Leo Kottke

The amazing thing about this album is that the unknown Lang holds his own in such eminent company. Each guitarist plays four self-penned, acoustic, instrumental tunes, beginning with a typically impressive display by Kottke. Lang includes a tune called "T

John Fahey, Peter Lang, Leo Kottke

In Christ There Is No East Or West

On The Sunny Side Of The Ocean

Revolt Of The Dyke Brigade

Sunflower River Blues

Anyway

Cripple Creek

Ice Miner

Red And White

As I Lay Sleeping

St. Charles Shuffle

Thoth Song

When Kings Come Home

Roamin' (Live Worcester '73)

Nowhere Is There (Live)

Nowhere Is There (Live - Champaign, Illinois '75)

Vaseline Machine Gun

Mike Gordon

The second collaboration of Leo Kottke with ex-Phish bassist Mike Gordon finds the duo exploring breezy Caribbean sounds, with a few surprise covers. The musicians work wonderfully together, with
Gordon's meaty yet malleable bass grounding and darting around Kottke's distinctive and agile fingerpicked lines. Percussion reinforces the island sound (the album was recorded at the famous Compass Point Studios in Nassau) and provides a terrific backbone for the album's tropical approach. Neither Gordon nor Kottke have great (or even good) voices -- the bassist's is particularly thin -- but they admirably dig into the songs, singing on about half of the tracks with a charming, easygoing quality that suits the material and shows they are enjoying this ride. "With a happy tune, anyone can become a singer" is a line from "Rings," an old Kottke gem revitalized here, and it fits the participants' scraggly style. Some tunes, such as Gordon's "Stolen Quiet," are so light and airy that they nearly float away. But they are saved by the stunning musicianship and often bizarre, stream-of-consciousness lyrics that veer between silly and thought-provoking. Hence, a few more instrumentals might be in order if there are future editions of this undeniably successful collaboration. Covers of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" and -- more astonishingly --Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" seem a bit out of place, but nonetheless provide the album with head-turning highlights. The latter works off a slinky, swampy, funk bass-driven groove that affords a terrific framework for both musicians' talents. Kottke goes solo on "From Spink to Correctionville" and reprises his own "Twice," a terrific tune that benefits from the Caribbean arrangement. Production from David Z., which keeps the spaces open, and nearly perfect percussion assistance from Neil Symonette are the less obvious pieces that combine to put this puzzle together so effectively.

Sixty Six Steps

by  Hal HorowitzEven though six- and twelve-string master Leo Kottke's last solo album, released five years before, was named One Guitar, No Vocals, that could just as well have been the title of this one. Except for a set-closing vocal turn fronting Los Lobos on the Weavers' folk song "The Banks of Marble," the rest is just Kottke and his acoustic guitar. Together they make music that falls between folk, world, jazz, gospel, and the dreaded new age that is indelibly tied to Kottke's recognizable percussive style. There are few deviations from his established direction and many of these tracks could have been included on any of his previous two-dozen or so discs. But that doesn't lessen the impact of experiencing one of the most respected and intense acoustic guitarists in the history of the instrument ply his craft. In addition to the aforementioned tune, Kottke covers another old folk standard, "Mockingbird Hill," (which he claims to have heard from Patti Page). He tears the song apart, then reconstructs it in his own image. Carla Bley's "Jesus Maria" also goes through the Kottke machine -- for the third time -- and emerges sounding like a beautiful and twisted song from the guitarist's own pen. Short and bizarre liner notes for each tune are typically peculiar, some relating to the song in ways only Kottke will understand. Established fans won't find many revelations here, but they will still relish hearing fresh Kottke music, if only because he's obviously still playing at the top of his game 35 years into his idiosyncratic career.

Try And Stop Me

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John Fahey, Peter Lang, Leo Kottke

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John Fahey, Peter Lang, Leo Kottke

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