Definitive steel song to hear for someone who doesn't know s

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 16 Sep 2002 4:28 pm

Fer cryin' out loud!
NOT TEACH!!!

Like aj said; give her Lloyd's version of Sally G. That's all she needs to hear to 'get it'.

Maybe include McCartney's version, too.

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 16 Sep 2002 4:48 pm

Something Rocking,and country by Joe Wright. Joe

ajm · Post by **ajm** » 16 Sep 2002 5:56 pm

I forgot about "Fire on the Mountain".
And Ray Stevens' "Misty".
And "Tears in Heaven".

BobG · Post by **BobG** » 16 Sep 2002 6:19 pm

I like Teach you Children. Even though we-know-who played steel on it

C'mon Tony....you can say it... let's give credit where credit is due...his name is JERRY GARCIA geez .. I'm sorry ...I just can't stand to see this man constantly getting disrepected around here.
Tony ... if you like Teach your Children.. you obviously like Garcias' playing. At least on that session. Why not show him the same respect you would show any Nashville player who would love to have their name on that songs credits.
Please refer to him by his name... not "we-know-who".
I swore i'd ignore the Jerry flames .. I guess I got sucked in again. What the hell..someone has to defend him.
Rest in Peace..Jerry.

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Bob Grado, Williams D10 (lefty), Peavey 1000,
Profex ll.

[This message was edited by BobG on 16 September 2002 at 07:20 PM.][This message was edited by BobG on 17 September 2002 at 04:47 AM.]

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 16 Sep 2002 6:43 pm

How about "Blue Eyes" by Buddy Emmons? It's a beautiful rendition he played. Being an Elton John song, it should have massive appeal to the general public.

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 16 Sep 2002 7:04 pm

"Blue Eyes" -- 1981
"Blue Bayou" -- 1977
"Teach" -- 1970
"Someday Soon" -- 1968 (?)

We'd better hope this newspaper reporter is at least 40!

I don't know about anyone else, but I feel like I'm showin' my age ...

Chippy Wood · Post by **Chippy Wood** » 16 Sep 2002 11:17 pm

Jeff Newman's accompaniment 'Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind' (Singer Ronnnie Robertson'

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Ron (Chippy) Wood
Carter S10/Pad

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 17 Sep 2002 12:02 am

Throw some of Johan Jansen's Sleepwalk in there, if you want to show a real unstereotypical steel sound.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 17 Sep 2002 3:16 am

Check out Ed Gerhard's "House of Guitars to hear electric steel beautifully interwoven in a fresh and individual way in an acoustic folk context. Poor Wayfaring Stranger is a good representative cut.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005Q6HX/qid%3D1032261065/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/102-7056870-3926510#product-details

Fred Amendola · Post by **Fred Amendola** » 17 Sep 2002 4:04 am

How about some Barefoot Jerry clips, with Russ Hicks. Or Jeff Baxter with early Steely Dan?

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 17 Sep 2002 4:36 am

Ummmmm

If it can't be country, twang, or jazz, it likely will not be very representative of steel. Sad to say, this reporter is already predisposed against you, as she clearly dislikes 90% of what steel is used for. Might as well send her something real and live with the results.

JB

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Fulawka D-10 9&5
Mullen Royal Precision D-10 8 & 5
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel
www.buddycage.net

http://www.nrpsmusic.com/index.html

BobG · Post by **BobG** » 17 Sep 2002 4:43 am

My vote would be John Sebastians' ..'Rainbow over your Blues" with Buddy on steel.
That was defintely the cut that hooked me.

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Bob Grado, Williams D10 (lefty), Peavey 1000,
Profex ll.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 17 Sep 2002 5:10 am

Sadly, I think that JB Arnold has 'hit the nail on the head'....

However, taking an optimistic view for a moment, I'd submit Ray Charles' "Wichita Lineman" - a timeless song, an Emmons solo that's hauntingly beautiful, with the vocal magic of the Genius! Could anyone fail to be moved?

I have an excellent Ray Charles biography by Michael Lydon - he gives particular weight to the importance of this whole album and, while he doesn't credit Buddy by name, he singles out this track, saying: "...a pedal steel guitar gleams like railroad tracks in moonlight...."

It can't fail (can it?)

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Roger Rettig (NTSGA #147): Emmons LGIII(8+8), Fender Stringmaster (0+0) and a Zumsteel D10 on order!!!

[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 17 September 2002 at 06:16 AM.]

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 17 Sep 2002 5:47 am

3 good choices, I think (YMMV...)

1) Blue Bayou with recognizable beautiful steel work by Dan Dugmore.
2) Teach! Sorry, but it works for me for this task.
3) Sweet Dreams - from Joe Goldmark's 'All Hat and No Cattle' CD. Unbeliebable counterpoint ascending/descending licks, beautiful mastery of this song, IMO (not to mention a wonderful tele solo by 'Roy Buchanan incarnate': Jim Campilongo).

