Country Convert

Eric Gearhart · From: Bellingham, Massachusetts, USA

Did anyone out there absolutely hate (or at least paid no mind to) country music before taking up the steel? Granted, I'm a late starter and still carry my rock influences with me (60's British psychedelia, in paticular, if you can believe that!), but I love country now, albeit old country.

RON PRESTON · From: Dodson, Louisiana, USA

See There, Folks.....
There IS HOPE!

[This message was edited by RON PRESTON on 09 July 2004 at 07:35 AM.]

Jay Fagerlie · From: Lotus, California, USA

When I was growing up (late 60's, early 70's) my dad was always playing Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard. All I wanted to hear was Beatles, Humble Pie, and Black Sabbath, etc. He would always comment on how my music wasn't music at all, just "screamin' hippies" As the years went by, I'd hear snippets of his 'old' music and it would seem that it would bring back fond memories (but I was fighting it) A few years ago I happened to be in an old record store and came across an old Buck Album that my dad had and bought it.....needless to say, I now have a pretty big Buck collection, as well as Patsy, Johnny, Merle, and numerous others....

OK, here it goes.....

I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!!

There, I've said it for the world to see!
(I just hope my dad don't see this post.....the "I told you so's" would never end!)

Jay, the long haired country fan

------------------

J.L. Fagerlie - email: jayster@scaryoak.com - website -
1963 Fender 1000, 1955 Magnatone Maestro T-8, 1947 National Grand Console D-8 ,1948 Gibson BR-9,‘60’s Melobar Acoustic

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Well much of the later 60's and 70's country left me cold at the time and not so warm now, EXCEPT for the steel work and some of the guitar picking.

I still like Hank Snow and earlier, and the bluegrass and trad revival stuff more. The outlaw groups and swing still hangs in there.

I can say I like Ray Price a whole lot more now than then.

Robert Porri · From: Windsor, Connecticut, USA

I wish so much that my father "could see me now". I grew up on the Beatles and when Hendrix came out, I was totally hooked on Rock guitar playing. Anyone who was good in my opinion, Hendrix, Zepplin, anything flashy. It IS good! But my dad would say as he was watching Hee Haw, Bobby, come see this guy, talking about Roy Clark or John Hartford. I'd listen and realize they were good, but not my thing. He would go on about what a beautiful instrument the Steel Guitar (PSG) was, but I lumped it into a similar thing as when he wanted me to listen to the accordian players on Lawrence Welk. Again, I appreciated everything he called my attention to, but I only wanted to play Rock. Later in college I learned Classical. Later in life I started listening to Country. Now I wish he could see me (albeit strugglingly) learning Pedal Steel. I still play and listen to all those other styles, but it's PSG I am most often found practicing.

Bob P.

[This message was edited by Robert Porri on 09 July 2004 at 08:41 AM.]

Ron Sodos · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

I grew up in NYC and was a Grateful Dead Fan. When I heard the blue album by Judy Collins with Buddy Emmons and Steve Stills playing "Someday Soon" I was hooked for life. Now over 30 years later steel guitar is the main force in my life. Now all I listen to is old country (new country sucks) and I am lucky I have a working band that does mostly old country...........

Ron Page · From: Penn Yan, NY USA

Allen Peterson · From: Katy, Texas

I still like classic rock and probably always will. When disco came in, that's when I went out. I started then listening and playing country music and now have the best of two worlds. The band I play in now does both old rock and old country. There's nothin' better than Hendrix followed by Merle Haggard. Kind of gets the crowd all mixed up though.

Chris Haston · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

I'm the only member of my family who listens to country, and I got into country because I moved to Nashville to drum, and I saw the steel for the first time, which was four years ago. My parents, and grandparents for that matter, were quite shocked when I told them I bought a pedal steel.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I couldn't abide country music when I was twenty or so (1963) - but loved what I'd cut my musical teeth on (Elvis, Rcky Nelson, the Everly's, etc). I was so dumb, I couldn't see the link between white R'n'R and country!

When someone played me Buck Owens' stuff, I was blown away - then Buck came to London, played the Palladium, and I was hooked! (Thanks, Don Rich and Jay Dee Maness!) Of course, this was pretty hard-edged for country, and I'm sure Buck (and Merle) had their detractors back then, and were accused of being rockers, but I didn't care!

I immediately side-lined my big Gibson Super 400 and bought a Tele! Never went back, either.....

Of course, I was in England then, and our perspective was different to the American one, but I'm now amazed that I couldn't hear the 'country' in James Burton's 'Hello, Mary Lou' guitar solo!

When I go ALL the way back to my first real music hero, Lonnie Donegan, it's logical that I should have ended up with a love for American roots music - his stuff ('I'm Alabammy Bound', 'Grand Coulee Dam', 'Rock Island Line, 'Cumberland Gap', etc) just electrified me.

How proud I am that in later life I got to play gigs with him - even, on one occasion, playing steel!

