Quintessential Steel Albums?

Chris Dorch · Post by **Chris Dorch** » 28 Mar 2010 6:28 pm

In your opinion, what are they? I need to expand my catalog and knowledge...

Anyone?

Thanks!

Tim Davidson · Post by **Tim Davidson** » 28 Mar 2010 7:01 pm

well just to get the ball rolling.....

Big Steel Guitar - Lloyd Green
Golden Steel Guitar - Jimmy Day
Stratosphere Boogie - Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant
Steel Guitar - Speedy West
also a Santo and Johnny compilation with at least 'teardrops' and 'sleepwalk' on
and a newish one that i love is - 'steel guitar heart attack' - Jon Rauhouse
Also a Buck Owens greatest hits featuring Tom Brumley and a Bob Wills best of is essential! - that should get you started....

I'm sure someone will fly in with some Emmons suggestions among many others in due course...

T

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Mar 2010 7:37 pm

Well, IMHO, the first album that needs to be in any steel guitar collection is Buddy Emmons' "Emmons Guitar Company" (aka "The Black Album"). This was a defining moment in the world of steel guitar and the album has, again IMHO, not be surpassed to this date. Available now on CD from Emmons Guitar Co. and maybe some other outlets too.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 28 Mar 2010 7:53 pm

Buddy Emmons - Emmons Guitar Co.
Jerry Byrd - Hi-Fi Guitar
Speedy West - Guitar Spectacular
Jimmy Day - Golden Steel Guitar Hits
Tom Brumley - Tomcattin'
Jimmie Rivers and the Cherokee Cowboys - Brisbane Bop
Spade Cooley - Dance-O-Rama (good luck finding that one)
Herb Remington - Steel Guitar Holiday
Merle Travis - Travis (with Curly Chalker)
James Burton and Ralph Mooney - Corn Pickin' and Slick Slidin'
Bud Isaacs - The Swingin' Steel Guitar of
Ernest Tubb Presents the Texas Troubadours
Lloyd Green - The Big Steel Guitar
Sol Hoopii - Vols. 1 and 2

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 28 Mar 2010 8:08 pm

Don't forget Charlie Pride, Live At Panther Hall.

I know, it's not a "steel album", but Lloyd sure does shine on that one.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 28 Mar 2010 8:13 pm

FRANK ARNETT'S [MODEL T]

YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 28 Mar 2010 8:44 pm

Curly Chalker's "Counterpoint" "Big hits on Big Steel" "More Ways to Play" and "Nevada Breaks"

Maurice Anderson's "Universal Direction" and the 2 volume set of material from his "Moods of" LPs (that also includes some songs previously unreleas4 in America)

Cameron Tilbury · Post by **Cameron Tilbury** » 29 Mar 2010 4:06 am

One that made a huge impression on me in the 70s was Suite Steel. Played the life out of it and wish I could get it on CD. It has cuts by the best! Emmons, Rusty, JD, Sneaky Pete...dang, it was a great one.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 29 Mar 2010 4:36 am

Robbie Turner's "Man of Steel" is a well done CD. Robbie plays the verses and choruses and great guest singers take the breaks, Paycheck, Johnny Cash etc., a really good concept.

Chris Dorch · Post by **Chris Dorch** » 29 Mar 2010 5:18 am

Excellent, thanks!

Keep them coming!

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 29 Mar 2010 5:55 am

"Steel Guitar Jazz" - Buddy Emmons 1963: are you kidding me?!

Similarly, Tom Bradshaw's Emmons compilation "Steel Guitar Jazz in Four Wheel Drive" that includes "Rock Candy" w/ Danny Gatton.

Cameron Tilbury · Post by **Cameron Tilbury** » 29 Mar 2010 6:21 am

If we're talking jazz, try Minors Aloud. It's Emmons and Lenny Breau

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 29 Mar 2010 6:53 am

Noel Boggs: The Very Best Of Noel Boggs (Fender-licious jazz and pop recordings from late 50s/early 60s)

http://tinyurl.com/y9jfmlg

Spade Cooley: Spadella (mostly Joaquin Murphey on steel, some Noel Boggs; mid to late 1940s)

http://tinyurl.com/yh9nalm

Doug Jernigan: Country Jazz Steel Guitar or Jazz By Jernigan

http://pedalsteelmusic.com/music/dougjernigan.html

If you like twangy Ralph Mooney, get these CDs:

Wynn Stewart: California Country: The Best Of The Challenge Masters or The Very Best Of Wynn Stewart 1958-1962

Warren Smith: Call Of The Wild (30 recordings done in LA by a classic country singer, circa 1960)

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 29 Mar 2010 7:26 am

Two ways to look at it:
1. Theres albums made by steel players where the steeler is the focus.
2. Then there are albums that feature steel.

I VASTLY prefer #2.
In category #1 there are few i can sit thru.
Jimmy Day's Steel and Strings being the best for me.

Category #2 is vast.
Charlie Pride-Panther Hall (Green)
Bakersfield Bound ( Maness)
Roger Miller -A trip n the Country (Emmons)
Shotgun Willie (Day)
Any early Conway Twitty-(Hughey)
Roll Out the Red Carpet or Instrumental Hits Buck Owens (Brumley)
You Dont Know Me-Willie Nelson (Emmons)
Sweetheart of the Rodeo (Green and Maness)
Burrito Bros frist two records-(Sneaky Pete)
Johnny Paycheck Little Darlin Years (Green)
Ronnie Milsap-Night Things and 20/20 Vision (???, Green Hughey, Drake...????)
and a bunch I am sure I am forgetting

these are STEEL albums to me.

