Chet Atkins: Picks On the Beatles

Chet Atkins' Picks on the Beatles is unique among the hundreds of cover albums that cashed in on the Fab Four's success, due to both the high quality of its performances and the reverence and wonder that Atkins brings to the material. While many instrumental covers of Beatles songs were essentially anonymous schlock, Atkins highlights the architecture of Lennon and McCartney’s tunes. To listen to him pick the melodies of “And I Love Her,” “If I Fell," and “I’ll Follow the Sun” is to watch a craftsman retrace the steps of a perfect staircase. The other joy of this record is the multitude of sounds in Atkins’ arsenal. Springy, slippery, sticky, fuzzy; even though there are no vocals to be found, these performances display more texture than most singers could dream of providing. Atkins’ trademark is an unparalleled precision paired with the softest touch. When he interprets the wilder Beatles anthems—“She Loves You,” for instance, or “Can’t Buy Me Love”—what emerges is the essence of his relaxed and utterly heartfelt technique.