The Merle Travis Guitar

Product Review

Vintage 1956 Merle Travis album featuring his unique solo guitar style that traverses blues, jazz and country. An inspirational collection that shaped contemporary music from Chet Atkins through to Mark Knopfler and introduced the Fender solid body guitar that Travis had developed. Acclaimed by Elvis guitarist Scotty Moore as a seminal set and prime influence on his guitar playing. Also featuring an additional eight vocal tracks from his late 1940 s canon that originally appeared on 78s including the much-covered hits Sixteen Tons (from Bo Diddley to Tennessee Ernie Ford) and Nine Pound Hammer . Also includes the Johnny Cash and Sparklehorse covered gem 'Dark As A Dungeon'. Remastered with sleevenotes by MOJO s Dave Henderson.

Title Tracks for The Merle Travis Guitar

1. Blue Smoke
2. Black Diamond Blues
3. On a Bicycle Built for Two
4. Saturday Night Shuffle
5. Bugle Call Rag
6. Tuck Me Up in My Old 'Tucky Home
7. Walkin' the Strings
8. The Memphis Blues
9. The Sheik of Araby
10. Blue Bell
11. The Waltz You Saved for Me
12. Rockabye Rag
13. Sweet Temptation [*]
14. No Vacancy [*]
15. Done Rovin' [*]
16. Nine Pound Hammer [*]
17. Sixteen Tons [*]
18. Blues, Stay Away from Me [*]
19. Dark as a Dungeon [*]
20. I Am a Pilgrim [*]

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

(4 customer reviews)

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

Buyer Beware --Additional Comments, March 17, 2009

Frank - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Merle Travis Guitar (Audio CD)

I have virtually every recording by Merle and the previous review is correct that this is not an exact duplicate of the original LP "The Merle Travis Guitar, " at least as it was released in the USA. I have the LP which was re-issued in the 1970s . The track listings are correct but it appears that this edition has used alternating acoustic and electric guitar version, utilizing the original tracks for the electric and apparently using acoustic cuts from another Capital release , the name which is eluding me now but is down in my collection. Not a terrible thing but not original. Perhaps the original lp was compiled differently in England where this cd comes from(Prophet label), but I doubt it. It also appears it was transferred from a vinyl lp source as there are areas where surface noise is apparent. However, it is a nice package overall, with the original artwork and also adds some famous bonus tracks from the late 1940s and early 50s with vocal material. I enjoyed hearing...Read more

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

BUYER BEWARE - NOT ORIGINAL ALBUM, March 17, 2009

PJ (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Merle Travis Guitar (Audio CD)

BEWARE THIS IS NOT THE ORIGINAL LP. SOME OF THE CUTS ARE FROM THE ORIGINAL "MERLE TRAVIS GUITAR" BUT SOME HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH CUTS FROM OTHER EARLY MERLE TRAVIS ALBUMS. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS A MISTAKE BUT I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS RELEASE.

Merle Travis at his best, September 13, 2011

Mark Clark (Eastern Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Merle Travis Guitar (MP3 Download)

"The Merle Travis Guitar" was released in the early 1950s and is, I believe, the first all instrumental album Merle released. All tracks were recorded using his famous Gibson Super 400 Special with the Bigsby tremolo. These are flawless examples of Merle's groundbreaking guitar style and anyone who loves Merle's music must own this album.

Merle's other instrumental album, "Walking the Strings", was recorded using his acoustic Martin D-28 with the Bigsby neck. Even though those tracks were recorded earlier, they were released much later. "The Yellow Album" as it is called by collectors devoted to Merle's style is really the definitive collection of Merle's amazing guitar work.

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