A Serious Putdown

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 10 Aug 2002 7:10 pm

I was hoping someone else would say something about this but no one has and it needs some air.

I was watching a Bio on The Band, Alabama.
It was on CMT this evening. I had no idea anything like this had ever happened. These guys and their music have had my undivided attention for decades. They are truly legends and musical giants so I was caught completely off guard.

The story had evolved to where they were doing a newcomers intro to the music industry. It was to be a big break for them. My Homes In Alabama was just going to the top. Randy Owens was talking about the session band doing the show with them, backing them up. When I heard him mention Lloyd Green, he got my complete attention.

I was slow on the draw but soon came to realize his comment about Lloyd while making some gyrations similar to playing a steel guitar, was not intended to be a compliment.
His next comment was a total putdown on the drummer and then another guest on the show put all session musicians down as a group.

When It dawned on me what he was saying, I thought, he may as well have shot a bird at one of my oldest and most enduring steel guitar heros !! I'm still fumbling for words as I write this and I'm hoping someone else saw this because it just seems so incredulous to me that RO would do that. I can understand why he did it now that I know the circumstances but it's as if some one had just called my wife a whore. I can't let it just slip by and ignore it. I just can't !!

It's what we write about all the time here on the Forum. We all know exactly what they are saying. I feel like an accordian player and I now understand how Liberace must have felt.

Someone else grab this and run with it. Quite frankly, I'm really getting sick of this so called music industry. It's so damm phony and hollow I don't know how I've stuck with it for as long as I have.

Regards, Paul

Dyke Corson · Post by **Dyke Corson** » 10 Aug 2002 7:23 pm

I just saw the same show (in my wife & new baby's hospital room)and I did not take it that he was slamming Lloyd or Steel Players. I was a little distracted, but From what I remember, they went to Nashville to do a "showcase" to try and get a record deal and were only allowed to sing an original song with a house band for their "audition" while their own drummer sat out in the audience. That would have been pretty tough to take. All I heard Randy say about the steel was that is was not on the original song...(Lloyd probably made it sound better) but the drummer did not play the song at all they way it was supposed to go...etc. so they were dissapointed about the whole event. A pretty interesting show, Alabama used to play in our area as "Wild Country" before they made it big. The show will be repeated later tonight, I might watch it again....or I might fall asleep!

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 10 Aug 2002 7:27 pm

Paul, everyone has there own opinion, and they are not always favorable to steelers. I think you are over reacting. The music business is based on favoritism and personal opinions. Relax man. I know what you are saying. Its one guy's opinion. He ain't Vince Gill.

Reggie Duncan · Post by **Reggie Duncan** » 10 Aug 2002 8:03 pm

I hope RO wasn't putting down Lloyd! Surely, not! He had better hire body guards!
Incidentally, the fiddler on "Dixieland Delight" & "If You Want To Play In Texas, You Gotta Have A Fiddle In The Band" was Bruce Watkins, another rarely mentioned "GREAT" musician![This message was edited by Reggie Duncan on 10 August 2002 at 09:05 PM.][This message was edited by Reggie Duncan on 10 August 2002 at 09:06 PM.]

John Steele (deceased) · Post by **John Steele (deceased)** » 10 Aug 2002 10:52 pm

I didn't see the above mentioned clip, but I'd venture a guess that perhaps Lloyd threatened to compromise their potential as a Holiday Inn Lounge act.

-John

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 10 Aug 2002 11:02 pm

Those guys were a re-manufactured bar band, a preview of what was to come out of Nashville. Paul, I wouldn't take anything they said or did too seriously.

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 10 Aug 2002 11:31 pm

It pissed me off too. But I don't think that Lloyd or any of the other players will lose any sleep over what R.O. said. This too shall pass.
Mike[This message was edited by Mike Sweeney on 11 August 2002 at 12:33 AM.]

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 11 Aug 2002 12:49 am

Sorry - no credibility up in here. Like Chas Said - I wouldn't take anything those guys said very seriously.They've always been kinda lightweight and tired on all fronts.Let's face it country music aficionados - they've always seemed to be a sort of recycled smalltown beerjoint,hillbilly trailor park,bass fishin,possum eatin version of the Marshall(I wannabe the Allman Bros)Tucker Band. If this were not the case,among other indicators,they would have had a full time steel player for christ sake. Having spoken the cold hard facts,I rest my case...... Somewhere in there,they did have one or two reasonably ok songs,however. -MJ-

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 11 Aug 2002 5:11 am

Thanks to each of you !! I do have a tendancy to over react and was afraid this was one of those times. So I stayed up and watched it the second time around. I came away with the same feeling. I suppose like BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER; in my case; BELLIGERENCE IS IN THE EAR OF THE LISTENER !!

Perhaps after 50 years of this I may be getting a little thinned skinned and I did get sorta PO'd. If I'd look at the good side of it I might remember that the last time I felt this way, I voiced my feelings to Dewitt Scott and those of you going to St. Louis over the Labor Day holiday will know what he did to correct that situation.

