Neck and Neck

This album from these two masters of guitar fingerpicking will leave anyone who loves the guitar, country, blues, or melodic rock delighted. I have been a Mark Knopfler fan since early Dire Straits, and learned about Chet Atkins from Mark. Anybody Mark thinks is great is definitely worth a listen. I became a Chet Atkins fan a bit late in life, and this album was a big part of that.

This CD shines precisely because it is not flashy or showy; rather it is imbued with craftsmanship and quality musicianship in every bar. The whole album is strong, but I am especially fond of "There'll Be Some Changes Made" in which Chet and Mark trade good humored jabs about their musical heritage, "I'll See You in My Dreams", a mastercrafted classic, and the laid back "Tahitian Skies." Throughout the CD the vocals are relaxed and effortless, and although Knopfler has an appealing if somewhat gravelly voice, Atkins is a little more atonal and wavering in his singing style. Of course the...Read more

This isn't a country music CD; it's a collaboration between two great guitar players who like and respect one another. One of the most enjoyable parts of listening to the music is to pick out who's playing what. There's humor, too,and it's good road music. It's a winner, and wears well over time.

If you want to hear some good -- often great -- guitar picking, without the pretense, by two masters, this is your album. These two virtuosos challenge each other to greater and greater heights, and they deliver. "Yackety Axe" alone contains more riff variety than you will find in any five songs by mere mortals. I'm not a country fan per se, but Chet Atkins is a pleasure to listen to. That Knopfler can keep up with (and occasionally pass?) him makes you realize just how good he is. Of course, if you're looking for the usual junk, then this isn't for you.