Essential

Chet Atkins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 18, 1996)
• Original Release Date: June 18, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000002WX4
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,994 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #81 in Music > Country > Instrumental

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Legendary Masters of the Guitar, February 25, 2000

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Essential (Audio CD)

Chet Atkins is not the most flambouyant guitarist, but his skill and technique make him not only one of country music's best guitarists, but a highly influential guitar player during the formative years of rock 'n' roll, having played guitar on most of the Everly Brothers early recordings including "Bye Bye Love" and "Wake Up Little Susie."

This 20-track collection begins with a 1954 recording of "Mr. Sandman" and concludes with 1982's "Chet's Medley." Heavily influenced by Merle Travis, this mostly instrumental set shows why Atkins is Nashville's superpicker. [The lone vocal is a duet with Doc Watson on "On My Way to Canaan's Land."] His song selections run the gamut from country to pop to tin pan alley to movie themes and all stops in between.

If this set leaves you wanting more, try and track down the two-disc set The RCA Years. Also superb is the two-fer set with Les Paul--Chester & Lester/Guitar Monsters and the pairing with Mark Knopfler on Neck and Neck. But the Essential Chet Atkins will serve adequately as a primer for this legendary guitarist. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED [Running time - 52:57]

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe not the first, but without a doubt the best, January 26, 2001

By 

Joel D. Berg (Harvard, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential (Audio CD)

Maybe Merle Travis invented fingerstyle guitar, but Chet Atkins perfected the artform. This is the perfect CD for ANY music fan. The instrumental classics run the gamut from pop melodies, such as "Mr. Sandman," "Alley Cat," and "Yesterday," to down home, foot stomping country and bluegrass guitar classics!

The highlights of this CD are the several duets Chet plays with other guitar greats. Anyone who really thinks they can play guitar should listen to Chet and Jerry Reed pair up on "Jerry's Breakdown," which is so blindingly fast it sounds like two banjo players on amphetamines. As if that weren't enough, listen to Chet's fingerstyle approach blend with the flat picking wizardry of Doc Watson on "Tennessee Rag/Beaumont Rag." As a sixth-year guitar player, I was stunned that anyone could play so well.

However, you need not be a guitar player to appreciate and love this CD. Anyone who loves music of all genres interpreted and played to perfection will enjoy this collection.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Country Guitar Player, March 21, 2002

By 

W. Grandy (windsor, nova scotia Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Essential (Audio CD)

I'm sure Les Paul and Chet Atkins did more for the guitar than anyone of their generation. This great album scans most of his career and includes everything from 'Yakety Axe' and spin-off of Boots Randolphs' 'Yakety Sax' to a Beatle tune. I always found the trio of Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph and Chet Atkins entertaining.