The Unbelievable Voice and Guitar of Jerry Reed Nashville Underground

JERRY REED: The Unbelievable Guitar and Voice of Jerry Reed/Nashville Underground Two classic, late-'60s albums from Jerry Reed, both of them never on CD before! The titles to these two records (his first two) really tell the tale; Jerry was an unbelievable guitarist and singer, and you can add songwriter to the list at least Elvis thought so, as he covered both "Guitar Man" and "U.S. Male" from Unbelievable (and hired Jerry to play guitar on both)! Jerry returned the favor by writing an Elvis tribute song ("Tupelo Mississippi Flash") on 1968's Nashville Underground, which lives up to its title by presenting a revelatory blend of country, rock 'n' roll, folk, blue-eyed soul and even progressive pop. Though Reed was a protege of Chet Atkins, his eclectic taste and irrepressible personality later on full display in the Smokey and the Bandit films ensured that this record busted out of the countrypolitan mold that held sway in Nashville at the time. Both of these albums are must-listens for any alt-country and roots music fan, and Chris Morris contributes notes that place these two albums in context of Jerry's incredible (and, to this day, underappreciated) career.