NRPS - Live album in entirety.. B Cage at his best!

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 14 Feb 2017 8:17 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQgzuH4Vx04
Home Home on the Road
This is the best album NRPS ever did IMO , yet it isn't that well known even among guys that like NRPS and Buddy Cage's steel playing.
GREAT playing by Buddy on this one.. Give it a listen, it really is some of his best stuff.
Great versions of Dead Flowers/Hello Mary Lou/Henry/Truck Drivin Man.
This album was the one that got me over the top.. Once I heard some of it when it first came out,I freaked out, and for my 22nd bday, my wife bought me a used Maverick, and it was off to the races.. Within a few months, I had every steel part on this album memorized front to back, and could actually play them all pretty well. It was such a wonderful time in retrospect.
If you like the New Riders/Buddy Cage and are not familiar with this album, please give a listen.. You can thank me later.... bob

J R Rose · Post by **J R Rose** » 14 Feb 2017 8:41 am

Yeah Bob, It is one good album. I have this on LP. Got it back in the late sixty's I think. Never have understood why Cage has not been given more credit. He opened my eyes to what the steel really could do. I can't remember what song now but their is one on there that he does a long run and you would think the guitar,(ZB) was a mile long. Great Album!! The days of Country Rock, WOW. Thanks for this post Bob, I may have to go dig it out and give it a spin again. J.R.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 14 Feb 2017 11:32 am

Cage is at his peak on this album. Thanks, Bob.

I first saw Buddy, probably 1968 or so... the memory grows dim... playing with Ian and Sylvia, with Amos Garrett on guitar. Buddy and Amos were an amazing duo and Ian featured them on the set.

When I was with Alvin Crow in the 70's we did a gig with NRPS and I mentioned to Buddy "I see you're still playing the Emmons." He acknowledged that he was and asked me what my rig was. When I told him it was a Sho-Bud, he got this really sad, sympathetic look on his face and said "Gee, I'm sorry..."

I use that line to this very day!

Jeff Garden · Post by **Jeff Garden** » 14 Feb 2017 12:03 pm

Great stuff, Bob - brings back my "formative" years

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 14 Feb 2017 1:43 pm

Herb Steiner wrote:Cage is at his peak on this album. Thanks, Bob.

I first saw Buddy, probably 1968 or so... the memory grows dim... playing with Ian and Sylvia, with Amos Garrett on guitar. Buddy and Amos were an amazing duo and Ian featured them on the set.

When I was with Alvin Crow in the 70's we did a gig with NRPS and I mentioned to Buddy "I see you're still playing the Emmons." He acknowledged that he was and asked me what my rig was. When I told him it was a Sho-Bud, he got this really sad, sympathetic look on his face and said "Gee, I'm sorry..."

I use that line to this very day!

Great story Herb!,, I have one about Buddy thats pretty similar.. We know that he was an endorser of Emmons guitars at the peak of his[ and emmons] popularity.. Anyway, my band had a gig at a big rock club in Port Chester NY back in the 70's opening up for the NRPS.. I remember I was on stage wailing with my band when all the guys from NRPS walked in, heading for the dressing room... Buddy was checking me and my rig out as would any steel player upon seeing another steel player on stage.. We got talking backstage, and I expressed my appreciation and my fondness for his playing, as well as the NRPS music.. We started talking about gear, and he said to me, "I see you play an MSA".
he kind of shook his head with sadness, and said , "Bob, you REALLY should be playing an Emmons" Then he got to telling me about one he just happened to have for sale.. Buddy tried his damndest to sell me an EMMONS steel.. Little did he know, I didn't have 2 nickels to rub together in those days, and was lucky to have any pedal steel guitar, otherwise, I might very well have bought it just because HE played one... Those were the days. I miss them. bob

Rich Upright · Post by **Rich Upright** » 14 Feb 2017 6:57 pm

Buddy & NRPS were my first country influence, even though Jerry Gracia played steel on NRPS, it was Buddy on "Powerglide" that really did it for me.

Tucker Jackson · Post by **Tucker Jackson** » 14 Feb 2017 8:45 pm

I recently learned Buddy's part on this live version of "She's No Angel." The run that finishes the solo is especially cool. Totally his signature style: very fast and blocked. Love the way he plays...

Joe Goldmark · Post by **Joe Goldmark** » 14 Feb 2017 9:36 pm

Thanks for posting Bob. I was unaware of this one even though I have 4-5 others.