I'm afraid that I still find very early country a bit primitive, but I'd say I'm a country fan now!

Roger Rettig

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Roger,

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Rock & Roll is a diversionary tactic meant to confuse the masses

Mother from Clarksburg, W. Va.
Father from Punxsutawney, Pa. (yes, I had to look up the spelling...).

Country was king at my family's house. Grew up with a slight southern accent even though lived 10 miles south of Buffalo, NY.

Leslie Ehrlich · From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

No, for me it's actually the other way around. I liked country music before I took up the steel. I hate the so called 'new' country, I occasionally listen to older country stuff, and I have no desire to play in a country band.

Rick Schmidt · From: Prescott AZ, USA

Carl...I couldnt help but notice that most of the guys youre calling true country were based outa....eek........California.

Hmmmm....what a concept!

[This message was edited by Rick Schmidt on 09 July 2004 at 10:53 PM.]

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Carl

I wasn't 'there', so I don't know, but the so-called 'Bakersfield sound' was so different that I'd be surprised if there wasn't some criticism.

One only has to scan the Forum pages to know how resistant to change some people are.

I'm with you - it's country in its purest form to me, but I'm a 'newbie'

! I know I'll be called a heretic, but I infinitely preferred Buck and Merle to Hank Williams - his stuff always sounded corny and predictable to me, regardless of his apparent place in music history, but - once again - maybe you 'had to be there'.....

RR

PS: Wynn Stewart knocked me out, too - wasn't he a CA guy, Rick?

Jack Musgrave · From: Springfield, Missouri, USA

At 46, I grew up listening to classic country and classic rock, and still love both. there is nothing more fun to me than to play a little Beatles or Deep Purple tune on the steel for my friends when they come over just to watch their expression. follow that up with a good western swing song on the C6th and some twang on the E9th.It's like having the best of both worlds. Buy the way, I think it is a great time to be a steel player, we have the past to draw from, and the future to build on

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Carl

I don't think it's anything sinister. Amongst other musicians, country music is sometimes perceived to lack the subtlety of more high-brow or complex music-forms. They'll jump to the conclusion that even the best country players fall into the same category.

I think it's all a throw-back to the days of old-fashioned 'hillbilly music', and it's place on the cultural scale. The relative sophistication of the Nashville product over the last couple of decades or so has done something to redress this, but, in the process, some fans have felt alienated - you'll never keep everyone happy!

So - I don't think 'hate' is the right word here, 'though people do say that; perhaps they really mean - "I can't STAND that stuff - it's so corny!"

RR

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Musically speaking, I think that the steel parts are the most interesting aspect of traditional country music. I not just saying that because I'm a steel player, either. Listen to all of the other instruments. They basically play very simple parts, and they don't vary much from one tune to the next. In contrast, the steel parts are complex and often innovative.

This was true even in Hank Williams' day. You can hear a few smart guitar parts, but the real instrumental genius is always the steel player. Is there anything on any other instrument of that era that can even come close to the steel part on "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"? I don't think so.

------------------

Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)

Eric Gearhart · From: Bellingham, Massachusetts, USA

Carl,
I termed "hate" just as an expression. I'm aware that you are a religious man and I respect that. "Hate" no doubt means more to your ear upon first hearing than some other people, but my term was more along the lines of "couldn't stand" or "extreme dislike". I consider, for me, my change of ideologies, from liberal to conservative, as a perfect metaphor of the topic that I posted, with the steel guitar being the catalyst.

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

Yes, Eric - I made that point in my last post; it's just semantics.

Bobby

I agree! Especially when one listens to older stuff - it was certainly steel guitar that drew me into the fold!

Back then, a guitar player could accommodate the basics of the music with rudimentary skills (maybe that was the prejudice - jazz always required a certain level of ability). Steel, though, is differeent, being an instrument that requires an enormous amount of commitment to acheive even moderate proficiency.

RR
PS: Before I get 'flamed' and reminded of Leon Rhodes and Eldon Shamblin, etc, let me qualify this by saying that I'm generalising - there were, and will always be, exceptions.

Paul King · From: Gainesville, Texas, USA

I would have to say as long as I can remember I have always liked country music except what they consider country music today. I can take some of the blues, a little bluegrass and I love to hear some jazz including the New Orleans jazz with all the brass. I have always loved country gospel which is what I play most. I would sit and listen to music when I was a teenager and when we had a television I would watch Jr. Knight play on Saturday afternoon. They played some classic country music. Most of the TV shows were on when I was younger so I am enjoying the shows on RFD TV featuring the Wilburn Brothers and some other shows as well. I can listen to John Hughey playing Conway Twitty hits all day long and lsiten to Buddy Emmons on the Ray Price material just sends chills down my spine. I would like to see more young people get involved with country instead of the rock and rap. Keep It country and keep it coming.

Forum Index > Steel Players		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic