Best of Leo Kottke [Original recording remastered]

Best of Leo Kottke [Original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Reissue of long-deleted 1976 set compiling the best of the guitarist's Capitol label recordings from the 1970s. BGO Records. 2002.

Best of Leo Kottke,Leo Kottke,Bgo - Beat Goes on,Contemporary Folk,Finger-Picked Guitar,Folk,Folk & Traditional,Pop,Progressive Folk

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LEO TRULY AT HIS BEST

Fabulous!

Fast fingers

Old Capitol tracks from the 70's worth revisiting!

One of America's Top 5 Guitarists

Best of Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke
Manufacturer: Bgo - Beat Goes on
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
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6- and 12-String Guitar

One Guitar, No Vocals

The Leo Kottke Anthology

Sixty Six Steps

Home & Away Revisited

ASIN: B0000011O8
Release Date: 2002-11-11

Tracks:

Acoustic: Machine No. 2
Acoustic: Cripple Creek
Acoustic: Bourree
Acoustic: When Shrimps Learn To Whistle
Acoustic: Bill Cheatham
Acoustic: The Song Of The Swamp
Acoustic: Last Steam Engine Train
Electric: Bean Time
Electric: The Spanish Entomologist
Electric: Short Stories
Electric: Hole In The Day
Electric: Mona Roy
Electric: Venezuela, There You Go
Electric: Monkey Lust

Tracks:

Live: Busted Bicycle
Live: June Bug
Live: Eggtooth
Live: Stealing
Live: Living In The Country
Live: Medley: A.) Crow River Waltz /B.) Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Singing: Standing In My Shoes
Singing: Bumblebee
Singing: Eight Miles High
Singing: Tilt Billings And The Student Prince
Singing: Pamela Brown
Singing: Standin On The Outside
Singing: Power Failure

Album Description

Reissue of long-deleted 1976 set compiling the best of the guitarist's Capitol label recordings from the 1970s. BGO Records. 2002.

Album Details

Double Disc Compilation of his Years on Capitol Divided Into Four Sections of Tunes: Acoustic, Electric, Live and Singing. Includes Machine No. Two / Cripple Creek / When the Shrimps Learn to Whistle / Bill Cheatham / Bean Time / Short Stories / Hole in

Customer Reviews:

LEO TRULY AT HIS BEST.......2007-06-27

This one is short & to the point: I think this is the best Kottke CD out there, PERIOD. Only shortcoming- a personal favorite of mine, "Cradle to the Grave," is not a part of this one, but it's on Greenhouse, which is now available on CD. I'd recommend getting both CD's.

Fabulous!.......2007-01-30

I like this album a lot and I love Kottke. It came to me without waiting and in good condition. Many people want to borrow this one too, just like DIVA, from Annie Lennox. Great Purchase. I truly believe in buying music, not burning it. It just works better that way.

Fast fingers.......2006-03-14

He is very skilful guitarist! One of the best.
Over and above he is fine singer.
Very good comprehensive compilation.
Good booklet.

Old Capitol tracks from the 70's worth revisiting!.......2005-12-24

My Uncle from the Minneapolis area turned me on to Leo when I visited him in the late 80's. People there told me to get this album, as well as "6 & 12 string". Not having much cash at the time, I had to choose, and I got this one. I grew up with disc one as a permanent resident on my turntable in my bedroom.

I went to college, and the turntable back home ended up getting thrown out. I saw Kottke play live two or three times, where I somehow still couldn't believe, even with visual confirmation, that it was one guy making all that sound with one instrument.

A year or two ago, I finally ended up getting "6 & 12 string" on CD, but couldn't find this album, my old friend, anywhere. And just now, here it is!

Although 6 and 12 string is, and rightly should be, the centerpiece of the Kottke recording universe, I'm still not unhappy with the choice I made as a teenager. The main reason is disc one, where his styles are all over the map, delving into his bluegrass roots with songs like Cripple Creek and Bill Cheatham, jamming with a band on Machine #2, Short Stories, and Monkey Lust, and getting just plain wacky with the loopy hula dancing Spanish Entomologist and the brooding Whistling Shrimps.
The combination is never boring, and through it all his capricious and upbeat style, as well as his undisputed mastery of the instrument, will always leave you with a smile on your face.

One of America's Top 5 Guitarists.......2005-03-25

I purchased this album many years ago on vinyl. It has always been one of my favorites. Leo Kottke is a guitarist, par excellance. Except for a brief outing in the "New Age" genre Kottke is best known for his work in Folk music. What I like about this album is how he does some rock tunes, most notably The Byrds, Eight Miles High, and Procol Harum's Power Failure in that special Kottke style. And what is great about it is that the songs don't come off as hokey folksy, C&W, renditions of rock songs. The songs hold their original flavor while being enhanced by Leo Kottke's great guitar playing ability. But, there is great folk tunes on this CD, like Cripple Creek, and Kottke's classic Pamela Brown. There is acoustic music, electric music, and live music. Add to this Kottke's unique singing style and this CD is a treasure. There is just not a bad tune on this CD. If you can only own one Leo Kottke album, this should be it.

