Different Styles

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 18 Jul 2011 11:44 am

In the spirit of the season

a little Zappa
http://www.larrybell.org/mp3/Mother.mp3

Tube of Wonderful, a tune by Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum)
http://www.larrybell.org/mp3/Chasin%27Amy.mp3

and a couple of samples from a couple of tunes I wrote years ago
http://www.larrybell.org/mp3/FunkTup.mp3
http://www.larrybell.org/mp3/Snoids.mp3

There are also samples off my CD from 2004 "I've Got Friends in COLD Places" of tunes originally performed/written by the Beatles, Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, etc. ad nauseum. They are on
this page (click)
For what it's worth.

There are even a couple of country tunes.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 18 Jul 2011 2:31 pm

Let's not forget about our brethren of the Sacred Steel persuasion. Followers of the Jewell and Keith Dominion faith et. al, have been entertaining congregations for decades as I understand it. They don't make a fuss about it by tooting their own horn here too much, but it's great music.

Folks like Aubrey Ghent, Calvin Cook, Chuck Campbell and many, many others. Bishop Ronnie Hall has some videos on the forum as well. Good stuff.

Check out some of these videos from Sacred Strings. Click on live performances button for some inspirational videos. If these don't get you moving....well, you just ain't got no soul.
http://www.sacredstrings.com/BestofSacredSteel.html

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 18 Jul 2011 6:02 pm

Justin Jacobson wrote:I am really interested in hearing steel in different styles. One of my favorites is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puJ-YGo0 ... re=related
From doom metal pioneers Earth.

Wow, I haven't thought about that album in a while. One of the most fun albums I've ever done. Here's a better example: Dan with Earth

Justin Jacobson · Post by **Justin Jacobson** » 18 Jul 2011 7:01 pm

Dan Tyack wrote:
Justin Jacobson wrote:I am really interested in hearing steel in different styles. One of my favorites is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puJ-YGo0 ... re=related
From doom metal pioneers Earth.

Wow, I haven't thought about that album in a while. One of the most fun albums I've ever done. Here's a better example: Dan with Earth

It's one of the albums that has defined how I play Steel guitar. I absolutely love it. I saw them play about a month back and was blown away, wish they would have had a steel on stage though.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 18 Jul 2011 7:54 pm

I also love the album. I don't think that Dylan took me seriously when I told him that I would love to play that music live.

I love *really* slow music, I'm not sure why. I can tell you it's not drug induced.

Elton Smith · Post by **Elton Smith** » 18 Jul 2011 10:19 pm

I think this video should be on the forum.Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRht4yYT ... re=related

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 19 Jul 2011 4:03 am

Nice one Elton. Another one from the Vanduras. The Brandins have some great music.

Nice steel guitar visuals too.

Norman Evans · Post by **Norman Evans** » 19 Jul 2011 4:26 pm

I really like this style. I think the player is a Forum member, but I don't know who it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQN9YWGQ ... E&index=23

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 19 Jul 2011 6:39 pm

After hearing all this great playing and nice sounds from these guys, I think I'm going to sell out and go back to playing the radio. I've wasted 30+ yrs. of my life on the damned thing and can't seem to string 2 phrases together. $:\$

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 19 Jul 2011 8:31 pm

You can't beat the Campbell Brothers in terms of creativity on the steel guitar. Plus, they *ROCK*.

Jump for Joy

Sign of the Judgement

Don't Let the Devil Ride

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 19 Jul 2011 8:48 pm

How about Richard Comeaux doing swamp pop:

Lil Band o Gold

The cajun steel scene is over the top.

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 19 Jul 2011 10:33 pm

http://www.pdxaudio.com/fire%20in%20yer%20eyes.mp3

Elton Smith · Post by **Elton Smith** » 20 Jul 2011 12:19 pm

This guy can play very well.The sound is just so full. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kooB2PMh ... re=related

Gary Cosden · Post by **Gary Cosden** » 21 Jul 2011 4:29 pm

Some good stuff here in another post:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 21 Jul 2011 4:40 pm

You also can't beat good old JS Bach:

J.S. Bach BWV 1002-7 Bouree on steel guitar performed by Doug Livingston

Justin Jacobson · Post by **Justin Jacobson** » 22 Jul 2011 6:53 am

Forgot to include mojave 3 earlier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgdvf4Mz ... re=related

And Whiskeytown:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N3GkvwWU2U

And there is some pretty steel peppered amongst tracks on various Smog albums.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcT06UXL ... re=related

Elton Smith · Post by **Elton Smith** » 22 Jul 2011 10:51 am

Steel guitar is dead,my ass!This is some of the best steel guitar I have ever heard.If you had not posted it on this thread I wold not even known that was a steel guitar.Thanks and keep um coming.There are a lot of lurkers that just listen and never post and I think they like what yall are posting.Dan ,thanks for that post.Amazing player.And all this time I thought a steel could only play country.Yee Haw!

