The Steel Guitar Forum

John McClung wrote:Thanks for posting the video link, Mark!

I really enjoyed the performance, for these reasons:

• very high energy show
• the audience dug it
• it showcased FOUR steelers
• it showcased 3 kinds of steels: 2 sit down pedal steels; 1 stand up pedal steel; and 1 lap steel (on legs)
• with that range of steels being played, it's bound to inspire some teenage guys and girls to look into playing a steel guitar; isn't that what our instrument needs to continue staying alive and relevant?

I'm starting to realize, from comments here, that a lot of steel players don't love the instrument as much as they love its typical musical genre homes: old school country, Hawaiian, and Western swing; maybe a little melodic jazz as well.

If the steel guitar isn't used in more contemporary musical settings, it WILL become an antiquated, irrelevant instrument limited to a dwindling audience. The steel could become a throwback like the frailing banjo. But with its huge sonic range, and ability to use modern effects, it has far more potential to grow into music of the future.

You don't have to personally love the styles it's playing, but I would hope all steelers would root for the steel to grow and expand anyway.

I agree with John! I was happy to see a Mullen G2 on stage for Del's sake also...
Guys it's just a guitar, maybe a pedal steel guitar but its just a guitar.. Do you hear a country guitar player say bad things about a rock guitar player because they play a different kind of music on the same instrument? If the Pedal Steel is going to survive, we had better pray that new players come along and create new music with our instrument... I think it is really cool seeing 4 steels lined up on stage being featured on a national tv show... My son Jeremy was on the same show with Lone Star 14 years ago, I saw him maybe three or four times during their song. He was just a side man and you could hardly tell what instrument he was playing... RR has taken Pedal Steel front and center and for that he deserves and has my respect!

Now that is interesting! Great night for mother Campbell!

A lot of stuff going on in that performance, a lot of movement and energy. Nobody in the audience slept through that one, in fact, I'll bet everyone was riveted to what was happening on stage. Tell me that that's not what its supposed to be about.

Though I have grown away from the more high energy music. I can see there is a market for it. I'd love to see the steel used more in some rock settings. Remember when Rock & Roll was born and almost instantly antiquated the music of Les Paul. One of the things that amazes me is the limited exposure it has seen in the Jazz world. There are a lot of Big Band people out there who don't know who Alvino Rey is. I know there are some great jazz players out there but we're the only ones that know who they are. I think a lot of it has to do with the commercialization of the music industry and their tight control over what's released. It's hard to learn, expensive to buy, hard to transport and you don't make a lot of money with it. Throw that at a young inspiring musician in todays instant gratification demographic and see how they react.

The sound mix aside -- good grief kids! Four steels of various types on stage at one time being played by non-oldish-white-guy players in a high energy song on national TV thereby possibly increasing (even if a little) the coolness factor, acceptance, and possible interest in steel guitar and yet some of us are unhappy.

Guys it's just a guitar, maybe a pedal steel guitar but its just a guitar.. Do you hear a country guitar player say bad things about a rock guitar player because they play a different kind of music on the same instrument?

Wally, your comment jogged my memory from being a kid in the '60s. My older brother's best buddy was the bada$$ young guitar player in our part of town. I can remember him working on one of the classics from the Buck Owens (we all loved Buck!) Instrumental Hits album, "Bukaroo," trying to get that Don Rich thing down - and it wasn't long after he was blazing away on "Purple Haze" after discovering Hendrix. Two different musical worlds, electric guitars in both.

As my kids are sometimes known to say, "It's all good."

I will admit that the Leno performance sounded for lack of a better term, pretty "busy." The reason for that to me might be because on the CD version, neither Aubrey Ghent or Robert play on "Don't Keep Me Wonderin'." Calvin Cooke handles all the vocals on that track on the CD. Three steel guitarists is almost too many on the recording but it works, and I would four is maybe a little too much.

We had a thread going on the album, but it was shut down the other day because someone committed a Forum no-no: you're not allowed to post where you purchased a product.

I bought the CD last Friday and have been through most but not all 11 tracks (busy week). So far I'm really enjoying the album.

