Chet Atkins and Mark Knoppfler - Neck and Neck


Stop the presses! Cut to Mark and Rebecca in the studio! We interrupt your regularly scheduled late 90s slacker Alt-Rock things we sort of remember to bring you the most "da fuck?" album we here at Bottle of Beef have ever laid eyes on. Way back in 1990 Sony let Mark Knoppfler produce a duet album with Chet Atkins called Neck and Neck. No, i didn't have a stroke, i'm holding it in my hand. 

I thought i had a second stroke when i heard Chet Atkins say "you got your money and your chicks for free." Jesus "name in vain" Christ, he also says "pretty good, but you're no Mark Knoppfler." Vince Gill had nothing better to do that day than sing background vocals, and there's a Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grapelli cover? Why is this album this good? Seriously, why? 

Don't get me wrong, it's cheesy as all get out, and Country as Fred Ziffel taking his straw hat off to Mrs. Douglas while he scolds Arnold the Pig, but jeez it's a purdy ringin' in the ears. Seriously, this is a fantastic listen from a thumb-fingerin' Country guy who isn't afraid to use a pick and a Rock'n'Roller who absolutely refuses to use one. 

We're gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and not go on a diatribe about the racist implications of the jab at Michael Jackson and Prince; racist or not they're both great guitar players, and i'm absolutely positive the guitars don't care who's playing them. Michael Jackson wasn't particularly fond of Prince's flamboyance if i remember correctly, so pot calling the kettle cookware on all this garbage innuendo for a wink wink nudge nudge am i right dollar-fifty. Maybe just don't say shitty things about people when their stupid, shortsighted, selfish, greedy ideas are universally fair game, huh? I own 200% more Michael Jackson and Prince than Mark Knoppfler albums, for the record. I only bring it up because that's a favorite trope of the delusional self-victim Conservative crowd. Am i over-analyzing it? If so, wouldn't that just prove it isn't intelligent enough to deserve analysis in the first place? Real dilemma that one, it's stupid either way i look at it, so i guess i'll respect your feelings or something.

Music wise, it's still every bit as stellar as i earlier implied. Don't bring your thinking brain to it though, just enjoy the bizarrity of Dire Straits meets Travis picking on a "why not? We've got empty studio time to fill" kind of afternoon.

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