The Steel Guitar Forum

Okay I'm looking forward to the responses from a question like this...I don't know my way around the pedal steel world and want as many recommendations of great players whose music I should look for to hear some great pedal steel playing.

Lay it on me

There are many great pickers but my favorite is Buddy Emmons.

First question is, what styles are you interested in?

This question makes no sense ! Have no idea why you would pick a instrument , of any kind , and not have a goal in mind. I don't mean to be curel but when I started playing 6 string guitar , I thought of Chet Atkins. Enough of that.
I'm glad you picked pedal steel. Hope you master it. I never did. For the best information look to Buddy Emmons, Hal Rugg, John Hughey, Doug Jernigan, Jeff Newman, Jimmy Day, Paul Franklin and lots more.
Don't ever under estimate any player, good or bad. You can learn from all. I'm sure other players have better ideas than me but pick the style you want and research him or her. I might add, a little of all will make your own sound.
I can't say no one wants to hear a copy of, Buddy Hal or John, but your sound is what pays the truck payment at the end of the month.
Find your goal. Work at it and make your sound like no other. Use the masters as a guide and thing's will fall in place.
Just my opinion ! I wanted to sound like Buddy Emmons but found out soon that there was only ONE Buddy Emmons.
I have had lotts of fun even though I'm no Buddy, Hal or John.
Let me add Buck Grantham ! Check him out on U tube

BENJAMIN.....not knowing if you're just a listening fan or intend on playing your question made perfect sense.Along with the super stars listed above if you access You-tube I would suggest listening to people like NICK REED,TONY PRIOR,WILLIAM LITAKER,MICKEY ADAMS,BLUE EMMONS,and especially BOBBE SEYMOUR &JIM COHEN along with several other forum members that can give you hours of listening or learning pleasure .
Pick what ever style(s) you enjoy and have fun .If you go into it with the idea of making a truck payment .....well,good luck !
Just remember that most forum members have a lot of experience & are helpful ,while others have a lot of ....opinions .

I like listening to all kinds of music & instruments & would like to know more about some of them,but that doesn't mean I want to play all of them !

HAVE FUN & GOOD LUCK what ever your goal should be .

****Bob V****

Don't forget Jimmie Crawford And Lloyd Green Great players. SONNY.

LLoyd Green
Buddy Emmons
Jimmy Day
Jaydee Maness
Sneaky Pete Kleinow
Robert Randolph
Chuck Campbell
Ralph Mooney
Tom Brumley
Jon Hughey
Buddy cage
Al Perkins
Red Rhodes

Check out Buddy Charleton on u-tube, Herby Wallace, Jerry Byrd, Paul Franklin, etc.

You simply MUST add MAURICE ANDERSON to the list.

Hi Ben,the fellas have provided a nice starting list of players Great to hear of another convert in this neck of the woods.If you don't have Jimmy Day's "Steel Guitar and Strings" then go down to The Last Record Store on Smith st and get it.I know they have a copy there and you'll keep coming back to it whenever you drift too far from the shore.Also,I'll put a vote in for Lucky Oceans record "Secret Steel",pretty sure they got a copy of that too.If you wanna check out something different listen to Dave Easley.Then again just get a copy of Harvest and play along,timeless songs and some of the tastyest and most understated steel parts.Ben Keith..yeah. Good luck and catch ya round the traps.
Shane.

Paul franklin !!!

Ditto on Ben's list.

Anything with Buddy Charleton on it.

Anything with Buddy Emmons on it.

Lloyd Green without a doubt. ESPECIALLY the album with Dale Watson that is coming out in Aug.

ALSO Jim Loesberg, and if you want a popouri of insanely great steel playing, grab a Bobby Flores album. He's a great player his durn self.

Brad Paisley's player Randle Currie turns out some GREAT stuff and Brad highlights him.

Similarly with Lyle Lovett and Buck Reid.

Basically the things you'd hear on Sirius XM Radio on "The Roadhouse", "Outlaw Country" and "Willie's Place".

That's where I'd go right off the bat.

Gotta run and go camping, with an IPod FULL of great playing and a battery powered amp..



EJL

FRANK ARNETT YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

Randy Reinhardt
Terry Crisp
Joe Wright
Austin Stewart
Buck Reid
Hal Rugg
Tommy White

Don't know what kind of music you like, but I highly recommend the David Peterson album "Comin on Strong". Great sounding album with super playing by Paul Franklin, Buddy Emmons and John Hughey.

