One Guitar, No Vocals

Leo Kottke

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 29, 1999)
• Original Release Date: June 29, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA Victor
• ASIN: B00000JG4I
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,605 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Leo Kottke was initially inspired by fellow southern blues and country masters such as Mississippi John Hurt, Chet Atkins, and Roy Clark. As a young artist, Leo Kottke recorded for John Fahey's legendary Takoma label--garnering sometimes unfair comparisons to that gentle giant of guitar hoo-doo. Subsequently, pickers from Ry Cooder to Jim O'Rourke have been influenced by the work of these elder brothers who laid the groundwork for the atmospheric, improvisational noodling that's sometimes called chamber-folk. Following along these lines, Kottke displays his heritage proudly on the simple yet remarkably nimble One Guitar, No Vocals. "Three Quarter North" is a bluesy, deliciously sloppy waltz interspersed with broken bits of phrasing like the easy, mumbled drawl of front-porch conversation, while the album's longest piece, "Accordian Bells," rises and falls, tinkles and plays like tiny tip-toe dancing. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars leo kottke's guitar music is a gift to the world, April 24, 2005

By	Frederick Hinds (Dallas) - See all my reviews

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.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars leo rules!, October 5, 2001

By A Customer

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...

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best example of Kottke's mature playing style, August 20, 2006

By	jimnypivo "Jim Hisson" (west of Chicago, USA) - See all my reviews

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'.