Contemporary slide-guitar with accompaniment, NOT Hip-Hop.

Although I would not consider this his best (4 stars instead of 5), it is still very good, very dynamic acoustic slide guitar music with accompaniment from both human guests (Atkins) and sometimes a drum machine. The songs are well crafted folky and country tinged with a comtempory pop feel. A few old tracks, such as Vaseline Machine Gun get re-worked here, and although they sound nothing the originals they are quite interesting. This is an excellent mix of Vocal and Instrumental tracks from Kottke. However, if you're looking for just another Kottke guitar album, look elsewhere. This should probably not be your first Leo album, but don't make it your last either.

I don't know where people come off calling this album "hip-hop". Yes, there is a drum machine present on some songs, but it is not a hip-hop beat... just bouncy at times.

This is not the first time Leo has used accompaniment on an album. Consider his all vocal and fully-band-backed "Great Big Boy" album from 1991. It also is not just a Leo instrumental album. Try "A Shout Towards Noon" from 1986, "Regards from Chuck Pink" from 1988 or "One Guitar, No Vocals" from 1999 if you just want to hear Leo and his guitar. This is also not the last album Leo got experimental on (consider 2002's "Clone").

If you are just getting started with Leo, try "My Father's Face" from 1989. That seems to be the album all newcomers buy first. It was my first Leo purchase, and I now have 25 Leo albums. Once you hear this guy play (or see him live) you'll want to dust off that old guitar sitting in your closet again.

I've Tried, Oh How I've tried

I've given this CD many chances. I read the reviews here before buying, and though I didn't much like Peculiaroso, this sounded as if it would be quirky and inventive.

It wasn't. The playing sounds fairly pedestrian to me. I do not want him to play as he did in 1971 forever, though I do love that sound, but this is not just different, it is a retreat. Change is not good if it is change for the worse. Listen to "Dead End" and tell me how this compares to the spiraling variations from those days. Or the "re-working" of "Standing In My Shoes", a brilliant and beautiful tune, that now is not plaintive but merely whiny.

That does not even address the synthetic drum/bass pop sound that overpowers much of the music. Yeech....Save us from Techno, Leo! We come to you to hear an instrument played lovingly and skillfully. That happens all too infrequently on this CD.

Not a disaster, but not remarkable or distinctive in any way. Feels like a quickie, churned out to meet a contract obligation. I'll keep "6 & 12 String" and "My Feet Are Smiling" (two of the most astonishing records ever) in ready rotation and put this one on the very back burner.

what a shame

Nine of eleven cuts are destroyed by the inane and incessant electric hip-hop drum noise. Absolutely criminal. Kottke has obviously sold out.