I have a new Grandson in the house and I hear him waking up. That should get the rest of these cobwebs out of my head.....

Regards, Paul

PS: Dyke; Congratulations on the new little one !!

Aren't they precious when they arrive ?? I know you're enjoying this !![This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 11 August 2002 at 06:57 AM.]

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 11 Aug 2002 5:41 am

I didn't see the show, but wanted to voice a comment about Alabama.

There's a decent band that I sometimes play with. They do mostly originals. They told me they do some "Classic Country". You guessed it. Alabama covers!

R. L. Jones · Post by **R. L. Jones** » 11 Aug 2002 5:54 am

Hey Paul You do this , the same as rest of us " YOU LOVE IT " I did not see the piece , but I` d have laughed it off . The BIBLE , says it`s not what goes in the temple, that offends ,but what comes out of the temple. When some one trys to put you down , he1s trying to get your heels and pull you dwn to his level , DONT LET~EM R.L.Jones

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 11 Aug 2002 6:13 am

I didn't watch the show either.
Like Reggie mentioned it was Bruce Watkins on alot of hits. Gregg Galbraith played lead on "When We Make Love" & "She & I"!
The misconception by the public has always been Alabama are the only musicians being used. Wrong!! Truth, it's the session players.
Theresa

[This message was edited by Theresa Galbraith on 11 August 2002 at 07:17 AM.]

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 11 Aug 2002 6:15 am

Any way you cut it, you have to admit that Alabama was never exactly the pedal steel worlds friend. How often did they use one on their recordings? And I really think anyone in that band has noooooooooooo room to put down other musicians. I am of the opinion that they're all fairly mediocre musicians.

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 11 Aug 2002 6:21 am

Theresa, didn't Gregg play on the very first couple of albums also?

Fred Murphy · Post by **Fred Murphy** » 11 Aug 2002 7:28 am

I too watched the show, and was shocked when he mentioned not liking what Lloyd and the session players did to his song. Not everyone loves steel guitar like most of us, so I don't think it was a put down on Lloyds abilities at all, as much as his dislike for the steel guitar in general. I'm sure if he had liked and wanted steel on his records, he would have loved what Lloyd did, and be honored to have him on his session. There are just some people who have a distinct dislike for the sound of a pedal steel and evidently these band members do. I think they take pride in their vocals more than their musicianship, at least that is the impression I got from the TV show. This seems to be a very common thing among singers, in that they think their singing is all that matters and they are really important and that the band members don't have much to do with their popularity. And to a lot of people, they may be right.

but not to me.

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 11 Aug 2002 7:33 am

Good point Fred, I forgot to take singing (and the singers mentality) into account.

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 11 Aug 2002 7:48 am

...the band members don't have much to do with their popularity.

But don't forget that they almost gave it up when their band member drummer of three years left them. They spent 7 years playing for Whoppers and tips. That may tell us something. They only cracked into the big times when RCA and those infamous session guys backed them into the real world.

Regards, Paul

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 11 Aug 2002 8:00 am

I remember going down to the Bowery in Myrtle Beach (where they were the house band playing for tips), and seeing the band that replaced them. I'm not sure who's in the band now, but back then The Bounty Hunters were better singers and pickers than Alabama ever was. Oh, I guess I have to add that this is just my opinion and that there are many who feel just as passionately the other way.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 11 Aug 2002 8:11 am

Paul, they do what they do...don't let it rattle you. They (Alabama) are, in my own thinking, just the most successful quasi-country "bar band" in history, neither better nor worse than a hundred I've seen.

So they don't like the steel guitar...big deal.

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 11 Aug 2002 8:18 am

Donny: I know you are right but what gets me worst is that they tried to trash Lloyd Green for no reason and that was what reached my flash point !!

Regards, Paul

Steve Miller · Post by **Steve Miller** » 11 Aug 2002 9:16 am

Theresa, Why did Gregg do that... couldn't he get out of it?

The success of Alabama has always bewildered me. I have never heard a song by this group that I liked, EVER! They don't sound like they have there hearts in anything they do. There is nothing unique about them. Their vocals are just flat and boring. Since I didn't hear the interview I won't comment on the alleged insults.

Alabama get away, GET AWAY...

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 11 Aug 2002 9:39 am

...a sort of recycled smalltown beer joint, hillbilly trailor park, bass fishin', possum eatin' version of the Marshall (I wannabe the Allman Brothers) Tucker Band.

Man, I wish I had said that !!

Regards, Paul[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 11 August 2002 at 10:40 AM.]

Redd V · Post by **Redd V** » 11 Aug 2002 11:04 am

Whats wrong with Possum & Bass?

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 11 Aug 2002 11:18 am

Hmmm, should they have included wearing overalls?

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 11 Aug 2002 11:23 am

Hey Redd, since Ricky isn't going out with Dale, why don't you take his place? I'm bummed I won't get to see him at the Birchmere. You're steel licks on the tele will help wash away the bitterness!![This message was edited by Chris Forbes on 11 August 2002 at 12:24 PM.]