Mystery

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Mystery
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  1. Audio CD: Release Date 2006-08-22
  2. Publisher: Favored Nations
  3. Artist: Tommy Emmanuel
  4. Sales Rank in Music: #32719

Product Review

2006 release from this Australian guitarist, a professional musician for over four decades now. He's been nominated for a Grammy (for an album with Chet Atkins) and has recorded 15 albums total. He has also toured and recorded with some of the world's greatest musicians including Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Joe Walsh, Sir George Martin (the Beatles producer) and Tina Turner. Fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting this release. 12 tracks. ABC.

Amazon.com

When Tommy Emmanuel opened this new album with the fire-breathing "Cantina Senese," I suspected he was finally going to do the rip-roaring country-old-timey-Celtic-jazz CD featuring the crowd-pleasing tunes he pulls out during concerts. But it doesn't take him long to slip into the more lyrical playing that has turned up on his recent discs. And that's not a bad thing. Emmanuel is the kind of player who scares other guitarists to death with the range of his influences and the precision of his technique. You can hear both on tracks like "Gameshow Rag/Cannonball Rag," with Emmanuel doing the 1930s Django Reinhardt thing. But the album is also full of delicate reveries like "The Mystery" and "The Digger's Waltz," the latter based on the military "Taps." The only shortcoming is "Walls," with Emmanuel and his wife, Elizabeth Watkins, in a vocal duet. It's heartfelt but sentimental, and its country-pop sound is like a speed bump in the middle of the disc. But he quickly redeems this "what the hell?" moment with "Lewis & Clark," as he plays gentle cross-rhythms against a melody that unfolds like an epic tale. The Mystery isn't definitive Tommy Emmanuel, but it shows why he's not only one of the finest players, but also one of the most detailed composers for finger-style guitar. --John Diliberto
Title Tracks for Mystery

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars More excellent songwriting from a master..., August 26, 2006
Darren L. Hightower "Darren" (http://www.strumzilla.com) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mystery (Audio CD)
Finally, my copy arrived from Amazon two days ago. This album is brilliant, continuing in the tradition of Only and Endless Road, although a bit more measured and melodical than the previous. The albums first two tracks are really the only fast paced songs on the album, so they kind of fool you about the tone of the entire album when you first listen to it.

Tommy is obviously focusing much more on songwriting as opposed to performing on this album, and there are some real gems here. The Mystery, Cowboy's Dream, Lewis & Clark, Digger's Waltz, Antonella's Birthday, That's the Spirit, Footprints, and Keep it Simple are all great compositions and that's where Tommy really shines on this album. Even though some of these songs have been around awhile, most of them are new and just add to the growing catalog of timeless songs Tommy has given us.

I have had several moments where I tear up listening to these songs, which is the true measure of a great song for me. As...Read more


7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Consistent exellence!, September 23, 2006
Joseph O'Brien (Roseville, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mystery (Audio CD)
You can't truly appreciate what Tommy Emmanuel can do on the guitar without seeing him in concert. Still, "The Mystery," the third in Tommy Emmanuel's series of mostly solo acoustic work is intensely satisfying and great listening, whatever your level of exposure to "TE". While many finger-style guitarists are able to generate a lot of notes with their solo playing, none compare with TE in the way he serves up song after song of really, really good music. These songs are great melodies played flawlessly (and apparently effortlessly) by a master of his art.

Do yourself a big favor--buy this CD. Trust me.


9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sigh. Fabulous, as always, September 17, 2006
glbb (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Mystery (Audio CD)
I think we own every DC ever made by Tommy, even the obscure stuff (anyone remember "The Day the Fingerpickers Took Over the World" with Chet Atkins?). You will never go wrong with a Tommy Emmuel CD. His music, while following a familiar theme of folksy/country style with the occasional rock-ish tune thrown in, is ever-new while still feeling comfortable. Kind of like wearing your favorite slippers. Tommy is known as an instrumentalist, so the odd real song (as opposed to a piece, which is what you call an instrumental item)is an interesting surprise on any of his CDs. The song "Walls" is one of those nice surprises. This CD sounds more introspective than many of his others -- it reminds me of the his earlier music, which was almost purely guitar. There are very few, if any pieces on this CD that have more than just Tommy and his guitar playing. I can tell even now that this will get a lot of play in my house. And yes, the previous reviewer was right; Tommy Emmanuel is one of,...Read more

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