 1972)
Chet Atkins "...Picks On The Hits" (RCA Victor, 1972)
Chet Atkins & The Nashville String Band "The Bandit" (RCA Victor, 1972) (LP)
Chet Atkins & The Nashville String Band "World's Greatest Melodies" (RCA Victor, 1972) (LP)
Chet Atkins/Floyd Cramer/Boots Randolph "Chet, Floyd & Boots" (RCA Victor, 1972)
Chet Atkins With Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops "American Salute" (RCA Victor, 1972) (LP)
Chet Atkins "Alone" (RCA Victor, 1973)
Chet Atkins "Superpickers" (RCA Victor, 1973)
Chet Atkins "...Picks On Jerry Reed" (RCA Victor, 1974) (LP)
Chet Atkins & Merle Travis "The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show" (RCA Victor, 1974)
This album won the 1974 Grammy for Best Country Instrumental)
Chet Atkins "The Night Atlanta Burned" (RCA Victor, 1975)
Chet Atkins "...Goes To The Movies" (RCA Victor, 1975) (LP)
Chet Atkins & Les Paul "Chester & Lester" (Sony-BMG Legacy, 1976)
(Various producers)
This super-mellow, but super-fabled collaboration between two of the world's most highly regarded super-pickers won a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental. And why not?? Les Paul perfected the solid-body electric guitar, and Chet Atkins was certainly one of the players who made the most of his invention. The two old coots were certainly on the same wavelength and completely simpatico with each other, as they glide through these super-mellow versions of evergreens such as "Avalon," "Caravan," Moonglow" and "Deed I Do..." It's a bit too softcore for me, but others, particularly guitarists who want to learn the tricks of the masters, will find this set to be a real treasure. (Note: a 2007 reissue included four bonus tracks, including some more informal-sounding rehearsals...)
Chet Atkins "Me And My Guitar" (RCA Victor, 1977)
Chet Atkins/Floyd Cramer/Danny Davis "Chet, Floyd & Danny" (RCA Victor, 1977) (LP)
Chet Atkins & Les Paul "Guitar Monsters" (RCA Victor, 1978)
Chet Atkins "...And The First Nashville Guitar Quartet" (RCA Victor, 1979)
With Liona Boyd, John Knowles and John Pell...
Chet Atkins & Doc Watson "Reflections" (Sugar Hill Records, 1980)
Chet Atkins "Country After All These Years" (RCA Victor, 1981) (LP)
Chet Atkins & Lenny Breau "Standard Brands" (CBS Records, 1981)
Like Chet Atkins, jazz guitarist Lenny Breau has serious country roots: he was the son of New England hillbilly stars Hal Lone Pine and Betty Cody, and played in their family band as a kid. So he and Chet are kindred spirits, as you can hear on this groovy duos set...
Chet Atkins "Work It Out With Chet Atkins C.G.P." (CBS Records, 1983) (LP)
Chet Atkins "East Tennessee Christmas" (CBS Records, 1983)
Chet Atkins/Various Artists "Stay Tuned" (Columbia Records, 1983)
Chet Atkins "Street Dreams" (Columbia Records, 1986)
Chet Atkins "Sails" (Columbia Records, 1987)
Chet Atkins "Chet Atkins, C.G.P." (Columbia Records, 1988)
Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler "Neck & Neck" (Columbia Records, 1990)
Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed "Sneakin' Around" (Columbia Records, 1991)
Chet Atkins & Amy Grant "The Gingham Dog And The Calico Cat" (Rabbit Ears Records, 1993)
A children's spoken word story album, made with Christian pop star Amy Grant.
Chet Atkins "Read My Licks" (1994)
Chet Atkins & Suzy Bogguss "Simpatico" (Liberty Records, 1994)
Darn. This album opens with a fun, jauntily stripped-down acoustic version of the Jimmie Rodgers oldie, "In The Jailhouse Now" -- exactly the kind of sound I was hoping this album would have -- but it soon slides into soft, over-orchestrated Nashville pop, stuff that misses the mark, as far as I'm concerned. There are a couple of tunes that dip back into the simpler style (and they are also pretty nice), but this is one of those guess-they-just-can't-help-themselves outings in which two talented artists who have sometimes-rootsy leanings let their love of studio technique get the best of them. These two are, indeed, simpatico, but their compatibility extends to the poppy stuff as well as the more traditional.
Chet Atkins "Almost Alone" (Columbia Nashville, 1996)
Chet Atkins & Tommy Emmanuel "The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World" (1997)
Chet Atkins "Solo Sessions" (CGP Records, 2003)
Links
Superpicker Chet Atkins (1924-2003) had an awful lot of influence on the growth of the country music industry and the stylistic direction the music took in the post-WWII era. He played on a bazillion hillbilly and pop sessions in the late '40s and early '50s, and perfected a super-smooth, note-perfect style that many will say has never been matched. More importantly, though, was his work as head of A&R for RCA Nashville, where Atkins had a formative impact on the development of country music. Not an entirely positive influence, to be sure, since he was a primary architect of the dreaded, overly-sophisticated "Nashville Sound," which in turn led to the even more dreaded "countrypolitan" pop-country fusion of the late 1960s and '70s, and by extension, every pop-oriented stylistic watering down ever since... Still, the dude is a legend, and deservedly so. Here's a quick look at his work.
