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Topic: Eric Heywood with the Pretenders on PBS. |
Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 12 Aug 2010 11:46 pm |
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PBS is currently showing Chrissy Hynde and The Pretenders Live in London this month. The band's lineup now includes Eric Heywood on steel.
Kudos to Ms. Hynde for changing the bands instrumentation to include a pedal steel guitar and exposing her fan base to our instrument. How many other inductees to the rock and roll hall of fame have done that?
Eric and his Williams SD-12 are highly visible throughout the show, The camera operators did a great job of showing him and his steel, including lots of close ups and overhead shots so you can see his hands as he plays. There must be countless fans of the band who watched or will watch the show who are seeing a pedal steel guitar for the first time.
Unfortunately the sound crew didn't do as good a job as the camera crew. Eric is pretty much buried in the mix.
Even so, for a major league rock band to change it's lineup and include a steel, is a major step forward.
I've always said that the steel is not a country instrument, it's a musical instrument, capable of playing many different styles and in many different genres. Eric, and Ms. Hynde are not just confirming that, but doing so in front of her millions of fans.
_________________
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http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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John Neff
From:
Athens, GA
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Posted 13 Aug 2010 1:53 am
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| I agree that Eric did a GREAT job, and kudos to CH for featuring him. I actually thought the 2 six strings were way low in the mix for a change. Having already been an Eric Heywood, and a Pretenders fan, it was everything I had hoped it would be and more. |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 13 Aug 2010 6:40 am
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Mike I so aggrea with you that the steel is not just a country instrument.
As much as I love its' classic role in traditional country music I also love to hear/play it in jazz, rock, blues, polkas, you name it.
Indeed it is making it slowly into other pop music latelty.
One of the bands I'm currently playing PSG with is a moetown/blues band. It's a challenge to work the copedent into that genre. I try to emulate horn sections or use a leslie effect etc, and basically avoid the major 3rd.
Robert Randolph's copedent is quite different to address the genre he plays. I think he's a pioneer if not for that reason alone. (BTW - I'm no Robert Randolph) |
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Rick Winfield
From:
Pickin' beneath the Palmettos
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Posted 14 Aug 2010 4:04 am Rock steel
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John Bon Jovi,did a concert in Newark NJ, with a PSG man. Gretchen Wilson opened, (of course with a PSG player)
Exposure is slowly expnding into new territory.
Enigma:
some "new country" seems to be phasing it out, while some "new rock" enjoys its introduction.
Rick |
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