Re-issues: Chet Atkins & Les Paul, Steve Forbert, Eddy Arnold

 By Ken Paulson

There’s a moment on the Chet Atkins and Les Paul album Guitar Monsters (Real Gone Music) where the two playfully compare notes on CB radio and Dolly Parton’s attributes. It’s an exchange that simultaneously signals just how long ago Atkins and Paul recorded the LP, and how much fun they had doing it.

This 1978 album, their second together, showcases the two virtuoso guitarists in a playful and informal setting. Paul came from pop and jazz and Atkins from country, but they admired each other and their talents were truly complementary on this release.

“Over the Rainbow,” “I Want to be Happy” and “Give My Love to Nell” are musical highlights, and you’ll enjoy the pair’s spirited banter on “I’m Your Greatest Fan.”

Alive on Arrival/Jackrabbit Slim –Steve Forbert

Blue Corn Music has released Steve Forbert’s first two albums in a deluxe package that includes 12 bonus songs. It’s a reminder of just how rare it is for a singer-songwriter to release two consistently excellent albums at the outset of a career.

Neil Young did it. So did Jackson Browne and James Taylor. But Elton John didn’t (Empty Sky was no Elton John.)  Carole King didn’t, although Tapestry was a heck of a second album.

Forbert’s Alive on Arrival was a vibrant debut, sporting enduring songs like “Goin’ Down to Laurel” and “You Cannot Win if You Do Not Play.” For an encore, Forbert delivered the ambitious Jackrabbit Slim, kicking off the LP with “Romeo’s Tune,” an idiosyncratic hit record that he’s played for more than three decades.

Forbert is an amazingly consistent artist and every album offers up new treasures. You can have that kind of career when you build on a foundation of quality, as evidenced by this new collection.

Complete Original #1 Hits – Eddy Arnold

Album titles don’t come any more straightforward than this one. This Real Gone Music release includes the 28 Eddy Arnold songs that rose to #1 on the Billboard country chart, beginning with “What is Life Without Love” in 1946 and concluding with “The You Can Tell Me Goodbye” in 1968.

It’s a rich anthology that tracks both Arnold’s early career and the evolution of country music. Arnold’s use of strings and lush arrangements broadened his appeal well beyond country music audiences. Highly recommended.