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Leo Kottke — Vaseline Machine Gun (Original Version)
Album: 6 & 12-String Guitar
Avg rating:
7.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 884









Released: 1969
Length: 3:07
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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(Instrumental)
Comments (44)add comment
One of his best albums for sure,  loved this since I was nine.
Posted 1 year ago by monkeydust    [ Reply ]
Guitarsturbation. Unbelievable technique but lacks artistry.
Posted 2 years ago by njswede    [ Reply ]
 ExploitingChaos wrote:

Im not annoyed...

Am I old?!


compared to some
Posted 2 years ago by jpfueler    [ Reply ]
 Ihatethissong wrote:
I want to blast this in my car and annoy young people
 
Please do...
Posted 3 years ago by owchita    [ Reply ]
Gotta watch me some Road Dreams now!
Posted 3 years ago by njhyland    [ Reply ]
 Ihatethissong wrote:
I want to blast this in my car and annoy young people
 
Im not annoyed...

Am I old?!
Posted 3 years ago by ExploitingChaos    [ Reply ]
My dad video taped me as a baby with an Akai VT-110 video tape recorder half way the 70s. I was pretty good in crawling around, but with 'Vaseline Machine Gun' as sound track, it seemed I was on steroids!
Posted 4 years ago by reijkman    [ Reply ]
I want to blast this in my car and annoy young people
Posted 4 years ago by Ihatethissong    [ Reply ]
Pretty much stayed on my college turntable throughout the early 70s. And it was the first CD I ever bought. Beautiful music and I've asked for "Crow River Waltz" to be played at my funeral.
Posted 5 years ago by nagsheadlocal    [ Reply ]
I've heard this a number of times. For some reason, I never fully appreciated until just now. Wow! 
Posted 5 years ago by kingart    [ Reply ]
MASTER!
Posted 6 years ago by thewiseking    [ Reply ]
Technically amazing but I don't think it is just showing off, like some comments say. I think it is musically very much in the tradition of Bayless Rose's Jamestown Exhibition, much of Elizabeth Cotten's instrumentals like Fox Chase, etc.
Posted 6 years ago by haresfur    [ Reply ]
 Ihatethissong wrote:
Leo Kottke is a grand master guitar lord.

 
No matter how many times I see him or listen to him I am still amazed.  Ditto the above.
Posted 6 years ago by sunybuny    [ Reply ]
Leo Kottke is a grand master guitar lord.
Posted 6 years ago by Ihatethissong    [ Reply ]
In '73, I had a late night radio show on my college FM station.  I liked this song so much, I played it at the end of my show after signing off and when the last note faded out, I cut the power to the 10 Watt transmitter.  It was a slightly different recording, from the album "Mudlark", with bass and drums added.
Posted 7 years ago by GWoop    [ Reply ]
For serious Kottke fans here's a link to a vintage performance from 7-30-1989.  
It was posted on YouTube on 4/19/2016 and is close to an hour and a half long.  

Kottke 7-30-1989


Posted 7 years ago by YourNameHere    [ Reply ]
Hurrah !
Posted 8 years ago by owchita    [ Reply ]
 vanmas wrote:
WTF is he doing with his guitar?
Sounds like he only want to show off...
"Look what I can on a 12 string!"
No melody, no rythm, too much freaking around...

A solid 1 for me...

 
they said the same about Byrd, Trane, Dizz ....
Posted 8 years ago by thewiseking    [ Reply ]
greatness
Posted 9 years ago by thewiseking    [ Reply ]
 Lindo525 wrote:
So good. But damn near impossible to dance to.

 
haha yes....{#Clap}
Posted 9 years ago by Jannne    [ Reply ]
Wowie!
Posted 9 years ago by number7    [ Reply ]
So good. But damn near impossible to dance to.
Posted 9 years ago by Lindo525    [ Reply ]
SUPER Noodling.
Posted 9 years ago by Rockit999    [ Reply ]
Nice roll from Hendrix'sThe Wind Cries Mary to Leo K.  Two opposing, but excellent, guitar styles.  {#Cheers}
Posted 10 years ago by Highlowsel    [ Reply ]
he has the normal number of fingers !{#Fire}...need ry cooder and david lindly to follow....
Posted 10 years ago by oldfart48    [ Reply ]
Saw him do this live many times - wonderful...
Posted 10 years ago by DaveInSaoMiguel    [ Reply ]

This music is soooo good for the ears...
 
