Question about...Robert Randolph..

Jack Musgrave · Post by **Jack Musgrave** » 10 Jan 2004 9:21 am

All I can say that if I was a steel guitar manufacturer, I would be burning the midnight oil to come up with a student model RR guitar to sell in the music stores along side the six strings. look at your customer base that is just sitting there waiting on guitars inspired by this guys playing, not to mention future customer base. do it NOW before a big guitar company grabs the idea and runs with it and makes millions. A good friend once told me timing is everything. I would do it now

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 10 Jan 2004 9:54 am

"This is not a race." --Jerry Douglas

One of my first employers in the music business 40 years ago said about the same thing..... "Play for the people and keep it simple and close to the melody. Pay no attention to that two or three musicians that may be in the audience....they don't sign your check!.....

www.genejones.com

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 10 Jan 2004 10:26 am

These RR threads fascinate me with the divisiveness they bring out- It appears the only place Robert's music is really controversial is within the steel community! The Steel guitar, pedaled or not, is an instrument, a type of guitar perhaps, that can play, be, or represent anything. I truly understand the love of one style or genre above others- but the masters of every style I can think of drew from the styles and ideas of past masters and their contemporaries in other genres. Jazz, Country, Bluegrass, Western Swing... were all born from several/many styles and continue to evolve via assimilation. Buddy Emmons would certainly not be the player or influence that he is if he'd stuck to copying, say, only Joaquin... his explorations into Pat Martino's guitar stylings brought a lot to the Steel Guitar table that many other players have appreciated and accepted as "Steel stuff". What if Jeff Beck, Marcel Dadi, Lenny Breau, Danny Gatton, Mark Knopler, or any number of other greats had chosen to confine their influences to Chet Atkins? The beauty and emotional content of original playing owes much to exploration, openmindedness, and the freedom from fear of new ideas and directions. I would think we'd all welcome any succesful new stylist as a breath of fresh air.

------------------
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 10 Jan 2004 11:10 am

Gene Jones wrote:

One of my first employers in the music business 40 years ago said about the same thing..... "Play for the people and keep it simple and close to the melody. Pay no attention to that two or three musicians that may be in the audience....they don't sign your check!".

Today's audiences are less impressed by simple melodies, and more impressed by energy and showmanship. The people who "sign the checks" know this, which is why Robert is making a lot more money than you or I, Gene.

Dan Tyack wrote:

I have heard this from a number of country players. While I suppose there are some superficial similarities between some aspects of Roberts playing and the rock stuff that Joe does, they are completely different. ... I understand how people who don't like this kind of music might say that they sound alike, but it's like classical (or rock or jazz) listeners who hate country listening to country and can't hear the difference between Pete Drake and Buddy Emmons or Bashful Brother Oswald ('sounds like twangy noise to me'). Trust me, there is a difference.
I understand what you're saying, Dan. Joe's approach is more rock'n'roll, and Robert comes at things from more of a gospel/blues/funk direction. Their hand techniques are radically different. Joe uses a distortion effects unit, while Robert uses an overdriven amplifier - a big difference, tone-wise.

But they both play incredibly fast pentatonic riffs with distortion, and with feeling. That's the similarity that most people are hearing and pointing out.

------------------
<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 10 Jan 2004 3:44 pm

Y'know, I think one of the most important things about Robert's success for the rest of us who are not sacred steelers, is that he has proven beyond a doubt that a pedal steel guitarist, sitting down can successfully front a band and reach a major level of public notoriety. You have to play with confidence, energy and connect with your audience in a way that most steelers have not committed themselves to do. But the lesson here is that it CAN be done. That's a big deal, in my book.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 10 Jan 2004 4:22 pm

Jim. I Just noted this in an above post in this section.

It probably will destroy my Career.

I can only hope....

EJL

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 10 Jan 2004 8:24 pm

Well, Eric, I don't claim to have any "new" ideas; I just try to state them a little more succinctly...

