The Steel Ride that Got You Hooked

[Terry Winter]

Together again for sure. Toms playing just somehow inspired me to really look into this monster.

[J R Rose]

Herb, I am with you but the real one for me is "Together Again"
What feeling and soul that has. Of course their are many others that caught my attention but that one is the one. J.R. Rose

[Bill McCloskey]

Perhaps I'm unique but for me, interest in the instrument came before interest in the players. I still am like that. I walked into Mandolin Brothers and saw a National Tricone. I bought it. Then I started looking for players and getting interested in the historical repertoire. A while later I walked into Mandolin Brothers and bought a Beard MA6 because I'd never heard anything like that. Then I started listening to Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes and of course Mike A. When I got into lap steel, it was because of the instrument and I bought the first 12 String Superslide. Later I started learning the players. But later, I went into completely uncharted waters with the Alkire tuning, so there were no people to try and emulate, I was on my own.

And it has now been over 3 months since getting the pedal steel. I have listened to more pedal steel music in the last 3 months than my entire life before buying one. Now that I'm not playing Dobro (in fact I sold my dobros) i don't listen to dobro music anymore.

In fact I can only remember 2 times in my life where I felt I had to learn something: listening to songwriter Chris Smither fingerpick at the Main Point outside of philly when I was in high school over 50 years ago, and flat picking from Ramblin' Jack Elliot. The two of them defined my acoustic guitar style for the rest of my life.

[Clyde Mattocks]

I had been noodling for a while, but Moon on Under Your Spell Again blew me away. AM radio, driving my car. When he kicked into it, I knew he would blister the solo, so I almost ran in the ditch trying to find a place the reception was good.

[George McLellan]

Don Helms with Hank Sr.was who got me hooked around 1952..
Geo

[Greg Sander]

Jeff Peterson on Nothing’s News by Clint Black. It’s still the one that gets me every time.

[Mark van Allen]

Emmons magic on his cover of Wichita Lineman on the “Suite Steel” record. That sneaky reverse pedal move from G to G minor just gobsmacked me. I bought a Maverick and joined a band the same day.

[Tom Keller]

Buddy Emmons on Ray Prices Night Life

[Glenn Suchan]

I was deeply into post-war, urban (Chicago) blues when I caught the bug. I’d been fooling around with bottle-neck slide guitar when some pals of mine played a little country rock music for me. In particular, “Candyman” by the Grateful Dead, “Last Lonely Eagle”, by NRPS and “Grand Junction” from the live Poco album. Within two weeks I bought the first used (read that ‘cheap’) pedal steel I could lay my hands on - a Gibson “Electraharp” with a dobro style tone bar. . Thus began my sordid journey with this addictive instrument

Keep on pickin!
Glenn

[David Barnett]

Loving all of these replies, I’ve discovered some new songs I like. Keep em coming

[Frank Freniere]

The Jerry Garcia intro to “Teach Your Children” really caught my attention when I first heard it - and to this day my ear still lights up whenever I hear it.

[Chuck Lemasters]

Rusty Young’s fill behind the line, “Colorado mountains I can see your distant skies…it brings a tear of joy to my eyes” on Poco’s Good Feelin To Know….I heard that album before hearing Bad Weather….

[David Barnett]

Another one I thought was cool is Big Jim Vests trick of tuning the B string down like he did on Paychecks “Satin Sheets” and Verns “Set em Up Joe”, that’s such a unique lick.

[Bob Shilling]

Pete Drake. Nashville Skyline, All Things Must Pass, and ultimately, He Stopped Loving Her Today.

[Scott Jenkins]

Such a killer solo on Alan Jackson’s Remember When. Doesn’t anyone know who played that steel ride ?

[Jerry Overstreet]

Such a killer solo on Alan Jackson’s Remember When. Doesn’t anyone know who played that steel ride ?

Lloyd Green.... just beautiful...the man is hard to beat.

Great song, the way it modulates for the steel break then again afterwards. Terrific arrangement...kudos to whoever was in charge of that.

[Fred Treece]

Rusty Young’s fill behind the line, “Colorado mountains I can see your distant skies…it brings a tear of joy to my eyes” on Poco’s Good Feelin To Know….I heard that album before hearing Bad Weather….

