The Best (Leo Kottke album)
Encyclopedia
The Best is a compilation double album
of American
guitarist Leo Kottke
's releases on the Capitol label. The liner notes were written by Dr. Demento
.
The Rhino
box set release Anthology covers the first 15 years of Kottke's career and includes selections from the Takoma
, Capitol, and Chrysalis
releases along with extensive liner notes. Capitol later released another compilation package titled The Best of Leo Kottke. Chrysalis released Essential Leo Kottke covering Kottke's mid-career releases on that label. Blue Note Records
also released two compilations, The Best of the Capitol Years and The Best of the Chrysalis Years on CD in 2003.
The Best was re-issued on CD by BGO (CD277) in 1996.
In his Allmusic review, critic Thom Jurek called it "...the best one for the money. Sonically it is superior, using later-phase master technology, and its presentation is sleeker as well. The biggest asset here is that this collection does feature some of the more well-known vocal selections closely associated with the guitarist..."
Music critic Robert Christgau
stated: "Much as I admire John Fahey
, I'm no aficionado of the school of solo guitar he inspired, and though I once complained that Kottke lacked Fahey's "courage and clarity" I think what I really meant was genius—and I have no idea what that means. If a guest were to request Kottke I'd play Capitol's The Best twofer, which I enjoy under duress—the sides he doesn't sing on, that is."
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke is an acoustic guitarist. He is widely known for his innovative fingerpicking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies...
's releases on the Capitol label. The liner notes were written by Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
.
The Rhino
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
box set release Anthology covers the first 15 years of Kottke's career and includes selections from the Takoma
Takoma Records
Takoma Records was a small but influential record label founded by John Fahey in the late 1950s.. It was named after Fahey's hometown, the Washington, D.C. suburb of Takoma Park, Maryland.-History:...
, Capitol, and Chrysalis
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
releases along with extensive liner notes. Capitol later released another compilation package titled The Best of Leo Kottke. Chrysalis released Essential Leo Kottke covering Kottke's mid-career releases on that label. Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
also released two compilations, The Best of the Capitol Years and The Best of the Chrysalis Years on CD in 2003.
The Best was re-issued on CD by BGO (CD277) in 1996.
Reception
In their 1996 review, Dirty Linen stated "...Combining equal parts acoustic, electric, live, and vocal material, the compilation is an ideal introduction for new listeners...",In his Allmusic review, critic Thom Jurek called it "...the best one for the money. Sonically it is superior, using later-phase master technology, and its presentation is sleeker as well. The biggest asset here is that this collection does feature some of the more well-known vocal selections closely associated with the guitarist..."
Music critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
stated: "Much as I admire John Fahey
John Fahey (musician)
John Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitivism, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the...
, I'm no aficionado of the school of solo guitar he inspired, and though I once complained that Kottke lacked Fahey's "courage and clarity" I think what I really meant was genius—and I have no idea what that means. If a guest were to request Kottke I'd play Capitol's The Best twofer, which I enjoy under duress—the sides he doesn't sing on, that is."
Track listing
- All songs by Leo Kottke except as noted.
- The four original sides were labeled, in order, Acoustic, Electric, Live, and Singing
- All songs taken from Mudlark, Greenhouse, Ice Water, My Feet are Smiling, Dreams and All That Stuff, and Chewing Pine
- The 1996 CD release included two discs.
Side one
- "Machine No. 2" – 3:00
- "Cripple Creek" (Traditional) – 3:07
- "Bouree" (J. S. Bach) – 1:26
- "When Shrimps Learn to Whistle" – 3:28
- "Bill Cheatham" (Traditional) – 1:45
- "The Song of the Swamp" – 3:00
- "Last Steam Engine Train" (John FaheyJohn Fahey (musician)John Fahey was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who pioneered the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitivism, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the...
) – 3:02
Side two
- "Bean Time" – 2:32
- "The Spanish Entomologist" – 2:19
- "Short Stories" (Leo Kottke, Cal Hand) – 3:01
- "Hole in the Day" – 2:50
- "Mona Roy" – 1:48
- "Venezuela, There You Go" – 3:08
- "Monkey Lust" (Kottke, Kim FowleyKim FowleyKim Vincent Fowley is an American record producer, impresario, songwriter, musician, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty and cult rock pop singles in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways in the 1970s...
) – 1:48
Side three
- "Busted Bicycle" – 2:37
- "June Bug" – 2:06
- "Eggtooth" (Kottke, Johnson) – 5:15
- "Stealing" – 1:34
- "Living in the Country" (Pete SeegerPete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
) – 1:36 - "Medley Crow River Waltz/Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring/Jack Fig" – 7:20
Side four
- "Standing in My Shoes" (Kottke, Bruce) – 4:01
- "Bumblebee" – 3:39
- "Eight Miles HighEight Miles High"Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, and David Crosby and first released as a single on March 14, 1966 . The single managed to reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 30 of the UK Singles Chart...
" (Roger McGuinnRoger McGuinnJames Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
, David CrosbyDavid CrosbyDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
, Gene ClarkGene ClarkGene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
) – 3:33 - "Tilt Billings and the Student Prince" (Leo Kottke, Ron Nagle) – 4:56
- "Pamela Brown" (Tom T. HallTom T. HallThomas "Tom T." Hall is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has written 11 #1 hit songs, with 26 more that reached the Top 10, including the pop crossover hit "I Love", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100...
) – 4:02 - "Standing on the Outside" (Leo Kottke, Mary Kottke) – 2:29
- "Power Failure" (Gary BrookerGary BrookerGary Brooker, MBE, is an English singer, songwriter, pianist and founder of the rock band Procol Harum. Brooker was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours on 14 June 2003, in recognition of his charitable services.-Early life:Brooker was born in...
, Keith ReidKeith ReidKeith Reid is a songwriter who wrote the lyrics of every Procol Harum song that is not a cover...
) – 2:20
Personnel
- Leo Kottke - 6 & 12-string guitar, vocals
- Bill BarberBilly Barber (musician)Billy Barber is a keyboardist and composer. He is the son of pianist and William C. Barber, also known as Bill Barber Sr.He is most noted for the theme song for All My Children in the 1990s as well as keyboardist for the jazz group Flim & the BB's with Jimmy Johnson and Bill Berg...
- piano - Bill BergBill Berg (musician)Bill Berg is a noted drummer in jazz and fusion music, best known for his work with the group Flim & the BB's, as well as guitarist Wayne Johnson. He also served as the drummer for fellow Hibbing, Minnesota native Bob Dylan's notable record Blood on the Tracks.Berg has also recorded and worked...
- drums - Kenny ButtreyKenny ButtreyAaron Kenneth Buttrey was an American drummer and arranger. According to CMT, he was "one of the most influential session musicians in Nashville history"....
- drums - Roy EstradaRoy EstradaRoy Estrada is an American musician and backing vocalist, best known for his bass guitar work with Frank Zappa and for co-founding Little Feat.-Biography:With drummer Jimmy Carl Black and Ray Collins, Estrada was an original member of Frank Zappa's...
- bass - Kim FowleyKim FowleyKim Vincent Fowley is an American record producer, impresario, songwriter, musician, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty and cult rock pop singles in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways in the 1970s...
- vocals - Cal Hand - pedal steel guitar
- Paul Lagos - drums
- Wayne Moss - bass
- Larry TaylorLarry TaylorLarry Taylor is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis...
- bass