MVC Rating: 3.5/$$
Stay Tuned (1985)
Chet Atkins was a guitar legend of the 50s and 60s who could seamlessly drift from country to jazz and spice it up with a little rock and roll and even some blues.
This album was one of those high concept albums.You know one of those superstar summits where all the super heroes trade licks.
It looked good on paper. And even sounds good on vinyl or, in 1985, those newfangled things called CD’s.
Here’s the pitch: Let’s bring a few of the new, great guitarists of the ’80s together and let them jamnoodle with an aging legend. You know flutter about and pick it. Let’s see what you get. The other guitarists were all good, if not up and coming big stars, in their own worlds. They included: Earl Klugh, Larry Carlton, George Benson and Mark Knopfler among others.
No, Pat Metheney wasn’t there, nor Santana. But they had a quorum for first rate guitar playing. All the build-up and, in the end, it was dinner music, good dinner music, mind you.
Champagne tinkling high end instrumental dinner music. Highland Bar and Grill dinner music. But nonetheless, dinner music. Background cocktail partymusic. That’s too harsh. Because these guys, at that point in time, had some of the greatest guitar skills of that era and beyond.
There’s certainly a place for impeccably played strum and twang.
But, alas, if it’s after dinner music you want, If it’s into the evening, staring- down-midnight-music you want, don’t come here. Instead try something like this: Mercury Blues.
Counting down my 678 vinyl records before I die of brain disease.