Bruce Bouton

Damir Besic · Post by **Damir Besic** » 13 Aug 2004 5:19 pm

very few great and world known players are left and still posting here anymore.Why?Because every "know it all" can sit behind his computer and bash and trash the best players world have ever had.I don`t think Bruce is going to respond here or anywhere else on this forum again.I hope he will, but I would understand if he doesn`t.What could have been a great source of informations and great conversations is turning into a non sence bashing and trashing of anyone and everything.Shame.Now go ahead and trash me as much as you want I have better things to do than reading this garbage.

Db

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 13 Aug 2004 6:10 pm

Hi Bruce, Thanx for your years in the music biz, they are inspiring to me. I am a newbie on pedal steel, and your learning material I can really relate to, and it has really helped me. Thanx. James

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 13 Aug 2004 9:37 pm

"very few great and world known players are left and still posting here anymore."
Damir, I disagree! Buddy himself started a thread about the new Fender amp, Paul Franklin posts, Bobbe Seymour posts, Gary Morse, Mike Smith, Winnie Winston---I think this Forum is in pretty good shape, as long as nobody opens the door for racial bashing, and we all respect each other, even when we disagree. If some goofball wants to rave about Robert Randolph, I won't read his posts.
And besides, those "great and world known players didn't get that way by sitting around posting on a Forum!"
Take care, man!

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 14 Aug 2004 5:20 am

It is true Great players didn't get where they are by sitting on their computers posting. But great players are not "right" bedause they are great players. Nor do their opinions carry any more weight than those who do sit at their computers. All opinions regardless of the source are after all, as potty mouths often suggest,

"are like....... we all got 'em"

Jesus WILL right all wrongs NO matter WHO commits them including great players as well as those who sit at their computers

And I wonder how you were able to post? huh?

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 14 Aug 2004 6:25 am

Also,

Is it bashing to post on this forum when one says:

1. Buddy Emmons is the greatest steel guitar player who ever lived. Or ever will live.

2. Paul Franklin is second only to Buddy Emmons.

3. Jerry Byrd is the greatest non pedal steel guitar player who has ever lived or ever will live. (And yes I believe with all my hearet he IS the greatest Hawaiian style guitar player.) oops better reach for the hammer and nails.

4. Tom Brumley has a tone to die for.

5. Bruce Bouton is between "super and great" on a scale of poor, mediocre, fair, good, excellent, super, great and THE greatest.

6. Lloyd Green has a tone from heaven. And plays like NO other. Truly an awesome player. (I did say, I sincerely wish he would not do that rapid unison note lick as much). hmmm nail me ok? He did, right on this forum.

7. Hal Rugg is at home whether he plays "korn", jazz or in a Symphony orchestra.

8. Curly Chalker is the chord king of all time.

9. Pete Drake is the greatest "lick player" ever and the most brilliant business man in country music. (I Did say and stand on it, Pete was not a good player when it came to complete songs that were popular in any given era). So a bash huh? I confess. Nail on.

10. Doug Jernigan is the cleanest fast picker I have ever heard. And gets the finest bass string tones on a steel guitar I have ever heard.

11. Tommy White Will be one of the greatest of all times. He may just have fulfilled that already. Absolutely incredibe steel player.

12. Jimmy Day was the most soulful player ever. His playing on "Crazy Arms" sent more than one steel guitar player out of his mind trying to get "that sound". (I did say, "I wish he would not drag one song endlessly playing it over and over and over again, taking 22 minutes to play it in a half hour set at the ISGC") oops I am really bad huh? So "send up another nail fellows".

13. Little Roy Wiggins MADE Eddy Arnold.
As did Weldon Myrick for Connie Smith.

14. Norm Hamlett is the most unsung steel guitar player hero in history.

15. Bob White was the most listenable steel player.

16. Jeff Newman was the quintessential sguitar instructor. He had a way of taking complex things and explaining it so any player could understand it and he could prove every thing he taught. His playing was among the best. (I did remark to a friend. I wish he would talk less and play more while on stage) oops the nails are starting to pierce pretty badly now.

17. Reece cut his own path. One of the all time greats that has never received the recognition he deserves.

18. To listen to Mac Atsheson was a humbling experience for any player.

19. Walter Haynes, was one of the true pioneers in the developement of our form of PSG.

20. Johnny Sibert fit Carl's Smith's voice like a glove.

21. Same for Don Helms and Hank williams. (I did say I prefer JB's playing behind HW) really bad huh? But really bad enough for another nail? oh well

22. And LAST but not least. Are ya ready for this one Steve and Bruce and Damir or anyone else that has labelled me openly or in innuendo a "racist" for stating my sincere opinions.

