The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi Folks,

Poco performed last night at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville PA, (the same theater were the Blob with Steve McQueen was filmed).

The steel guitar is not used as much as in older versions of band,( I remember seeing Poco in the 70's at Valley Forge Music Fair when Timothy B. Schmidt and Richie Furay were in the band and Rusty was a wildman on steel); however, make no mistake, Poco was and still is about the vocals and great tunes which are still done with Rusty now singing,( his voice is great as he captures the original feel,) at least half of the songs. He is really an amazing musician, playing pedal steel, lap steel, guitar and mandolin plus harmony vocals for Paul Cotton. He used a Carter single with 3 and 5 through a silver face Twin. He had great tone. His lap steel was a 6 string Rick. Rusty really got a lot of guys into pedal steel during the 1970's and deserves a lot of credit for that contribution.

The band really appreciates their fans. Poco played there hearts out for 2 hours and then stayed around until everyone who wanted got autographs, photos and a chat with the band. Rusty discussed his harmonic technique with me when I complemented him on it. They are all really nice guys.

Can you believe these guys have been around since 1968?

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www.pedalsteel.net <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Bruce W Heffner on 11 February 2006 at 01:19 PM.]</p></FONT>

That sounds great - I remember seeing Poco open for Yes (!) at the Forum and Young was completely wild, pulling the steel over and playing it laying on his back! Funny, kinda similar to RR...

Interesting about the single neck. I seem to recall he did a lot with the C6 in the past, but I could be wrong.

Rusty does do some C6th work on the Suite Steel album. I'll have to get around to seeing this version of the band. In 1969? when my Falcon died in downtown SF, I pushed it to into a empty lot and hitch hiked the rest of the way to the Fillmore to see Poco wiht Jim Messina (first ablum had just come out).... I'll never forget that concert... awesome steel work, and then there was Jim Messina... oh, what a night.


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Dave Wren
'95Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Twin Session 500s; Hilton Pedal; Black Box
www.ameechapman.com

Yes, Poco got me started too. Great music and people.

Richie Furay has a new book coming out the first week of April called "Picking Up THe Pieces", which is the story of Poco. Will be a real interesting read.

Also his newest record will release the same day. It's a secular release, and has cameo performances by Neil Young, Steve Stills, Timothy B., Paul Cotton and others. Rusty plays dobro on one cut, and the steel is by Dan Dugmore and myself. There is what Richie calls the "definitve" version of Kind Woman, too...
www.richiefuray.com

There will also be a signed and numbered limited edition CD/book package availbel shortly ...

The DVD they have out at their website is great, recorded May 2004 with Richie Furay. They haven't lost anything.

I was supposed to see them tonight in Asbury Park with Steve Forbert, but the show was postponed due to the Nor'easter we are getting right now.

I have Furay's last CD and it is a real fine album. Similiar muscians to the one coming out it looks like.

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Regards, Craig

i've got a cool richie furay story. a buddie of mine and i went to another buddie's wedding at lake tahoe (both of these guys are music freaks like i am), anyway, we are at the wedding and there is a guy (the groom's uncle) sitting at a keyboard playing wedding tunes after the ceremony was over and people were doing their before reception cocktail thing, and my buddy says to the singer, hey do you know "kind woman"? well, he didn't, but within earshot was richie's daughter who had come as a guest of the bride. she says, "hey, that song is about my mom", we were both floored. it's a small world...

Rusty played his C6th through a Leslie way back. Guitar Player did an interview with Rusty many years ago which is posted at www.calsharp.com/music/rusty.html which we should all read again. He was then and is now a really smart fellow. The comment about RR is interesting. Rusty really can make it wail on the heavier rock material. I remember him turning his Sho Bud on end and going at it..all the time playing in tune, time and taste.

Bruce

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www.pedalsteel.net

Ditto all the good stuff..It was quite an era back in that day. Also liked the Allmans, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, Steve Stills (w/Manasas), various incarnations of the Byrds--hell, I even liked Arlo Guthrie..anybody Clarence White played with. Yep, they all could rip in live venues.