Instrumentals: The Best of the Capitol Years

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Early Work from a Master
Kottke at the Top of His Game
One of our greatest instrumentalist doing what he does best.

Instrumentals: The Best of the Capitol Years
Leo Kottke
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Instrumentals: The Best of the Chrysalis Years
6- and 12-String Guitar
One Guitar, No Vocals
Greenhouse
Try and Stop Me

ASIN: B00007KWJQ
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

June Bug
Ice Miner
Poor Boy
Machine #2
Bean Time
In Christ There Is No East or West
Owls
Lost John
Blue Dot
Egg Tooth
Crow River Waltz / Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring / Jack Fig
Mona Ray
Twilight Property
Taking a Sandwich to a Feast
A Good Egg
A Child Should Be a Fish
The Scarlatti Rip-Off
Grim to the Brim

Customer Reviews:

Early Work from a Master.......2005-01-21

Leo Kottke is to the acoustic guitar what Hendrix was to the electric: when he burst on the scene with his debut Takoma album, "Six- and Twelve-String Guitar" in 1969, he redefined both instruments. This collection presents the best instrumentals of his earlier Capitol years (and in my opinion, all his albums up through the live "My Feet Are Smiling" are true classics). Omitted is his notorious "geese-fart" singing voice, a foghorn baritone that I didn't find as bad as reputed, though I still have always been partial to the instrumentals. This, and the companion "Chrysalis Years" volume, have been released by his current label, Blue Note, and they are both essential, especially if you don't have any Kottke in your collection. If you don't mind the geese farts (and he did record some pretty good songs with vocals, too), you may want to check out "Essential Leo Kottke" on Chrysalis (there are only a few common tracks with the new "Instrumentals" CD), or the excellent 2-disc Rhino collection, "Leo Kottke Anthology". Only the last one, by the way, contains any material from his Takoma debut.

Kottke at the Top of His Game.......2003-12-31

The 18 tracks on this hour-long CD are taken from the six albums Leo Kottke recorded for Capitol from 1971 to 1975, arguably the most productive five years of his career. While they are all instrumentals, they are not solo in that Kottke works with other musicians on about half of these tracks. It does not, however, detract from his guitar playing being prominently featured.

Kottke pays homage to John Fahey on a couple tracks: "Poor Boy" and "In Christ There Is No East Or West," which are the only two non-originals on the album. The latter is a special favorite of mine. Other standout tracks are the gogeous "Owls," the live "Medley" which concludes with the furiously-paced "Jack Fig," and perhaps one of Kottke's loveliest melodies, "Mona Ray," where Kottke is accompnaied by Michael Johnson.

While I have long been a fan of Kottke's rich baritone voice, it's nice to have this collection of instrumentals. And unlike the Chrysalis collection, there is no new material here. Just Kottke playing the hell out of his guitar. And when you stop to think about it, isn't that enough? It is for me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

One of our greatest instrumentalist doing what he does best........2003-02-13

Leo Kottke's "6 and 12 String guitar" fell to earth in 1969 and some of us have never been the same. The album became know as the armadillo album because of the cover art and put both Kottke and his label, Tacoma, on the map. In the liner notes on the album, Kottke describes his voice as being similar to "geese farts on a muggy day". After the armadillo album, Kottke would for the most part ignore his own advice and feature vocals on most of his songs. The compilation of instrumentals from 1970 -1975 when Kottke was recording on Capitol is the brainchild of Jerry Roche who apparently agrees with Kottke's original evaluation as do I. These are tracks compiled from Kottke's Mudlark, Greenhouse, My Feet Are Smiling, Dreams and All The Stuff, Ice Water and Chewing Pines albums. It show off Kottke in a fair number of settings including solo, accompanied only by dobro, pedal steel, bass or guitar. It also has him in trio and quartets settings. For my ears, the fewer players the better. The sound of what Kottke is doing with his six and twelve strings, with his flatpicking, fingerpicking and slide is all I really want to hear. The man is an orchestra unto himself.
He is also a wonderful writer who has created almost his own genre of music, a personal blend of country, folk, jazz, blues and classical.
If you have never heard of Kottke, please go directly to the armadillo album. You will name children after me, I promise. If you already have that then this CD and the second volume are a great addition to your collection.

