Chet Atkins/Doc Watson/Merle Travis - Atkins - Travis Traveling Show [9/16]

Artist:

Atkins, Chet

UPC:

612657028629

See Also:

Acuff, Roy Holly, Buddy

Description:

Personnel: Chet Atkins (vocals, guitar); Doc Watson, Merle Travis (vocals, guitar); Jerry Reed, Jerry Shook (guitar); Michael Coleman (electric bass); Terry McMillan (percussion).
Liner Note Authors: Hugh Cherry; John D. Loudermilk.
Authors: Chet Atkins; Doc Watson.
Arranger: Chet Atkins.
While Chet Atkins is justly recognized as a key architect of the Nashville country-pop sound, even relatively late in his career he would take some opportunities to return to his folksier roots. Such was the case with a couple of collaborations he embarked on with fellow guitar greats Merle Travis, on 1974`s The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show, and Doc Watson, on 1980`s Reflections. Both are combined onto one 57-minute disc on this Australian CD reissue. A little surprisingly, although Atkins and Travis had played together before the January 1974 session resulting in The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show, they`d never done so for an official release. With producer Jerry Reed (himself no small country guitar legend) adding rhythm guitar on a few tracks, the duo ran through some old favorites ("Muskrat Ramble," "Cannonball Rag," Travis` own "Nine Pound Hammer"), pop standards ("Who`s Sorry Now"), and even a couple Shel Silverstein songs on this low-key album. Neither Atkins nor Travis had anything to prove by the time this pairing rolled around, and there`s something of an "old friends getting together for the heck of it" feel to both their picking and their relaxed, almost nonchalant occasional vocals. It was a refreshingly plain production for a time when the country scene in which Atkins and Travis had started as youngsters was getting pretty slick. At the same time, there`s a lack of ambition to the endeavor that makes it a secondary curiosity in both men`s catalogs, and certainly not one of the top places to start as showcases for their formidable abilities. The same can be said of Reflections, but Atkins` partner sounds a little more animated on this album, even though this Atkins-Watson session shares a similar "just two pals pickin`" vibe (and though the band is fuller, with rhythm guitar, bass, and percussion backing the pair`s guitars and vocals). Atkins and Watson wrote most of the material on Reflections, and it adequately displays both men`s formidable instrumental skills in the folk-country style. The self-conscious "Me and Chet Made a Record" skirts novelty territory, and like the other tracks sporting vocals, reveals Atkins` fairly severe limitations in that department, as does their cover of the Delmore Brothers` "You`re Gonna Be Sorry." ~ Richie Unterberger

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. Down South Blues
2. Mutual Admiration
3. Muskrat Ramble
4. If I Had You
5. Cannonball Rag
6. Boogie for Cecil
7. Is Anything Better Than This
8. Dance of the Golden Rod
9. Who`s Sorry Now
10. Nine Pound Hammer
11. I`ll See You in My Dreams
12. Dill Pickle Rag
13. Me and Chet Made a Record
14. Flatt Did It
15. Medley: Tennessee Rag/Beaumont Rag
16. Medley: Texas Gales/Old Joe Clark
17. You`re Gonna Be Sorry
18. Goodnight Waltz
19. Don`t Monkey `Round My Widder
20. Medley: Black and White/Ragtime Annie
21. On My Way to Canaan`s Land

Album Information

Release Date:

09/29/2008

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Country

Label:

Raven

Producer:

Chet Atkins; Jerry Reed; John D. Loudermilk

Catalog Number:

RVCD 286

Original Release Year:

1974

# of Discs:

2

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

Portions copyright 2005 Muze Inc. All rights reserved.