"If RR had been born with my color skin, he would NOT have been on Jay Leno, nor on the cover of Guitar Player'; nor called the greatest steel player: nor lauded by many on this forum."

Now lest there be a single person left on this planet who has not yet heard it,

I STAND on the statement. NO one told me to make it. I did not dream it. I was not led to say it because some white evangelist redneck ultra right wing hater of the poor and lover of the rich "ditto headed" me to think it. I said it because I believe it with every fiber of my being.

If that makes me a racist then

SO BE IT!

Now I have a question Damir? Who else "bashed" a great player on this forum? And when did it happen?

Now I have confessed my sins above. And posted a number of quotes to prove it! Now I am challenging you, who bashed any great player on this forum? Ooops was it Frank Estes when he defended me? Or if not who?

I have often wondered why soooooo many people yelled "barrabas". Not any more.

carl

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 14 Aug 2004 7:17 am

Lets calm down everyone. This is not getting us anywhere. I would suggest we let this lie.
There are some extreme differences of opinion here. Lets move on to another subject that we can better agree on. I respect all of you.

Mark Durante · Post by **Mark Durante** » 14 Aug 2004 7:32 am

Bruce is a great player, I always enjoy hearing him play. When I took up steel I bought his instructional video and it helped me a lot, I still refer to it now and then.
This forum is about steel guitar, if we stick to the subject we can all benefit greatly.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 14 Aug 2004 10:15 am

Carl, you said, via email, you wouldn't speak to me, and now you're airing dirty linen (YOUR OWN) here on the Forum. I NEVER called you a racist, but you seem to refer to yourself a great deal, when referring to racism. NOBODY, AND I REPEAT, NOBODY, IS MORE WELL-THOUGHT FO ON THIS FORUM, THAN YOU ARE, CARL. PLEASE, PLEASE, STOP thinking everybody's out to get you. I doubt if anybody is! I've told you how much I respect your knowledge, and your opinions. So have countless others on this forum. So stop thinking there's a witchhunt going on, Carl. The only thing you're accomplishing, is getting a bunch of threads closed, because of your argumentive positions. And don't compare yourself to ANY Christian martyrs, in this thread, Carl, if you choose to respond. They were martyred for their faith, and NOT for an opinion regarding steel guitars, or players of steel guitars. If you feel persecuted, it's only in YOUR imagination.
Bruce Bouton is a real good steel player, with opinions formed inside studios and tour buses. And, Bruce, if you read this, I'm sorry, but I know of your reputation as well. But Carl, Bruce is privy to more insider info than you or me. Respect his posts, as I am sure he respects yours. And God bless us all!
Thread closed, b0b???

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 14 Aug 2004 10:29 am

And I apologize to the rest of you guys, for allowing myself to be pulled into this. Sorry!

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 14 Aug 2004 11:05 am

I have to comment on this.

"If RR had been born with my color skin, he would NOT have been on Jay Leno, nor on the cover of Guitar Player'; nor called the greatest steel player: nor lauded by many on this forum."

Jerry Garcia was born with "your color skin", Carl, and his limited steel playing achieved similar accolades. I have no doubt that, had he fronted a band playing pedal steel, he could have easily have been booked on The Tonight Show.

Fame has little to do with musical prowress or skin color, as evidenced by the fact that many mediocre "white" bands are very famous. Perhaps you can explain why none of them have a steel-playing front man (or woman!).

The truth is that few young steel guitarists (and youth is a requirement for this sort of attention) can entertain an audience of their peers. Most of us spend our first 20 years at the instrument staring at our hands, barely moving or acknowledging the audience. Talents like Joe Wright or Sarah Jory are extremely rare, and an alignment of those talents with the right ambitions and attitudes for a recording contract is a near impossibility.

You have to work your ass off to "make it" in the rock market. Even those who succeed rarely make much money at it. I salute anyone who has the ambition, energy and initiative to make a name for him/herself in that world. When a steel player does it, it's all the more reason for celebration.

As moderator here, I have a duty to keep things on an even keel. The Forum doesn't exist to promote discussion of the politics of race or religion. It exists to promote the steel guitar. Steel guitarists do have political views, but I believe that those views are irrelevant and sometimes even detrimental to the Forum's mandate to promote the steel guitar.

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<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), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6)[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 14 August 2004 at 12:09 PM.]

