Customer Reviews

One Guitar, No Vocals

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Leo Kottke is a national treasure. He is our greatest living solo acoustic guitar virtuoso. Having said that, you'd expect his CDs to be at a very high level of brilliance. I have at least a dozen of his titles. If there is any trouble in deciding the merits of any one disc, it's because there are so many Kottke releases to choose from.

"One Guitar, No Vocals" clearly ranks as one of the best. The compositions tickle my brain, warm my heart, and put a bounce into my step. The guitar playing is dazzling. You really get a glimpse of the man behind the guitar by listening to this music - brilliant, thoughtful, odd, complex, quirky, a huge heart, and the wackiest sense of humor. It's spirited music, so thoroughly drenched in the personality of its creator that it's unmistakably and immediately recognizable as Leo.

The world is full of acoustic guitar instrumentalists these days. Some of them are quite excellent. Many are not. But there is only one Leo Kottke. And his guitar music is a gift to the world.

A very strong recommendation for this CD.

If you see Kottke perform today, like his style, and want to pick up one of his discs, 'One Guitar, No Vocals' is a good start for your Kottke collection.

After being laid low with chronic tendonitis in the mid-80's, I didn't think Leo would ever approach the level of playing he had on his Takoma debut, `6 and 12 String Guitar' (see my review).

`One Guitar, No Vocals' was a real surprise. I rank this and `Standing in My Shoes' as the best of his recordings in the last ten or so years.

On `6&12 String', he blew you away with speed and power, a falling-down-the-hill-head-over-heels kind of sound. On `OGNV'. Leo reinvented his style of playing. It may be a slower, more mature style, but he replaces the speed and power with finesse and intricate fingerpicking.

Each piece evokes a mood, whether it be a romantic walk in the woods on a cool autumn day (Three/Quarter North), whimsicality (Snorkel), instrumental storytelling (Morning is a Long way Home), or several versions of one melody(Accordion Bells).

Veteran Kottke fans will appreciate Leo's `riff recycling', a thing he typically does in his music. In `Snorkel` a bit of `Mona Ray' (Dreams and All that Stuff )leaks in. Leo gives us a new acoustic version of `Morning is a Long Way Home' (`Ice Water'). I even think I might have heard a bit of `Monkey Lust' (`Mudlark') drifting through `Too Fast'.

This guy is simply one of a kind - a true artist that doesnt care a bit about commercial success. Aside from his technical wizardry, Kottke is also a master song or "tune" writer. His albums are always full of energy and never dull. You'll find yourself humming a melody from one of his tunes all day long. This is a nice return to just raw guitar with no effects, overdubs, other instruments etc. I love his vocal tracks and would have liked one or two here but weve got plenty of albums with vocals. Check out his reworking of 3/4 North (originally from A Shout Towards Noon) - it will leave you speachless.
Ive seen him live 4 or 5 times now and he is actually better live than on record. His odd sense of humor, self-effacing personality and gift for telling some of the most bizarre and hilarious stories make his shows unforgettable.
Other favorite albums from Kottke:
- 6 & 12 String Guitar
- My Fathers Face
- A Shout Towards Noon
I would recommend, however, buying all...

While one reviewer says that Kottke sets a "new standard," I would retort by saying that here Kottke returns to the standards of his original instrumental recordings, but with more maturity and refinement.

Someone else complains about this not being good background music, with which I would agree to a small degree. I play background music in my school library all the time, and this one works fine, except for a few more energetic cuts. Then again, one must wonder why someone would think of Kottke as strictly "background music." He continues to be a groundbreaking guitarist, a true virtuoso. Think of this recording as a recap of his more innovative tonal work...without vocals... or stories.

I also might quibble with another statement that Kottke is the greatest guitarist in the world, but he is definitely in league with acoustic steel string legends such as Michael Hedges, Will Ackerman, Phil Keaggy, Billy McLaughlin, John Fahey and others.

This is my favorite Kottke recording in a long time. Many thanks to my guitar-playing buddy who gave this to me for a birthday present thinking I'd like it. He was right.

Morning is the Long Way Home and Too Fast; dazzling, amazing in performance and structure, but the tune Bigger Situation; what can you say about this stunning composition. As deep and powerfully brilliant as anything the human race has to offer. Leo Kottke, a musical artistic immortal.

It's interesting to compare LK's debut album "6- and 12-String Guitar" with this record. This one is definitely a more mature, more thoughtful Kottke, where musicality is more important than outright speed. I would have titled this CD "Thinking Man's Guitar". If you have any interest in fingerstyle acoustic guitar, this is another terrific collection of songs from a true virtuoso.

The title says it all. The album showcases Kottke's formidable fingerpicked guitar instrumentals, which are dazzling. However, despite his liner notes comment on his Takoma debut (which compared his vocals being akin to geese farts on a muggy day), I miss his deep, resonant vocals. But this is a minor quarrel against an otherwise excellent CD. While "One Guitar" won't make me forget "Greenhouse" or "My Feet Are Smiling," this is a welcome addition to any Kottke Kollection.

Obviously, there are no vocals on this album but the sounds that Kottke can make come out of a single guitar is truly amazing. I am not a guitar player and I don't know if he employs many technical tricks with effects and such, but he really seems to master the instrument.

I don't own any other Kottke albums but when I heard this one, I had to get it. The themes in the music are fully fleshed out in each song, giving each one a unique personality. It fits many moods and even without the vocals, it does seem like the songs are saying something, much like a classical or jazz piece. And it also works whether you want to listen to it all the way through or mix it in with other music on a shuffle.

I definitely keep an ear open for other Kottke music because of this album.

I've been buying Leo Kottke albums since the early 70's and have been disappointed by some of his experimental works. But here, Leo has gone back to his roots as expressed in the title. He has reworked some of his best songs and left the synthesizer turned off. I love "Bigger Situation," which is really a medley of two of his best songs, "Big Situation" and "I Yell at Traffic." Thanks Leo, for doing what you do best!

I was pleasantly surprised by this CD. His later works were veering off into atonal jazz territory and boy did it suck. So with some trepidation, I ordered this CD (there were no reviews of it when I placed the order) it was to be Leo's "last chance" with this listener. Well, the music was beautiful. Without getting corny, his guitar playing is nothing short of inspiring. A couple of tunes get "atonal" and heavy handed, but on the whole it is a delicate and melodic reminder that this man can play the guitar!