Pedal Steel # 2-Not Your Average Country Steel
This ain't no honky tonk, this ain't no disco, I am fooling around
It’s a chilly evening here in Cockatoo, Victoria and I am warming the house up with the smooth sounds of my favourite instrument.
Pedal steel is linked heavily to country and western and honky tonk music. Most of the country and cosmic cowboy bands I love have a steel player.
With Bruce Kaplan, Barry Walker Jr., Daniel Lanois, Will Van Horn, and the others here you will not find yourself doing the two-step or boot-scootin’.
Many of these songs are very atmospheric and you should discover something a little bit different.
I was going to have Buddy Cage play with Bill Kirchen at the infamous Rodeo Bar Party of 2005. Buddy wanted 1500 dollars plus travel expenses. The Bar was in NYC and Buddy resided there. I love his playing but Bill Kirchen lined up a steel player for a few hundred bucks. I do believe Buddy misunderstood and thought the party was in Australia. RIP Buddy.
I have thrown in a bit of cosmic country with the New Riders of The Purple Sage, some psychedelic flavoured steel with Jerry Garcia playing with Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, and David Freiberg.
The track, “Your Mind Has Left Your Body’ is from an album not many people heard. Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun was recorded in 1973 as a side project from these members of the Jefferson Airplane. It’s a funny old album that you may want to check out as besides those musicians you also have David Crosby, The Pointer Sisters, Craig Chaquico, Mickey Hart, Jack Casady, Jorma Kaukonen, and some others.
Fifty years on I am not sure if the entire album has stood the test of time but give it a listen if you enjoy any of those players. You might find something you like. You might have to take some of the brown acid to really understand.
Please put your feet up and discover some pedal steel sounds that are a bit out of the ordinary. The cover of The Kinks, Tired Of Waiting For You, by Bill Frisell and with the outstanding Greg Leisz is a sweet take on a banger of a song.
