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The Early Years 1946-1957

Chet Atkins - The Early Years 1946-1957 Audio CD

A fair review of the Chet Atkins "The Early Years 1946-1957" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Chet Atkins reviews here, or go back to the Chet Atkins tabs.

Band: Chet Atkins
Title: The Early Years 1946-1957
Rating:

Release Date: 2007-08-07
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Guitar Blues (Picking the Blue) - Chester Atkins & the All-Star Hillbillies 2: Brown Eyes - Chester Atkins & the All-Star Hillbillies 3: Ain'tcha Tired of Makin' Me Blue - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 4: I'm Gonna Get Tight - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 5: Canned Heat - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 6: Standing Room Only - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 7: Don't Hand Me That Line - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 8: Bug Dance - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 9: (I Know My Baby Loves Me) In Her Own Peculiar Way - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 10: Nashville Jump - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 11: My Guitar Is My Sweetheart - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 12: I'm Pickin' the Blues - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 13: Gone, Gone, Gone - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 14: Barnyard Shuffle - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 15: Save Your Money - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 16: (I May Be Color Blind But) I Know When I'm Blue - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 17: I've Been Working on the Guitar - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 18: Dizzy Strings - Chet Atkins & His Colorado Mountain Boys 19: Money, Marbles and Chalk - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 20: Wednesday Night Waltz - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 21: Guitar Waltz - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 22: Tellin' My Troubles to My Old Guitar - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 23: Dance of the Goldenrod - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 24: Galloping on the Guitar - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 25: Barber Shop Rag - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 26: Centipede Boogie - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 27: Under the Hickory Nut Tree - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 28: I Was Bitten by the Same Bug Twice - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 29: One More Chance - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 30: Old Buck Dance - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 31: Boogie Man Boogie - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 32: Main Street Breakdown - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 33: Confusin' - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 34: Music in My Heart - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 35: Indian Love Call - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 36: Birth of the Blues - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 37: Mountain Melody - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 38: You're Always Brand New - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 39: My Crazy Heart - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 40: Hybrid Corn - Chet Atkins & His Guitar Pickers 41: Jitterbug Waltz - Chet Atkins 42: One Man Boogie - Chet Atkins 43: Crazy Rhythm - Chet Atkins 44: Crazy Rhythm - Chet Atkins 45: Rustic Dance - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 46: Rainbow - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 47: In the Mood - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 48: Spanish Fandango - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 49: Midnight - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 50: Good-Bye Blues - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 51: Your Mean Little Heart - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 52: Sweet Bunch of Daisies - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 53: Blue Gypsy - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 54: Third Man Theme - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 55: St. Louis Blues - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 56: Nobody's Sweetheart - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 57: Lover Come Back to Me - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 58: Stephen Foster Melody - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 59: Hangover Blues - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 60: Imagination - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 61: Black Mountain Rag - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 62: Guitar Polka - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 63: Dream Train - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 64: Meet Mister Callaghan - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 65: Chinatown, My Chinatown - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 66: High Rockin' Swing - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 67: Pig Leaf Rag - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 68: Oh by Jingo - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 69: Hello Ma Baby - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 70: Bells of St. Mary's - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 71: Country Gentlemen - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 72: Memphis Blues - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 73: Alice Blue Gown - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 74: Twelfth Street Rag - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 75: Peeping Tom - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 76: Three O'Clock in the Morning - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 77: Georgia Camp Meeting - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 78: City Slicker - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 79: Dill Pickle Rag - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 80: Rubber Doll Rag - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 81: Beautiful Ohio - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 82: Kentucky Derby - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 83: Wildwood Flower - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 84: Guitars on Parade - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 85: Simple Simon - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 86: Get Up and Go - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 87: Pagan Love Song - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 88: Beautiful Ohio - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 89: Downhill Drag - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 90: Avalon - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 91: Sunrise Serenade - Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins & His Galloping Guitar 92: San Antonio Rose - Chet Atkins 93: Set a Spell - Chet Atkins 94: Mister Misery - Chet Atkins 95: Get Up and Go - Chet Atkins 96: South - Chet Atkins 97: Alabama Jubilee - Chet Atkins 98: Corinne, Corinna - Chet Atkins 99: Indiana - Chet Atkins 100: Red Wing - Chet Atkins 101: Frankie and Johnnie - Chet Atkins 102: Gay Ranchero - Chet Atkins 103: Ballin' the Jack - Chet Atkins 104: Honeysuckle Rose - Chet Atkins 105: Darktown Strutters Ball - Chet Atkins, Hank Snow 106: Old Spinning Wheel - Chet Atkins, Hank Snow 107: Silver Bell - Chet Atkins, Hank Snow 108: Under the Double Eagle - Chet Atkins, Hank Snow 109: Birth of the Blues - Chet Atkins 110: Have You Ever Been Lonely - Chet Atkins 111: Caravan - Chet Atkins 112: Old Man River - Chet Atkins 113: Mister Sandman - Chet Atkins 114: New Spanish Two Step - Chet Atkins 115: Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - Chet Atkins 116: Dance with Me Henry - Chet Atkins 117: Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup - Chet Atkins 118: Tweedle Dee - Chet Atkins 119: Hey Mr Guitar - Chet Atkins 120: Unchained Melody - Chet Atkins 121: Blues in the Night - Chet Atkins 122: Somebody Stole My Gal - Chet Atkins 123: Shine on Harvest Moon - Chet Atkins 124: Intermezzo - Chet Atkins 125: Tenderly - Chet Atkins 126: Minute Waltz - Chet Atkins 127: Minuet - Chet Atkins 128: Sch�n Rosmarien - Chet Atkins 129: Tip Toe Through the Tulips - Chet Atkins 130: Arkansas Traveler - Chet Atkins 131: Little Rock Getaway - Chet Atkins 132: Ochi Chornya - Chet Atkins 133: Londonderry Air - Chet Atkins 134: Golondrina - Chet Atkins 135: Black Mountain Rag - Chet Atkins 136: Cecilia - Chet Atkins 137: Poor People of Paris - Chet Atkins 138: Honey - Chet Atkins 139: Lady Loves Me - Chet Atkins 140: Memphis Blues - Chet Atkins 141: Oh by Jingo - Chet Atkins 142: Hello Ma Baby - Chet Atkins 143: Indian Love Call - Chet Atkins 144: Alice Blue Gown - Chet Atkins 145: Third Man Theme - Chet Atkins 146: Blue Gypsy - Chet Atkins 147: St. Louis Blues - Chet Atkins 148: Dance of the Golden Rod - Chet Atkins 149: Gavotte in D - Chet Atkins 150: Malaguena - Chet Atkins 151: Glow Worm - Chet Atkins 152: In the Mood - Chet Atkins 153: Heartaches - Chet Atkins 154: Swedish Rhapsody - Chet Atkins 155: Waltz in A Flat - Chet Atkins 156: Adelita - Chet Atkins 157: Petite Waltz - Chet Atkins 158: Liza - Chet Atkins

