6- and 12-String Guitar

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6- and 12-String Guitar

Studio album by Leo Kottke
Released	1969
Label	Takoma Records
All Music Guide link
Leo Kottke chronology
12-String Blues	6- and 12-String Guitar	Circle Round The Sun

6- and 12-String Guitar is a solo steel-string acoustic guitar album recorded by Leo Kottke and released by John Fahey's Takoma Records in 1969. It is popularly known as the Armadillo album after the animal illustrated in the distinctive cover art. Although Kottke has recorded dozens of additional albums, 6- and 12-String Guitar remains Kottke's best-known album and for many of Kottke's devoted fans it is the definitive album for the artist.

The album showcases Kottke's hard-driving polyphonic finger-picking style (which has mellowed in later years, though glimpses of this earlier approach still occur). But even at the fastest tempos the notes are clean and crisp, with a distinctive tone. Unsurprisingly, the album contains performances on both 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, some using a slide. Although Kottke has included vocals in other albums (and, in fact, he has a fine baritone) all the tunes on this album are instrumental—the liner notes contain Kottke's famous claim that his voice "sounds like geese farts on a muggy day".

The song titles (and tune notes) also illustrate Kottke's love-hate relationship with putting names to his works. All the tracks were written by Kottke except Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Kottke's arrangement of the familiar Bach piece.

Kottke still accommodates his fans' appreciation of the album by including one or more of its tunes in the playlist at his frequent live performances.

This album has been re-released as an SACD.