Hey Kid - I was watching a special on Johnny Cash and they mentioned that he absolutely loved his TV Variety show. Without doubt Johnny admired the great Chet Atkins. I still don't know how Chet gets such a clean sound but he does!
DeanO, that's what comes across anytime guitar players say when they talked about Chet and still do sometimes, is that Chet was technically perfect. Even if you didn't like what he was playing, you were captivated by the perfection of the play.
I can't think of anyone else in that category then or now.
All guitar players through at least the 60's knew who Chet was and almost all of them wanted to play like him. The Beatles were all great fans, especially George Harrison, who played the same Gretch that Chet did.
George Harrison wrote the following Liner Notes on the album Chet Picks on the Beatles.. "I have appreciated Chet Atkins as a musician since long before the tracks on this album were written; in fact, since I was the ripe young age of seventeen. Since I have lost count of the number of Ghet's albums I have acquired, but I have not been disappointed with any of them. For me, the great thing about Mr.Atkins is not the fact that he is capable of playing almost every type of music but the conviction in the way he does it. Whilst listening to CHET ATKINS PICKS ON THE BEATLES I got the feeling that these songs had been written specially with Chet in mind. The fact that they were not prove his eminence as an artists - the perfect example being "Yesterday". Chet, by himself, gets far more out of this than some of the people known as "class" singers do with a full orchestral arrangement to boot! "I'll Cry Instead", "She's a Woman" and "Can't Buy Me Love", having a country feeling about them, lend themselves perfectly to Chet's own style of picking, which has inspired so many guitarists throughout the world (myself included). I might have played some of these tunes the way Chet did but I didn't have enough fingers as the time. All the other tracks have Chet adding harmonies and harmonics in the least expected places, bringing out that crystal-clear sound of the guitar to his audience's benefit. One thing remains very clear to me at the end of this LP, and that is why this sleeve note must end here. Chet Atkins did not get to be a great guitarist by writing sleeve notes, but by years of devoted practice on the instrument he so obviously loves"
Kid - it's awesome when a great artist can leave such a legacy of music behind. I'm an old dude and I still like Elvis - gone for so many years but I can still spin his records and it's all good!
DeanO, Agreed. I like a lot of Elvis and respect him as an individual. There are few such individuals or groups that I could cite throughout musical history.
Chet was never satisfied with his work. He said he could never make the music he heard in his head. I guess that's how you get so close to perfection.
Hey Kid - I was watching a special on Johnny Cash and they mentioned that he absolutely loved his TV Variety show. Without doubt Johnny admired the great Chet Atkins. I still don't know how Chet gets such a clean sound but he does!
ReplyDeleteThis is very cool. I have always loved Zorba.
ReplyDeleteI have learned about and learned to genuinely enjoy Chet Atkins from this blog. I really appreicate these clips!
ReplyDeleteDeanO, that's what comes across anytime guitar players say when they talked about Chet and still do sometimes, is that Chet was technically perfect. Even if you didn't like what he was playing, you were captivated by the perfection of the play.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of anyone else in that category then or now.
All guitar players through at least the 60's knew who Chet was and almost all of them wanted to play like him. The Beatles were all great fans, especially George Harrison, who played the same Gretch that Chet did.
George Harrison wrote the following Liner Notes on the album Chet Picks on the Beatles..
"I have appreciated Chet Atkins as a musician since long before the
tracks on this album were written; in fact, since I was the ripe young
age of seventeen. Since I have lost count of the number of Ghet's albums
I have acquired, but I have not been disappointed with any of them.
For me, the great thing about Mr.Atkins is not the fact that he
is capable of playing almost every type of music but the conviction in
the way he does it. Whilst listening to CHET ATKINS PICKS ON THE BEATLES
I got the feeling that these songs had been written specially with Chet
in mind. The fact that they were not prove his eminence as an artists -
the perfect example being "Yesterday". Chet, by himself, gets far more
out of this than some of the people known as "class" singers do with a
full orchestral arrangement to boot!
"I'll Cry Instead", "She's a Woman" and "Can't Buy Me Love",
having a country feeling about them, lend themselves perfectly to
Chet's own style of picking, which has inspired so many guitarists
throughout the world (myself included). I might have played some of these tunes the way Chet did but I didn't have enough fingers as the time.
All the other tracks have Chet adding harmonies and harmonics in
the least expected places, bringing out that crystal-clear sound of the guitar to his audience's benefit.
One thing remains very clear to me at the end of this LP, and
that is why this sleeve note must end here. Chet Atkins did not get to be a great guitarist by writing sleeve notes, but by years of devoted practice on the instrument he so obviously loves"
Opus, it's a great tune.
ReplyDeleteArby, Glad to hear it ! And thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteKid - it's awesome when a great artist can leave such a legacy of music behind. I'm an old dude and I still like Elvis - gone for so many years but I can still spin his records and it's all good!
ReplyDeleteDeanO, Agreed. I like a lot of Elvis and respect him as an individual. There are few such individuals or groups that I could cite throughout musical history.
ReplyDeleteChet was never satisfied with his work. He said he could never make the music he heard in his head. I guess that's how you get so close to perfection.