It's entitled Robert Randolph Presents The SLIDE BROTHERS

Robert of course is involved in the project, and having his name on the cover is certainly a draw - how many steel players about which can we say that?

This is turning into "Robert Randolph Thread Volume 147," but actually he only appears on three of the eleven tracks on the CD, and on one of the three he doesn't play steel, just standard guitar.

Speaking of Jimi Hendrix, check this one out: Former Hendrix bassist Billy Cox joins the Slide Brothers on the Elmore James classic that was huge for Stevie Ray Vaughan, "The Sky Is Crying." The two steel players are Robert and Chuck Campbell, and Calvin Cooke handles the vocals:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGUCNOSOv4I

I agree with Mark, their performance was way to busy. But most of the people watching, are tone deaf as a stump. However, it would have been nice, if they would have given them an extra minute to jam, and take individual solos. I've seen RR, in person, and he and his band, they are fantastic! And I'm sure these guys were moved by The Spirit to play, have fun, and after all, it was The Tonight Show!

I can see the conversation in the Green Room:

"OK, guys, we have 3 minutes on national TV with 4 steel players--make sure you play with taste and restraint!"

Please, some of you guys are out of touch. You don't have to like it, but your expectations have nothing to do with their reality. 4, count 'em, 4 steel players on one stage as a featured guest...enough said!

I am offended that someone would say that if I don't like it "I'm out of touch". My expectations have nothing to do with your reality. I don't happen to like it and just because it's got steel guitars, does not mean I have to like it. If you like it just because it's got steel guitars, thats your reality, not mine. Cheese and crackers.

Bud Angelotti wrote:I am offended that someone would say that if I don't like it "I'm out of touch". My expectations have nothing to do with your reality. I don't happen to like it and just because it's got steel guitars, does not mean I have to like it. If you like it just because it's got steel guitars, thats your reality, not mine. Cheese and crackers.

Bud, don't be sore--it wasn't a personal shot at you or anyone. Being out of touch means not keeping informed of developments outside of your own niche. Some would consider that a badge of honor. Like I said, you don't have to like it--nothing wrong with that. However, open-mindedness can be a good thing because we all have the ability to change our minds.

I would be offended by someone that says I, or anyone else is "out of touch" because I have different tastes in music then you. By the way, what makes you think I or anyone else, is "not imformed" of developments outside my personal niche? How do you even know what my personal nich is?
So just to be clear for you, since you seem to take such an interest, I've never seen RR live. I have seen some concerts of him and his band on video and they were smoking! High energy, non-traditional, smokin band! WOW!
However, I didn't really like that Leno presentation. I didn't hate it . Just not my cup o'tea.
By the way, I do agree that more exposure to the instrument is a good thing, unless they see something like that Leno song and really dislike it. Then their impression of the steel might not be so good, if thats their only exposure.

One more thing Mike. I have heard some of your music via the web, and honestly, I like your stuff as much if not more than RR. Keep pickin'!

Mike Neer wrote:I can see the conversation in the Green Room:

"OK, guys, we have 3 minutes on national TV with 4 steel players--make sure you play with taste and restraint!"

Please, some of you guys are out of touch. You don't have to like it, but your expectations have nothing to do with their reality. 4, count 'em, 4 steel players on one stage as a featured guest...enough said!

Mike,
I was thinking the same thing about the green room. One thing I don't like about steel jams sometimes is when I'm playing with other steel players and they won't lay back and let everyone have their own spot... Watching the video, my first impression was that RR was a little uncomfortable with them all playing over each other too... I'm sure that the adrenaline was flowing and the guys were excited... My son said that when he played the show, Jay came back in the green room and said, don't be nervous, there is just a few million people watching you guys..

'Just watched the vid.
I thought that was great!!!
I love that guys voice.
Perfect for the song.... Like a male Mavis Staples.
My brain heard four steels rippin' from start to finish on a song I've liked since jr high.
Those guys take no prisoners!!!
What's not to love!
Nice.