Steve Broatch · Post by **Steve Broatch** » 29 Mar 2010 10:42 am

I'm with you on that Ben. I have the double live album 'Redneck Jazz Explosion' - Buddy Emmons and Danny Gatton. Absolutley incredible playing from both men, but it's not the kind of thing I care to listen to for pleasure. I find it hard work.

Some (certainly not all) steel instrumental stuff sounds like the kind of piped 'Muzak' you'd hear in a lift or shopping mall.

Others I like are Gram Parsons. Plenty of steel on his stuff. New Riders Of The Purple Sage.(Buddy Cage). Also from Austin check out Jesse Dayton. Some great steel playing on his albums. (Nathan Fleming and Brian Thomas)

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 29 Mar 2010 11:11 am

Quintesential steel albums. My top 10 in no particular order. (They are all great).

Buddy's Emmons Inc.

Bobbe Seymour's Rhythmatic.

Doug Jernigan's Steel Guitar Jazz.

Steve Palousek's Let The Games Begin.

Maurice Anderson's Universal Direction.

Lloyd Green's Revisited.

Tom Bumley's In Time.

Tom Morrell's How The West Was Swung.

Mike Johnson's Mike Johnson.

Jerry Byrd's Master Of Touch And Tone

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 29 Mar 2010 11:18 am

Many of the albums I would recommend have already been mentioned. There are many, many more. For example, the following:

Doug Jernigan:
Cross Country (I believe this was also re-released, and now out of print as Jazz On '10 ) (instrumental)
Doug & Bucky a duet with Bucky Pizzarelli (instrumental)
Hillbilly Jazz with Vassar Clements and David Bromberg

John Hughey:
On And Off Stage (instrumental)
Highway Call with Dickey Betts and Vassar Clements

Red Rhodes:
And The Hits Just Keep On Comin' duet with Michael Nesmith
Velvet Hammer In A Cowboy Band (instrumental)

Buddy Emmons:
Sings Bob Wills
Swinging On A Seven String with Lenny Breau
Texas Crapshooter featuring Bobby Hicks
Renegade Picker featuring Steve Young

Tom Morrell:
Any of the albums in the "How the West was Swung" series.

Buddy Emmons/Buddy Charleton:
Almost To Tulsa featuring Leon Rhodes and the Texas Troubadours (instrumental)

Jimmy Day:
Jimmy Day And His Buddies Salute Don Helms (instrumental) this one's exceedingly rare and contains, IMO some of Jimmy's most heartfelt pickin' ever. Here's a link to a purchase download:
http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/ ... don_helms/

Most of the rest are available on CD.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Duane Brown · Post by **Duane Brown** » 29 Mar 2010 5:24 pm

Some of the best albums ever done are the great Ray Price albums-The Night Life,The Other Woman and Touch My Heart. Those albums feature Buddy and Jimmy Day and are a Master's degree in backing up a singer and my favorite rides and turnarounds ever. Perfection in touch and tone, especially Buddy's tone on the Touch My Heart album. "The Night Life" is why I play Steel
Guitar and I love it to this day.

Buddies featuring Emmons and Spicher
Live'77 Buddy played things that I know aren't on a
steel guitar
Paul Franklin-Just Pickin', Play by Play
Hal Rugg-Altered Ego

Just a few that haven't already been mentioned.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 29 Mar 2010 10:51 pm

Many of the above-mentioned! Plus:

Ricky Skaggs:
Highways and Heartaches--Lloyd Green, Weldon Myrick, and Bruce Bouton on different songs; all great, Lloyd's two cuts are my personal favorites

Lloyd Green:
Ten Shades of Green--later Lloyd at his best, IMHO
Green Country--early, "hot" Lloyd at his most amazing, again IMHO

Buddy Emmons:
One For the Road: IMHO his best instrumental album beside the "Black Album" ("Emmons Guitar Company")

Jimmy Day:
The Offenders Reunion Album--(Can't Take the Hell Out of Texas)--exemplary Day work on vocals and instrumentals

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 30 Mar 2010 6:53 am

You can't go wrong with any of the above.

HOT CLUB OF AMERICA IN HI-FI! Featuring Jody Carver and Johnny Cucci

In the category of albums that feature steel, not strictly steel instrumental albums, I would highly recommend:

Rick Nelson & Stone Canyon Band "Rudy the Fifth" and "LIVE at the Troubadour" for some of Tom Brumley's greatest playing outside the Buckaroos.

Flying Burrito Bros "Gilded Palace of Sin" -Sneaky Pete Kleinow, a unique voice on the instrument

POCO - Pickin' up the Pieces, DeLIVErin' and From the Inside albums - Rusty Young helping define Country Rock

SIngle cuts off of albums that don't necessrily feature pedal steel, except on these cuts:

"Rainbows all over your Blues" John B. Sebastian album, John Sebastian with Maestro Emmons in a textbook case of accompaniment and complimenting a song

Buffalo Springfield Restrospective "Kind Woman" Rusty Young in another textbook case of accompaniment

Judy Collins "Someday Soon" once again Maestro Emmons takes us to school

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 2 Apr 2010 1:25 pm

Just thought of this one: Highway Call, by Dickey Betts. Featuring Betts' famous lead guitar work as well as Vassar Clements on fiddle and the legendary John Hughey on steel. This album may have some of the swingingest, jazziest pickin' ever by Mr. Hughey. Especially on the two instrumentals, "Hand Picked" and "Kissimmee Kid". Here's link to one of the album's songs:
"Let Nature Sing"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYaxEujph6c

and most of "Hand Picked"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dlHtLefu-Y

Keep on pickin'
Glenn