Why did Jerry quit playing steel?

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 11 Nov 2007 1:35 am

Because it ain't as easy as it looks...ouch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Eg7yvMntw

richard burton · Post by **richard burton** » 11 Nov 2007 2:05 am

Edited for being unnecessarily facetious.

Jerry was the first to admit that he was only a hack player at best

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 11 Nov 2007 2:14 am

That was horrible.

(Well - the first two minutes were. It might have improved after that, but I couldn't take any more...)

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 11 Nov 2007 4:06 am

Roger Rettig wrote:That was horrible.

(Well - the first two minutes were. It might have improved after that, but I couldn't take any more...)

Jerry was as on key as Dylon was, maybe more so. As a side man, your supposed to make the singer sound good. Jerry was over his head on this one!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 11 Nov 2007 4:27 am

Such are the things that some "legends" are built upon. No doubt that everyone who was there was "caught up in the moment", and didn't realize just how bad it sounded.

John Drury · Post by **John Drury** » 11 Nov 2007 5:50 am

How about a little respect for the "Dead", pardon the pun. I thought it was cool. Wish I could have been there.

Larry Scott · Post by **Larry Scott** » 11 Nov 2007 6:41 am

J Fletcher · Post by **J Fletcher** » 11 Nov 2007 6:45 am

Jerry Garcia's death a few years ago sure put a crimp in his steel playing career. Have to say though, his steel playing in "Teach your children" sure sounds good to me whenever I hear it on the radio. That's part of his legacy. Looking forward to the day when I can come up with something that nice...Jerry

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 11 Nov 2007 9:55 am

Keep in mind, just 12 months before this footage was shot, Jerry was IN A COMA.
It is repoted that he had to completely re-learn to play 6 string guitar, due to the related brain scrambling effects of... the COMA.
Yes, he is back to being a rank beginner in this footage (nothing personal, but I hear alot of guys who play just like Jerry does here, in the product rooms at conventions, and I encouge them to continue with their learning).
So if you want to see a guy with a huge set of balls, go out in front of a stadium crowd and try to play a little pedal steel, live, on stage with Bob Dylan, just click that link again.
And, as always, if you want to hear the steel ride that has received more airplay world wide than any other steel ride...
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/1970.html

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 11 Nov 2007 10:12 am

I always loved Jerry's tone on Teach Your Children and on this clip he kinda has the same tone, excuse some of the playing....

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 11 Nov 2007 10:26 am

I knew someone would find something good to say about it!!!

A bit of celebrity status sure goes a long way...

RR

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 11 Nov 2007 10:30 am

whatever....

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 11 Nov 2007 10:31 am

What Pete said. Bless Jerry, and may he rest in peace.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 11 Nov 2007 10:44 am

What the heck,at least he tried.

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 11 Nov 2007 10:52 am

Yeah, I think Pete put the thing in its proper perspective. It was a very difficult moment for a terrific musician.
And as for Mr. Garcia's abilities on steel, I have just finished stating on another thread here that timing and musical taste are much more important than technical ability (beyond the rudiments). He was no Buddy Emmons. But he made some great music on both steel and 6 string. You won't catch me talking him down.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 11 Nov 2007 11:05 am

Good observation Pete. The sound quality of the clip is very poor also. If you heard the Stones with that sound quality I've heard them sound just as bad. It is fairly poor playing though, obviously off the cuff, unrehearsed. On everyone's part there. Not professional. These were Jerry's bad years.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 11 Nov 2007 12:14 pm

I have no problem with Jerry. My problem is with those of his fans who insist that he was the greatest steel guitarist of all time, everybody who disagrees is an (unmentionable body part,) and "If this guy Lloyd Green is so hot, why haven't I heard of him before and didn't CSNY hire him instead of Jerry?"

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 11 Nov 2007 1:03 pm

.. With all due respect....as always, negative remarks about Jerry's playing on this forum... That was indeed poor, but EVERYONE here has had their share of horror stories when it comes to tone,tune, time etc on any given day...
Jerry surely was in decline by this time...
You guys that belittle the guy need to listen to his playing on The Wheel, TOC of course and the first New Riders album, not to mention Brewer and Shipley and Change Partners by Stills.. Very nice tasteful playing.. No not monster steel playing by any means, but it SOUNDED GOOD and added to, not detracted from... Please let a great musician rest with out tearing his formidable musicality to pieces... Pete is on the money with his take on this.. NO one has been heard and enjoyed on a tune where steel is featured as has Jerry Garcia.. He is responsible for the steel "careers" of many....bob

Dale Lee · Post by **Dale Lee** » 11 Nov 2007 1:20 pm

I had forgotten about that nice song. One of Bob's better early numbers.

Was Bob wearing some kind of glove on his picking hand?

Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 11 Nov 2007 1:35 pm

well, I guess you either get it...

or you don't...

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 11 Nov 2007 1:43 pm

Great smiley action there!!

But given your avatar, I think the weapon should have been a guitar.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 11 Nov 2007 2:05 pm

I agree with Mike and Bob. Jerry occasionally did pretty decent stuff on steel. Few have a problem with that. What some players have a problem with is how he is elevated to god-like status by a few players who get violently upset when someone doesn't share their opinions.

One of my favorite movies when I was young was "A Night At The Opera", with the Marx Brothers. It set the stage for dozens of other comedies, and the Marx Brothers' antics surely inspired many comedians that followed. But I don't get upset if someone says their movies weren't exactly "Gone With The Wind".

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 11 Nov 2007 2:18 pm

If anyone has a problem with my - or anyone else's - negative reaction to that clip, surely the fault - if fault there is - lies with Garry for posting it in the first place!

I have no doubt that he provided the link to draw attention to its shortcomings, and not to perpetuate the myth that surrounds Mr. Garcia. JG may well have been 'in decline' at that point, but he never did much for me. For what it's worth (not much, I suspect - not on this Forum!) I found Dylan's performance even worse.

RR

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 11 Nov 2007 2:45 pm

BTW, check out the guitar Dylan is playing. It's a Washburn Monterey. I have one just like it.

I swapped a Martin 12 string for it around 1978. The Martin was worth more money, but I feel I got the better guitar.

Washburn no longer makes this guitar. They make something that looks like it, but the quality is much poorer. I asked a Washburn sales rep about it and he told me they couldn't afford to make them like this any more. Back in the 70s, they didn't have the competition from China they have today. Today they have to make them as cheaply as possible.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 11 Nov 2007 2:58 pm

Donny, I submit the thought that the people who think Jerry was the world's greatest steel player and who never heard of Buddy Emmons and Lloyd Green are not other steel players, but rather Grateful Dead fans.

I think that even the most ardent Garcia fans on this forum will 1- have heard of Buddy and Lloyd, and 2- will concede that they play steel better than Jerry.

The "If This guy Lloyd Green is so great..." quote I posted earlier is an actual quote that somebody said to me on a guitar forum when I suggested that if the guys there wanted to hear a REAL steel player they should listen to Buddy or Lloyd or Paul Franklin.

This being a G rated, family oriented forum, I can't repeat some of the other things that were said to me on that other forum (where there are no restrictions on the use of profanity) for daring to suggest that are better steel players in the world.