I've been listening to Leo for many years and am greatful I can pull him up any time on youtube for a great musical fix any time! He's truely the greatest!
I got turned on to this guy by a woman in a group of people sharing different genres of music and was absolutely, totally hooked after the first album. I went out and bought every single album I could find and still have approximately 20 of his LP's!! Saw him live in concert at the old Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth Texas three or four times and not only is he a fantastic musician but he is one of the funniest guys around. He has the driest sense of humor and had the audience cracking up all night at every show. AND...he took requests all night!! One-of-a-kind!
Machine Gun says it all. With the style of playing, no wonder Leo had to change his technique. This is truly amazing. There's a reason he is one of the best. I love his grin while he plays, he knows he is spot on.
I had the honor of opening for Leo back in the early 1980s at the Soft Rock Cafe in Vancouver, BC...really nice, hilarious guy and one hell of a picker!!! Cheers!!! RC Johnston (aka: Ragtime Ralph)...
this guy is the reason that i started to learn how to play the guitar. though I have to admit that I'll never EVER be able to play like this. my guitar teacher (who started playing like 30 years ago) saw kottke live and said "i don't know how he does that" ;)
The best finger pickin' guitarist of all time. Also a great composer. He exceeded even his teacher, John Fahey, and that's no small task. I was lucky enough to see him in 1985 at a college in Cupertino California. It was beyo9nd words. and he's even funny! They gave him four standing ovations. A sweet memory. He has insprired many guitarists, I'm sure. His tunings? Try Googling it. He used open D a lot, and several other open shord tunings.
I hope that this will blow your mind. While I was finishing up my second stint at the U of MD (1970), I met a guy who had seen Fahey and Kottke playing together on a porch in Takoma park, MD where Fahey lived. I would have killed for that moment. Fahey worked at the local Exxon station.
Leo seems to play this raw sound and it's so compelling. I've listened to him for years and find him an intelligent and humorous entertainer. Keep posting , love it.
Kottke is a genius. This video, so poor quality, simply highlights how amazing his LIVE sound is. I know. I've seen him live around this age. Profound. Brilliant.
I saw Leo 26 yrs ago he was unbelievable! I recently saw Leo and David Lindley in concert. Theyre older but can still get it done better than most who make a living playing guitar. If Leo's around, treat yourself to a master!
I heard this version first and when I heard the album version I was almost disappointing by how "slow" it was. Now I think both versions are great but this will forever be my favorite rendition.
Nah, maybe just train your ears to listen better. Slowing it down makes it a snoozefest, and the more perfectly angelic sounding it is, with all the notes distinct, the less badass it is.
If I am correct, this is a video from Leo's TV debut, possibly? on Carson's Tonight Show. If so, I saw that show, and Leo blew the roof off, left everyone agape at his ability, skill, talent and deprecating presentation. He got a huge, loud standing ovation from the audience, and well deserved it. The host was stunned as well, and welcomed an encore, previously unaware that Kottke was this good.
There are several clips from '73...it's hard to say which one is first. There's another great Kottke video from '73 elsewhere on the internet, just google 'leo kottke michael johnson This Must Be the Place 1973 tcmedianow' and you can enjoy half an hour of vintage young Leo....
My only wish is that there was a better quality audio version. But we take what we can get, and HOLY SHIT THIS THING BLOWS MY FREAKING MIND. Oh, Leo. This particular performance of Vaseline Machine Gun blows my little mind.
I just saw him in concert over the weekend and he was mind-blowing. Hasn't lost a single thing, sounds as good if not better than he did on Mudlark. He's one of those rare musicians who has the ability to inspire you to practice feverishly and discourage you from ever attempting simultaneously.
The poor quality of the audio in fact does an excellent job of conveying the intensity of the piece. That combined with the opening sequence of shots is really breathtaking.
Thats some amazing shit right there! I remember listening to Leo as a kid...my parents loved him and played the vinyls all the time. The look on Kottke's face is almost like..."Im gonna play this a bit slower so everyone can follow along" :) And to the above poster referencing the pop-star and her 'value' to society: I disagree. Leo's music will still be cherished, studied and performed hundreds of years from now. The others? A cliched, foolish fad forgotten as quickly as it became popular.