Posted 11 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
Interesting how the comments are all "I remember this . . . "  Yeah, me too!  This song got played a lot on FM radio back when there was FM radio that played stuff like this.  For most people it is probably Kottke's claim to fame.  Funny thing is, though, for all its amazing finger fire power, it's not even his best work, musically.  He's just showing off here, but then again, if I could play like this, I'd show off too.
Posted 11 years ago by horseplayer    [ Reply ]
Going to have to get me a copy of this!
Posted 11 years ago by zjustme    [ Reply ]
if anyone was curious to know if they were a good guitar player or not, this is the man to compare against.
the man is a magician with the 12 string.
Posted 11 years ago by nook    [ Reply ]
WTF is he doing with his guitar?
Sounds like he only want to show off...
"Look what I can on a 12 string!"
No melody, no rythm, too much freaking around...

A solid 1 for me...
Posted 11 years ago by vanmas    [ Reply ]
Exquisite!
Posted 11 years ago by ziakut    [ Reply ]
His non sequitur titles are priceless.
Posted 11 years ago by window    [ Reply ]
 Deadwing wrote:
I love Kottke. Ex hubby and I saw him in Atlanta when I was about 6 months pregnant, and after the show we talked to him for a bit and he signed an old poster of him that David had "To Simon or Amelia, Have a great life- Leo Kottke". We had a Simon.  
 {#Good-vibes}

A few years later we were having a Miles or an Olivia and we had an Olivia.  {#Good-vibes}
 
Nice story.  Thanks for sharing!
Posted 11 years ago by window    [ Reply ]
I love Kottke. Ex hubby and I saw him in Atlanta when I was about 6 months pregnant, and after the show we talked to him for a bit and he signed an old poster of him that David had "To Simon or Amelia, Have a great life- Leo Kottke". We had a Simon.  
 {#Good-vibes}

A few years later we were having a Miles or an Olivia and we had an Olivia.  {#Good-vibes}
Posted 11 years ago by Deadwing    [ Reply ]
This is the bomb...faster than anything else I've heard from Leo. 
Posted 11 years ago by kcar    [ Reply ]
I bought my vinyl from the original Virgin shop in London, 185 miles away, after hearing John Peel play it twice in succession (and saying that he wanted to go to a desert island and learn to play like that).
For years it was unobtainable and I was mightily relieved when it came out on CD - I was scared of damaging the LP.
The best - and also my intro to the wider range of Kottke, Fahey, Basho, et al  
Posted 11 years ago by owchita    [ Reply ]
Wow, '69. 

First heard this in '73 and it's one of the few musical collections I have on vinyl, cassette, CD and MP3.

Interesting to hear his original technique - compare it to current playing now that he's re-taught himself to play after suffering acute tendonitis. 
Posted 11 years ago by nagsheadlocal    [ Reply ]
Yeah, this is the one.
Posted 11 years ago by Hannio    [ Reply ]
This song deserves more than 2 comments. 

This is outstanding, as usual for Mr Kottke.. 
Posted 11 years ago by gemtag    [ Reply ]
Play more often, please.
Posted 11 years ago by 2cats    [ Reply ]
 Aud wrote:
Release date is waay wrong...More like 1970
 
Yeah. 1969 indeed. Too bad it's never played (yet). Perhaps Kottke's most famous tune, in the end.

Posted 13 years ago by reijkman    [ Reply ]
Release date is waay wrong...More like 1970
Posted 14 years ago by Aud    [ Reply ]