BTW, to expand on what Herb said about Buddy with Ian & Sylvia. Here's the killer tune: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

Joe

Kevin Mincke · Post by **Kevin Mincke** » 15 Feb 2017 1:27 pm

Still got that LP along with a couple others! Thanks for the refresher of memories! NPRS

I saw them live in Stillwater, MN at the St. Croix Boom Co. in 1976 or so.

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 16 Feb 2017 6:46 am

Buddy has always been an influence. But I do remember the ruckous caused the year he played in St Louis. I don't think the majority of Way To Survive fans was ready for his style.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 16 Feb 2017 7:13 am

Craig A Davidson wrote:Buddy has always been an influence. But I do remember the ruckous caused the year he played in St Louis. I don't think the majority of Way To Survive fans was ready for his style.

I was there. I think the bass player wearing a dress was the final turd in the punch bowl for the majority of the audience. It being midnight and all, most of the audience called it a night and went up to their rooms or out to the bar.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 16 Feb 2017 11:16 am

Craig A Davidson wrote:Buddy has always been an influence. But I do remember the ruckous caused the year he played in St Louis. I don't think the majority of Way To Survive fans was ready for his style.

"

seriously?.. I would have thought it would have been the opposite... B Cage is a country rock player but so much of what he does is based on Charlton's style as well as what we nowadays call the west coast style... I guess the old school was much more close minded than older guys are today.. bob

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 16 Feb 2017 11:38 am

Bob Carlucci wrote:
Craig A Davidson wrote:Buddy has always been an influence. But I do remember the ruckous caused the year he played in St Louis. I don't think the majority of Way To Survive fans was ready for his style.
"

seriously?.. I would have thought it would have been the opposite... B Cage is a country rock player but so much of what he does is based on Charlton's style as well as what we nowadays call the west coast style... I guess the old school was much more close minded than older guys are today.. bob

Bob, were you there?

If I remember correctly, the band came on at midnight and it was a full-blown rock band, definitely no country rock, no Charlton, Mooney, etc. at all. NRPS was a distant memory. Buddy was on stage right, not center stage, and was facing the band, not the audience. I only stayed for a couple of songs, then joined the exodus. I don't remember if the band was Stir Fried, the Brooklyn Cowboys, or some other group Cage was playing with at that time.

But for sure I remember that the bass player wore a dress, okay?... and he was a man. And not that attractive of a man at that.

And certainly not the usual 1990s attire for a male musician at ISGC, as I am sure you can well imagine.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 16 Feb 2017 11:47 am

I have the Brooklyn Cowboys' CD. It was recorded in 2002.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 16 Feb 2017 1:13 pm

Herb Steiner wrote:
Bob Carlucci wrote:
Craig A Davidson wrote:Buddy has always been an influence. But I do remember the ruckous caused the year he played in St Louis. I don't think the majority of Way To Survive fans was ready for his style.
"

seriously?.. I would have thought it would have been the opposite... B Cage is a country rock player but so much of what he does is based on Charlton's style as well as what we nowadays call the west coast style... I guess the old school was much more close minded than older guys are today.. bob
Bob, were you there?

If I remember correctly, the band came on at midnight and it was a full-blown rock band, definitely no country rock, no Charlton, Mooney, etc. at all. NRPS was a distant memory. Buddy was on stage right, not center stage, and was facing the band, not the audience. I only stayed for a couple of songs, then joined the exodus. I don't remember if the band was Stir Fried, the Brooklyn Cowboys, or some other group Cage was playing with at that time.

But for sure I remember that the bass player wore a dress, okay?... and he was a man. And not that attractive of a man at that. And certainly not the usual 1990s attire for a male musician at ISGC, as I am sure you can well imagine.

No I was not there Herb[ thank You Jesus!], but your scary description makes me glad I wasn't.. sounds like maybe Buddy was trying to piss people off.. He can be kind of salty and ornery at times from what I have been told, but thats second hand info i can't confirm.. He was fine to me the only time I talked to him.
I might have walked out on that one myself... Not much for guys in dresses even if they have great legs.
bob

Bob Bender · Post by **Bob Bender** » 17 Feb 2017 3:32 am

Herb,
I was there that night in St Louis. The story I heard was the band asked Buddy what they should wear for the gig and he said " you can wear a dress for all I care". Apparently one did.Just a tad unconventional.

David Rupert · Post by **David Rupert** » 19 Feb 2017 5:51 am

J R Rose wrote:Yeah Bob, It is one good album. I have this on LP. Got it back in the late sixty's I think. Never have understood why Cage has not been given more credit. He opened my eyes to what the steel really could do. I can't remember what song now but their is one on there that he does a long run and you would think the guitar,(ZB) was a mile long. Great Album!! The days of Country Rock, WOW. Thanks for this post Bob, I may have to go dig it out and give it a spin again. J.R.

