Freedom's Just Another Word

New Old songs, collected as a new Kris Kristofferson album, streaming. Nonstop wonderfulness.

He crashed a helicopter into Johnny Cash's yard in order to bring you 'Sunday Morning Coming Down'. Dude deserves to be famouser than he is.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126169194&sc=nl&cc=mn-20100427

On the Road to My Heart

Fans of classic country will be delighted by Merle Haggard's new one, now streaming from NPR. His voice is more tremulous than of old, and the general intent seems a bit mellower than in some past releases; but the songs, and the instrumentation surrounding them, are as rich and delicious as ever.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125636724

I Ain't Saying I Beat the Devil... But I Drank His Beer For Nothin'

My absolute favorite Johnny Cash album.

Home digitized from thrift-store and oft-played vinyl, and thus kinda scratchy.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/nz4wqqdtenz/Hello Im Johnny Cash.zip

Hot Mocking Bird

Gently gorgeous twang and cheese. A broad harmonic imagination and sensuous attention to tone. Not just for guitar geeks and recording nerds, though certainly anyone who's stroked some frets or mounted a microphone will get extra pleasure from it.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/memghltjnxm/Chet Atkins - Chet Atkins' Workshop.zip

The Tennessee Toad

I've always thought Leo Kottke was due for hipster recognition as much as John Fahey. Of course, Fahey was a depressive who created a minimalist, purely instrumental style primarily derived from blues, whereas Leo is a showman who's always worked in sort of a flashy country genre, and even sang on occasion.

So the comparison (they're both primarily steel-string guitarists known for their mastery of the instrument), is foolish and I hereby retract it and apologize. Anyhow, Mr. Kottke's albums are not always perfect, but they're almost always amazing from a guitarist's point of view (I like his singing voice too, but not everyone does). And the moodier compositions and dry sense of humor ought to appeal to folks who would otherwise tend to dismiss anything this country-oriented.

This (I think) was his first album, and as such is a perfectly realized statement of purpose: jaw-dropping virtuosity, dreamy compositions, and fingers like iron, on the 12-string guitar (a very difficult instrument to master), and on its six-string sister.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/mzrlyujfynm/Leo Kottke- 6 and 12 String Guitar.zip