I remember seeing Poco opening for Yes. That had to be in the late 70's or early 80's. I'll have too say that is a concert I will never forget. Fun, Fun, Fun.

I was also impressed as well as, influenced by POCO. I saw them every time they came to Nashville, they opened for YES, and later Jim Croce opened for them. I wnet to Huntsville to see POCO open for the Eagles. I tried to play an old Fender 400 like Rusty, but I was more show than play. When I started playing again, this past August, I found a steel guitar instruction book by Rusty on EBAY. He is very technical musically, and I saw it was over my head, at least as a beginner. The DVD they have, was made here in Nashville at the Belcort Theatre.(didn't get to see them then) A side note for the band their long time drummer George, had a stroke after they did the DVD. They have a link on their site, www.poconut.com to donate to the George Grantham Medical fund. I love the memories you guys come up with. Thanks

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David.C. Wright
GFI SD10 Dynacomp RV-3 Evans SE200 Strats POD Fender Deluxe Reverb

Bruce, that was before my time.!?
Wish I could have seen it.

For those who are interested in such events, today is Rusty Youngs 60th birthday. Even R&R's eventually get old like everyone else!

Rusty's Sho-Bud Super Pro has just been installed in a glass case dedicated to the trailbrazers of country rock at the Country Music Hall of Fame! When I was in Nashville this past weekend, Bill Lloyd who interviewed Lloyd Green at the HOF and played in the band "Sky King" with Rusty, gave me a brief behind the scenes look around. So the next time you all take the tour you will see it proudly displayed.

being a long time fan of Poco, I guess I'm of the old school mindset..

Poco without Richie , yes I suppose it is POCO, but for me...it is a stretch..

I am sure Rusty would argue with me, and rightfully so...and I would submit..

When JM was with the lineup that is the era that caught my attention...JM and RF were the creators of this group. Adding Rusty and then Tim , that sure was a strike of lightening..

When JM left, and PC was added, Although I never gave up, they did loose some snap...vibe..whatever..They did loose the Tele'..and that always made me wonder a tad....

When Richie left.., for me the entire thing fell apart...but I still hung on..

When Tim left..I left too..

But I am truly grateful...

Jim Messina's influence on me with the Tele' is still with me today..
Rusty's influence on me on Steel is still with me today..

Richie's influence on me on peformance and vocals......didn't help me..

But the overall music influence that I drew from that lineup is really where I come from...it is MY roots..and even today..decades later..I draw on that original lineup..

thanks guys..

but I did have to clock out after Tim left..
sorry..

But Rusty..don't dispare..if you were in my neighborhood I would be first in line to come to the show...


Oh, and I couldn't help but notice..Rusty's SUPER PRO in the Hall of Fame..Curious..

When I saw POCO way back then, each time out..Rusty was playing I beleive a Professional...and then I believe a Pro II...I don't even think that the Super Pro was even a concept yet..actually , at that time, I know it wasn't.

yeah, I know I'm being picky..but the Super Pro had nothing do to with that era..but it's still a nice Steel !

these conversations about this particular group , players and this era could go on for years..and it has..




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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite
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Here's a nice website on Rusty from a fan (maybe this has been posted on here before).
http://www.angelfire.com/music4/rustyyoung/

I just got my first real dose of Poco -- today's mail brought me "The Forgotten Trail," a nice double CD of their early stuff. It's obvious that he didn't just learn the steel for Poco -- he'd been pickin' long before that. This guy's website talks about Rusty's history first on lap steel as a six-year-old (!) before moving onto pedal steel. I'm sure most of you guys know this, but for those who don't, it's pretty interesting.

