Greenhouse

Solo performer: Leo Kottke (vocals, guitar).Includes liner notes by Leo Kottke.A longtime fan favorite, 1972's GREENHOUSE is possibly the best starting point for the Leo Kottke novice. Early enough in Kottke's career that some parts of the album, especially the tracks featuring 12-string guitars, still bear the heavy influence of his mentor, John Fahey, on whose Takoma label this album was originally released, GREENHOUSE is one of Kottke's first albums to include some of the defining elements of his later work.There are the oddball cover choices like "The Spanish Entomologist," which conflates "Tumblin' Tumbleweeds," "Jambalaya" and the children's song "Playmate"; the gloomy vocals in "Louise," a song about the death of a prostitute; and increasingly prominent jazz and other influences coloring Kottke's blues and folk roots. His respectful cover of Fahey's "In Christ There Is No East or West" is a particular highlight.

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