The Steel Guitar Forum

...on the radio on the ride home tonight, a blast from the past, Led Zeppelin with "Gallows Pole" heavily featuring b@njo. Any other heavy metal/rock b@njo tunes that come to mind?

"Kings and Queens" by Aerosmith off of the album "Draw the Line".

IMHO (by the way) maybe the worst Aerosmith album ever. Definetly a huge let down after "Rocks".

Beck's Midnite Vultures album has a cut called "Sexx Laws" with some of the funkiest banjo pickin' I've heard.

Eddie Adcock is one of the first banjoist to veer off the traditional path of bluegrass banjo. I've heard him play African mamba beats, funk, Travis style picking, blues and mutes his fifth string to get a percussion sound in the middle of playing some licks that made most Bill Monroe fans leave the room.

Gary Lee

Have you tried listening to any BELA FLECK? He gives Banjo a whole new meaning!

For a time,one of our local tv stations,when they signed off at 2:00 am Sunday mornings,used a video of Bela Fleck & the "Flecktones",playing the National Anthem.
Believe me when I say that,not even Jimi Hendrix's version could compare to it. It was "way too kewl".(S'cuse me.that was the "teenager" in me,comin' out.)

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16 Horsepower's Dave Edwards is a good banjo picker and plays it on some songs. Great band!

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martin abend my homepage martinabend@yahoo.com
s-10 sierra crown gearless 3 x4 - fender hotrod deluxe


<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Martin Abend on 07 October 2000 at 02:48 AM.]</p></FONT>

There was a whole band that played that kind of music: Ban Jovi.

Seriously, for some psychedelic b@nJ0 playing, pick up the Blueground Undergrass CD from the Forum catalog. I can almost stand listening to it.

While it doesn't qualify as heavy metal, the Eagles used a banjo on "Take It Easy".

As for Led Zep, they were a bit unconventional in their music. Sandy Denny teamed up with them on mandolin and vocals on "The Battle of Evermore."

FWIW, Red Ryder used a PSG on "Lunatic Fringe".

Ron, an old head-banger turned into a steel player in training.

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Ron Plichta

MSA Classic S-10
Fender Stratocaster
Fender Telecaster
Paul Reed Smith CE24
Rivera R100

Good one b0b.

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Carter D10 8p/10k
Richard Sinkler BS, www.sinkler.com

I Saw "Red Ryder" about 16 years ago, they opened up for Marshall Tucker, and yes they had a Pedal Steel, that's the only reason I even remember them being there! How about a rock guitarist playing Banjo? "Jerry Garcia", I think he was better on Banjo than Guitar or Steel. He did (I Believe) two albums with Vassar Clements, David Grisman,John Kahn, & Peter Rowan. They were Recorded live in 1973, and are available on CD. GOOD STUFF! If you like really kickin Bluegrass.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Blane Sanders on 09 October 2000 at 08:26 PM.]</p></FONT>

...There were quite a few country rock bands, as opposed to heavy metal bands, with banjo on their tunes. A couple that come immediately to mind are Buffalo Springfield (Bluebird) and Poco (Rocky Mountain Breakdown). I remember seeing Poco live when Rusty Young played steel and banjo on the same tune, went from one instrument to the other quickly enough to barely miss a beat.

Maybe Steppenwolf will stage another comeback, this time with a banjo to go with that great drummer.

Harley-Davidson fest 2050

Live on stage: Steppenwolf

There's this Gary-Larson comic with that sign in a total futuristic landscape with flying cars and stuff, saying: Tonight: FRANK SINATRA

Maybe you can do that joke with Steppenwolf now, since Frankie left us...

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martin abend my homepage martinabend@yahoo.com
s-10 sierra crown gearless 3 x4 - fender hotrod deluxe

..not to beat a dead thread, but one more..."The Who" with "Squeezebox"....think the Dixie Chicks will ever cover that one?

As long as there won't be a "sacred Banjo", it's fine to me JJ

That's an oxymoron of sorts, Johan.

A cupla weeks ago Peter Shickely (sp?) did a show about accordians. He came up with a track by 5 accordian players doing Jimi Hendrix's "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire". The vocalist sounded like one of the characters in "Fargo", ja. I hope it was tongue in cheek, but you can never tell about those accordian players.

I recall a band called Killbilly about 10-12 years ago that sounded like a heavy metal band with a banjo grafted on. To me, anyway.

Anybody know of those guys?

As for Led Zep, they were a bit unconventional in their music. Sandy Denny teamed up
with them on mandolin and vocals on "The Battle of Evermore."
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That was Sandy on vocals and Jimmy page on mandolin...

Anyone remember Earl Snead and his Bionic Banjo?
He had a banjo bolted to pedals which changed the pitch of the strings. I think his record was made in Nashville in the 1970s.

I once did a reheasal with a guy who played a solid body pedal b@nJ0. I think it forever ruined my appreciation of the instrument.

"I think it forever ruined my appreciation of the instrument."

Bob, don't let what you perceive as a bad musical experience ruin any appreciation you may have left for this country's only indigenous instrument, the five string banjo. There are many pickers who play banjo with dynamics, taste (myself included) and tunes you would never expect to hear out of those five strings. My good friend and neighbor, Fred Geiger plays Scott Joplin rags as close to note for note as anyone could get out of a banjo and you ought to hear him play some Munk stuff too. This guy is not only musically educated, he can play his rear end off. I'm so glad he doesn't play steel, I just couldn't stand any more heat! BTW, he is fascinated with pedal steel, just a little too lazy to take up another ax.

Gary Lee

Some of the younger forumites might remember a group called the Violent Femmes who are still around, but were massive on college playlists in the 1980s.

They played a wonderful acoustic thrash type busker on acid style.
At times the lyrics would be overly exaggerated teen angst, to downright acid wit observations on subjects. One that comes to mind is 'I hope you Get Fat', which is a great just broke up with my girlfriend type song.
Anyway, they have a pretty dark number called 'Country Death Song' which is a charming little ditty about a farmer who kind of loses it and kills off his children.
There are added banjo parts by Tony Trishka (John Zorn, avant garde performer is on the album as well!). Trishka plays the nastiest little banjo fills.
Remember how Steve Martin used to play the banjo nad have the line about "How a banjo always sounded happy?"..well in this case Trishka mades that little banjo sound positively evil.

Hey you guys---- don`t ever forget, that the Banjo is a pure "AMERICAN" instrument and is only second to Pedal Steel guitar in that quarter.
Don`t forget Buck Trent with the electric Banjo with scruggs tuners - what a character!

Bob Mainwaring Z.Bs. and other weird things.

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The Fleetwood Mac "Penguin" album ca. 1973 had a tune called "The Derelict" with a prominent B@njo in it.