The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi all, I haven't visited for many months now, no more Bar Chatter, aye? Anyway, I was perusing CDNOW.com and noticed that they were selling new copies of the Dickey Betts Highway Call album on CD. This was previously released on CD, but went out of production. Now it would appear to be again available. Don't miss this opportunity to get a copy. This classic steel album has John Hughey doing some real great instrumental stuff on the C6 neck. Real sweet! And by the way, last I checked, CDNOW had it "On Sale" for $10.99 plus shipping. Spread the word........

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John Brabant

Yeah, its great stuff. It also features Vassar Clemens on fiddle.

Great record. Glad to see it back in print

A while back this topic came up and i mentioned that I'd noticed that Capricorn Records was slowly re-releasing it's original releases. Well, it took a while, but it looks like they've finally gotten up to 1974 and 'Highway Call.'
Well, I'm a happy camper now!

Thanks for letting us know John.

It is a great record. I still have the album. It's good to see they are putting some great older music on cd.

This is great news. We were discussing this a while ago, and it's great to see that it's now happened. There's such a great feel on that record. Are there many other places where John Hughey got to stretch out like that on tape?

I always worry that if this lot of CD's doesn't do well in terms of sales, that it could again go out of production. Maybe the Forum and/or John Hughey should stock up on a few of these and start offering them for sale. Just a thought

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John Brabant

I feel confident that Capricorn is aware of the problems the label had in the past. It has continued a steady and reasonable reissue program since the mid 1990s and after a series of blues and R&B compilations that helped rebuild their cred again.

considerong that they've been reissuing for about half a decade, they got up to the mid 1970s and started with the 1969-1970 releases. I imagine there will be some albums that may not be reissued, but I'm sure that the Dickey Betts material will do well as Dickey has a big following and many people are going to stick with him after he got the boot from the Allmans. (I assume that his being fired is still in effect).

That album is much sought after and i imagine that it'll prove a popular purchase for some time to come.

Dickey's still out of the Allmans. Derek Trucks is still on guitar, and sometimes Warren Haynes is also back with them.

Dickey's got his own band and has been doing clubs. I saw him several monthes ago. He played alright, but the band isn't up to the guys he was playing with before. I hope they get back together, but things don't look real promising right now.

Instead of doing what he's doing now, playing mostly his old Allman Bros. songs, I'd like to see him get a steel player and do something closer to the lines we've been talking about. There was a time when the Allmans weren't together that he was in Nashville hawking songs. He's always had that country side too him. <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff A. Smith on 25 July 2001 at 07:28 PM.]</p></FONT>

I agree that Dickey has a strong country vibe, to me he seems to be the driving force behind the 'Brothers And sisters' album that the Allmans did, their last cohesive album for many years and a very cool release.

I remember reading a long time ago that in so many words he regarded the "Brothers and Sisters" period as when he found his own style. He certainly was at a creative peak then. That's the time when they were the most popular, too.

I'd like to see him do something with a steel player, using a country vibe, but able to stretch out within that, able to get a little jazzy. Lately when I listen to him, it seems like all of his new ideas when soloing are kind of contemplative. The usual tough blues rock stuff almost seems like something he could expand away from, and still maintain some contact with it. He plays with a very aggressive "hot" guitarist now, and I wonder if they are really in tune in any meaningful way. Dickey is over sixty years old now. I have to think there are things within him that could use a more laid back setting to express themselves. Age can actually make people better in a lot of ways, as long as they don't try to cling to what they were.

I suppose he may be in a situation where he feels he has to keep churning out stuff that he's known for, but that's also a good way to stagnate. He's been a huge influence on me, I guess I'd like to see him do something new and significant again.

I often felt that the latter period Allmans had relied too much on the rock dude guitar thing, when it came to that, I much prefer the junior spin-off Govt. Mule.
Still, that group's gone and now Dickey's out as well I think it would be interesting if he got more into the country boy element of his playing again, he does sound fine when he gets all laid back.

Back when Highway Call was being spoken about in another thread, I mentioned that I had read an interview with Dickey about a possible collaboration with Willie Nelson. I've not since heard anything more about that, but I'm curious to hear what that get-together would produce. Brothers and Sisters is a great record. My favorite Allmans material is that of the original incarnation of the band. To me, it is by far Betts' finest hour as a guitarist. He and Duane just really pushed each other to new heights. Although Haynes and Betts actually have played together a lot longer, I never heard that chemistry...live or recorded (not that I would have expected to). Shades Of Two Worlds has flashes of that intensity and is a solid record. The Live At Ludlow Garage CD is an overlooked gem from the original ABB, and is a fascinating look at the band just prior to the Fillmore East recordings. Different arrangements of great songs.

I talked with John Hughey a few years ago about the 'Highway Call'CD and he wasn't aware of it being out at the time. That's when it first was pulled by Polydor. Now he can get a copy of it for real.

I played that disc a few weeks ago and still can't get over 'Hand Picked', the 14 minute instrumental. Everyone needs to buy the disc just for that.

The other disc I have been playing over and over is Hillbilly Jazz with Vassar, Bromberg, D.J. Fontana and Doug Jernigan. Very good, especially on those hot humid summer days.



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Regards, Craig

Dickey Betts has a new CD out Tuesday, July 31...but I dont think it will have any steel guitar.