Instrumentals: The Best of the Chrysalis Years

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Another gem in the treasure chest
Just Kottke and His Guitar
A great instrumentalist doing what he does best, Part 2

Instrumentals: The Best of the Chrysalis Years
Leo Kottke
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Instrumentals: The Best of the Capitol Years
6- and 12-String Guitar
Greenhouse
One Guitar, No Vocals
Best of Leo Kottke

ASIN: B00007KWJR
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

Airproofing
Waltz
Death by Reputation
The Fisherman (previously unreleased)
Up Tempo (previously unreleased)
A Low Thud
Orange Room
Whine
Dolores
The Train and the Gate
Open Country Joy: Theme and Adhesions
Wheels
Palms Blvd.
Strange
Jib's Hat
All I Have to Do Is Dream
Memories Are Made of This
Little Martha (previously unreleased)

Customer Reviews:

Another gem in the treasure chest.......2003-12-10

All these tunes are familiar to Kottke fans; what justifies owning this the very last song: Leo playing a 12-string with Albert Lee's 6-string on "Little Martha." The song has been enriched with a 16th century Elizabethan feel that would be complimented by a harpsichord.

Otherwise, this is the joy of hearing Leo just letting his fingers dance over the strings as he does his best stuff--and as he's so fond of pointing out, no singing allowed. "The Fisherman" (originally on '6 and 12 String' and live on 'My Feet Are Smiling') is now revamped. The only irritant is "Whine," which lives up to its name as Leo blares like an overloaded PA system on electric slide. As an addition to your finger-picking collection, you've got to add this CD.

Just Kottke and His Guitar.......2003-10-26

This is a solid overview of Kottke's tenure with Chrysalis between 1976 and 1983 after he left Capitol. [Check out his equally stunning collection of instrumentals on THE BEST OF THE CAPITOL YEARS.]

While there is a tendency to focus on Kottke's lone Takoma album and his Capitol albums as being the best of his 30-plus years as a recording artist, this entire album is a delight. All six of his Chrysalis albums are represented, including four tracks from his 1980's LIVE IN EUROPE. As an added bonus, you get two previously unreleased live tracks from a 1977 Montreux contert: "The Fisherman" and "Uptempo." In addition, there's a studio version of Duane Allman's "Little Martha," which was recorded for 1983's TIMESTEP, but omitted before its release.

Also worth noting is that the compiler of this CD went out of his way to avoid duplicating the 1991 Chrysalis compilation ESSENTIAL. In fact, "Airproofing" is the only repeated track.

While I'm also a fan of Kottke's warm baritone voice and could easily argue a case for an album of vocals ("Learning the Game," "Sonora's Death Row," and "Here Comes That Rainbow Again" are favorites of mine from this period), this is a highly enjoyable album of what Kottke does best--play the hell out of his guitar. [Running Time 53:43] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A great instrumentalist doing what he does best, Part 2.......2003-02-13

This CD has just been released with a companion volume The Capitol Years, 1970-1975. Please see my review of that CD for some of the background on this project. This particular CD is a compilation of Kottke's instrumental work from his recordings on the Chrysalis label from 1976 to 1983. The songs are drawn from the albums Leo Kottke, Burnt Lips, Balance, Live In Europe, Guitar Music (one of his few CDs that only features his guitar playing) and Timestep. Three of the songs were previously unissued. They include versions of The Fisherman and Up Tempo from a 1977 Montreux concert and Duane Allman's Little Martha.
Unlike the Capital volume, the Chrysalis compilation is almost entirely solo.
On any Kottke album there is always jaw-dropping guitar, the sort of effortless virtuosity that both inspires and discourages other guitar players. There is innovative technique and melodic passages that you will never forget. One of the things I like about this album is the chance to compare how differently Kottke played The Fisherman on his first album, Six and Twelve String Guitar in 1969 and this 1977 version. This version is less propulsive with the attack not being as hard. The result is revelation of another whole side of that delightful tune. These are great compilations and we owe Jerry Roche and Blue Note thanks for bringing them out. If you are a Kottke fan who primarily loves his instrumental stuff (like me) these will be great additions to your collection.

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The Best of Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DQT4
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Busted Bicycle
June Bug
Eggtooth
Stealing
Living in the Country
Medley: A) Crow River Waltz; B) Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring; C) ...)
Standing in My Shoes
Bumblebee
Eight Miles High
Tilt Billings and the Student Prince
Pamela Brown
Standing on the Outside
Power Failure

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Best of Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke
Manufacturer: Navarre Corporation/
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0002B679U
Release Date: 2003-02-04

The Best Things in Life Are Free Volume 13

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The Best Things in Life Are Free Volume 13
Various Artists , Artificial Joy Club , Del Amitri , Huffamoose , Leo Kottke , Spiritualized , Robin Trower , Ron Sexsmith , Widespread Panic , and Bim Skala Bim
Manufacturer: Aim Marketing Bti-9713
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000OU3TG8

Product Description

Includes: Corey Stevens "One More Time," Artifical Joy Club "Sick and Beautiful," Del Amitri "Not Where It's At," Leo Kottke "World Turning," Huffamoose "Wait," Catfish "Fearless and Powerful," Spiritualized "Electricity" Slush "So Volitile," Ron Sexsmith "Nothing Good," Widespread Panic "Aunt Avis" Bim Skala Bim "Pete Needs a Friend," Maggie Estep "Vicious," Rippopotamus "Swim," and Robin Trower "Shining Through"