| Guitar Legend: The RCA Years | ||||
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | April 4, 2000 | |||
| Recorded | 1947-1977 | |||
| Genre | Country, pop | |||
| Length | 123:48 | |||
| Label | Buddah (99673), RCA | |||
| Producer | Chet Atkins, Steve Sholes, Bob Ferguson, Charles Grean | |||
| Chet Atkins chronology | ||||
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Guitar Legend: The RCA Years is a two-disc compilation recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins. The 50 tracks included here focus on his first recordings in 1947 to the 1977 release Nashville Guitar Quartet.
This collection includes many of Chet's early 78 rpm & 45 rpm releases. Issued on CD for the first time are tracks from Atkins' early EP Pickin' the Hits "Dance With Me Henry" and "Tweedlee Dee" as well as early versions of "Trambone" and "Blue Ocean Echo" ("Blue Echo"). The short-lived ensemble "The Rhythm Rockers (featuring Chet Atkins)" is represented by "Dig These Blues".
The version of "Black Mountain Rag" is incorrectly listed in the liner notes as taken from the 10-inch vinyl release Gallopin' Guitar. It is actually a much later version from the LP Pickin' My Way. The original was to be used but the later version was mistakenly included.
There is more of a concentration on the early period, with a much smaller amount from selected '50's and '60's LP's. This was done in part because many of the early Atkins songs appreciated by collectors were out of print and unavailable. Atkins had been reluctant to see this material reissued during his lifetime because he felt that his early playing was too brash and rough.
Country guitar historian and Atkins authority Rich Kienzle wrote the liner notes for this compilation and played a role in choosing the tracks.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Country Standard Time | (no rating) [2] |
Allmusic critic Jim Smith praised the compilation, writing it was "arguably the first affordable collection to paint a comprehensive picture... Each phase of his development is documented, with an emphasis on his classic early group recordings". [1] Henry Koretzky wrote that the album displays "a stylistic versatility that his more mainstream albums never showcased." [2]
Chester Burton Atkins, also known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music style which expanded its appeal to adult pop music fans. He was primarily a guitarist, but he also played the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and ukulele, and occasionally sang.
A Session with Chet Atkins is the third studio album recorded by American guitarist Chet Atkins. It features Atkins introducing standard pop and jazz melded with country sensibilities. The liner notes state this is the first use of a celeste on a country record. The musicians include Homer and Jethro in the rhythm section. Atkins uses his new EchoSonic amplifier for the first time on his recordings.
Stringin' Along With Chet Atkins is the second studio album recorded by American guitarist Chet Atkins on the RCA Victor label. It was available as a 10-inch vinyl record. RCA subsequently released it as a 12-inch [LP] in 1955 with additional and omitted tracks.
Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar is the first studio album released by American guitarist Chet Atkins on the RCA Victor label. It was available as a 10-inch vinyl record.
Stringin' Along with Chet Atkins is the fourth studio album recorded by American guitarist Chet Atkins released in 1955. It was a 12-inch re-release of the 1953 10-inch vinyl record of the same name with additional and omitted tracks.
Finger-Style Guitar is the sixth studio album by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1956.
Down Home is the nineteenth studio album by American guitarist Chet Atkins.
Pickin' My Way is the forty-first studio album by guitarist Chet Atkins. It reached number 13 on the Billboard Country charts. The liner notes are by Johnny Cash.
The Atkins–Travis Traveling Show is the title of a recording by guitarists Chet Atkins and Merle Travis, released by RCA Records in 1974. The two musical legends team up on 11 songs, earning the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Rehearsed in Nashville, this album was recorded in California.
World's Greatest Melodies is an album by The Nashville String Band. The band consisted of Chet Atkins and Homer and Jethro.
Jazz From the Hills is an album by American guitarist Chet Atkins and The Country All-Stars. It is a reissue of sessions from 1952–1956.
The Best of Chet Atkins is a compilation recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1964.
The Essential Chet Atkins is a two-disc compilation recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 2007 on the Legacy label.
Galloping Guitar: The Early Years is a multi-disc box-set retrospective recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1993 on the Bear Family label.
Reminiscing is the first collaborative long-play recording by American country music artists Chet Atkins and Hank Snow, released in 1964.
Reflections is a recording by American guitarists Chet Atkins and Doc Watson. The two musical legends team up on ten songs.
Eclectic Guitar is a compilation recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 2007 on the El label.
The Best of Chet Atkins & Friends is a compilation recording by American guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1976. It peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Country Albums charts in 1977.
Boy Wonder is a studio album by jazz guitarist Lenny Breau that was recorded in 1956 and released in 1998. The session was engineered and produced by Al Hawkes of Event Records.
And Then Came Chet Atkins is a live album by guitarist Chet Atkins, released in 1979.