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 10 Jan 2004 9:12 pm

jeez this gets repetitive.

"Someone's gonna get famous, make a bunch of money and do wonders for the advancement of pedal steel in modern music. But they'll be more well known to the general public than Emmons."

"Get a rope...."

JB
------------------
Fulawka D-10 9&5
Fessenden D-10 8&8
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel
www.buddycage.net

http://www.nrpsmusic.com/index.html

[This message was edited by JB Arnold on 10 January 2004 at 09:13 PM.]

Chris Erbacher · Post by **Chris Erbacher** » 12 Jan 2004 11:13 pm

i have seen and heard RR play a the fillmore here in san fran and the guy, i think, can play just about anything he wants to. i saw him with a nash 1000, a fender twin, and a mesa boogie with a 4x10 cab. he had a switch on the right leg of his steel and was going back and forth all night. for my tastes, i am not into his tone, blues wise. i am not too much into the blues and generally prefer a major scale oriented, clean sound than a minor blues overdriven sound, my ears just can't take too much distortion. he was lightning fast and very charismatic, destined to be an all time great and maybe the buy who takes the steel to the next level as far as people noticing it and knowing what it is. he reminded me of hendrix with his playing and had the crowd worked up, which i guess, is good entertaining. any time anyone causes this much controversy with the traditional crowd, you know someone is doing something right. with music, there aren't many rules, and beside the general rules of time signatures and keys, the rest are meant to be broken, that is why there are so many different types of music to choose from. to each his own, the guy can pick.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Jan 2004 2:24 am

Well I would just say that Eric was dead on many entries up..

Someone stated that if RR got on the Opry because of his new style that would be noted as a positive change of the times..and don't get me wong, I think it would be awesome for him to get some Opry TV time..just as Austin City Limits etc..

But..

We wouldn't need the change of the times to acknowlege our Instrument if it had been given the respect it is long overdue. Yes, why not Buddy Emmons , Paul Franklin or Loyd Green etc..given a spot out front playing one of the thousands of tunes that probably everyone would be able to identify with..I suspect this would bring the house down...

RR is a great talent for sure but if the future is to separate the Steel from it's roots..then the branches and leaves at the top will be the first to whither...

I have a family member ( not immediate) that tells me that I need to play like RR and get out of this awfull Country Music mode that I have been in for 30 years...

And I said " And you can go... (censored)"

I suspect that even RR learned how to play Sleepwalk..what does that tell ya....

Let there be another "Sleepwalk" and I suspect even RR would play it on his gigs !

Even the largest ship in the sea can be turned around...

t[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 13 January 2004 at 02:29 AM.]

Rainer Hackstaette · Post by **Rainer Hackstaette** » 13 Jan 2004 7:54 am

All I can say that if I was a steel guitar manufacturer, I would be burning the midnight oil to come up with a student model RR guitar to sell in the music stores along side the six strings.

This month's edition of the German guitar magazine "Gitarre & Bass" features an interview with Robert.

G&B: At your concerts, do people ask you what it is that you are playing?
Randolph: Sure, especially at the big concerts where the kids can't see me too well. Some think I am playing keyboard. Others think I am a DJ with record players. I always have to explain what it is that I am playing.
G&B: Successfully?
Randolph: Yes. I get a lot of mail from kids who want to learn pedal steel. But the instruments are expensive. That is why I am in the process of starting my own company. I want to have inexpensive instruments built that everybody can afford.

(My translation)

Rainer

------------------
Remington D-10 8+7, Sierra Crown D-10 gearless 8+8, Sierra Session S-14 gearless 8+5, '77 Emmons D-10 8+4, Sho~Bud Pro-I 3+5, Fender Artist D-10 8+4, Peavey Session 400 LTD, Peavey Vegas 400

Chris Erbacher · Post by **Chris Erbacher** » 13 Jan 2004 9:48 am

if you guys get a chance to see him live, you will see that he has good intentions, smiling all the time. maybe someone like b0b can interview him and post the interview here, asking all the questions we ask and debate about here, to put things to rest a bit. i'm starting a new post to take questions to ask him, and i will get ahold of him and do the interview and post it here

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Jan 2004 10:08 am

statement from above...

