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Chet Atkins is more esteemed as a session musician and producer than as a solo artist, and critics have rightly noted that much of his immense catalog as a solo artist is unimpressive. It might thus be assumed that it would be difficult to pick a two-CD, 40-track career-spanning retrospective that would both represent much of his finest solo output and appeal to the general listener, not just the country music scholar. Happily, this set manages the difficult feat of doing exactly that, owing to intelligent selection of a wide cross-section of tracks, going all the way back to a 1946 single by Chester Atkins & the All-Star Hillbillies and all the way up to a 1995 recording (though most of the set predates 1970). Atkins' virtuosity as a guitarist has never been in question, but here it's allied with good material and taste, showing him as a fine blender of hillbilly, boogie, and jazz styles in a variety of contexts. It's mostly instrumental, of course, but wisely his talents as a sideman are showcased here and there too on vocal sides by the Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle, Eddy Arnold, the Everly Brothers, and Don Gibson. Even the pop standards are good when chosen this judiciously, and there are some surprisingly bold moves into more electric and rock-influenced territory on cuts like "Slinkey" (with its innovative tremolo), "Boo Boo Stick Beat," the Shadows cover "Man of Mystery," and "Teen Scene" (which he co-wrote with Jerry Reed). It might not be the ultimate Atkins compilation, given the sheer quantity of material the guitarist recorded. But it's a good -- and, more crucially, very listenable -- starting point for surveying his work as a solo artist.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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Chet Atkins, Composer - Chet Atkins, Lyricist - Chet Atkins & his Colorado Mountain Boys, Performer - Stephen H. Sholes, Producer
Originally recorded in 1947. All rights reserved by BMG Music.
Chet Atkins, Composer - Chet Atkins, Lyricist - Chet Atkins & his Colorado Mountain Boys, Performer
Originally Recorded 1947. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Chet Atkins, Composer - Chet Atkins, Lyricist - Chet Atkins and his Guitar Pickers, Performer
(P) Recorded Prior To 1972. All Rights Reserved By BMG Music
Chet Atkins, Composer - Chet Atkins, Lyricist - Chet Atkins and his Guitar Pickers, Performer - Steve Sholes, Producer
(P) Recorded Prior To 1972. All Rights Reserved By BMG Music
Anita Carter, Bass - Charles Grean, Producer - Chet Atkins, Electric Guitar - Helen Carter, Acordeon - June Carter, Vocal - June Carter Cash, Composer - June Carter Cash, Lyricist - Maybelle Carter, Guitar - Mel Foree, Composer - Mel Foree, Lyricist - Mother Maybelle, Performer - Steve Sholes, Producer - The Carter Sisters, Performer
Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Chet Atkins, Performer - Fats Waller, Composer - Fats Waller, Lyricist - Stephen H. Sholes, Producer
Previously released in 1951. All rights reserved by BMG Music.
Anton Karas, Composer - Anton Karas, Lyricist - Chet Atkins and his Gallopin' Guitar, Performer - Stephen H. Sholes, Producer
Previously released in 1952. All rights reserved by BMG Music.
Chet Atkins, Performer - Steve Sholes, Producer - Tommy Magness, Composer - Tommy Magness, Lyricist
(P) Originally released in 1952. All rights reserved by BMG Music.
Boudleaux Bryant, Composer - Boudleaux Bryant, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Composer - Chet Atkins, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Performer
Originally released 1959. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Chet Atkins, Composer - Chet Atkins, Lyricist - Chet Atkins and his Gallopin' Guitar, Performer - Stephen H. Sholes, Producer
Previously released 1953. All right reserved by BMG Muisc.
Chet Atkins, Performer - Mike Lipskin, Producer - Pat Ballard, Composer - Pat Ballard, Lyricist
Originally recorded 1954 & released 1955. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Vocal - Marguerite A. Monnot, Composer - Marguerite A. Monnot, Lyricist - Margueritte Monnot, Composer - Margueritte Monnot, Lyricist - Mike Lipskin, Producer
Originally Recorded 1955. All rights reserved by BMG Music.
Chet Atkins, Performer - Eddy Arnold, Performer - Frank Loesser, Composer - Frank Loesser, Lyricist - Producer not documented on available sources, Producer
Originally recorded in 1956. All rights reserved by BMG Music.
Chet Atkins, Composer - Chet Atkins, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Producer
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Producer - James Rich, Composer - James Rich, Lyricist
Previously released in 1957. All rights reserved by BMG Music.
Chet Atkins, Producer - Don Gibson, Composer - Don Gibson, Lyricist - Don Gibson, Performer - Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer
Originally released 1957. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Producer - James Brockman, Composer - James Brockman, Lyricist - Jimmy Kennedy, Composer - Jimmy Kennedy, Lyricist - John W. Kellette, Composer - John W. Kellette, Lyricist - Nat Vincent, Composer - Nat Vincent, Lyricist
Originally released 1959. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Chet Atkins, Composer - Chet Atkins, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Producer
Originally released 1959. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
DISC 2
Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Producer - Elliot Federman, Re-Mastering Engineer - Harman, Composer - Harman, Lyricist - Loudermilk, Composer - Loudermilk, Lyricist
(P) Recorded prior to 1972. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Bud Isaacs, Composer - Bud Isaacs, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Producer
Originally released 1961. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Producer - Wayne Cogswell, Composer - Wayne Cogswell, Lyricist
Originally recorded in 1961. All rights reserved by BMG Music.
Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Producer - Michael Carr, Composer - Michael Carr, Lyricist
Previously released in 1961. All rights reserved by BMG Music.
Anita Kerr, Producer - Chet Atkins, Performer - Norman Petty, Composer - Norman Petty, Lyricist
Originally released 1963. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment.
Anita Kerr, Producer - Chet Atkins, Performer - Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins, Composer - Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins, Lyricist
Orginally released 1963. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment.
Bob Ferguson, Producer - Chet Atkins, Performer - Fred Williams, Composer - Fred Williams, Lyricist - Paul James, Composer - Paul James, Lyricist
Originally released 1964. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment.
Bob Ferguson, Producer - Chet Atkins, Performer - Johnny Smith, Composer - Johnny Smith, Lyricist
Originally released 1964. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bob Ferguson, Producer - Boots Randolph, Composer - Boots Randolph, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Performer - James Rich, Composer - James Rich, Lyricist
Originally released 1965. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bob Ferguson, Producer - Bobby Scott, Composer - Bobby Scott, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Performer - Ric Marlow, Composer - Ric Marlow, Lyricist
Originally released 1967. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bob Ferguson, Producer - Chet Atkins, Performer - J. Reed, Composer - J. Reed, Lyricist
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bob Ferguson, Producer - C. Atkins, Composer - C. Atkins, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Performer - J. Reed, Composer - J. Reed, Lyricist
Originally released 1968. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertainment
Bob Ferguson, Producer - Chet Atkins, Producer - Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed, Performer - Merle Travis, Composer - Merle Travis, Lyricist
Originally Recorded 1970. All rights reserved by BMG Music
Chet Atkins, Performer - Jorge Morel, Arranger - Paul Desmond, Composer - Paul Desmond, Lyricist
(P) 1975 Sony Music Entertainment
Chet Atkins, Producer - Chet Atkins & Merle Travis, Performer - Crawford, Recording Engineer - Francisco, Recording Engineer - Jerry Reed, Producer - Shel Silverstein, Composer - Shel Silverstein, Lyricist
(P) 1974 BMG Music
Bob Moore, Acoustic Bass - Bobby Thompson, Guitar - Chet Atkins, Producer - Chet Atkins & Les Paul, Performer - Henry Strzelecki, Acoustic Bass - Jule Styne, Composer - Jule Styne, Lyricist - Larrie Londin, Drums - Paul Yandell, Guitar - Randy Goodrum, Piano - Ray Edenton, Guitar - Sammy Cahn, Composer - Sammy Cahn, Lyricist
(P) 1976 BMG Music
Chet Atkins, Guitar - Chet Atkins, Recording Engineer - Jimmy Van Heusen, Composer - Jimmy Van Heusen, Lyricist - Johnny Burke, Composer - Johnny Burke, Lyricist - Lenny Breau, Guitar - Lenny Breau And Chet Atkins, Performer - Mike Poston, Recording Engineer - Mike Shockley, Recording Engineer
(P) 1981 BMG Music
Chet Atkins, Performer - Mark Knopfler, Performer - Mark Knopfler, Producer - P. Kennerly, Composer - P. Kennerly, Lyricist
(P) 1990 Sony Music Entertainment
Chet Atkins, Guitar - Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Producer - Darryl Dybka, Keyboards - Darryl Dybka, Producer - David Hungate, Bass - Jerry Reed, Guitar - Jerry Reed, Producer - Larrie London, Drums - Larrie Londin, Percussion - Pat Bergeson, Guitar - R.L. Kass, Composer - R.L. Kass, Lyricist - Terry McMillian, Harmonica
(P) 1992 Sony Music Entertainment
Bergen White, Arranger - Chet Atkins, Composer - Chet Atkins, Lyricist - Chet Atkins, Performer - Chet Atkins, Producer - Eric Rudd, Mixing Engineer - Jonathan Russell, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1996 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Album review
Chet Atkins is more esteemed as a session musician and producer than as a solo artist, and critics have rightly noted that much of his immense catalog as a solo artist is unimpressive. It might thus be assumed that it would be difficult to pick a two-CD, 40-track career-spanning retrospective that would both represent much of his finest solo output and appeal to the general listener, not just the country music scholar. Happily, this set manages the difficult feat of doing exactly that, owing to intelligent selection of a wide cross-section of tracks, going all the way back to a 1946 single by Chester Atkins & the All-Star Hillbillies and all the way up to a 1995 recording (though most of the set predates 1970). Atkins' virtuosity as a guitarist has never been in question, but here it's allied with good material and taste, showing him as a fine blender of hillbilly, boogie, and jazz styles in a variety of contexts. It's mostly instrumental, of course, but wisely his talents as a sideman are showcased here and there too on vocal sides by the Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle, Eddy Arnold, the Everly Brothers, and Don Gibson. Even the pop standards are good when chosen this judiciously, and there are some surprisingly bold moves into more electric and rock-influenced territory on cuts like "Slinkey" (with its innovative tremolo), "Boo Boo Stick Beat," the Shadows cover "Man of Mystery," and "Teen Scene" (which he co-wrote with Jerry Reed). It might not be the ultimate Atkins compilation, given the sheer quantity of material the guitarist recorded. But it's a good -- and, more crucially, very listenable -- starting point for surveying his work as a solo artist.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 40 track(s)
- Total length: 01:41:19
- Main artists: Chet Atkins
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: RCA - Legacy
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Country
(P) Compilation 2007 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
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