The Steel Guitar Forum

Got to see Pete playing with Patty last night, on the first stop of their tour. The show was great, Pete played impeccably, and frankly, the whole band was just spot on. There are a lot of dates in great-sounding rooms and theatres in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast over the next couple of months.

The sound and mix were very good - there was no clutter, every instrument was very present in the mix, but it never interfered with Patty, who sang just great. This is what country music should be about, IMHO. They ran the gamut from up-tempo tunes to medium-tempo country shuffles to slow country-ballad weepers. I especially liked the classic stuff from the new album, which I like a lot.

Especially for those of you who are concerned about the lack of "real" country music in the mainstream - do yourself a favor. Look at Patty's tour schedule here - http://www.pattyloveless.com/?content=tour - then get yourself some tickets and go see her and the band. 'Nuff said.

I couldn't agree more. I stopped by Sound Check (a rehearsal hall in Nashville) last week and watched some of Patty's rehearsals, and she sounds as great as ever. Got to visit with my buddy Pete, and hear him play some of her new/old tunes. She is one of my favorite artists, and former bosses. Do yourself a favor and go check it out...you won't be disappointed.

-t

Well said, guys. Patty's a classic.

And while you're visiting her website, tighten your seatbelts, make sure your sound is turned UP, and click on the tab marked JUKEBOX. Good stuff!


See ya.......Joel

A day or so ago I picked up a Patty Loveless CD called "Sleepless Nights"..it lists Pete as well as Al Perkins on pedal steel. I am not sure who is playing on which track but it contains great country steel throughout the whole disc! ...jeff

I've had the good fortune of seeing Pete with Patty twice (and one time with JoDee Messina) and Pete is one of the best road players I have ever seen. I hope they come out my way and I can go see them. The only thing better than being able to meet Pete would be to meet Patty. Sorry Pete, she's a whole lot better looking than you.

Thanks everybody! And believe me I know how lucky I am to have such a great singer in my band!

Pete also kills on the old-school non- pedal stuff!

Thanks, Smith; I hate to say that my D-8 Stringmaster has hardly left my music room since those Monday night "Maximum Twang" gigs with Kenny Vaughan, but they sure were fun; lasted a year or so I guess until the "Slow Bar" closed...

I still get to play a fair amount of overdriven, r&r lap steel on gigs and sessions but don't get much chance to play the non-pedal, 6th tuning stuff...

I got tickets to see you and your female lead singer in Newberry SC Oct 25.Sure would be nice to meet ya and shake ya hand,maybe some of that magic would rub off!!!!!!!Awful nice of her to agree to sing with your band!!How'd ya swing it?

Pete, can you tell us which tracks are you and which are Al Perkins? Great tone and playing on all the tracks, just curious. Also, what brand of steel did you track with? What amp, and any effects? Do you know what kind of steel Al played?

Thanks!

Patty is one of my way favorite country singers, and folks, this album should be in your collection. If you download from iTunes, you get 2 bonus tracks and a digital version of the album art. No lyrics, though, that’s draggy.

On the CD "Sleepless Nights", there is a song, "That's All It Took" -- that song just knocked me out when I heard it on the America music channel.

Five minutes later, I bought it off of Amazon.

Pete, you did a great job on that CD!

I had the honor of playing with an opening act before Patti and Pete on a nice sound stage. I was able to hang in the back stage quite close and just listen to bands performance. I was so impressed with how low their stage volume was and how I could hear everyone. I think this is key. (Never was able to convince my band to turn down)

John McClung wrote:Pete, can you tell us which tracks are you and which are Al Perkins? Great tone and playing on all the tracks, just curious.

