The best produced steel albums

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 14 Jan 2008 12:26 pm

I have a very large collection of steel guitar albums that I have built up over the years. All unique in their own way, but some stand out as being beautifully produced studio recordings.

These are a few of my favourites.

Buddy Emmons - Black album - excellent job by Weldon Myrick.

Bobbe Seymour - Rhythmatic. Incredible production.

Lloyd Green's Monument albums - big productions that showcase Lloyd's playing.

Sonny Burnette, Hall Rugg and Weldon Myrick - Steel Guitars Of The Grand Ole Opry. Classy end product.

Maurice Anderson - The Univeral Direction. Smooth.

Anyone else have favourite productions of steel guitar recording?

Lem Smith · Post by **Lem Smith** » 14 Jan 2008 12:47 pm

Robby Turner's steel guitar CD's are as good sounding, both his playing and production wise, as anything ever made, including any commercial CD's by the singing "stars".

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 14 Jan 2008 1:22 pm

Hi Ken,

Besides the Emmons Guitar Inc. the so called Black L.P. you mentioned, I think these albums were produced extremely well too:

Jimmy Day's - Steel and Strings

Bob White's - Steel Trek One of my all time favorite steel albums.

Doug Jernigan - Jazz on 10

Curly Chalker - Nevada Breaks

Jerry Byrd - Steel Guitar Romantic World

John Hughey- Off and On Stage

Lloyd Green - Ten Shades of Green

Reece Anderson - Universal Direction The best Gospel Steel CD ever and possibly one of the best of all musical genres.

Julian THarpe - Deep Feelings

Zane Beck - Tribute to Zane Beck Even though it was an after thought and released only after his death for an album, it really show cases his playing. It has only 3 instruments on it, Zane's Steel, the Bass and Drums and shows what a Great Player he was. His playing is so great, you don't need any other instrumentation on it. It is simple that great!)

Weldon Myrick - Pedal Man Steel L.P.

Jimmy Crawford - Ton of Steel

Jeff Newman's - Once In A Lifetime, his last recording.

Everyone has there favorites, but over 30 + years, I have listened to literally hundreds of steel L.P.s., cassettes and CDs, and in my opinion, these just are extremely a cut above many of the others.

Terry Wood

Tony Rankin · Post by **Tony Rankin** » 14 Jan 2008 1:38 pm

Lloyd Green's most recent recording entitled "Revisited", which was produced by Russ Pahl, is a standout for me. That album showcases steel guitar in such a way that something on that recording will most likely appeal to any listener.

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 14 Jan 2008 2:06 pm

I second Tony Rankin's statement. Russ Pahl's production on Lloyd Green's "Revisted" CD is excellent in presenting Lloyd and the pedal steel guitar. This and Buddy Emmons's "Emmons Guitar Company" would be the first two albums I would recommend to anyone who wanted to hear what the pedal steel guitar sounds like.

Allan Thompson · Post by **Allan Thompson** » 14 Jan 2008 2:56 pm

Tom Brumley's " In Time " album produced by Vic Clay.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 14 Jan 2008 4:35 pm

I would nominate Buddy Emmons's "One For the Road" as one of them. Some may be put off by his effects extravaganza on Plus Nine part one, but other than that, for me personally the steel sound on that album is as close to ideal as I've heard.

The "Black Album" is strange--the E9th cuts sound like he's playing on a hollow instrument made of thin metal; the "tang" of each pick attack is unlike any other steel recording I've heard, by him or anyone else, but I think it sounds great. But if I got that sound when I was playing, I'd be miserable all night. Go figure!

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 14 Jan 2008 4:52 pm

I'm still trying to figure out what effect unit Buddy used to get the flushing toilet sound on Witches Brew....he...he...he...he!

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 14 Jan 2008 6:19 pm

The previously mentioned "Revisited".

"Ballads, Shuffles and Swing" by Johnny Cox. Great sound, recorded at Robby Turner's studio.

"The Return of Wayne Douglas" by Doug Sahm. Not necessarily a steel album but has some GREAT steel pickin' by Tommy Detamore, who was also the producer.

Joe Shelby · Post by **Joe Shelby** » 14 Jan 2008 8:36 pm

I know some of the ideas might sound outdated to some, the recording (or mastering or pressing) is'nt
the greatest...I think "production" covers a lot of different bases. But sometimes I simply think of "production" as the ideas employed in the music
itself and how they come across in the final product.
In other words, the total sound, whatever it might be.
So, this is why "Ton of Steel" tops the list for me.
When I listen to it, I think Jimmy had some really
original thinking going into the playing and layering
of the instruments. It is one of the few steel albums
I can listen to.
Equally important are "Suite Steel," and "Emmons Guitar Inc."
Joe

Dag Wolf · Post by **Dag Wolf** » 15 Jan 2008 1:53 am

Are we talking of best produced album here -the whole music sound and arrangement? Or best played by the steel player?

