I've listened to a lot of Leo Kottke over the years, both in concert and on record, and this has continued to be my favorite of all his albums. There are two reasons for this. One is that he frequently has recorded with backing musicians. The problem with this is that no session musician has anywhere near Kottke's virtuosic skill and no group of musicians provides an especially interesting setting for his music. The second reason is that Kottke has increasingly sung on albums. Now, I don't dislike Kottke's singing and I think his own description of it as resembling the sound of a goose emitting gas is more than a little harsh, and I thoroughly enjoy some of his covers, such as his wonderful rendition of Tom T. Hall's "Pamela Brown" and the Byrds' "Eight Mile High" (the latter in part homage to the second most celebrated 12-string player in the history of rock). Although he has recorded some fine albums--and even his weakest albums have some good moments--this one for me really stands out. No other recording puts his astonishing talent on display so purely. The story is that Kottke developed his style by learning to emulate the playing of Les Paul, without realizing that Paul laid down more than one guitar track. Perhaps the story is pure myth, but there no denying that Kottke frequently sounds as if he were playing two or even three guitars at once. But apart from the complexity of what he plays, there is also the amazing fact that he frequently does it on a 12-string guitar. I'm a decent finger picker (I'm not an especially good guitarist, but I'm a good finger picker and he makes me sound like I am better than I am), but when I've tried on a few occasions to attempt my rather simple picking on a 12-string, I find it nearly impossible to do so. Absolutely no one can finger pick a 12-string like Kottke, and I'm utterly in awe of the speed at which he plays and the finger strength it requires. I'm also a huge fan of the guitarist Kottke could be considered a disciple of (and on whose Takoma label this album was released), John Fahey. The latter is a superb musician (and I do prefer his arrangements to Kottke's) and his technique is as good as Kottke's, but there is no question that Kottke plays with a speed and ferocity that perhaps no other acoustic guitarist can match. I'm not sure that playing things that no one else (or at most only a very few) can play grants one the title of world's greatest guitarist (personally, I would give that title to someone like Richard Thompson, who although he does not quite approach Kottke's mastery, far surpasses him in musicality). I would be willing to say that Kottke is the world's greatest steel string virtuoso. There are a lot of superb professional guitarists who could not play the things that Kottke plays. I'd just like to add that the other thing that stuns me about Kottke is how clean his playing is. I've not spent a lot of time on a 12-string, but when I have I've noticed I make a lot of noise moving my fingers over the strings. But you rarely hear Kottke make a noise.

The numbers on the album are very much in the tradition of John Fahey's work, with one major exception. For the most part Fahey preferred to rework traditional tunes or songs. His arrangements are often as interesting as his playing. Kottke, on the other hand, on this album mainly works with original material. Anyone who has seen Kottke live knows that he is a very, very funny man, introducing songs with wonderfully self-deprecating stories and a sometimes macabre sense of humor. This can be seen in the strange titles he gives to these numbers. I can't see the reason for calling one number "The Last of the Arkansas Greyhounds" or another "The Brain of Purple Mountain." Mainly these songs exist to show off Kottke playing. Many of them are quite beautiful and even the weakest of them is fascinating. The technical mastery needed to play some of these songs is simply off the chart. Even with years of practice I know I could never play most of these. So part of the thrill of this album is hearing someone take the guitar close to the limits of what it is capable of. Kottke seems equally at home with slide or traditional chording and six- or twelve-string guitars. I might have a slight preference for hearing him on the 12-string, simply because so few great guitarists have tried to make it their main instrument. The only other player most people associate with the 12-string is Roger McGuinn and his Rickenbacker.

One great thing about this album is that it is despite its technical brilliance simply a great listen. Although you can certainly listen to it in order to try and figure out how Kottke is pulling off everything he is doing, you can also just sit back and enjoy some great tunes. For instance, you can really focus on the various components that make up "Vaseline Machine Gun" (in which Kottke shows the amazing things he can do with his thumb), or you can just tap your foot and have fun.

In closing, I'd like to say that of all the musicians I've ever seen live, Kottke might be the most likable. He seems like someone you'd love to have a beer with and swap stories. In lieu of that, however, you can enjoy this great album, which just might showcase the finest steel string acoustic guitar playing ever set to record.

... are the best three words I can think of to describe this album. It has been in my collection for the better part of three decades and will never--EVER--sound old, tired, or dated. It is not at all unreasonable to imagine 23rd Century guitarists seeking to keep these amazing compositions and performance on the front burner.

If you've gone this far to be reading this and considering purchase, you should have no second thoughts. BUY IT NOW or at least add to wishlist and buy ASAP!!!

*6 and 12 String Guitar* has been one of the most influential recordings in my life. It has helped me in many ways---- to relax, in making friends, in getting through college. My bride chose *Crow River Waltz* to be played at our wedding.

Originally pressed over thirty five years ago, *6&12* is to my mind the most representative of his music. It is entirely instrumental, containing no vocal `geese farts'. Its now-classic Kottke tunes, are an example of Kottke at the pinnacle of his craft.
*Vaseline Machine Gun* is superfast and super accurate; *Broken Bicycle* = musical onomatopoeia. *Watermelon* evokes a tale of the theft of a melon and the ensuing chase of the enraged gardener.

Kottke's uncanny ability to keep bass line and melody afloat simultaneously is apparent in his reverent and sensitive rendering of the JS Bach tune *Jesu, Lord of Man's Desiring*.

6&12 String Guitar is music for all ages, for the Ages.