Justin Jacobson · Post by **Justin Jacobson** » 22 Jul 2011 1:36 pm

Elton, this by far the best thread I have seen on the forum for me personally. Hopefully there will be many more great examples of steel in other genres.

Here's a few more.

Lucero: I've always been a big fan of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVCUJRfg ... ure=relmfu

Suicide Twins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vo6nNdriQQ

The Distortions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjfW1p1i ... re=related

Son Volt: Although this is more traditional sounding steel the albums are peppered with more in a more rocked up context. I just love this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNTQ2DuJ ... re=related

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Aside from being a big Nick Cave fan, I really like the steel playing on these.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEC__N3HrHw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM7ICFXv ... re=related

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 22 Jul 2011 5:16 pm

I just posted these in a separate thread (steel on the web), but they seem quite apropos to this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKmo0L1y8tI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTJJoDwlLCs

Indeed, a very fine list of other musics with pedal steel!

Justin Jacobson · Post by **Justin Jacobson** » 23 Jul 2011 1:17 pm

Here's some more

Weakerthans: A band a bit on the punkish side of indie rock, this is one of their more mellow songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxCi6XsvDBU

Bon Iver: I know this album was mentioned in a thread before, but it really is fantastic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3ePlc3G ... re=related

And if you really want something out of the comfort zone of the pedal steel, this is hip hop group from columbus who makes extensive use of the pedal steel. Mostly for pads but still.
http://www.myspace.com/labrats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKKktlo- ... re=related
It may be hard to pick out but there is some steel there, probably some of the more creative steel playing I've heard, not technically but using it to generate the right sounds for the song.

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 23 Jul 2011 1:57 pm

Justin, we gotta talk - you listed a lot of cool stuff I hadn't heard, and I LOVE pedal steel in uncommon places! It's amazing how much lap or pedal steel has been used to great effect in music that does not owe much to country (which I still enjoy).

Thanks for all your links!

Justin Jacobson · Post by **Justin Jacobson** » 23 Jul 2011 4:56 pm

I hope that people have enjoyed at least some of what I've put up. Or at least listened to it and hear different context for this instrument. This is one of the few threads where I feel I have something of substance to contribute, as a new comer to pedal steel (almost 2 years now) and someone who has little interest in playing country music I sometimes feel a little lost on the forum, hearing from all of you and seeing these other great examples really is inspiring for me personally. I hope this thread never stops, there's more great steel out there in other areas than country or jazz (which I am big jazz guy, but still think of steel as a jazz instrument as well as a country instrument)

And here is another favorite band of mine, while it's not pedals steel it is slide related, so I think it fits. It's the wonderful Slide Bass of Mark Sandman and Morphine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWwp2kGMqB4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgvHGT76 ... re=related
Honestly I can't think of a band with a more unique sound than these guys. Try using a slide on any instrument with strings, that's what I get from listening to these guys.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 23 Jul 2011 5:46 pm

I used to do quite a bit of sound design work using the pedalsteel but lately I have been into playing with an unaffected sound and using the natural phrasing abilities of the steel in different contexts.
Here is an example of a first take improvized solo I did with a pop band a few years ago.

http://soundcloud.com/bobhoffnar/03-pop-song-sample

Edited: I just listened to it and I'm all over the track. Anything that isn't an acoustic guitar or string bass is pedalsteel. It was a fun session. We had some extra time and did a quick pass at this tune.

Daniel Morris · Post by **Daniel Morris** » 23 Jul 2011 6:19 pm

Sweet stuff, Bob!

Mike Daly · Post by **Mike Daly** » 24 Jul 2011 7:07 am

This has been such an informative thread. Someone should put out a compilation CD of this material.