The Steel Guitar Forum

This thread being 3 pages long (at this point) attests to the fact that he is making a sizable impression.

To like what he's doing shouldn't in anyway belittle other players who have different styles, and apply different techniques to different materiel.

What he's doing gets me going and the same to everyone who has heard / seen this clip.
That inclues two total reggae heads, a trad english/irish ballad singer, a country blues player, 3 non musicans, one who prefers classical, but will listen to most things and others.

All have been uniformly positive at worst, and knocked for six in several cases.
The reggae guys REALLY want some steel on 2 songs now.
Anyone who can cross genres like that has got something going.

<SMALL>I hope this fad will soon be over, otherwise we'll all have to play like Jerry Garcia or Robert Randolf to be considered a "good player".</SMALL>

Yeah, imagine the pressure band leaders put on country fiddlers when Stephan Grapelli came along. And Bela Fleck has just ruined everything for bluegrass b@njo players!

Seriously, there's little risk of funk invading country music just because a steel player is fronting a funk band.

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<font size="1"><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
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I saw him play a show about a year-and-a-half ago in New Jersey... as someone mentioned above, the demographics of the audience were all over the place... hip-hoppers, Phish and Dead tour casualties doing the slightly disconcerting hippie dancing... folks in their forties and fifties, frat boys, reggae fans and on and on.

What is hard to grasp if you haven't seen someone live is whether or not they have an ability to "put on a show"... he definitely does that and then some. I remember someone telling me that he thought steel players never looked "into it", that they didn't seem to be "having fun". Heck, I only look that way because I have to concentrate so hard. RR is notable in that I've never seen someone playing steel so much from their gut, on an almost purely intuitive plane.

Plus, you look at him and figure he's having a good time... and that counts for something.

(Finally, it was wild that during the set, he switched to a different steel, and tossed out a few tunes that were old school E9 sounding clean steel... had a little grin on his face while he did it, too.) From the distance I was standing at, his right hand seemed like a machine-gun, too.

"And Bela Fleck has just ruined everything for bluegrass b@njo players!"

The winking eye and all........but an untrue assumption!

He uses too much reverb anyway

Gary Lee

Tonight(Sat),I had the opprotunity to hear RR on what I believe was an ACL rerun. If it was a rerun,Im sure most of you have seen this particular performance before.
Please keep in mind that up to now,I've read all of the forum posts about RR over this considerable period of time without having really heard him play a whole set. Now Ive heard him. That being said, I'll offer up a few observations.....jmho, tho.

1.Robert's sound, technique & phrasing reminds me of a really accomplished R&R-blues slide/electric guitarist; maybe someone like D.Lindley, Ry Cooder or Jeff Healy. But nothing there to promote PSG, as far as I can see. However,I was impressed with his ability to express his emotions in his playing; thats the hallmark of a true musician.

2. I suspect that those lay persons who would accept RR as a bona-fide representative of the PSG would probably not spend much time checking out other steel guitarists recorded works. And if they did,the minute they heard something other than the aforementioned R&R/bluesy slide sound, they'd likely head back to where they bought the CD, claiming false advertising & expect a refund. Just because you can fly an "ultra-lite" it dont make you a pilot. And thats not taking ANYTHING away from RR's abilities or, Im sure, the many years he's spent playing & practicing. So if youve already decided to flame me, dont even go there:-(

3. I get the feeling that all this hub-bub about RR comes from a number of steel players who, for one reason or another havent had the gumption or intestinal fortitude mixed with perseverance to sit down & learn where all their favorite "New Country" licks came from; ie. how many out there can really play the intro to "I'll Come Runnin" or tastefully support the singer, or can really play a pretty, pleasing melody on a country song for a solo, instead of dropping in their "pet licks" & moving from position to position w/o regard for the melody or chord changes? ....If the shoe fits....

3. Im somewhat reminded of the apparently irreparable damage Pete Drake did to the PSG during its infancy. If Im wrong on this, then why is the current state of our instrument in such a depression that some have been led down a more comercially acceptable path? ie, licks instead of feeling..sexy R&R instead of what comes natural to the PSG. Now there are those, who for one reason or another still sing Pete's prases; (I guess they're beholdin' to him...after all,its the Nashville way , and they would argue that point, but the present state of affairs bears that fact out. Hence,
many are looking for a new way to go...a path of least resistance, if you will. Robert Randolph may be that path. Or, like a songwriter said to me on a session the other day.."oh no!! not so 'OPRY'...more attitude!" I packed up & left.

Its just a suggestion, but before you go out to get a D-13 & some more fx, try learing whats already been done on the PSG.
Yeah yeah, i know the argument..."why do whats already been done?"
But the answer is simple; without a foundation, yer house will crumble at the first tremor. It takes alot of time & dedication to REALLY play the PSG. If you get to thinking youve invented something,
Im sure that if you'll do yer homework you'll find that someone somewhere has already done it. You think Buddy or Doug or Paul havent messed with that? Go hear PF with The Players; plenty of funk, blues & R&R there.

