Robert Randolph

Kevin Hedquist · Post by **Kevin Hedquist** » 28 Aug 2009 12:39 pm

Saw Robert Randolph last night in Salt Lake City. It was a FREE concert downtown. Thank goodness. I was really disappointed with the show and his playing. The songs went on forever with no rhyme or reason. Everything was a long monotonous jam. His leads were disjointed and boring.

I know he can he is better than that which is why my dismay. I think I prefer him sitting in with other artists playing their songs. He did "I Need More Love" which was good with some cool licks. He put on a Bo Didley Gretsch and played about every song that had the Bo Didley shuffle. It could have been very cool but it went on and on and on until I wanted to jab glass shards into my ears. I love me some "Bo" but give the man some respect when playing his stuff.

I hope some of you all have seen him on better nights. I will just stick to watching him on Youtube.

Here he is on Letterman playing how I expected him to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4zpzEIdoPc

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 28 Aug 2009 12:48 pm

You nailed the reasons why I couldn't get into him years back, took tons of flack for saying so, and it seems he's sticking with whatever he likes.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 28 Aug 2009 12:58 pm

He's really laying it out in the Letterman clip. Great performance. The pedal steel could easily be replaced with a lap steel. Not very functional. Slide blues.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 28 Aug 2009 4:14 pm

Noise

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 28 Aug 2009 4:17 pm

Well, yeah, he's a jammer. So from a musician's standpoint, like all jammers, he's hit or miss. And there's a lot of self-indulgent jam stuff that might work better for a drunk audience than for musicians looking for a virtuoso performance from first note to last. Can any of you guys get a crowd reaction like this? click here

As for the perennial lap-steel-style-on-a-pedal-steel complaint - he uses what he needs for what he wants. Sacred Steel is still evolving from its recent lap steel roots. They mostly get pedal steels for the extra strings. The pedals aren't an integral part of the E7 tuning the way they are for E9 country. Likewise you can play plenty of Western Swing on a C6 pedal steel without hardly touching the pedals and levers. But on the Sacred Steel E7 tuning, the pedals are there for minors and other Gospel stuff when they need it. But they are not required for the rock-blues stuff RR mostly jams on. You can play lots of stuff on a piano without using all 88 keys. When you hear him rip off that blues-gospel speed picking at his best, do you think he could do that better on an E9 using the pedals?

Mat Rhodes · Post by **Mat Rhodes** » 28 Aug 2009 4:25 pm

I think we should ban music that we don't like. Let's start with steel guitar instrumentals.

Archie Nicol R.I.P. · Post by **Archie Nicol R.I.P.** » 28 Aug 2009 4:28 pm

I enjoy the Sacred Steel provided by fellow forumites Del Ray Grace and Ronnie Hall.

Arch.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 28 Aug 2009 4:31 pm

Just saw your insulting, intolerant, ethnocentric comment, Rick. At one of my college assemblies in the '60s, during the college president's speech, the PA started picking up a country music station. He made the exact same bigoted kind of insult, calling it "noise that some people consider music." This kind of ignorant hostility reflects more on the small, hate-filled mind of the one making such a revealing comment than on the intended object.

I hope your sabotage of this thread doesn't get it closed. There are some interesting and worthwhile things to discuss about jam band music and the differences between Sacred Steel E7 and country and Western E9 and C6 pedal steel.

I really enjoyed living in Knoxville for a few years in the '70s. But I must say, one of the things I don't miss is the trash.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 28 Aug 2009 4:38 pm

Here's RR doing Bo: click here

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 28 Aug 2009 6:55 pm

Robert rocks, and is more well known than any other pedal steel player in the world (sorry E), and he puts more feeling into his playing than most players.
Sure he's not a traditional player but so what, he has found his voice.
on top of that, he is a nice guy

Bobby Burns · Post by **Bobby Burns** » 28 Aug 2009 6:59 pm

I see potential for a lot of hurt feelings over opinions here guys. Does it have to get so personal?

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 28 Aug 2009 7:45 pm

Dave Dogett, your out of line. That was not only a personal attack on Rick, but it was racial centered also. Clearly against Forum rules. Your personal attacks are gonna get you in trouble.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 28 Aug 2009 8:22 pm

Calling another man's music "noise" is a personal, intentionally insulting act. In legal terms, this is a "fighting word." It is way beyond merely expressing ones opinion that one doesn't care for that type of music, which is anyone's right, and is perfectly acceptable. Others can either ignore that, or discuss it civilly. But calling another man's music "noise" is nothing but a bare, in-your-face insult that has no purpose or intention except to offend, insult and incite. It is hostile ridicule of the most personal nature - set out in extra-large, bolded type, no less. I like Robert Randolph's music, and play music similar to that myself. Calling it "noise" personally insults Robert and also me, and it is clear that is the exact intention. The Forum rules prohibit such behavior. Once such a personal insult has been thrown out in such a blatant and intentional way, I do not believe the Forum rules require the victim or his supporters to suffer in silence. Self-defense against a hostile act is not the same offense as the original hostile act.

