Leo Kottke's wide-release debut came about after he sent a cassette to
John Fahey's Takoma label. Not surprisingly, it recalls
Fahey's work in a number of respects: the synthesis of numerous influences from blues, pop, classical, and folk styles, the weirdly titled instrumentals, even the tongue-in-cheek liner notes.
Kottke's brand of virtuosity, however, is more soothing and easy on the ear than
Fahey's. It's far from sappy, though, the rich and resonant picking intimating some underlying restlessness, like peaceful open fields after a storm. Establishing much of the territory
Kottke was to explore throughout his career, this release was also one of his most popular, eventually selling over 500,000 copies. ~ Richie Unterberger