4. I was saddenned to see a reference to Roberts ethnicity....not criticizing anyone here, but it shouldnt matter what race one is vs. how it affects their commercial appeal. However, I understand the argument. But think of this... what if RR went out & played "Blue Jade" or "Donna Lee"? Now the audience reaction to that would be well worth the price of a ticket....talk about tearing down some walls for the PSG!!

I guess what Im saying is; what RR does works for RR, that dont mean it works for everybody. If you think for 1 minute that RR's visibility will put taters on yer plate (whether you play or build PSG's), yer sadly mistaken.
Each time someone performs on the PSG, whatever the venue, if your performance doesnt strongly hint at your potential, you do a disservice to the instrument & those who've come before you & made yer little gig possible. RR's playing certainly hints at a strong potential. The equation is: desire + practice, practice, practice = finesse & a more than "acceptable" tone. btw..jeez, where did that submission to mediocrity come from, anyway? Thats like saying,"well, I almost missed that car" .

Now the giants have certainly provided us with more than a few meals... why not honor them with your dedication, perseverance & gratitude instead of changing horses everytime the going gets a little rough. I remember when being a steel player really meant something. Getting your horseshoe ring from your mentor when he felt that you deserved it (still got mine, thx DK! .
Maybe Im going back too far, but when I see that look in someones eyes that tells me theyre listening, im proud to be where I am, be it concert or s***hole. We provide escape to those who toil & labor so we can do what we do. They still like the "old stuff", but I fear many players out there view the golden oldies as un-hip or too politically incorrect. If thats yer bent, yer on the wrong horse.

I wish RR all the best & Ive been told he's an exceptionally fine human being. I admire what he does & how he carries himself. It just concerns me that some would elevate him to the level of the second coming of the PSG.
That fellow is already here,however. Tune him in next Friday nite on the Opry. If you want to study something, take TW's style apart, then you'll have some idea of what Im talking about.
sincerely,
mc

Revisiting my post of Aug 10, 2001 my opinion is still the same after two years.

If RR is remembered it will be because he is a showman.....not because he is, or may become, a great steel-player! His civilian (non-musician)audience will consider his steel playing as a gimmick.

<I>(Aug 10, 2001)In summarizing some of the comments made above....there are two audiences; (1)WE the choir of musicians and steel guitar players, and (2)EVERYONE ELSE!
"We" know what we as musicians contribute to the music business, but the "everyone else", the music consumers who make what we do possible, don't give a tinkers d--n about anything except the "star" who is up front singing. If you don't believe it, go to the "stars" fans and ask them about the musicians who toured or recorded with them for years.....Ask Conway Twitty's fans who John Hughey is? Ask how many, other than musicians, have any idea who is Buddy Emmons, or Tom Brumley, etc? You will almost always get a puzzled look...like, "what difference does it make, does he sing?"

Only time will tell whether Robert Randolph's unique musical background and playing is only a temporary novelty, or if he will survive to carve out his permanent place in the steel guitar community. But, if he does, he will not be the catalyst to bring the rest of the world to the alter of the steel-guitar.....he will be like those mentioned above and the many others like them.............

He will be admired, respected, and honored only by his peers. No one else will care whether he plays steel-guitar or not!</I>
www.genejones.com <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 24 August 2003 at 06:17 AM.]</p></FONT>

I think he's a great player, I just wish he had better songs. In my experience, the late night talk shows sound vastly different broadcast than when you play them. I think they have to mix for the airwaves. CH

I know that Robert talks a lot about guitar players when he is speaking to the press, but anybody who is familiar with the Sacred Steel tradition knows that there is a tradition of that style of single string playing that has been around for at least 20 years. I mean what we as outsiders would call a rock and roll style. But I have seen tapes of Chuck Campbell playing a very similar style well before the Stevey Ray Vaughn thing was out there. There are doubtless influences by Hendrix, Isley Brothers, etc to the House of God church musicians, but much of that style was developed without regard for how white jam band fans would react to it. So musically, RObert is a very good player, but nothing revolutionary to the musicians within the church (there are many services that rock harder than any Lolapoluza show, believe me).

What Robert brings to the stage is incorporating singing to his playing, and he is an exceptional singer. Plus, a phenominal ability to connect with his audience. Plus, teenaged girls think he is hot looking (I know this for a fact, being a father of a teenaged girl).

In terms of steel playing, there are others within the Sacred Steel world that would impress steel players more. But they don't bring as much to the record buying public as Robert.

In answer to the question about playing with Robert, he is really a great guy. I have known him for years, played with him a number of times, and he is a confident player, and a delight to hang out with.


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