"That is why I am in the process of starting my own company. I want to have inexpensive instruments built that everybody can afford"

ok..sounds like a plan..
t[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 13 January 2004 at 10:09 AM.]

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 13 Jan 2004 11:02 am

wasn't there also a lot of bitching and moaning when the steelers of the 70's started using phase shifters, fuzz boxes and Mutrons, etc.?

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 13 Jan 2004 4:19 pm

Yes, and as you can see, nothing has changed. You are occasionally permitted the use of an approved minor chord, but only once a night.

JB

------------------
Fulawka D-10 9&5
Fessenden D-10 8&8
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel
www.buddycage.net

http://www.nrpsmusic.com/index.html

Chris Lasher · Post by **Chris Lasher** » 13 Jan 2004 4:20 pm

They had phase shifters in the 70s!? Wow, I didn't know they had that stuff all the way back the!. I thought all they had was, like, just amps that were kinda loud, but not as loud as the ones today.

...I KEEEEEeeeeeed, I keeeed!

Carter York · Post by **Carter York** » 13 Jan 2004 4:43 pm

...and didn't they use the ......

"TALK BOX" in the 60's!?!?!?

It still haunts us today. At least if you listen to classic rock radio. or cheesy old steel guitar records. or L7. or Pong. but anyway, now isn't Pete Drake considered to be one of the 'tamest' players of his generation?

Carter

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 13 Jan 2004 7:42 pm

JB,

Ouch, thank you!

thanks,
Drew

------------------
newslinkassociates.com
drewhoward.com

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 13 Jan 2004 10:11 pm

Hi Drew!
Sorry, I don't make the rules, I just make fun of 'em.

To apply for change, you'll have to file a request with the council of reverse advancement, dept OAITW, in Scranton.

At least you'll be ignored with the best of 'em.

peace

JB

------------------
Fulawka D-10 9&5
Fessenden D-10 8&8
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel
www.buddycage.net

http://www.nrpsmusic.com/index.html

Savell · Post by **Savell** » 14 Jan 2004 8:07 am

.[This message was edited by Savell on 31 May 2005 at 01:11 PM.]

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 14 Jan 2004 10:06 am

Robert will be playing the 2004 Grammys http://grammys.com/news/academy/2004/0113perf01.aspx
gonna be Fonky

(i'm on the side w:all those who dig Robert

)

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 14 Jan 2004 11:16 am

Yowza! You go Robert!!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 14 Jan 2004 3:00 pm

...then why is RR so criticized because he plays a non-tradional style?

I don't think it's the fact that he plays what we call a "non-traditional" steel guitar style that bothers people. It's the simple fact that he's gotten so much attention and so many accolades playing this style.

Well folks, that's "show business" for ya'. That which is new and different just sells a whole lot better. If RR played and acted like the vast majority of our favorite steelers, he'd have never seen the light of Leno's and Letterman's stages, regardless of how good he was.

To put it quite frankly, John Q. Public don't know squat about talent and ability, but he can spot "different", "style" and "showmanship" a mile away!

Chris Erbacher · Post by **Chris Erbacher** » 14 Jan 2004 7:22 pm

right on donny!

Wayne Cox · Post by **Wayne Cox** » 14 Jan 2004 8:02 pm

What little notoriety I have is based on my pedal steel playing, but recently I had an interesting experience. I'm sure there's a message in this story...but I'm not exactly sure what it is. I was called to do a short 2 hour job with a local R&B band,so I showed up with S-10 non-pedal steel and played the gig. A fellow came up to me and said "Wow, you are great;you sound just like RR!" I thanked him,but I really had mixed emotions about it. I highly respect Robert Randolph,but I've always been known primarily as a country picker. The experience left me wondering if I did something wrong or did something right!
~~W.C.~~