Leo is incredible, and this is an incredible piece of music. I was fortunate enough to see him twice in my life, but not fortunate enough to hear him play this. That's okay though because I heard him play was equally as mind blowing. Kottke has always been and will always be my favorite guitarist.
I have seen him so many times since 1974, I just can't stop! He is so very talented and funny! Saw him out west, on the east coast, newburyport, rockport, just wouldn't miss this guy! Like Robin Towner another Fav, or Jorma K.
I saw him in the late 80s at the Front Row Theater in Cleveland. He opened for Lyle Lovett. He was amazing. I left after Leo was done. Nothing Lyle was gonna do would be better than Leo.
Incredible! I can remember watching this and making a slide out of a coke bottleneck...and getting stuck in it for awhile! Good to see this again! Thanks for posting!
Agreed! I only first heard of him in 95 from the live album....same year i first heard the 2 live Hot Tuna acoustic albums.....seen them both at least a dozen times since. But I envy you, seeing those guys in the 70s and 80s!
I've seen Leo a couple of times. He's awesome live,that's for sure! The first time I saw him in Minneapolis in the 70's he played a couple of songs then the first thing he said was " I got my shirt tucked in so far under my ass, I'm choking m yself to death!" He's not only great but he's hilarious.
I had the privilge to be part of a small co.hired by R.P.I. to provide sound for Leo at a concert in "75.We got set up early and waited for Leo to arrive.he got to the hall late afternoon,took two guitaf cases from his rental car trunk and said "Ready for a soundcheck?" He sat down totally cold and blazed through Vaseline Machine Gun.....our jaws were on our chests.My partner turned to me and said"Tell me You remembered the tape recorder,right?"
i absolutely LOVE the natural distortion of this clip. if i could recreate that distorted sound that would be the only way i would play... Damn you new technology.
I love this video. To add to the comments about Leo Kottke's style vs. John Fahey's, my old friend who plays guitar insists Leo Kottke's style is more "showy"
From Asunción, Paraguay - Conozco esta música de Leo Kottke desde 1976 llamada Vaseline Machine Gun, aprendí a tocarla con slide con 12 cuerdas, con 6 cuerdas y con guitarra española. Grande Leo!!! siempre escuché tus canciones. Eres un genio de la guitarra!!!
I remember seeing this show I think it was called "In Concert" I just watched Leo play this thing and my jaw dropped to the floor. I've been a fan ever since. I have two things in common with Mr. Kottke. I play the guitar (like crap) and my first name is Leo.
Yeah..I'd agree.this is SO good it's ALmost beyond criticism!The only downside here is the audio is breakin'up a bit-but this is a minor quibble.This is a KILLin' tune,one of Leo's best,played with incredible energy & technique.I remember when that "Armadillo" record came out-it seemed like a totally new approach to guitar,as I don't think there was ANYbody out there playing like this(aside from Fahey & Robbie Basho-and they were way different).Love the little grins he shows now & then.
This is what captured my mind all those years ago. Leo never ever passed this, how could he? Same thing with Pink Floyd from the early seventies. There are moments in time, Armadillo, Meddle, Dark Side of the Moon, Hendrix's Machine Gun or Star Spangled Banner just to name a few that will never be equaled. Thank God for recorded music.
@zeb41 The way you talked about him here in the past tense gave me a panic attack & I had to Google him & see if he'd died! He hasn't! Phew!!! I've seen him live several times. Brilliant performer & so humble about his abilities...
What a boss. I love how I show this to all my friends and they say it's sped up, and say thing like: "OMG, Slash is so much better." Haha, if only they knew that this is true music.
Best Part- Leo. Second best part- the split screen camera action that show off his hand techniques. If I were king, I would make that mandatory for all videography of maestro guitarists.
I read years ago what type of genre this type of music. But I don't remember. There were two other ppl who played this style of guitar. John Fahey, I believe came up with this style. It was John Fahey who met with Leo Kottke. So the other person who plays this style of guitar is Peter Lang. It says they did record together. I don't know if there were other records. But, Check out wikipedia. It helped me. : ) I forgot the 3rd guy was Peter Lang. I hoped that was interesting to know.
