Relaxin With Chet [Original recording remastered]

Chet Atkins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 21, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Delta Camden
• ASIN: B00003L9HB
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #392,868 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Blues for Dr. Joe

2. Sophisticated Lady

3. Yesterdays

4. Say "Si Si"

5. Villa

6. Martha

7. In the Chapel in the Moonlight

8. Czardas

9. Nagasaki

10. April in Portugal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great but Weird..., March 2, 2011

By 

Connor L. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Relaxin With Chet (Audio CD)

"Relaxin' with Chet" is exactly that- a laid back album with some fine playing. Chet (or RCA Camden) seemed to want to make an album similar to his two masterpieces from 1957-8, "Chet Atkins at Home" and "Hi-Fi in Focus". This is confirmed by the presence of four tracks from the former (#7-#10 on this album) to pad out the six tracks newly recorded, as well as the fact that the liner notes are almost exactly the same as on "At Home". Also, the repertoire of the new music is similar to that of the older albums, as the theme of all three is "what Chet plays for his own enjoyment". Here Chet really lets his love for jazz shine through, tackling Tin Pan Alley as well as names like Jerome Kern and Duke Ellington. He also plays solos that are much more jazz-inflected than what is expected of him, although his finger-pickin' talents emerge notably on "Vilia" and "Say Si Si" through his use of his "Octabass" Gretsch (which is a guitar with the two lowest strings replaced by bass strings!).
Why do I say this is a weird album and dock a star from its rating? It's because of a really cheesy electronic organ that "graces" its surroundings (they even overdubbed it onto the older tracks!) for most of the album. The only times that it does the proceedings any good are on "Blues for Dr. Joe" and "Sophisticated Lady". On the former it changes the mood from bluesy to creepy, and it is far enough in the background on the latter to provide just enough color. Despite that shortcoming, "Relaxin' with Chet" is definitely worth every penny.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ellie Mae's background music!, August 15, 2002

By 

marti mcginnis (DogTrot Hill, KY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Relaxin With Chet (Audio CD)

Like me, you remember the Beverly Hillbillies' Ellie Mae and the sort of music that would accompany her and her chimps around the foyer and cement pond of the mansion......well this is that kind of music - exceptin' even better! Recently I had a steel post pounded into my jaw (by a paid professional tooth installation dude) and this awful process was somewhat lessened as I laid there with a headset playing this cd. 27 minutes later I had the post, Chet ended, and I can *still* listen to the cd! It's THAT good! (and at about 1/80th the cost of a new tooth) Relaxin' with Chet is exactly what you'll do!