And Jamie Lennon. His work on Georgette Jones' "Slightly Used Woman" album is about as good as it gets these days.

You got the usual list of a hundred players which does you little good.

Why not find a substyle of music you like and then find out who the highly regarded steel players are in that style?

West Coast country 1960-70?

Classic pop and jazz tunes probably written before 1970?

Mainstream Nashville artists post 1990?

Instrumentals only?

Etc.

Just as a listener, you may be more likely to appreciate a steel player if he is accompanying someone singing a song you like in a style you like.

On the other hand, if you are a musician, you may be more willing to tolerate a terrible singer singing a terrible song just for the sake of hearing the steel ride. That's why they have contemporary radio.

2 essentials are:

Buddy Emmons- "Black Album"
Charley Pride- "Live at Panther Hall" w/ Lloyd Green

Mr. Pete Drake

My strategy has always been to follow my ears...if I hear a song on the radio (or, more likely, on Pandora internet radio) with some steel I like, I'll do a little research and figure out who the player is. Turns out I'm a big Lloyd Green fan!

It helps to know about specific albums also.

Lloyd Green:
Charlie Pride "Live in Person". Out of print, try ebay, also known as Panther Hall, widely regarded as one of if not THE best steel peformances ever.
Johnny Paycheck "The Real Mr. Heartache", Lloyd Greens work is diverse and this one showcases his chicken pickin.
Sweetheart of the Rodeo-a classic "country rock" album. Half Green / half Maness, all awesome.

Emmons: Buddy Emmons work is incredibly diverse and vast but a few special moments for me are....
Roger Miller "A Trip in the Country", out of print, try ebay.
Willie Nelson "Crazy: the Demo Sessison", Emmons and some Day.
Willie Nelson "You dont Know Me", fairly recent recording of Cindy Walker songs.
"Emmons Guitar Co"-a "solo" steel album of sorts , also known as "the black album".

Jimmy Day:
"Steel and Strings", available here on the forum on vinyl, or as a cd from amazon with the Golden Hits album added on.
Willie Nelson "Shotgun Wilie"
Ray Price...IM not a big ray price fan so maybe others could suggest a specific title.

Jaydee Maness:
"Bakersfield Bound" by Chris and Herb, maybe my favorite steel centric album ever.
Sweetheart of the Rodeo as mentioned above.
"Safe at HOme" by the INtl. Submarine Band.

getting a turntable was one of the best things I ever did.
those dollar used record bins are chock full of Jon Hughey with Conway Twitty, Pete DRake with Ronnie MIlsap, Buddy Cage with NRPS, Red Rhodes with Michael Nesmith, and on and on.; For 50 cents or a dollar i will buy any record that has steel listed on the back, Weldon Myrick, Al Perkins, Paul Franklin and on and on.....
Its endless. But the guys on the fourm know about the legendary albums that are out of print and those are the bomb. Trip in the Country, Charlie Pride Live in Person...those are a must.

Bobbe Seymour is one of my favorite easy happy listens. I think he's got his on the Steel Guitar Nashville site.

Also the Lloyd Green Revisited, http://www.etrecordshop.com/ will have one.

AND (ahemm...) Lloyd's coming up on Dale Watson's newest album with Pete Wade, Pig Robbins on what he describes as the best classic country album he's heard or been on in years... This is out in August. I feel like I'm crying wolf here, but I'm told it WILL be worth it from the guy himself..

Not to forget Sonny Garrish, and we hear a LOT of Pete Drake coming out of Nvl STILL. Emmons too. Any "Time Jumpers" cuts or CD. I'm sure they're at "et". Hughey and of course The Big F.

Like I said, Sirius Roadhouse, Wilie's Place and Outlaw country are the best I know of to hear it right now, or any time.. I've heard the Time Jumpers songs there lately too.



EJL

Go to the top of the forum mainpage..find steel radio.com and have a listen I am sure you will find some one who sparks your interest.

Definitely Dickey Overby behind Amber Digby (and others).

you sold me on the Dale Watson album Eric, I'll be watching for that one.

Everyone listed are great players, but you can't go wrong with the Hall of Famer RON ELLIOTT. A great player, and a great American. Larry Baker