No one plays a 12-string like Leo. Saw him about 12 years ago in a very small club. Got there early and managed to get a front row seat about 3 feet away from him. Sure wish he'd swing down this way again. He's the reason I started finger-picking 30 years ago.
Mind-bending and mind-blowing. Chops, taste, and precision at break-neck speed too dangerous for others to bother attempting. 66 nitwit trolls gave it a thumbs down. They are a fine example of what happens when the fetus doesn't get enough oxygen!
Can anyone work out what guitar Kottke is using here? He's known for Taylors now but they weren't produced back when this video was made. For me nothing can beat the sound of his album Six and Twelve String Guitar.
mi cousin recently told me about this guy and he started learning his stuff on guitar and i was like "wow thats soo kewl how do u do that i wish i could do that and its soo kewl and its awsome" But this is the first thing ive seen kottke actually perform.wow.......
Lo escucho a Leo Kottke desde 1976, desde un casete que me hizo escuchar Chester Swann, en Asunción, Py, y el primer tema que escuché fue este, Vaseline Machine Gun. Un clásico de la música folk norteamericana. Leo Kottke: Genius.
I thought the "geese farts" line was on Greenhouse? I've seen Leo at the Great Southern Music Hall in Gainesville and the Civic Auditorium, the Jewish Community Alliance Center and 3 times at the Florida Theater in Jacksonville. I've been a fan for nearly 40 years now!
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
I like the little smile he gets while watching his own hands play as if to say, "Hey, this guy's good...wait a minute..."
The Path with Devil!!!
He can feel he’s nailing it
It’s like he realizes the guitar has started singing back to him.
the bad quality actually makes this sound more badass for some reason
I was thinking the same thing. Sounds like it is coming through a hot tube amp,.
Ewan! Your cover of this awesome song was incredible. You are an extraordinary guitar player.
I agree, but damn imagine being right in front of that.
CallMeBronco Leo through a Marshall thing happening...
its true!
I've been listening to Leo for many years and am greatful I can pull him up any time on youtube for a great musical fix any time! He's truely the greatest!
I'm greatful for you tube a lot of greats you can find and pull up. The stuff today suc
Just a crazy ol' guitar playin kid, raised in the hills of America. Great music.
One of the greatest players ever in any genre...dude he is amazing!!
I can't think of a more consistently entertaining acoustic guitar composer during my lifetime. Leo is great.
Leo Kottke a master of the slide, and 12 string guitar.
I got turned on to this guy by a woman in a group of people sharing different genres of music and was absolutely, totally hooked after the first album. I went out and bought every single album I could find and still have approximately 20 of his LP's!! Saw him live in concert at the old Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth Texas three or four times and not only is he a fantastic musician but he is one of the funniest guys around. He has the driest sense of humor and had the audience cracking up all night at every show. AND...he took requests all night!! One-of-a-kind!
Machine Gun says it all. With the style of playing, no wonder Leo had to change his technique. This is truly amazing. There's a reason he is one of the best. I love his grin while he plays, he knows he is spot on.
Somehow I had missed on this great musician for many years. Wow, I love this kind of guitar playing. Thanks for posting
I had the honor of opening for Leo back in the early 1980s at the Soft Rock Cafe in Vancouver, BC...really nice, hilarious guy and one hell of a picker!!! Cheers!!! RC Johnston (aka: Ragtime Ralph)...
Seen Leo many times had an autographed Armadillo album from the Rainbow Music Hall show in Denver, about 1979? Lost in the years. Leo love you man.
The first time I heard this song, I thought there were like 3 guitarists....when I saw him do this LIVE...I was in AWE...AMAZING
this guy is the reason that i started to learn how to play the guitar. though I have to admit that I'll never EVER be able to play like this. my guitar teacher (who started playing like 30 years ago) saw kottke live and said "i don't know how he does that" ;)
that right hand is driving me mad.. precise and aggressive at the same time! so inspiring..
The best finger pickin' guitarist of all time. Also a great composer. He exceeded even his teacher, John Fahey, and that's no small task. I was lucky enough to see him in 1985 at a college in Cupertino California. It was beyo9nd words. and he's even funny! They gave him four standing ovations. A sweet memory. He has insprired many guitarists, I'm sure. His tunings? Try Googling it. He used open D a lot, and several other open shord tunings.
