What happened???

Jack Therrell · Post by **Jack Therrell** » 16 Aug 2003 6:20 am

A little history to explain my question. I started playing steel in the 50,s and stopped in the early 60,s. I stopped not because I lost interest but because I was studying for the ministry. Not enough hours in the day. Incidentally, I played a double neck blonde fender strimgmaster. I quit as pedals were just gettimg started good. Anyway I continued to listen to steel music on country radio. The steel was so prominent in all the good bands. Then I noticed it began to be phased out. Alabama and other groups either did not use one at all or only barely. Why do you think the steel lost it,s popularity? Did players go too far in the creation of something more like a machine than an instrument. Or did the standard guitar take it,s place as lead instrument and fill in because it is easier to sing and play at the same time. Oh well, just curious. I have never lost my interest in playing, so now I am back where I started with a non-pedal double neck. I t is still fun. Can anyone share any ideas. Jack

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 16 Aug 2003 8:46 am

This is only my opinion......but some of these folks that are routinely "reinventing the wheel" every day likely discovered, that a standard guitar can be played in the customary manner as in days of olde, or, it can be hung barely above the knee caps with wild circular rotation of one's right arm while "plucking" or "strumming" some ingenious two/three note chords, or long sustained and fuzzed-out single string that will stretch like a rubber band while jumping up and down, tossing their wild hair, without regard for the tempo or beat of the tune.
LOUD SCREAMING NOISES are possible with anything from metal to glass or whatever is handy.......being applied to the strings. Not to overlook all of the electronic gimmicks that can be plugged into it to make the "sounds" even more noticeable. And tuning, that's just not in, any more. The expense of the guitar doesn't matter either, whether or not it has a true and accurate neck or not. After all they can have "sparkly glitter" all over it, or it can be cut creatively in a Swastika, an arrow or any other shape the player's mind might enjoy.
For the personality that prefers not to wash or have haircuts, it's a great excuse since so many of them (by no means not ALL!) have this crusty look and it's called "being a musician". And of course, when Asleep at the Wheel sings his "I'm HIGH" tune, the moran wanna-be standard guitar player sees how he too can apply this tremendous musical/visual asset to his vast collection of stage anntics. He can run wildly and jump back and forth across the stage any number of times, jumping atop amps, pianos, sliding across the floor, doing the splits, the moon walk and any other fancy footwork that comes to their mind. So little time has to be devoted to learning how to truly play the guitar, like Grady Martin, Hank Garland, Chet Atkins, or any number of other fabulous guitar players in other fields, jazz, blues, etc., etc. Like many exhibit, they can play louder than anyone on the bandstand, they can play every measure of every tune, walk all over the other musicians and EVEN the vocalist!
Comparing most of us SERIOUS steel guitar pickers with today's lot of standard guitar pickers.........we really are a drab bunch of musicians. No sparkle! No clash! No political statements! No SEX appeal! Many of us sound so much like somebody else, there is little personal identity associated with any us, and of course, many of us, "look down" all the time and seldom SMILE.
I'm afraid that what so many of us worked a lifetime to achive today, no longer has any meaning....or appreciation....particularly if our experience goes back beyond those cherrished days of the 1980-1990's. We just can't cut it in this modern, no talent world. Oh yes, we are capable of causing ears to bleed, noses to run and eyes to pop out with our 1,000 watts of unthrottled electrical output, but WE..........HAVE CLASS. I wouldn't change it for nothing. Perhaps if a few of you serious steelers would be willing to jump up and toss your $3,000 to $6,000 multi-pedal steel out into the audience or bash it over some banjo or tamberine players head, or possibly slosh your bare feet in a bucket of water while picking your steel just to have an electrical experience.....we could start a wave of new entertainment "highs". Maybe just jumping up and kicking your pack-seat backwards into the shins of whomever might have the misfortune of standing behind you at the moment could get this new move a rolling.
We could reinvent professional musicianship. Talent and years of practice just aren't required if your one of todays'
up and coming standard guitar pickers. They have become so obnoxious, that I'm beginning to think I could learn to like an amplified ROCK drummer that either rushes or drags, a baton twirler with both ends on fire or tri-angle player.
Thanks guys! I feel better now. (My most sincere apologies! Any resemblance to persons living, dead or about to be, is purely a figment of my imagination)

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 16 Aug 2003 9:08 am

WOW! What a tremendous reply Ray!!! You sure hit it hard.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 16 Aug 2003 9:32 am

This topic really belongs in Music rather than No Peddlers, so I'm moving it over there.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 16 Aug 2003 12:12 pm

"Why do you think the steel lost it,s popularity?"

Jack, This is a common misconception...

The reality is...
Steel is featured in more contexts now then at any other time in history.

Bands of all types are using pedal and non-pedal steel as part of "their sound".

Movie Soundtracks, T.V. Commercials, Music Videos, Cartoons, ect... are full of Steel Guitar... and the Steel even makes appearances in bands featured on Late Night Talk Shows, Saturday Night Live, etc.

Steel Guitar Conventions are scheduled all over the U.S., not to mention England, Europe, Japan, Australia, ect...

What Happened?...
The folks that didn't seek further than FM Top 40 Country radio missed out on a whole bunch of great steelin' during the 70's, 80's, 90's, etc...!

Heck... You can even hear a ton of Steel Guitar on todays FM Top 40 Country stations and CMT videos if'n ya can stomach the rediculum that surrounds it!

