Only

 (6 customer reviews)

Having played guitar for decades, I thought I knew a bit about it until I heard Tommy Emmanuel. He actually does what our imaginations want to think is possible, but for the rest of us, imagination is all we have...until, thankfully, Tommy puts our imaginations into music. He makes the acoustic guitar hurdle what was never done before and he does it with such taste and inflection, with immaculate timing and beauty. His slow songs are free flowing with pregnant pauses, complex but perfect chording and tiny little imbellishments, not too much, not too little. Sit alone, close your eyes and turn it up...you will find yourself flying, sharing the joy and lack of musical boundaries that epitomizes the freed little boy in Tommy Emmanuel. One cannot even take "Only" song by song and critique it...the album is, as a whole, simply off the charts unbelievable...beyond words to describe, and as a whole, a wonderful journey into uncharted music.

I only recently discovered the Australian acoustic guitar maestro, Tommy Emmanuel, (chiefly through viewing You Tube videos.) All I can say is that he's one in a million in terms of his articulate arrangements and playing. The CD is entitled *Only* because it's "only" Tommy and no one else... one track (in stereo), with no re-dubbing or multi-tracking -- just straight guitar playing with very few vocals (although Tommy has a very palatable voice and I much enjoy his singing as well.) How can he do this and still be entertaining? Tommy employs a finger-picking style akin to that of Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke, and/or James Taylor but he uses numerous variations of that style to achieve much that is new and robust.

Tommy's music has, here and there, frequently gotten tagged as jazz. Well honestly, it would be near-impossible to tag Tommy's music as there is little else with which to compare it. Yes, he borrows from jazz but additionally he touches equally upon elements of...Read more

This cd is all "Tommy". Just like i like it. I wish he made a dvd for each album he comes out with. Watching him perform is as good as listening to him.