I hope that this will blow your mind. While I was finishing up my second stint at the U of MD (1970), I met a guy who had seen Fahey and Kottke playing together on a porch in Takoma park, MD where Fahey lived. I would have killed for that moment. Fahey worked at the local Exxon station.
12 String, slide guitar and finger picking! And with Leo Kottke playing it!!! What's not to like???
Now that's what i'm taking about. Love it.
Leo seems to play this raw sound and it's so compelling. I've listened to him for years and find him an intelligent and humorous entertainer. Keep posting , love it.
Kottke is a genius. This video, so poor quality, simply highlights how amazing his LIVE sound is. I know. I've seen him live around this age. Profound. Brilliant.
This guy is one of the greats of American fingerstyle guitar.
I saw Leo 26 yrs ago he was unbelievable! I recently saw Leo and David Lindley in concert. Theyre older but can still get it done better than most who make a living playing guitar. If Leo's around, treat yourself to a master!
Just in case the version on "6 and 12 String Guitar" was too slow for you.
I heard this version first and when I heard the album version I was almost disappointing by how "slow" it was. Now I think both versions are great but this will forever be my favorite rendition.
This is actually too fast because the notes start to become less distinct.
Nah, maybe just train your ears to listen better. Slowing it down makes it a snoozefest, and the more perfectly angelic sounding it is, with all the notes distinct, the less badass it is.
If I am correct, this is a video from Leo's TV debut, possibly? on Carson's Tonight Show. If so, I saw that show, and Leo blew the roof off, left everyone agape at his ability, skill, talent and deprecating presentation. He got a huge, loud standing ovation from the audience, and well deserved it. The host was stunned as well, and welcomed an encore, previously unaware that Kottke was this good.
There are several clips from '73...it's hard to say which one is first.
There's another great Kottke video from '73 elsewhere on the internet, just google 'leo kottke michael johnson This Must Be the Place 1973 tcmedianow' and you can enjoy half an hour of vintage young Leo....
I have no idea how he does it. Leo Kottke is absolutely amazing. Keep the videos coming!
My only wish is that there was a better quality audio version.
But we take what we can get, and HOLY SHIT THIS THING BLOWS MY FREAKING MIND. Oh, Leo. This particular performance of Vaseline Machine Gun blows my little mind.
I just saw him in concert over the weekend and he was mind-blowing.
Hasn't lost a single thing, sounds as good if not better than he did on Mudlark.
He's one of those rare musicians who has the ability to inspire you to practice feverishly and discourage you from ever attempting simultaneously.
awesome slide man never heard of this guy until i heard Catfish Keith talking about him, Love the slide guitar and fingerpicking best of both.
I think I've just watched this for the 100th time. Looking forward to another 100!!
Agree completely! I've been listening to Leos music for a few years now, but I always come back to this.
The poor quality of the audio in fact does an excellent job of conveying the intensity of the piece. That combined with the opening sequence of shots is really breathtaking.
After all these years I still get goose bumps from listening to this. A pure master of the guitar. No doubt. Smoking album as well.
typically 70's... like this tune... thanks to have posted it.
Thats some amazing shit right there! I remember listening to Leo as a kid...my parents loved him and played the vinyls all the time. The look on Kottke's face is almost like..."Im gonna play this a bit slower so everyone can follow along" :) And to the above poster referencing the pop-star and her 'value' to society: I disagree. Leo's music will still be cherished, studied and performed hundreds of years from now. The others? A cliched, foolish fad forgotten as quickly as it became popular.
He's one of the best performers I've seen. I saw him several years ago in Dallas and he was terrific...a really nice person too!
I don't think I have ever heard this until now, but this is BADASS , wow 😍👏
I swa Leo live in around 1974 in Nashville and
again around 1989 in Carrboro. There is nothing that compares with hearing him live. What a talent.
Love that interview when he says "this is where guitars go when they've been bad...or if they were never any good to begin with."
This still inspires wonder for me. There is a fire in Leo here that burns so brightly you can feel the heat of the guitar.