Here's Pete's answer, from this thread:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=141554

Al Perkins played steel on:

He Thinks I Still care
Crazy Arms
There Stands the Glass
Color of the Blues
I've Forgotten More Than You'll Ever Know
Don't Let Me Cross Over
There Goes My Everything

I played on:

Why Baby Why
The Pain of Loving You
Sleepless Nights (duet with Vince Gill)
That's All it Took (duet with Jedd Hughes)
The Next in Line
Please Help Me I'm Falling
Cold Cold Heart

Check out Patty's Show with the great Pete!

Thanks again, ya'll...

John, as far as the gear I used on the "Sleepless Nights" album: my 15 year old d-10 Sierra, a Hilton volume pedal and a Peavey Nashville 112. Nothing else, most of the album was cut live with a lot of us in one room. I don't know what Al used but he sure got amazing tone!

Bari, I'd be glad to say hi. Best bet is too look for me around the CD and T-shirt table 20 or 30 minutes after the show...

Hey Pete - Just now finally heard the CD. Great stuff!

Amen, Chris. Way to go Pete (and Al). This is text-book traditional country steel in my book. What intonation, tone and taste. I couldn't guess who played what from listening, but now I've seen the run-down. Thanks for the inspiration. Of course, Patty's singing, Emory's production and all the playing and song selections are choice.

I just heard Cold Cold Heart on the radio today. Community radio, not the big boys. Patty sounded super and that steel sounded like silk. Beautiful rendition. I'm gonna have to pick up the CD.

I thought I'd heard this done every way it could be. I was wrong. This is a super cut of an old standard almost to the point, it isn't the same song. I was blown away by the intro and first verse, almost acapela. And the steel is flawless. I'll buy the CD for this song alone. Great work guys. DS

Sometimes, though not often, I wish I still lived in the Atlanta GA area. The Variety Playhouse ( one of Patty's tour stops ) is a great venue. It's actually an old movie house. Intimate setting, and great sound. If your in the area Nov. 11 don't miss it. John

I've had a good chance to listen to the "Sleepless Nights" CD now. I absolutely love it - it is, in all seriousness, the best traditional country album I've heard in a long time. Everybody concerned just nailed it. I love the different approaches to some of these classic tunes like "Crazy Arms" and "Cold, Cold Heart". I sincerely hope that alt-country and Americana fans take a careful listen too. I don't care what kind of roots-American music point-of-view one comes from, I think this album is satisfying because it is so obviously real.

As I said in the opening post - if you're concerned about the lack of "real" country music in Nashville, buy this CD and go see Patty and the band when you can, and tell you friends to do the same. Not to try to be controversial - but if we focus more time supporting and playing this kind of music than griping about the lack of it, I think we'll all be far better off. MHO, of course.

I am very impressed, and thank god somebody is still doing country music live! Dosent it seem like they get a great hit with loads of great steel, then when you go out and see the concert, they are in t-shirts, and tennis shoes, and play one great song 'without' a steel, and then continue on with rock n roll, and then genererally sing off key. I saw Ty herndon when he first came out with those beautiful songs, [ What mattered most, and, Is my heart half empty ] and it was like watching AC/DC live, jumping around like jack flash and singing rock , If it dosent have a fiddle and a steel guitar it isent country, and thats the way it is whether you agree or not! I'M so sick of paying $40 at the door to see this Billshit! Very Weldone patty and pete!! And Thankyou!!

... If it dosent have a steel guitar it isent country, and thats the way it is weather you agree or not! The heavy metal stuff is complete Billshit!

Can we please stick to the topic? As the original poster, I truly don't want to see this thread turn into yet another gripefest about other styles of music, about whether or not steel is mandatory in "real" country music, how various other performers dress or act, or anything like that. Can't we just celebrate Patty and the band and let those other artists go their own way?

On the subject of "hits", of course I'd like to see this be a big hit. I think the best way to have that happen is to talk it up widely and loudly - and especially to people who like roots American music but are, perhaps, coming from a different place than hardcore traditional country music. I think this kind of thing would appeal to many of them, as well as hardcore traditionalists.

Sooory dave, i agree totally, had too much coffee!