One of my favorite when we talk about good produced album must be Buddy`s Christmas album.

Dag

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 15 Jan 2008 5:18 am

I'm talking production rather than performance.

There have been some incredible performances of steel playing marred by poor engineering or general bad production. The use of badly programmed drum machines also causes me concern.

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 15 Jan 2008 5:36 am

Big E, Christmas album.
Hook

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 15 Jan 2008 6:02 am

Earl Erb,
The sound of "the flushing toilet" was a flushing toilet,as per BE.

Hook Moore,
I fully agree, I like the track that has several songs in one cut.

BF[/url]

Tony Smart · Post by **Tony Smart** » 15 Jan 2008 6:13 am

Paul's Christmas c.d. and Mike Smith's "India" and "Cafe".
Extra credit as they did the production themselves.

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 15 Jan 2008 7:06 am

My short list:

Buddy Emmons and Paul Franklin's respective Christmas CD's
Tom Brumley's In Time
Lloyd Green Revisited
Jimmy Day Steel and Strings ("period" production but great)

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 15 Jan 2008 7:54 am

I differentiate between great playing and great production.

All the recordings listed above contain world class playing and arrangements, no doubt. Some of my favorites of all time, in fact.

But for production, I look for the standards of the times. These are the ones paid for by a serious record label with a budget that most steel recordings simply don't warrant. So I'd say that the most well-produced recordings were the Jimmy Day albums on Phillips (early 60's) Lloyd Green albums on Chart (late 60's) and the Buddy Emmons Swing Shift albums on Step One (90's).

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 15 Jan 2008 8:27 am

I prefer VERY sparse production where the steel actually gets heard and does not have to fight off other electric instruments in the mix.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 15 Jan 2008 8:36 am

Bill Hatcher wrote:I prefer VERY sparse production where the steel actually gets heard and does not have to fight off other electric instruments in the mix.

Normally I'd agree. The one exception to this is Reece's Universal Direction. I don't like orchestras and choirs, but this album is so good it transcends all that.

I might add that Reece is a dedicated Christian and this album is a testament to his faith, and since I'm a Jewish, that aspect of this album, which is at it's very heart, is lost on me, and even with these 2 strikes against it, this is still one of my all time favorite steel guitar recordings.

It really is that good. If you don't already have it, get it.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 15 Jan 2008 8:52 am

Steel Guitar Record Club (I think its number 14)

Bobby Black-California Freedom. I think it was produced by Tom Bradshaw.

Jamie Lennon · Post by **Jamie Lennon** » 15 Jan 2008 10:01 am

Paul Franklins and Mike Johnsons cd's !!!

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 15 Jan 2008 1:35 pm

Mike Perlowin,

I agree with you Mike about Reece's "Universal Direction," and the thing that gets me, it sounds as good as it did when it first came out in the late 1970s.

This CD now originally on L.P. has everything a BIG PRODUCTION could have on it, but Reece's steel playing is with soul and taste it is soooo-good. I dig alot of his other steel stuff, and Reece and I have been friends since the late 1970s. His playing on this CD is just pure steel guitar artistry.

Also, Ooops, I forgot the "Revisted CD," by Lloyd Green and yes it is superb too.

GOD bless!

Terry Wood

Earl Erb · Post by **Earl Erb** » 15 Jan 2008 1:54 pm

Bill, thanks for the clarification. I thought it was a round ceramic gadget with two controls...one to turn the effect on and the other to control the flow of the effect.Who knew?

Earl Erb,
The sound of "the flushing toilet" was a flushing toilet,as per BE.

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 15 Jan 2008 2:22 pm

Brint Hannay wrote: The "Black Album" is strange--the E9th cuts sound like he's playing on a hollow instrument made of thin metal; the "tang" of each pick attack is unlike any other steel recording I've heard, by him or anyone else, but I think it sounds great. But if I got that sound when I was playing, I'd be miserable all night. Go figure!

Brint - you are accurately decribing the sonic characteristic of the push pull guitar.

Also listen to the variances of reverb on Danny boy. Goes from a big panoramic plate type reverb to almost dry.

Gene H. Brown · Post by **Gene H. Brown** » 15 Jan 2008 3:03 pm

Lloyds of Nashville!

Gene

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