I loved the way he could sneak in out of nowhere like that with the perfect lick and the perfect tone. That song, and that line in particular, would not have been the same without him.

[Bob Carlucci]

Rusty Young’s fill behind the line, “Colorado mountains I can see your distant skies…it brings a tear of joy to my eyes” on Poco’s Good Feelin To Know….I heard that album before hearing Bad Weather….

That is easily the most gorgeous 10 seconds or so of pedal steel guitar playing I have ever heard..Glad I am not the only one to think so.. honorable mention..

I would say that the steel work by Buddy Cage on The New Riders first live album Home Home on the Road was the catalyst that forced me to buy my first pedal steel guitar, a great shape, contact paper, no neck Maverick, for all of $250 used.. My wife bought it for me for my 22nd birthday, bless her dear heart.
I was beside myself with excitement and anticipation..
Started practicing 8-10 hours a day, and was in good local bands playing 5 times or more a week withing a few months..

There were SO many others of course. In those days the new Riders, PPL, Poco, early Eagles,Burritos,were my musical world, its all I cared about, but Cage's in your face, piercing, staccato playing on Henry and Hello Mary Lou on Home Home on the Road excited me, just pushed me over the edge, and i felt forced to somehow just go and get a pedal steel.. It HAD to be part of my life..

It wasn't too long after that, that I started to listen to the guys that Cage/Young/Call/Klienow/Garcia listened to, and I started to think "oh THATS where they got that stuff"...

Then Mooney, Brumley,Emmons,Green,Charlton etc became as important as the country rock players in my development, but for me, they were MUCH harder to emulate..

[David Spires]

Highway 40 Blues! Thank you Bruce!

Sincerely,

David Spires

[Marc Muller]

1st ears on a pedal steel was probably South City Midnight Lady Doobie Brothers. Of course, we were all kid guitar players just learning China Grove, then listened further on the album and was like, whoa what's that?

Then add some Dire Wolf and seeing New Riders live in 73 at Capitol Theater Passaic NJ and I ran home and borrowed someone's old Fender lap steel. Right around the time NRPS Home on the Range came out. A very exciting time for a kid musician.

Fast fwd and I'm doing a record with Skunk Baxter. He's playing guitar and I'm on steel. During rehearsals, in awe of him, I played his part on the Doobies song. He had no idea what I was playing. Ha.

[Robert Parent]

For me it was Weldon Myrick on 'Once A Day'..... I was all of 4 when I first heard it and things have never been the same since....

Robert

[James Woodall]

Sneaky Pete on Linda Rondstadt's version of "Willin'"

[Ian Worley]

[Michael Hartz]

Bruce’s ride on Skaggs “ You Got A Lover.” I was 14 at the time and went out and bought the “Highways and Heartaches” album and wore out my record player playing it. I was in love with his tone and his phrasing. A couple of years later he was playing with Mel Tillis at a farm progress show in Minnesota and I was there with my dad who worked for a large farm implement manufacturer. After the concert I walked up front to the stage to meet my hero Bruce Bouton. He couldn’t have been kinder to me. He even had me get up on the stage as he was starting to tear down and sit behind the ole black Emmons that Buddy used to own. I will never forget that experience. Steel guitar was definitely part of my DNA after that.

[David Barnett]

Bruce’s ride on Skaggs “ You Got A Lover.” I was 14 at the time and went out and bought the “Highways and Heartaches” album and wore out my record player playing it. I was in love with his tone and his phrasing. A couple of years later he was playing with Mel Tillis at a farm progress show in Minnesota and I was there with my dad who worked for a large farm implement manufacturer. After the concert I walked up front to the stage to meet my hero Bruce Bouton. He couldn’t have been kinder to me. He even had me get up on the stage as he was starting to tear down and sit behind the ole black Emmons that Buddy used to own. I will never forget that experience. Steel guitar was definitely part of my DNA after that.

That’s awesome! I ain’t never got to meet him, but I hope I get to someday. He’s my biggest influence. I’m mainly a bluegrass player, done banjo work for years. I went down to Nashville a few weeks ago to do a gig at the Station Inn with a friend of mine, and the whole time I kept hoping Bruce might walk in …….Brent Mason did, he came backstage and gave me a compliment, that was pretty cool.