The point is that all these songs have some recognizable hook to someone who is otherwise unfamiliar with steel. There may likely be a 'lightbulb' (Oh yeah!) go off when they hear something familiar and then associate with the steel.

My $0.02.
SF

David Farlow · Post by **David Farlow** » 17 Sep 2002 6:43 am

Might be helpful to know what type of music she likes to listen to. Then ,possibly you could narrow down your choice(s) of songs to send her. If you send her a soft rock song and she only likes hard rock she might not even give the PSG a chance. Hopefully she has an open mind about the whole thing.

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Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 17 Sep 2002 6:59 am

Please remember, for the purposes of this post, I happened to know this reporter, which is why she is doing a small article in the first place, not because she is the music or entertainment writer.(the music writer declined)
Second, she doesn't dislike country music or steel, she simply isn't sure what exactly the instrument is or what it sounds like.
However, she did have a stereotyped image of what she thought it might be, hence the "twang" and "whiney" comments!
I looked at it as a challenge to introduce someone to the world of steel, while possible dispelling some images that are usually associated with it.
Thanks for some very good suggestions!

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 17 Sep 2002 9:57 am

I understand.
Hence my nomination.

Avoid Teach as this will create the WORST possible image; the one thing she will find more offensive than 'twangy and whiney' will be OUT OF TUNE AND TIME 'twangy and whiney'.

I'm not familiar w/alot of the songs mentioned but I do know that Lloyd's Sally G couldn't be further from 'twangy and whiney'.
Plus it showcases the melodic and harmonic capabilities of the instrument without resorting to an unintelligible flurry of notes.

Dan Hatfield · Post by **Dan Hatfield** » 17 Sep 2002 10:11 am

EVERYBODY loves Christmas songs. Give her the Christmas Album by BE. If she can't relate to that, then who cares!

Dan

Dan Hatfield · Post by **Dan Hatfield** » 17 Sep 2002 10:13 am

Oh, and by the way, also give her the Christmas album by Paul Franklin. Between the one by Paul and the one by BE, she will find SOMETHING to love!

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 17 Sep 2002 10:22 am

I think a good choice would be Hal Rugg's "Send In The Clowns" from the Altered Ego album.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Whip Lashaway · Post by **Whip Lashaway** » 17 Sep 2002 10:51 am

Just my $.02 If you want to give her a very good across the board idea of what steel is and can be, one song that would cover this is: Slit Personality from Joe Wright's Power Slide album. If she's young, it has some great trashy distorted stuff. If she's NOT YOUNG, it contains some really great nashville steel stuff. Just tell her everthing you hear on this song is steel guitar.

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Whip Lashaway
Sierra E9/B6 12 string
Sierra E9/B6 14 string

BobG · Post by **BobG** » 17 Sep 2002 11:07 am

Avoid Teach as this will create the WORST possible image; the one thing she will find more offensive than 'twangy and whiney' will be OUT OF TUNE AND TIME 'twangy and whiney'.

Sorry Marty...i'm not biting... your going to have to do better..;

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Bob Grado, Williams D10 (lefty), Peavey 1000,
Profex ll.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 17 Sep 2002 11:51 am

Maybe a video of a steel performance would be a better way to convey the big picture.
There are several good ones currently available.

Steel tryin · Post by **Steel tryin** » 17 Sep 2002 1:39 pm

Any Patsy Cline song. She really defines Steel Guitar standards to my ear. Melody is universally recognised

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 17 Sep 2002 2:21 pm

I'd send a short compliation that traces the development and history.

1 - Sol Hoopii etc. (or Jerry Byrd or Casey Olsen Hawaiian tune!) reso and elec.
2)- old country ala Bob Wills steel men (or Cindy with AATW)
4)- other resonator sounds (bluegrass, and/or blues)
5)- 'Teach' or some other public song - by that I mean highly visible (Dixi Chicks, Elton John, Byrds,...)
6)- David Lindly on a Jackson Brown hit.
7)- Lloyd Green or some other masterful pedal player of your choice

- Robert Randolph cut from 'The Word' (not exactly in historical time seq. but 'new' to the lay person, and hip to younger audience)

This shows the broad voice of what the 'steel' can do - then you can focus on one branch more if you want - like the pedal steel - which I assume your show will center around. Lets the public know where modern steel came from, and the depth of feeling, expression, and types of music it can cover.

I couldn't pick a definitive song for someone. Would be like playing "Classical Gas" and saying it represents guitar playing.

my tuppence,
Chris

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Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"We can't afford to let Nature run wild" - govt. offical - Alaska
www.seldomfed.com