I hope they come to Portland!... or release a full length concert DVD.
I'm gonna go downstairs and play along with some Allman Bros today.
That inspired me to jam hard on my Pedal Steel.

There certainly wasn't anything "new" going on here in a song rife with all the prerequisite musical cliches and lyrics befitting your typical blues number. A lot of talent wasted on this performance for the benefit of the tourists both in the studio and at home..
IMO, I don't think this will encourage anyone to to take up the steel and start flailing away.

When you say, Nothing new going on... are you saying that "4 steel playin' black guys rippin slide-blues solos all at once and singin' a soulfull tune" is common place in your area???
I was more like... Wow, ya don't see that every day!

When you say, Nothing new going on... are you saying that "4 steel playin' black guys rippin slide-blues solos all at once and singin' a soulfull tune" is common place in your area???

Nope, I didn't say anything like that. Actually, I thought I explained my remark pretty well...

Here's the a link to another tune on the CD, "Sunday School Blues."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85cR5xpr1z4

This one features Aubrey Ghent on the lead vocal. Aubrey Ghent trivia: he officiated at the wedding of Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi and as I recall played during reception.

Aubrey is on lead vocals and steel guitar with Calvin Cooke as the second steel player. Pay particular attention to the intro prior to the vocals which is about the first minute of the song, and check out the outro commencing at 3:40.

If you were going to record a bit of music for a time capsule illustrating the Sacred Steel sound for future civilizations to check out, I think the intro and outro are a good nutshell illustration of what it's about. Very much based in the blues/gospel tradition, and the steel guitar often has a quality of emulating the human voice.

You may like that style of steel guitar playing or you might not care for it at all. It goes without saying there's no right or wrong about this - it floats your boat or it doesn't. It happens to float mine. I have a fair number of Sacred Steel CDs since these folks were allowed to step outside of the church and record, including those from every steel player involved in the Slide Brothers. They are up there on my seemingly endless CD racks along with albums featuring Emmons, Hughey, Green, Rugg, Byrd, Morrell, McAuliffe, Franklin, Dugmore, Maines,Maness, Mooney, Black, Mike Johnson and so on.

It's good to remember as the vast majority of us know here on the Forum that this style of playing on electric steel guitar goes back about as far historically as electric steel playing in country and western swing. It's just that very few people knew about it outside of the House of God Church until the latter '90s. In that vein, it would appear to have as rich a history in its own way as country steel playing.

Wow! I love that silver sparkle Jackson. It's like the Don Rich of pedal steels. Of course, if you're going to show up with something like that, you better be able to play it, so I guess that rules it out as an option for me.

Bud Angelotti wrote:Sounds really loud. Like they are stepping all over each other. Like a conversation where nobody is listening to anybody else. Just all talking at the same time. .

my girlfriend said after we listened that night...'it would have been nice if they, at some point, came together playing separate parts that blended as a harmonious whole. ...a bit of a clusterf*ck'.


or as another friend of mine likes to say, 'talkin' loud and sayin' nothin'!



i can't stand Leno, either!

Damn, Chris - it sounds like you had a horrible experience all the way around!

Sorry man...

au contraire, mark. this is me loving life!

Wow, another RR topic that get's the blood pressure rising on some folks!!!
Why is that?
That is just so funny that RR and JG ALWAYS cause this....
As far as being "out of touch" Why in the world would that ever ruffle someones feathers?
There are SO MANY things I am out of touch with- I have NEVER been offended by someone pointing them out to me....my wife does it all the time and I thank her for it..
Just how thin does skin get now?
I WILL NOT tune my pedal steel to E9....hands up, who's offended?

My personal opinion- RR kicks butt, period
He's doing a good thing for the steel, period
Even if some of the things he plays I wouldn't give a second listen to...and I certainly wouldn't use the word 'crap' to describe ANY music...even pop.....

Wow, another RR topic that get's the blood pressure rising on some folks!!!
Why is that?

Jay - That is because some folks presume they can tell other folks what they are supposed to think. They take it past the point of opinion. It's as simple as that.
We can agree to disagree, but please don't tell me what I'm supposed to think. There are plenty of adjetives to describe that behavior.