Many of us here on this Forum played steel regularly throughout the 70's 80's and 90's without missing a lick.

My guess is that any and every steel player who wants to gig, can find a gig (of course, as the song goes... Keep Your Daaaaay Job!).

Jesse Pearson · Post by **Jesse Pearson** » 16 Aug 2003 12:44 pm

Just the other day I saw 2 T.V.commercials almost back to back with great Hawaiian steel in one and pedal in the other.

Roy Ayres · Post by **Roy Ayres** » 16 Aug 2003 2:31 pm

Go, Ray, Go!

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 16 Aug 2003 3:25 pm

Ray, my Forum Brother, I hope you feel better after that post.

I respectfully disagree. The poor musicianship that you describe does exsist, and some have even profited greatly from it. But there are a lot of great guitarists too.

As far as steel, it's much more alive now than it was in the "Nashville Sound" days of the 70s and 80s. Sure there was great Steel then, but much of the music was uptown string and vocal arrangements.

You hear a lot more Steel today, and there's great young players in rock and country. Steel shows have never been more popular. Heck even Lloyd just released a CD.

The music biz in general is suffering, due to self-inflicted injuries. Good music will survive. Things go in cycles.

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 16 Aug 2003 7:51 pm

THANKS Joey; You said it much nicer than I was about to.

Aloha,
DT~

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 17 Aug 2003 2:02 am

burp...

I'll have another please..

EJL

Tom Callahan · Post by **Tom Callahan** » 17 Aug 2003 4:00 am

Granted that in today's market their are a lot of great pickers in all fields, but alas
none can give you that tingle you get when an old master on the pedal steel kicks in and it automatically make you pull mama a little closer on the dance floor.
That is why I purchased a pedal steel and am working my backside off to learn. I sometime think that steel players never fully realize how many people come just to hear them play.
My daughter who is a an club president for a certain piano player finally heard Herb Wallace play and the look on her face was amazement. God I love it when you can help educate the younger generation.
I'd drive 500 miles to hear a good steel player but wouldn't walk across the road to hear a pretty boy sing.[This message was edited by Tom Callahan on 17 August 2003 at 05:01 AM.]

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 17 Aug 2003 4:21 am

Part of the issue is that bands like Alabama and the record company execs discovered more cash and higher sales as a cross over band..but not with that dang Country twang Steel guitar thing..

There is no way possible that a CD with a Steel would have been labled anything other than a Country twang record.

Thank you Alabama..

Now on the other side I fully agree that there is plenty of steel going on today..

With the band I am with I try my best to play the licks that are on the record..or at least close..these are the licks that folks hear on the radio, and they should be the licks they hear live as well..That does not mean we don't get to stretch..but the signature licks are part of the song, just like the lyrics..

happy sunday

tp[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 17 August 2003 at 05:29 AM.]

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 17 Aug 2003 7:26 am

Tony, AMEN!

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

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Aug 2003 9:21 am

Yes, we hear more steel today...but the players are doing much less. It's most all "fluff". When's the last time you heard a really great steel intro on a top-10 country single?

Well????

I'm waiting!!!

Still waiting...

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 17 Aug 2003 9:37 am

Paul Franklin on Terry Clarks "I just wanna be mad for awhile.."

Sounds simple 'tll you try to play it..

Many of Brad Paisleys tunes ..

I like 'em all..

tp

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 17 Aug 2003 9:39 am

Donny, my point is this...
If you are listening to (i.e. "supporting") Top 40 Country, you are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
We shouldn't confuse the fact that steel is more prevalent today than any other time in history, with, "The Heyday of Steel Guitar".
If you want to hear really great steel intros, you need to buy (i.e. "support") The Derailers, Dale Watson, and the slew of others who are trying to put "The Music" before "The Suit".

FWIW, every Alabama song I ever played on a bandstand in the 80's had steel on it!

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 17 Aug 2003 10:09 am

Did JD Walters ever put his fine steel instrumentals that were introduced here on this Forum on a commerecial CD?

Nearly all tunes are richly performed and lack any of that old "TWANG" we hear about.
The tunes are mostly pop and are a great listening experience. This man's work should be played on every AM/FM radio station in the country. COUNTRY sure can't claim him as its own.

What a Steel Guitar player. Has all of those magic ingrediants that make it a listening experience and pleasure.......and yet none of the lame, tired, repetitive stuff from the past.

Oooops! He does include Remington Ride but the rest is really fine music that anyone can really enjoy.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 17 Aug 2003 3:05 pm

Paul Franklin on Terry Clarks "I just wanna be mad for awhile.."

Please advise minutes:seconds where the steel guitar is. The lyric is unlistenable.

Jack Therrell · Post by **Jack Therrell** » 18 Aug 2003 9:54 am

I read with interest all of the replies to my question as to what happened with steel. I realize that is a little steel played on a lot of recordings. But to me, that is the problem, it is such a little amount that if you have ever played you recognize a few selected chords. What I like is a steel intro and then some steel in the middle. Oh well, I know it is folly to think in our musical climate we could have that again. O h yeah before i forget Ray, I think we see things alike where some so-call guitarists are concerned. Jack

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 18 Aug 2003 10:37 am

No sex appeal! No sex appeal? Ray, what in God's creation do you mean, NO SEX APPEAL?

The statement is simply not credible. Is it guys?

Ron