Al

Tony, I agree with you for the most part, you say a lot of what I wish I had said. POCO made me play music the way I play music. I want to add a tid bit or 2 to what you said. The DVD POCO did, here in Nashville, had RF on it. He's a long way from Buffalo Springfield to being a preacher these days, and he worked this project into his schedule.
I don't know if you remember, but Timmy replaced Randy Meisner as bass player. I guess POCO was the training ground for bass players for the Eagles. I think Rusty was one of the original members, along with JM, RF and George Grantham.
I do agree that the band isn't what I was introduced to, on the Deliverin album, but I guess magic like that is usually short lived.
I got the Bareback cd, and it's good, an unplugged, live, cd but I sure miss the good ole days of POCO.

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David.C. Wright
GFI SD10 Dynacomp RV-3 Evans SE200 Strats POD Fender Deluxe Reverb

That concert that two of you saw....YES and Poco.

I am seriously jealous....and can´t´help but daydream about the conversations that Rusty Young and Steve Howe must have had about the use of steel and pedal steel.

Jeremy Williams
Barcelona Spain

Tony P,

You hit the nail on the head for me.

Russ

Rusty's Bud in the Country Music HOF...hmm,,, I am somewhat bewildered by that fact..
When Poco was in thier heyday, they struggled to get any serious airplay.. with Good Feeling to Know being the closest they came to a bona fide "hit" until much later with Crazy Love and Call it Love in the 80's...

NO country station that I know of would play Poco in the late 60-early 70 time frame, and even most rock stations were not burning the air with Poco, outside of a few AOR stations...

NOW however, when the sheer GENIOUS of the original members is common knowledge, and Rusty is rightfully placed on a well deserved pedestal[pedalsteel?] by his peers, the HOF places one of his guitars in a glass case in homage...
Nice I guess, but WHERE was the reverance 35 years ago among the "country music establishment" for the greatest of all the country/country rock groups of the time?... Yes, they rocked at times, but SO many Poco tunes were COUNTRY.. pure and simple...

I feel they were neglected and ignored by many people that should have known better,,,, Its ok though.. the FANS knew what Poco was all about... in the end I guess, THATS what matters,,,, I LOVE Poco... and Rusty's steel playing is a small part of my own, and always will be...bob<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 25 February 2006 at 06:25 AM.]</p></FONT>

Bob, I guess it is a bit like the Baseball Hall of Fame, where someone that should have been included years ago finally gets voted in.

There is a story about Lloyd Green accompanying The Byrds at the Opry, back in the late 60's, during the Sweetheart of the Rodeo period. When they came out on stage, they received a healthy dose of boos, not anything to do with the music, but because they had long hair. I wonder when the last time was that a musician was boo'd at the Opry due to the length of his hair?

After a time it became a non-issue.

There is a good article on Poco in a recent issue of the magazine "Hittin' the Note." Issue 47, with Susan Tedeschi on the cover.

They are going to play about 90 minutes from me this July, I plan on being there.

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Mark
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 25 February 2006 at 08:14 AM.]</p></FONT>

To really appreciate Rusty's muscial genius you have to listen between the lines. His use of effects were one thing but when you hear some of his hot solos or listen to him squeeze the life out of a small passage it really hits home. I still marvel at some of the little things he does like tap the a first fret string for what seems like a solid minute at the start of "Magnolia." I wished he still played "Boomerang" in concert. That was one to always have you walking away saying, "How'd he do that?"
His new website is at sessioncats.com.

Just a quick footnote about Rusty's new website (sessioncats.com)... He's going to be doing remote steel parts for folks that want him on their albums. Sounds like a great way to get a HOF sound on one of your tunes. My band is certainly going to make room for him on our next one.

My bandmate had a chat with him this morning to wish him a happy birthday & found out they'll be in the Denver area in mid March for a gig, so Russ invited us up. He said he's writing a book about his musical life from the early 60's on. My friend played with him in the pre-Poco/Boenzee Crique days & remembers the same stories...

I'll let all y'all know if I hear anything else...

Rich

P.S. If they could talk Richie into showing up in March... That would be tew kewl...