The Steel Guitar Forum

OK here is the criteria:

1. the artist must be alive. (this makes if at least feasible that your wish could come true)
2. It would be in a live setting. Not a recording.
3. the song doesn't have to have steel on the recording. It could be a song you think needs pedal steel.

My list:

1. The Pioneers - Bill Frisell
Greg Leisz plays steel on this track. Bill is probably my favorite musician and Greg is easily my favorite steel player. I can't even fathom topping his performance. Just to learn his parts on this song would be a great mile stone for me.

2. Tom Traubert's Blues - Tom Waits
Tom Waits is one of my favorite song writers, and this is one of his many classics. If I could get away with just doing nothing but Waits ballads all night I would.

3. Windfall - Jay Farrar/Son Volt
Son Volt's first 2 records are the reason I got into pedal steel. Eric Heywood's parts on these records are what I first learned to play. Apart from being one of the best country songs ever written, Windfall is probably one of the best country performances ever captured. It just reminds me how far away from country "modern country" really is.

4. Possibly Maybe - Bjork
Bjork is another of my favorite musicians. There is steel on her recording, but I don't know who it is. My opinion is that her genius is in her phrasing. On this track she almost sounds like a sax player in the vein of Joe Henderson. I can't believe this track isn't covered more often.

5. Sometimes it Snows in April - Prince
This is a great ballad. And some really cool chord changes. Prince brags at he can play 30+ instruments, but I've never heard him play pedal steel.
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1. Any orchestra playing the end of Tristan & Isolde where they die. Best if done with orch only, no singers please

2. Jimmy Webb "What Does A Woman See In A Man?"

3. Edgar Winter side 1 of "Entrance"

4. Tom Waits has a lot of good ones. I like "Take It With Me"

5. The Shaggs "My Pal Foot Foot"

NRBQ (Shaggsmania promoters), might be fun to play steel with but I like them the way they are. In fact I guess all these tunes are pretty good already with no steel.

Anything with Emmy Lou, Linda Rondstat, Heather Myles, Martina McBride, Connie Smith.

Ron

Anything with Reba, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, Sara Evans or Gretchen Wislon. As long as it's slow...

Any Dire Straits song, regardless of whether or not Paul played on it.

Interesting post Todd...


1 Windfall with Son Volt
2 One Time,One Night in America with Los Lobos
3 Teach Your Children.. withCSNY
4 Walk of Life with Dire Straits
[my version would seem sad and silly after Paul's , but what the hell, it would still be a blast to play it with those guys, they lay down a righteous groove..a big fat pad to lay those steel licks over!!!!]

5 The Byrds.. any song at all.. I would love to add my steel to Rogers 12 string Ric.. Twangy,ringing, jangling notes everywhere ad infinitum... heaven man..... bob

Bob I'd love to see ya play with Dire Straits... Call when ya hook that up. I'm gonna be there

I AM DOING THIS NOW WITH LANEY HICKS PLAY ALONG.


ERNIE

Dreams of a Dreamer- Darrell McCall
Sultians of Swing -Dire Straits
Then and only then- Connie Smith
The last time - Lee Ann Womack
I'm not over you - Dottie Jack
Look at us- Vince Gill

This list could probably change from day-to-day:

1. Starship Trooper - Yes
2. White Room - Cream
3. Hideaway - Eric Clapton (since Freddie King is gone...Clapton's original version honest in feel and power)
4. "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere with Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, David Crosby and Gene Parsons (my ideal reunion of living Byrds)
5. Tie between Christine's Tune and Hot Burrito # 2 with Hillman, Chris Etheridge, Parsons, Gib Gilbeau and Greg Harris (one nice lineup of living Burritos)

If it was a 10-item list I'm sure there'd be some Steve Miller and Tom Petty in there somewhere - add artists who have passed on and T-Bone Shuffle with T-Bone Walker would be on the top-5 list.

1. Touch my heart - Ray Price
2. Way to survive - Ray Price
3. New road under my wheels - Bobbe Flores
4. Driving nails in my coffin - Johnny Bush since Earnest Tubb isn't around
5. Whiskey River - Johnny Bush
Can't help it, not too fond of the new stuff these days.

Let's see

1.I can't make you love me- Bonnie Raitt
2.Wonderful Tonight(the slow Albert Hall Version)Eric Clapton
3.Come Away with Me-Forget the girls name who did it.
4.Any fiddle tune my Dad used to play. (I miss him)
5.Anything by Micheal Buble

1. Look At Us Vince
2. Blue Bayou Ronstadt
3. Farewell Party Gene W.
4. Teach Your Children C.S.N.Y.
5. Walk Of Life Dire Straits

These are 5 of my all-time favorites:

1. Take Back Your Old Love Letters - Ray Price
2. Let's Put Love Back To Work - Ricky Skaggs
3. One and Ond and One - Gene Watson
4. Pride - Mike Siler.
5. I Threw Away The Rose - Merle Haggard

1. What A Way to Live.. WN

2. Adalida (sp), George S.

3. Couldn't Hurt to Have Wings Marty S(?)

4. Turn it on Turn it up Dwight (Tele)

5. Working Man Blues MH (Tele)

6. (Alternate) Twist and Shout Mary C (Tele)

1. Bell Bottom Blues - Derek & the Dominos
2. A Kiss Before I Go - Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
3. Ain't That Lonely Yet - Dwight Yokam
4. Dull Edge of the Blade - Derailers
5a. Bad Weather - Poco
5b. Las Vegas - Emmylou Harris (this squeezes in a Gram Parsons Tune)

1. Walk Out Backwards-Bill Anderson
2. That's What It's Like To Be Lonely-Bill Anderson
3. Answer The Phone If It Rings-Darrell McCall
4. Eye For An Eye-Johnny Bush
5. You Ought To Hear Me Cry-Johnny Bush

Anything by Emmylou Harris. I wouldn't need a session fee: I'd be the one paying !

Cool stuff...here's my 5 in no particular order:

1. Ride the Country - Poco
2. I'm on Fire - Bruce Springsteen
3. Last Train Home- Pat Metheny Group (Have always wished there was a steel on this one...)
4. The Big One - George
5. Lodi - Creedence

Scott Henderson wrote:Let's see

3.Come Away with Me-Forget the girls name who did it.

Norah Jones?

1.Amarillo By morning George Strait2. Farewell Party Gene Watson. 3 EMPTY glass Gary Stewart. 4.Bandy The Rodeo clown Mo Bandy.5 Any Song By Bobby Flores.

Hi, Bob -

I can truly appreciate your desire to add steel to the Rickenbacker 12 string. I am the founder of The ByrdBrains (thebyrdbrains.com) and the player of said Rickenbacker. Mine is No. #98, first owned by Al Jardine of The Beach Boys and played by Roger McGuinn on the Beach Boys' version of California Dreamin.' I just bought a PSG to accommodate the obligatory lines on Hickory Winds and You Ain't Goin' Nowhere. If you'd be interested in combining talents online or through the mail, say the word. Examples of what we do are available on our web site.

Cheers,
Iain McLennon

Bob Carlucci wrote:Interesting post Todd...


I would love to add my steel to Rogers 12 string Ric.. Twangy,ringing, jangling notes everywhere ad infinitum... heaven man..... bob