Neck and Neck

Mark Knopfler, Chet Atkins

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 1990)
• Original Release Date: October 9, 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000026UV
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,946 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #5 in	Music > Country > Instrumental
  #30 in	Music > Country > Classic Country > Nashville Sound

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Two generations of guitarists merge on this cleverly-titled album, with former Dire Straits virtuoso Mark Knopfler taking time off from scoring movies to join Chet Atkins, one of the fathers of electric guitar pickin'. And there's some mighty fine country pickin' on display here, with the duo joined by some of Nashville's all-time finest players, including the late, great Floyd Cramer, Mark O'Connor, Larry Londin, Vince Gill, and Steve Wariner. The material ranges from choice country covers (Doc Watson's "Poor Boy Blues," Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams") to rock 'n' roll ("Yakety Ax," a take on Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax"), jazz (Django Reinhardt's "Tears"), a Knopfler original, and even the old standard "I'll See You in My Dreams." It sounds like they had fun, too! --Bill Holdship

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who Needs Picks?, October 13, 2004

By	Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This album from these two masters of guitar fingerpicking will leave anyone who loves the guitar, country, blues, or melodic rock delighted. I have been a Mark Knopfler fan since early Dire Straits, and learned about Chet Atkins from Mark. Anybody Mark thinks is great is definitely worth a listen. I became a Chet Atkins fan a bit late in life, and this album was a big part of that.

This CD shines precisely because it is not flashy or showy; rather it is imbued with craftsmanship and quality musicianship in every bar. The whole album is strong, but I am especially fond of "There'll Be Some Changes Made" in which Chet and Mark trade good humored jabs about their musical heritage, "I'll See You in My Dreams", a mastercrafted classic, and the laid back "Tahitian Skies." Throughout the CD the vocals are relaxed and effortless, and although Knopfler has an appealing if somewhat gravelly voice, Atkins is a little more atonal and wavering in his singing style. Of course the focus here is not vocal performances, but guitar virtuosity, and that is abundant.

This is a CD that will be appreciated by all guitarists who grasp how truly difficult it is to produce a recording this melodious and synchronized, regardless of how easy these two masters make it look. "Neck & Neck" is highly recommended.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Picking!, May 2, 1999

By A Customer

This isn't a country music CD; it's a collaboration between two great guitar players who like and respect one another. One of the most enjoyable parts of listening to the music is to pick out who's playing what. There's humor, too,and it's good road music. It's a winner, and wears well over time.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to beat pickin', November 27, 2000

By A Customer

If you want to hear some good -- often great -- guitar picking, without the pretense, by two masters, this is your album. These two virtuosos challenge each other to greater and greater heights, and they deliver. "Yackety Axe" alone contains more riff variety than you will find in any five songs by mere mortals. I'm not a country fan per se, but Chet Atkins is a pleasure to listen to. That Knopfler can keep up with (and occasionally pass?) him makes you realize just how good he is. Of course, if you're looking for the usual junk, then this isn't for you.