just came back from a clearance sale of a nearby record store where I bought an Alvin Crow-LP named "Pure Country". It's from 1988 and seems to be the first release of "Broken Spoke Records". On the bottom of the cover it says: Featuring "Broken Spoke Legend" Live Recordings from 1978-1988 with former Bob Wills vocalist, Leon Rausch on "Bring It On Down".
I don't believe that it's a live recording (just side 2 seems to be live), but it sports a fantasic steel player. Unfortunately there are no notes about the musicians that played on the record.
Can you help me on this one? Maybe the steel player is with us...
I'll betcha' that steeler is none other than fellow forumite Herb Steiner. His playing can sure be described as "fantastic"! How about it Herb. Is that you do all that fine pickin'?
Nope. The fantastic steel player is probably Scott Walls, now with Don Walser.
My tenure with AC was 1974 to 1979, 5 lovely and enchanting years in the back of a 1948 Flxible Flyer playing western swing to hot babes and confounded yankees. T'was a good life for a young man.
I think it probably is Scott Walls. I have the same album and unfortunately the liner notes are a bit lacking. (But it is autographed by Alvin Crow - woo hoo!)
That same album also shows up as part of a CD titled “Honkytonk Trail.”
If you are interested in Alvin Crow, check out Antone’s Records in Austin, Texas. I picked up a couple of CD’s and the album simply titled “Alvin Crow and the Pleasant Valley Boys” on Long Neck records. (Also re-released on another label.) That album and “High Riding” (on Polydor) definitely have Herb Steiner on steel.
Also picked up the Maines Brothers Band album “Panhandle Dancer” (Lloyd Maines on steel) and a couple of early Asleep at the Wheel albums.
Interestingly, the almost identical song list as on the “Alvin Crow and the Pleasant Valley Boys” album shows up as a CD titled “Alvin Crow, Texas Classic” but the band is almost completely different. (Scott Walls on steel.)
Maybe Herb can answer this question: I seem to remember in the mid 70’s that Alvin Crow’s band was called “Alvin Crow and the Neon Angels” (?). Or was I just imagining this in some kind of enhanced state of mind? It was, after all, Austin in the 70’s...
Hey I've got an LP record of Alvin and the Pleasant Valley Boys with Herb on steel. There's a lot of great music in the Texas style on this thing and ol' Herb's playin' his butt off. The only thing I think could have been better was if Alvin had hired a vocalist. The dude was a great fiddler but couldn't sing a lick!
Unless I am mistaken, the first two Lp's by Crow & Co. {with Herb}, were reissued on one Cd a few years ago, I swear I was at a shop and I got them to play it to me a while back.
One of those pricey imports, probably on one of those small Texas labels {bless 'em all}
Hey, I've got those records w/Herb!
"Gimme a bottle of Nyquil...!!"
(That tune is also on an anthology
of Texas music.)
Missed a chance to see them at Jonathan Swifts in Cambridge MA in 1975(?) :^(
