The Steel Guitar Forum

Robert Randolph & The Slide Brothers were featured Monday night on NBC's Tonight Show. . . . total of 4 Steels in the band. Robert was playing a red Mullen G2, the others were a Jackson Blackjack, a Jackson custom built standup model with pedals, also what looked to be a MSA SuperSlide Lap on legs. Not exactly my kind of music but they are a very talented bunch of guys.

I couldn't hear what they were singing but it sounded like the riff from "stand back" by The Allman Bros. I'll admit I had to switch over to Letterman to hear Emmylou and Rodney Crowell. Larry Campbell was with them and sounded mighty fine on his Sho-Bud.

*edit* It wasn't "Stand Back", but one those Allman Bros. tunes that's not coming to me at the moment.

I saw Robert on Jay Leno's show, and was not impressed. Sure wish I had known about Emmylou on Letterman. Larry

Brett Lanier wrote:
It wasn't "Stand Back", but one those Allman Bros. tunes that's not coming to me at the moment.

"Don't Keep Me Wondering" from the Idlewild South LP

zing!!! wheeeeoooow.....wowowowow....boing..clang!!!


whatta buncha crap!


unless you like that kinda thing.

i'm afraid that won't help endear the steel guitar to the world.

It is hard to believe that anybody who likes only classic country music on a pedal steel can use the word "crap" disparagingly about other music. Get a life!

Whether you like that kind of music or not, he's definitely an entertainer.

They're just pissed that everybody likes Robert Randolph better than they like them. It's pretty easy to find out what most people feel about "classic country." Nothing to be gained from that, here.

i'm certainly not a classic country specific fan. i appreciate beautiful music, melody, sensitivity...and don't give a hoot if anyone likes my playing. to my ears this was non-musical noise crap. yes..crap! it was ridiculous and laughable!

If that's an example of expanding the Steel Guitar, Gawwwwwd help the instrument ! ! ! !

I didn't see the show but it probably was "Robert Randolph and the Slide Brothers". Their CD just came out on the 19th. The Slide Brothers are 4 prominent sacred steel performers. There's Aubrey Ghent, Chuck and Darick Campbell and Calvin Cooke. There's a discussion of the work on the New Products section. The music style like Hawaiian, Western Swing, Country and R&B is an acquired taste. That's why there's 42 flavors at Baskin Robbins.

I guess I'm just lucky that I consider I have given RR long enough to prove his musicianship to me - and he hasn't gotten a bit better in a decade, so I avoid listening to him long enough to injure me. I was interested in "The Slide Brothers" enough to peek at them performing "It Hurts Me Too" on YouTube, and I gotta say, the Grateful Dead did it a lot better. But I got out without serious injury.

However, in the lemonade-from-lemons dept, I did like the staging on that song, you could trying poking it up with the sound off. They had a little bitty spotlight on just the head and hands of each steel guitarist as they played, so they were floating like little disembodied "steel beings" above the stage. And the spot guy didn't know who was playing what when, so there was a bit of comic action too.

If you miss it the evening it airs, most of these late night network shows are available to watch on their respective websites for a period of time after the fact, and it's often divided up in segments for reference. Of course, they often end up on YouTube sooner rather than later.

Here's the Slide Brothers segment from last night:

http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/mus ... ndex.shtml

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.

Robert is a great player......his style is different from what people expect the steel guitar to sound like. I enjoy him. Steel guitar can be used in all types of music....not just country. ......hence paul Franklin with dire straits. I know its not everyones cup of tea and people like different things. I think its great he is exposing our instrument to the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rim4NzPmhOA

for those that wanted to see Emylou and Rodney.

I thought it was awesome. I see little distinction between Randolph and Co. paying tribute to Duane Allman circa 1970, Mike Johnson paying tribute to Lloyd or Buddy or Jimmy circa 1960, or Bob Brozman paying tribute to Sol Hoopii circa 1930. It's all great. And it's all valid.

I got to see both performances last night while at work. I'm a on-air Engineer for 2 TV Stations carrying both NBC & CBS networks. Anyway, I did notice that most of them were using Fender Amps, especially Twin Reverbs. For about the past 8 months a Twin Reverb has become my personal Steel amp choice. My old Webb & Peavey N-1000 haven't got out much lately.

Nick,

The reason they were using twins is probably because that's what SIR (or whatever rental company NBC uses) supplies.

i've enjoyed some performance of robert and the cambell bros. that were more bluesy and melodic, so it's not the players or the genre i dislike. it was this song....zingy wingy wooo screech...
that i didn't care for. i never cared much for the allman bros. either, so shoot me!

I would like to congratulate Robert, Chuck, Aubrey, Calvin and Darick for the new record and for the national network TV appearance. Keep it up!

too many guitars for my ears.

I enjoy Robert Randolph and his band. I would like to Jam with Robert's band.

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. I don't personally like loud music unless I'm the one making the noise. But thats just me. To each his/her own.

Funny thing is that the Campbells played on both broadcasts, Larry on Letterman, and Chuck and Darick on Leno