Home, Home on the Road...is an excellent album. Wore a few out...back in the day. That was put out in 1974. Buddy was playing a D-10 Emmons here.
Yesterday (18th), was his 71st birthday.

Marc Muller · Post by **Marc Muller** » 23 Feb 2017 9:40 am

1st time I saw them was Capitol Theater Passiac Oct 73. Went home and got my 1st lap steel. Home On The Range captured that era perfectly. So great to hear again. thanks for sharing.

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 23 Feb 2017 11:40 am

I still love "Home On The Road". Even with all the slop of the band - maybe even because of some of it - it really nails what their shows were like in those days. (And BTW, before the shrieking starts, slop, to me, isn't necessarily a bad thing...) Cage was totally inspiring.

As for the bass-player-in-a-dress incident, I was there too. It was Stir Fried. I lasted longer than Herb but probably not much. I didn't leave because they were a rock band - I loved seeing that at the convention. It was because they really, to me, simply weren't very good. I never saw them before or after so it may be that they were just having a bad night. Either way, though, their set didn't leave me wanting to hear more.

Stephen Silver · Post by **Stephen Silver** » 1 Mar 2017 6:24 pm

It was always a fav of mine.

Here’s my Buddy story. I don’t exactly recall the year but it was probably 1972 or 73. I had been playing less than a year and had purchased a Sho Bud Permanent from Roger Edgington when he was living in Columbus Ohio. I had seen the Burrito Brothers and Poco and had listened to NRPS. Turns out they were opening for the Dead at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles. I was a broke musician and had occasionally hustled my way into a gig. So I went hoping I could do the same. Turns out I couldn’t get in and as I was walking away there were several cars parked near the stage door. They were all empty and on the passenger side dashboard of one of them was a backstage pass. The car was unlocked, I burgled the pass went backstage and after NRPS played I had a brief conversation with Cage who had given me his phone and casually said if I was ever in the Bay Area to look him up.
Who could pass up that opportunity. I think it was two or three weeks later I planned a trip up north, gave him a call, and he invited me over to his place in Sausalito. I had only really paid attention to him, Rusty, and Pete and he turned me on to all sorts of good stuff….Jimmy Crawford (I was blown away), Tom Brumley, John Hughey, Lloyd Green. We sat around for 5 or 6 hours as I listened to him talk about steel guitar. He wrote out his copedant for me with the 10x10 Emmons he was playing and told me I should stop at Cow Town to listen to Bobby Black (which I did).

He came to a couple of gigs I did back then. He was very generous with his time and talent with me.

Olaf van Roggen · Post by **Olaf van Roggen** » 2 Mar 2017 11:03 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQgzuH4Vx04
The entire album can be heard on YouTube. When I was about 14 years old my parents offered to buy me a record album at a music store.
I was already into listening to pedal steel guitar and was excited to choose between The NRPS Home home on the road and Poco's Deliverin, both live albums.

I started with Poco and became a bit dissapointed of what I heard, I was a Commmander Cody fan etc.
When I heard Buddy Cage on the live album I was sold, the style the amount of steel on the album.
Later I learned to appreciate the Poco sound and Rusty Young's playing. NRPS Home home on the road is still one of my favourite Country Rock albums.

Olli Haavisto · Post by **Olli Haavisto** » 8 Mar 2017 12:42 am

The ascending chromatic unison string run on Hello,Mary Lou still works if you want to wake up the audience. An easy crowd pleaser.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 8 Mar 2017 7:05 am

Although I had heard of them back in the day,I never listened to any of their songs and had no clue who Buddy Cage was or what he played.

So, (insert drum roll)today for the first time ever,I listened to the whole Album Bob posted and while I don't like Country Rock,I enjoyed Buddy's approach and style very much.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 8 Mar 2017 3:23 pm

Olli Haavisto wrote:The ascending chromatic unison string run on Hello,Mary Lou still works if you want to wake up the audience. An easy crowd pleaser.

Yep. got a LOT of mileage out of that lick back in the day.. Like oh, I dunno, maybe 3 out of 4 songs. LOL... bob

Frank Agliata · Post by **Frank Agliata** » 19 May 2017 6:49 am

Marc Muller wrote:1st time I saw them was Capitol Theater Passiac Oct 73. Went home and got my 1st lap steel. Home On The Range captured that era perfectly. So great to hear again. thanks for sharing.

I was there that night as well . . great show . . and great memories of old friends I haven't seen in years . .