Leo is incredible, and this is an incredible piece of music. I was fortunate enough to see him twice in my life, but not fortunate enough to hear him play this. That's okay though because I heard him play was equally as mind blowing. Kottke has always been and will always be my favorite guitarist.
I have seen him so many times since 1974, I just can't stop! He is so very talented and funny! Saw him out west, on the east coast, newburyport, rockport, just wouldn't miss this guy! Like Robin Towner another Fav, or Jorma K.
Best right hand technique that I've ever seen.
I saw him in the late 80s at the Front Row Theater in Cleveland. He opened for Lyle Lovett. He was amazing. I left after Leo was done. Nothing Lyle was gonna do would be better than Leo.
Incredible! I can remember watching this and making a slide out of a coke bottleneck...and getting stuck in it for awhile! Good to see this again! Thanks for posting!
Agreed! I only first heard of him in 95 from the live album....same year i first heard the 2 live Hot Tuna acoustic albums.....seen them both at least a dozen times since.
But I envy you, seeing those guys in the 70s and 80s!
I've seen Leo a couple of times. He's awesome live,that's for sure! The first time I saw him in Minneapolis in the 70's he played a couple of songs then the first thing he said was " I got my shirt tucked in so far under my ass, I'm choking m
yself to death!" He's not only great but he's hilarious.
I had the privilge to be part of a small co.hired by R.P.I. to provide sound for Leo at a concert in "75.We got set up early and waited for Leo to arrive.he got to the hall late afternoon,took two guitaf cases from his rental car trunk and said "Ready for a soundcheck?" He sat down totally cold and blazed through Vaseline Machine Gun.....our jaws were on our chests.My partner turned to me and said"Tell me You remembered the tape recorder,right?"
The Devil sold his soul to Leo Kottke to play the guitar almost as good.
theres no other sound like it, and to invent something like that is superb
nobody plays with a power like Leo Kottke. It´s pure Energy and the compositions are great. Hope he will be in Germany one day again.
i absolutely LOVE the natural distortion of this clip. if i could recreate that distorted sound that would be the only way i would play... Damn you new technology.
I love this video. To add to the comments about Leo Kottke's style vs. John Fahey's, my old friend who plays guitar insists Leo Kottke's style is more "showy"
I never really thought of this as exceedingly fast. It's like... banjo fast I would say.
Love listening to Leo
Always loved Leo Kottke. Always wondered with amazement how his brain must be wired. What an amazing talent.
From Asunción, Paraguay - Conozco esta música de Leo Kottke desde 1976 llamada Vaseline Machine Gun, aprendí a tocarla con slide con 12 cuerdas, con 6 cuerdas y con guitarra española. Grande Leo!!! siempre escuché tus canciones. Eres un genio de la guitarra!!!
Excellent excellent excellent! Can't wait to see him down here in Florida in January 09.
I remember seeing this show I think it was called "In Concert" I just watched Leo
play this thing and my jaw dropped to the floor. I've been a fan ever since. I have two things in common with Mr. Kottke. I play the guitar (like crap) and my first name is Leo.
Hey fly. I remember that. That's where I came across him too. I think I still have some of that on VHS. Great series.
Yeah..I'd agree.this is SO good it's ALmost beyond criticism!The only downside here is the audio is breakin'up a bit-but this is a minor quibble.This is a KILLin' tune,one of
Leo's best,played with incredible energy & technique.I remember when that "Armadillo" record came out-it seemed like a totally new approach to guitar,as I don't think there was ANYbody out there playing like this(aside from Fahey & Robbie Basho-and they were way different).Love the little grins he shows now & then.
It looks great with just four pixels, can't imagine why you'd ever need more
This song will forever make you a Leo Kottke fan.
LOve Leo . Seeing him again this Friday 🎼🎵🎶woohoo
Chuck Norris cowers in fear when Leo plays the 12 string!
He just blasts this while looking so laid back. Geniuses don't need to show off!
This is awesome, you rarely find great live guitarists
do u live under a rock lol
This is what captured my mind all those years ago. Leo never ever passed this, how could he? Same thing with Pink Floyd from the early seventies. There are moments in time, Armadillo, Meddle, Dark Side of the Moon, Hendrix's Machine Gun or Star Spangled Banner just to name a few that will never be equaled. Thank God for recorded music.
