Teensville – CHET ATKINS****

White Silver Sands/Boo Boo Stick Beat/Oh Lonesome Me/One Mint Julep/Take A Message To Mary/Teensville/Night Train/Come Softly To Me/Sleep Walk/Django’s Castle/Till There Was You/Hot Toddy

US country guitarist Chet Atkins enjoyed much commercial success in the early 1960s with his instrumental album releases. Teensville includes several covers of recent chart hits in an attempt to broaden his appeal to the burgeoning youth market. (US:16)

"Teensville blends the inimitable style of Chet Atkins with both popular hits of the early 60s and some unknown gems. Take A Message To Mary, Oh Lonesome Me and Come Softly To Me bear the essence of the light, sweet sounds of the original versions with a touch of Chet's interpretation, as do several others. The album’s title track Teensville capitalizes on the rhythmical influence of Bo Diddley. Django's Castle is a tribute to the great jazz/ragtime guitar master Django Reinehart. Hot Toddy is a sweet melding of a Chet chordal melody with some fine breathy sax work. And my personal favourite One Mint Julep captures Chet's wry country jaunt with some innovative volume pedal work on the last verse. To anyone who loves and values the style that is singularly Chet Atkins, I recommend this album.”

"Teensville is a lush sonic exploration, alternately meditative and seductive. It is a work of artistic genius. There are big-band standards, 1930s jazz, Broadway songs, '40s blues, covers of great rock and roll like Sleepwalk and Come Softly To Me plus several strong originals. Beyond genre, it is played with spice, restraint, love of harmony, inspired musicianship. Atkins' gentle optimistic spirit subtly conceals oceanic depth and deadly commitment.”

“On Teensville, we have a selection of jazz masquerading as rock, since the intent of this album was to cross over. It is unlike a lot of other Atkins albums in that here Chet is at times more part of the ensemble than the sole focus of the music. However, there is still plenty of Chet in this music, including his unmistakable and very original techniques. Perhaps most closely associated with country music, Chet Atkins was never afraid to try new ideas and sounds. With Teensville he took a collection of well known rock 'n' roll songs and produced an instrumental album that features his guitar playing to the fore.”