I labeled Rick's prejudice ethnocentrisim, which is patent. Without knowing him and his thoughts, it is difficult to know if it is also racist, although I certainly reserve my own judgment on that.

John P. Phillips · Post by **John P. Phillips** » 28 Aug 2009 8:34 pm

OH BOY ! HERE WE GO AGAIN !

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 28 Aug 2009 8:52 pm

Well, we all get that way sometimes. I played a road gig not that long ago where I finally and for the FIRST time in my musical life had heard ENOUGH SHUFFLES, and stated that if I heard ONE MORE Justin Trevino or Johnny Bush Shuffle. or ONE more V=I bridge I'd jump out of the bus...

I did get better by listening to Bobby Flores..

Hey. It happens..

EJL

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 28 Aug 2009 8:55 pm

Well, Mr Doggett, it cain't be any worse than revising the archives to pervert Mr Emmons' Comments on Tuning....

One man's....

EJL

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 28 Aug 2009 8:56 pm

Dave,

No intent to offend or disrespect anyone. Since the term "noise" seems to hit a sore spot with you, I'll glady retract it and replace it with saying that I don't care for that type of music. However, I do respect the talent and ability to make money with it. Makes no difference to me who's playing it, so please don't consider that race is an issue. I doubt you'd enjoy some of my music and that's your right. I don't want to debate anything, so let's leave it be. Hope all is well.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 28 Aug 2009 9:09 pm

Rick.

Debating Mr. Doggett is great typing excersize, and he is quite cordial, if not always objectively substantial in his opinions.

You might want to clear your schedule for a few months per point, however..

EJL

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 28 Aug 2009 9:16 pm

Fair, enough, Rick. With your gentlemanly apology, I am willing to accept the possibility that you didn't realize your choice of words (and extra-large type) would be so offensive to some of us. And with that, I apologize if I over-reacted. With apologies also to the moderator and the other readers who had to endure this interruption to an otherwise worthwhile thread, perhaps it would be best to delete Rick's original post and my responses.

Eric, don't start on that, man. I only quoted the man himself. Facts is facts. I hope you are following your doctor's orders and doing well. Where's your happy li'l bun'rab when we need him.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 28 Aug 2009 9:18 pm

Eric West wrote:Rick.

Debating Mr. Doggett is great typing excersize, and he is quite cordial, if not always objectively substantial in his opinions.

You might want to clear your schedule for a few months per point, however..

EJL

Eric,

Not me. Don't have the time. I rather listen to Bobby Flores too.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 28 Aug 2009 9:30 pm

Rick, as I remember, you play country music, and I love it - the more country, the better.

"There is no bad music, only bad performances." - Ornette Coleman.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 28 Aug 2009 11:51 pm

First I want to point out that what Rick did in calling RR’s music noise, was an example of making a value judgment based on personal taste. It’s a mistake, but it’s one we all make. If I don’t like it, it must not be any good, etc.

As far as RR goes, he has become a better entertainer over the years, but as far as I can tell, he has not grown as a player.

There was a time when he was fresh and exciting, but now he just seems to be repeating himself endlessly. It’s possible that he has boxed himself into a corner where, for purposes of maintaining his career (or fulfilling contracts) he cannot veer away from the formula that brought him his initial success, and will spend the rest of his life repeating what he’s already done.

I think he has the potential to do a lot more. I’d like to see him disappear for a while, and emerge in a few years with new bolder more challenging music.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 29 Aug 2009 3:10 am

Come on people now smile on your brother everybody get together try to love one another right now.

www.tprior.com/get_master2mp3.MP3

Some people start threads that they like which other's don't like and vice versa. Some people type opinions which differ from others.
Amazing !

there is no high ground just different opinions .

There's a lot of players that I think just plain stink, but I ain't tellin' you guys who they are ! But on the other side of the coin I'm probably a player that others think is just plain crummy !

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 29 Aug 2009 3:14 am

What he plays could never be considered "noise". He is RR. He plays like RR. He has thousands upon thousands of people coming to listen to his "noise" and huge concert venues. You can see him on TV with Clapton and a host of other "noise" makers. He is the most visable and the most recognized steel player in the world right now amongst younger "noise" lovers. He is black, so all that comes with him. Just like Obama, you can't be considered a racist if you disagree with what he does or with his "noise".

Some artists never get any more complicated or "noise" friendly their whole career. If RR just keeps playing the same stuff that got him where he is then he will have a long and prosperous time on the music scene. I personally don't ever see him moving on to another level of "noise". Why should he?? After all, the public is supporting him on the "noise" level he is on.

It would be much more fitting just to say you don't care for him than to label what he does as "noise". Smarter too.

David Nugent · Post by **David Nugent** » 29 Aug 2009 3:35 am

I find it disturbing that most if not all posts on the subject of Mr. Randolph seem to start with a simple premise or opinion (be it pro or con), and are then quickly hijacked into heated debates and personal confrontations.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Robert Randolph

Robert Randolph

WHEEEEEE, here we go, time for the flame retardent!

Rr