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Essential Acoustic Albums.


jerime

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It is interesting to connect recommendations to the little bit I know about each of you. Some pretty good insites into fellow forumites....

I'll add a couple more

Michael Hedges has been mentioned several times - I agree that he had a huge impact on modern acoustic players. I hear Hedges in players like Doug Smith.

Pascal and Stackabone have suggested Django and some other classical stuff - you really ought to have at least one by Segovia to round out the collection even if you aren't a classical fan.

If you don't know a genre very well a box set or collection can be good - Aligator Records has some collections of all their artists and if you can find the Taylor "Wood and Steel" cd's you'll hear a bunch of modern players. I also have one called something like "Bottlenecks, steel and pocket knifes" (or something) that is a cross section of slide players. Throw some Bob Brozman into that mix too.

For country blues you need at least one MJH, one Blind Boy Fuller, maybe some Gary Davis, Sonny Terry/Brownie McGee, Bukka, Blind Blake, Blind Lemon Pledge (LOL), and RJ

Doc and Tony Rice for traditional bluegrass, Alison and Union Station for newgrass. Buster Jones for balls-to-the wall thumbstyle fingerpickin' (they don't call him "the machine gun" for nothin'). Oh, Chet and Merle....

I'm a Kelly Joe Phelps fan - his earlier stuff playing lap style on a big Gibby dread, but he fingerpicks pretty well too.

Clapton's "Unplugged" is still pretty good. Early Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, Jorma - white boys and girls keeping the blues alive.

Leon Redbones is fun and some bushy bearded Texan in Exile has been making me smile lately.

.... there, that is a pretty eclectic mix, eh?

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"Friday Night in San Francisco" - Paco de Lucia, Al DiMeola, and John Mclaughlin

 

 

And don't forget "Passion Grace and Fire" by the same trio. When my ex kept all my old albums, it was the first one I replaced.

 

I've been digging on Brooks Williams' "Little Lion" and "Guitar Player" a lot lately.

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My favorite is Pat Donoue, and plenty of others of "the olde guarde" who have already been mentioned (Kottke, Fahey, Peter Lang, Chet, Mike Dowling, Tony Rice, Clarence White for sure).

Recent additions to my list include Thom Bresh & Buster B Jones, Rory Block & Kelly Joe Phelps & Tommy Emmanuel.

Some body said "don't forget Davey Graham" but I think that he has largely been forgotten and deserves recognition.

No offense to Dave Matthews or his legions of fans, but I have listened to him & I don't put him in the same league as these guys as a guitarist.

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No offense to Dave Matthews or his legions of fans, but I have listened to him & I don't put him in the same league as these guys as a guitarist.

 

 

Most of the references to Dave Matthews have been when he played with Tim Reynolds, one of the best acoustic guitar players I've ever seen play. I agree about Dave though, good player but not remarkable.

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Any of Nickel Creek's albums provide some great acoustic music (titles are Nickel Creek, This Side, and Why Should The Fire Die). Surprised there's no mention of Clapton's Unplugged yet, that's another good one. Saw Phil Keaggy in the beginning- any of his albums are good to listen to if you need to be humbled. :rolleyes: Spinning in my CD changer lately has been Tommy Emmanuel and KT Tunstall (who has some acoustic vids on YouTube that are worth checking out, IMO).

I like a lot of Dashboard Confessional's older stuff, which is primarily acoustic. Great music (goes to get lion-proof suit) if you like that kind of singer-songwriter stuff.

Ellen

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Tea for the Tillerman

 

 

Absolutely one of the finest-sounding albums of the '70s, bar none. Call him Steven, call him Cat, call him Yusuf - the guy had a great sound then and - the little I've heard of his new stuff - he's still got it. Thanks for reminding me of this great album; I'll have to dig it out (on vinyl, of course) and relisten!

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Dave & Tim Reynolds was mentioned earlier, and Tim Reynolds is awesome. However, The stuff he plays with Dave on the Luther College album is totally different from his solo work. Tim's playing really makes "Ants Marching" come alive!

Also forgot to mention Antoine Dufour & Don Ross. Just got into these guys after seeing videos of them playing. Wow!

John Mayer is also a personal favorite of mine. If you've only heard his newer electric bluesy stuff, or his hit "radio" tunes, you're missing out on a lot. Pick up the "Inside Wants Out" EP. All acoustic. The acoustic version of "Neon" on that album is insane!

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I'll throw a few of my fav's out there.

For acoustic blues, you can't beat two great cd's by Alvin Youngblood Hart:
Big Mamma's Door and Down in the Alley.

Acoustic Rock/Pop: Barenaked Ladies/ Rock Spectacle

Country/Blues: Chris Smither/ Train Home

Folk: Norman Blake Fields of November

Cat Stevens Footsteps in the Dark

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