Chet Atkins The Early Years
The digital conversion is excellent and what an array of sidemen recorded with him. This is an inexpensive and excellent way to hear the famous Chet Atkins sound evolve. I love the jazz mandolin style of the late Jethro Burns and there's lots of his material here. And who knew that Chet originally signed as a vocalist? A must for any fan of electric guitar and one of it's most popular players. .

Incredible Set, Incredible Price
The sound quality is excellent and there are 157 tunes for a screaming good deal at around $20. This set is must for any Chet Atkins fan. JSP Records is now my favorite label. Now I'm not into the vocal stuff that Chet did, so I erased those tunes from my Mp3 player which left me about 122 tracks give or take one or two.

The albums you are getting in this set are: Chet Atkin's Gallopin' Guitar, Stringin Along with Chet Atkins, A Session with Chet Atkins, Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions, and Finger-Style Guitar plus a whole lot more. I have some of these on vinyl and interestingly the mixes are not the same. For example, Unchained Melody on my Finger-Style Guitar LP has a heavy echo/delay effect that is not on the JSP version. I think Chet would go back in the studio and rework things and they'd be re-released a few years later. I'm assuming that the JSP version is the original from 1956. At any rate, this is one collection you should not pass up on. These albums are hard to find on disc and they are very expensive.

Chet Atkins is truly a guitar genius and anyone who plays the instrument or just loves to hear it played with unmatched skill should get this.
.

You've Got No Record Collection
" He was very sure!

Last week I bought this collection, along with some Mingus, Debussy, and early Parliament. In 1977, a record store guy told me, "If you don't have 'Songs In the Key of Life', you've got no record collection. The wrappers are still on those others. I know they are great, but this music crushed me, and I don't need anything else for a while.

Starting around the end of '53 or '54, fortified by his first hit, "Mister Sandman", Chet Atkins' artistic power went ballistic. These disks show the trajectory like a movie.

He had been fired from every job for ten years. But luck in '53 gave him a little stability: "Sandman", and an endorsement deal with Gretsch guitars. He didn't just pose for Gretsch. He made lots of changes to the instrument, resulting in a sound as straight and burnished and revolutionary as Paul Revere sterling.

By the end of '55, he had stripped all the tricks from his music. A technical virtuoso of guitar, playing slow, straight, sweet. Wild sweet. Country smokehouse sweet, like a fresh picked Appalachian wood stove blackberry pie.

Hearing this perfection, you might think: ah, smooth Nashville country stuff. But country music wasn't like that yet. At all! Immediately after recording these songs, Chet Atkins was hired by RCA to produce Elvis, the Everly Brothers, and every country record made in Nashville, where he built the first major studio. The phenomenon of Nashville sound which he created, now obscures the memory of his original work.

A nuclear explosion is too bright to see. If you're looking that way, you're blinded.

Chet Atkins' interpretation of Country, Pop, and Rock and Roll, became orthodoxy, the sound of radio to this day. We are immersed in it. But to say his original music sounds ordinary, is flash blind.

Time to rub the glare out of our eyes, come to our senses, and give this glorious original, this shocking natural genius, the focus, the attention and commitment his seminal work demands. Claim the legacy of a golden era.

Technical Brilliance, But Where's The Heart?
A textbook gives us the facts, fascinating though they may be, but the well written story, with heart and soul, is what touches us; haunts us if you will, and stays with us well into the future, perhaps, sometimes, all the way through to the end of our lives. As far as textbook perfection playing goes, Chet ranks at the top; however, as a player offering a unique stamp of his own, a heart, a soul, a spirit or whatever you want to call that special something that touches the listener inside, and makes good music the special ART that it is capable of being, he is lacking. Music can do that also, when it carries that special something, that uniqueness, even that mistake, that makes the artist playing it special and one of a kind. Chet's playing is too perfect, too flawless, too monotonous. I can listen for short periods of time and enjoy his playing, in the context of that textbook perfection, but as far as that kind of playing you can listen to; sometimes for hours on end, and be truly touched by it; never tiring, Chet's playing does not have that inner spark.

There's Not enough stars in the universe to state how great this box set is

1. There are several reasons that you should get this. Atkins is on the top ten list of greatest guitar players EVER.
2. The arpegio attacks in some of the songs will make your jaw drop.
3. Even though he's listed as country, he was respected by his peers IN ALL GENRES.
4. Many of the recordings are from the Joe (Down In The Basement) Broussard collection.
5. If you consider yourself a guitarist, this is a must have.
6. 95% of all his greatest hits is on these discs (Freight Train was recorded after 1957).
7. Each disc is no less than 70 minutes.
8. The sound remastering is great.
9. You wont find a collection this great at a lower price.
10. SO WHY ARE YOU STILL READING THIS? BUY IT!!!.

You can see a complete list of all Chet Atkins discography, or go back to the Chet Atkins tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.