Without Chet Atkins, country music may never have crossed over into the pop charts in the 50s and 60s. Although he recorded hundreds of solo records, Atkins largest influence came as a session musician and a record producer. During the 50s and 60s, he helped create the Nashville sound, a style of country music that owed nearly as much to pop as it did to honky tonks. This is a wonderful multi-disc boxed set retrospective of Atkinss earliest recordings. Casual fans will be surprised to hear that Chet was originally marketed as a vocalist/guitarist, much the same as then popular Merle Travis was on Capitol. His eventual move over to strict instrumentals doesnt come until the end of this box set, with guest vocalists flitting in and out of the picture, but Atkinss guitar is solid throughout.