I have seen this about 10 or so times, and it still stuns me
@abstractexpressions it's tuned down to A. you can do all kinds of crazy bends with strings that loose
Leo Kottke, eres único y mi mayor influencia....Bravo
@zeb41 The way you talked about him here in the past tense gave me a panic attack & I had to Google him & see if he'd died! He hasn't! Phew!!! I've seen him live several times. Brilliant performer & so humble about his abilities...
Playing a slide 12 string guitar ! Way ahead of his time !
A Fan - saw Leo at De Anza College several times in the mid 70's.
What a boss. I love how I show this to all my friends and they say it's sped up, and say thing like:
"OMG, Slash is so much better."
Haha, if only they knew that this is true music.
First heard him on an old surf movie called Pacific Vibrations that featured this song, been a huge fan ever since
The Master of 12-string guitar fingerpicking ❤
Best Part- Leo. Second best part- the split screen camera action that show off his hand techniques. If I were king, I would make that mandatory for all videography of maestro guitarists.
Wow, even if the smile he has on his face at 0:43 is because he realize he owns like 99.9 % of the worlds guitarists, I`d smile with him :-)
It's a RUclips CLASSIC, kids!
I read years ago what type of genre this type of music. But I don't remember. There were two other ppl who played this style of guitar. John Fahey, I believe came up with this style. It was John Fahey who met with Leo Kottke. So the other person who plays this style of guitar is Peter Lang. It says they did record together. I don't know if there were other records. But, Check out wikipedia. It helped me. : ) I forgot the 3rd guy was Peter Lang.
I hoped that was interesting to know.
" better quality version of this video " no longer available.
Better link, pls?
What show was this particular piece on, and the date, does anyone know?
Loved that. Would really like to see a version of tiny island. Great Song
No one plays a 12-string like Leo. Saw him about 12 years ago in a very small club. Got there early and managed to get a front row seat about 3 feet away from him. Sure wish he'd swing down this way again. He's the reason I started finger-picking 30 years ago.
saw him play this tonight live, he's still got it!!!
we want more ! :) thanks btw ;).
amazing!!!!
Wow. Shades of so many things. Reminds me of the album Loveless.
I love this video, I can geek out over his fingers from every angle.
Mind-bending and mind-blowing. Chops, taste, and precision at break-neck speed too dangerous for others to bother attempting. 66 nitwit trolls gave it a thumbs down. They are a fine example of what happens when the fetus doesn't get enough oxygen!
Plain and simple, JUST THE BEST there is and ever was.
Im not sure, but it looks like a pickup from a Fender Strat or Tele, that's on an acoustic mount.
I've seen them before but not in a long time.
17 year old youtube video. That's wild. I was just out of hs when this was posted.
The upload is 17 year old, but the recording is some 50 year old!
Can anyone work out what guitar Kottke is using here? He's known for Taylors now but they weren't produced back when this video was made. For me nothing can beat the sound of his album Six and Twelve String Guitar.
mi cousin recently told me about this guy and he started learning his stuff on guitar and i was like "wow thats soo kewl how do u do that i wish i could do that and its soo kewl and its awsome" But this is the first thing ive seen kottke actually perform.wow.......
On a 12 string???? DEAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!
Discovered him through 'Road Dreams', great Channel 4 series in '89, been hooked since.
"Machine #2" is just his reworking of "Vaseline Machine Gun" with a backing band on the "Mudlark" album. I like both versions.
Lo escucho a Leo Kottke desde 1976, desde un casete que me hizo escuchar Chester Swann, en Asunción, Py, y el primer tema que escuché fue este, Vaseline Machine Gun. Un clásico de la música folk norteamericana. Leo Kottke: Genius.
He Ownes that Deliverance banjo kid !!!
PURE ENERGY! SO GREAT, I LOVE IT!!
I thought the "geese farts" line was on Greenhouse? I've seen Leo at the Great Southern Music Hall in Gainesville and the Civic Auditorium, the Jewish Community Alliance Center and 3 times at the Florida Theater in Jacksonville. I've been a fan for nearly 40 years now!