James Pennebaker · Post by **James Pennebaker** » 14 Aug 2004 3:44 pm

I lurk around here quite a bit but rarely post. Probably because I consider myself more of a steel guitar fan than a steel guitar player. That makes me a Bruce Bouton fan too. So I had to go back and read the posts to see what all this was about and can certainly understand Bruce getting "irked" and don't blame him for sounding off. Bruce is a stand up kind of guy.

If someone in the rock press reports that RR is the greatest steel player in the world it is obviously because said reporter just flat doesn't know any better and is going for "impact" and to get people's attention. They've never heard of a Buddy Emmons or a Lloyd Green and probably couldn't name ONE other single steel player in existance, living or dead and they have to write an article about this new guy. I can get past that in a second. It's SO typical of the music business. And the fact is, the pedal steel is a very strange and obscure "contraption" to most people (including some of us that try to play it!). What I see happening is the pedal steel guitar getting attention like never before in the mainstream music press and I say "great!" It'll hopefully spark enough interest to bring people to the instrument who otherwise would not. If they're REALLY interested, they'll get into it enough to buy a guitar, find a teacher (or not), put on some picks (or not) and, in the process, they'll most likely find out about Emmons, Green, Hughey, Charleton (your favorite's name here, etc).

I absolutely agree that this forum should not be used to promote politcal, racial or religeous affiliations. Not the place for it. Granted, RR's music is Gospel based but it should go no further than that on a forum about steel guitar. However, I do find it interesting that RR gets critisized for going against the status quo. Same thing happened to Jesus. I suspect that RR also is a very humble guy who isn't going to go around blowing his own horn and perhaps that is why he doesn't hang here. But he sure draws a crowd, don't he? Hint, hint, nudge, nudge.

JP[This message was edited by James Pennebaker on 14 August 2004 at 04:47 PM.][This message was edited by James Pennebaker on 14 August 2004 at 04:49 PM.][This message was edited by James Pennebaker on 14 August 2004 at 04:51 PM.]

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 15 Aug 2004 1:00 am

The MAIN reasons RR is on Letterman are :

His band does a music that is still commercially viable to a pretty good sized market "Dance Funk"

He has come up with a steel style that is based on a long time always selling style "Blues Rock Guitar" a la Stevie Ray Vaughan

He is a visually solid showman, as well as his killer singing bassist, and drummer brother.

And he's been getting raves and lots of work on the "jam band" ,circuit with groups like Phish.

Add to the fact that his music is very in tune with Paul Schafer's styles.
He is Letterman's musical director and main music act booking person.

Those are enough reasons to get him booked.

His skin color is a novelty to non sacred steel steelers,
but on Letterman a black musician is not novel at all.

He is there from:
HARD work and talent in the right place at the right time.
Simple as that.

Terry Sneed · Post by **Terry Sneed** » 15 Aug 2004 6:31 am

Stickin to the topic

Bruce has been an inspiration to me for a long time.
The Ricky Skaggs band with Bruce on steel guitar, was and probly always will be the best band that ever was, or ever will be.
that's IMO

I don't know of any steeler any better on pick blockin, with the smoothness and speed Bruce has. He's the best! that's IMHO

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84 SKH Emmons Legrand D10
session 400'rd Steelin for my Lord.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 15 Aug 2004 8:25 am

Express yourself !

appreciatin'a Musician by what and how he plays does'nt permit me to know who he is and what his opinions are
since this Great Fo' is such a hub of communication, everyone here is "gonna wanna" let us in on who they are - that's what i like about this joint- diversity is rewarding - rather than gettin' uptight over so and so, i know there is always somethin' to learn and benefit from him.
politics and religion are such touchy subjects that i ain't gonna whip out my jive on ya' or b0b'll get me expulsed
so i'll stick w: da' SteelPulse

btw - i like that Bouton fellow - must be his French name ...

darn good picker too !
let the boy have his say

he's got a right to it
jes like everybody else...

from the Capt' to the Chaplain, down the Sarge and the Private
just be graceful, have taste,and show emotion just like the Musik ya' play

Jerry Bruner · Post by **Jerry Bruner** » 15 Aug 2004 3:35 pm

So was it Bouton who played on Ricky Skaggs' recording of Highway 40 Blues??

That is one of my all time favorite songs with great steel in it. It's such a joy to listen to. One of the best country singles ever IMO.

Terry Sneed · Post by **Terry Sneed** » 15 Aug 2004 6:15 pm

Yep Jerry, that was Bruce Bouton on "Highway Forty Blues". smooth, slick, speedy pick blockin.

Terry

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84 SKH Emmons Legrand D10
session 400'rd Steelin for my Lord.