Anthology of the 12 String Guitar
One of the most influential recordings in the entire Tradition records catalog, the 1963 LP Anthology of the Twelve String Guitar is a treasured artifact that has been relished by generations of guitar fans as one of the cornerstones of recorded guitar history. The great 12 string guitarist Leo Kottke, among many others, has often cited this album as being one of the first records that made him aware of the possibilities of the instrument and was most influential in developing his own style. The guitar players assembled for this wonderful record are all superstars in their own right – among them Glen Campbell, the king of all West Coast session guitarists Howard Roberts, the great Mason Williams (Classical Gas), Roger McGuinn (The Byrds), Country Music super-session players Joe Maphis and Bob Gibson, and the unique Billy Strange. Guitar enthusiasts will have reason to rejoice as this wonderful piece of Americana finally becomes available on CD.
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars Not what I hoped it would be
Several months ago I bought a 12 string (Older Guild JF30-12) and thought it would be fun to listen to some, what would appear to be, vintage 12 string songs. While nice, on the whole, I am disappointed with this disc. Would have saved money by either buying used or downloading the best 3 or 4 tracks from Itunes (not sure if they can be found). Several of the tracks are poorly recorded and sound like they were Muzak from the 60’s. Listen carefully to the samples before ordering.
Seems to me there was a “12 String Guitar of Glen Campbell” disc out there long ago. That’ll be my next search.
Good luck!
Terry
3 Stars A 12-string guitar album for completists
Anthology of 12-String Guitar is a good way to understand why there is acoustic music before and after Fahey, Basho, Lang, Kottke and Sandy Bull.
For 12-string completists, this album is a pleasant stroll through time. For anyone else, you’d have to really be into early folk-pop instrumental music.
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