The Steel Break that gets you every time.

[Joel Day]

There are two that get me every time. Dan Dugmore’s solo on Linda’s Blue Bayou, and John Hughey on Vince Gill’s Look at Us.

I can vividly remember the year 1978 that I started playing as a 9th grader, and that summer practicing 6-8 hours a day between drivers Ed and working at lumber yard, trying to learn the break on Blue Bayou. Lol Still love it to this day...

[Stu Schulman]

What absolutely kills me is that four measure turnaround that Tom Brumley plays in "Garden Party!

[Dennis Lee]

Joe Goldmark's "You Are Everything" when he ties it up and melts down the guitar!

[Rick Barnhart]

Be honest now...how many of you turn up the volume to when CSN’s “Teach Your Children” comes on? I do. Jerry basically does his solo through the whole song, haha 😂

[Jerry Overstreet]

I'm envious of you guys that can pick one. I couldn't do that. There are just simply too many. I may love them all for different reasons too. Blistering fast, amazing rolls, threaded phrases or the most beautiful simple tone dripping ballad melody work. Then there are the edgy crunchy things.

I do not pigeon hole the instrument in any way and appreciate all the great steel guitar work in all styles.

[Frank Raines]

What Jerry Said
I was gonna go back and change how I worded my post, I feel the same as you, everyone that's been posted are GREAT, even the ones that will be posted after this will be great. I don`t feel ya can just name one, that's why we love the steel. I guess with me, Gram and Neil it was just my time in life, at the time, I go back to the 60`s with Sneaky Pete on steel with Gram, guess a lot of it had to with Gram Parsons music esp. Hickory Wind/New Soft Shoe the steel fit so good with the song

[Jerry Overstreet]

I hear you Frank. I have some of the same memories and influences early on that you quote there.

[Gary Spaeth]

tom with buck in the first album with the new zb. if you want a love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj4Cm2Q9qCQ

[Dave Mudgett]

Yeah, I can't pick just one either, and I don't disagree with anything said so far. But I'm amazed nobody has specifically stated Buddy Emmons on Judy Collins' Someday Soon as their favorite. Absolute mastery of everything I love about pedal steel guitar.

[Tommy Allison]

Everything John Hughey ever played and several more I just can't think of right now.

[Walter Stettner]

Me too. Every time I am somewhere and hear a steel solo on radio or somewhere else, it takes me. Of course we all have our favorites but I have found myself several times interrupting a talk with someone when I hear steel playing...

Kind Regards, Walter

[Tim Herman]

Alec Davis track called "The Cowboy Kind" Buck Reid at the steel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7ob24HKU-A

[Gaylen James]

Pride of Cucamonga
My favorite Grateful Dead tune from the first time I heard it.
The B & C pedal walk downs drove me crazy.
Jerry pretty much plays throughout like "teach your children"

[Douglas Schuch]

I've listed this before (in a best country song ever), in part because it is so ground-breaking and genre-defying - Buddy Emmons on "Nightlife". I can play it without butchering it too badly (but with a few half rests that are not in the original!) and even my poor attempt at it moves me. Jazz, country, blues - all rolled into one. Any and all versions with Buddy on it are IMO the best for steel. However, my favorite vocal version is the one with T Graham Brown with Mike Johnson on steel on the Country Family Reunion. He just captures the bluesy sound that I think matches the song the best.

[Rich Upright]

Neil Flanz' solo on Gram Parsons LIVE radio broadcast version of "The New Soft Shoe" is to die for.

Pretty much anything by Dicky Overbey

Buddy Cage's solo on The New Rider's "Panama Red".

[GaryL]

Jaydee Maness with the Desert Rose Band: Living In the House (She Grew Up In.)

[Steve Becker]

Gotta love the killer solo Rusty Young plays on Bad Weather, and the ride he takes at the end of Crazy Eyes, both by POCO. So fluid and tasteful!

[Joachim Kettner]

Pride of Cucamonga
My favorite Grateful Dead tune from the first time I heard it.
The B & C pedal walk downs drove me crazy.
Jerry pretty much plays throughout like "teach your children"

Gaylon it was John McFee playing the nice steel parts.

[Pete Burak]

Pride of Cucamonga
My favorite Grateful Dead tune from the first time I heard it.
The B & C pedal walk downs drove me crazy.
Jerry pretty much plays throughout like "teach your children"

I love Pride Of Cucamonga, too.
Very fun to play, but hard to teach to the rest of the band in my experience, Uugh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFSnOZy955U

[Godfrey Arthur]

Alec Davis track called "The Cowboy Kind" Buck Reid at the steel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7ob24HKU-A

That was satisfying!


I like Dugmore's solo on McGraw's Better Than I Used to Be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXSH4Y6HAk8

15 seconds of simple magic, darrel darrel...

[Dave Grothusen]

Although probably not the best but it does get me every time. That would be the steel break in "On Second Thought" by Eddie Rabbit. I do not know who played it but it is really catchy.

[Edward Rhea]

Steve Earl’s “Little Rock n’ Roller”...it’s either Franklin, Pahl, or Baxter...not sure who’s playing it, but I never heard anything like it before!?!

[Randy Schneider]

Although probably not the best but it does get me every time. That would be the steel break in "On Second Thought" by Eddie Rabbit. I do not know who played it but it is really catchy.

Dave,

I was curious, too...

According to both Wikipedia and AllMusic (not definitive sources, necessarily!), the steel player on Eddie's "Beatin' The Odds" album was Sonny Garrish.

Thanks for pointing out that tune.

rds

[Bill Moran]

Buddy Emmons on George Straits Adalida

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF5GVedC1TU

[Ken Byng]

Just about anything Mike Johnson has played on. I always loved his solo on Me Neither by Brad Paisley.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOs6W8nfXj4

Lloyd Green's 1969 solo break on Anthony Armstrong Jones' 1969 cut of Proud Mary. Lloyd's modulation run is nothing short of sensational for a 50 year old performance! In terms of playing, it still stands up today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSTqNvfJmqs