Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. The Driving Of The Year Nail
2. Ojo
3. Vaseline Machine Gun
4. Busted Bicycle
5. Cripple Creek
6. Eight Miles High
7. Bumblebee
8. Bourree
9. Bean Time
10. Tiny Island
11. In Christ There Is No East Or West
12. Last Steam Engine Train
13. From The Cradle To The Grave
14. Louise
15. Easter (Live)
16. Medley: Crow River Waltz/Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring/Jack Fig (Live)
17. Pamela Brown
18. You Tell Me Why
19. Born To Be With You

Disc 2:

1. Mona Ray
2. When Shrimps Learn To Whistle
3. The Scarlatti Rip-Off
4. Open Country Joy (Constant Traveler)
5. Buckaroo
6. The White Ape
7. Range
8. Airproofing
9. Up Tempo
10. Endless Sleep
11. Sonora's Death Row
12. Embryonic Journey
13. Learning The Game
14. The Train And The Gate (Live)
15. Side One Suite: Some Birds/Sounds Like.../Slang/My Double/Three Walls And Bars/Reprise - Some Birds
16. Sleep Walk
17. Rings
18. Julie's House

Product Details

• Released on: 1997-05-06
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Import, Best of, Box set
• Dimensions: .41 pounds

Amazon.com essential recording
Of course, newcomers to the legendary finger-style wizardry of Leo Kottke should pick up the guitarist's 1969 debut, 6 & 12 String Guitar, before they consider anything else. After listening to that masterpiece--on which Kottke plays lightning-fast instrumentals that sound like a cross between John Fahey and Bill Monroe--you can't help wanting to hear his other stuff. And Anthology is a great launching point, covering Kottke's music from 6 & 12 String through to 1983. Whereas Fahey, Kottke's finger-style forefather, ventured into weird tape loops and effects as his career progressed (and distanced his personality from his playing), Kottke did the opposite. His playing has slowed down, but Kottke now fashions himself as a singer/songwriter. And on songs like "Tiny Island" or "Julie's House"--the latter a duet with Emmylou Harris--he sounds heartfelt and human, like a more sincere version of Loudon Wainwright III. A few essential cuts are missing here, mostly from the first half of his career, and there are a few oddball tracks--Kottke warbling through "Eight Miles High" is one--but get used to it: every platter the guitarist has released seems to have a dud or three. Doesn't matter, though. To guitar fans, he'll always be godlike. --Jason Verlinde