The best produced steel albums

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 12 Feb 2008 11:04 pm

My two favorites are

Cindy Cashdollar with all her great friends

and Dan Tyack's 1st album.

Great production, great steel sound,
AND great FUN music over all.

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 13 Feb 2008 6:11 am

Thanks for bringing up Dan's CD--it is extremely well done...

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 13 Feb 2008 7:04 am

John, I use Mambo Macabre as a test song for listening to rooms.

Lovely full range piano sound,
and then all the other stuff comes in perfectly blended.
It has stood the test of time with me.
I like it and Gloria Estephan Mi Tiera for the same reasons.

Cindy's is so consistent,
especially considering the number of guests,
and different instruments, yet she holds it together,
in the mix and the feel by her force. Super musician.
Even the acoustic to electric changes SEEM to be similar
in general tone balance.

If'n you ain't got it get it.
Great post session driving home music!

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 13 Feb 2008 7:32 am

It's a great sounding record (not to mention the playing

). They cut that at Pete Wasner's studio outside Nashville. George Massenburg helped design the room, and his assistant engineered the record. Pete has a killer Steinway 9 foot which helps explain the great piano sounds (though Pete could make a toy piano sound great)...

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 7 Aug 2009 11:20 am

I have added another album to my list. Steve Palousek's Let The Games Begin album has some exquisitely recorded steel guitar (the playing isn't too shabby either!). The more I play it the more I am impressed by the production. This is an Emmons push guitar guitar that at times sounds very very close to Buddy's on the 'Black album'.

The backing is mixed just to the right level where the steel guitar sits perfectly out front. The whole thing was produced and mixed by Steve at his studio, and his use of reverb, delay and chorus is always spot on and used subtly and appropriately where required. He's a monster player who also plays incredible 6 string guitar and bass.

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 7 Aug 2009 5:56 pm

The Daniel Lanois stuff is pretty awesomely produced...anybody heard the 5.1 surround mixes from BJ Cole? Now there's a first in the steel world...

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 7 Aug 2009 6:23 pm

My all time favorite is Lloyd Green's "Shades Of Steel". Lloyd has said he thought it was over produced, but I like the big arrangements and lots of instrumentation. I kind of lean toward Pop type stuff anyway, and there is a lot of it on this album. Almost everyone who played in the studio's in Nashville at the time this was recorded, appeared on this album.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 8 Aug 2009 4:04 am

Too many to list.
Terry Crisp's Jazz CD is awesome!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 8 Aug 2009 5:26 am

Theresa, what's the title of Terry's jazz CD, and do you know where it's sold?
Thanks,
Jim

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 8 Aug 2009 6:38 am

Jim,
I think it's his latest. It was produced by Terry and Gene Bredden. I don't have time to find it, but I will later after work.

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 9 Aug 2009 7:58 am

My recent favorite is "Some of My Favorite Things" by Randy Beavers. The production is great and the addition of Catherine Marx on piano creates a fine balance as does the vocal by Laney Hicks. Like the Black Album it does not have Lead guitar, or any rythmn 6 string that I can detect. Don D.

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The best produced steel albums

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