Unexpected Pedal Steel Guitar

John Larson · From: Pennsyltucky, USA

Forgive me if this topic has been discussed before.

What are in your opinion some very unusual uses of pedal steel outside of country/folk/americana or country-rock?

Greg Leisz on several tracks of Daft Punk's final album Random Access Memories is up there for me. It's a fantastic album, essentially a love letter to the history of dance music from disco to modern electronica. The attention to production detail puts it up there with things like Steely Dan's Aja in terms of amazing audio fidelity. So something with a wide frequency response like PSG absolutely shines especially on Japanese bonus track "Horizon" which in my opinion is nothing short of a masterpiece. The way Greg's steel sits with the myriad of keyboards and synthesized textures is superb. Daft Punk utilized the PSG due to its ability to bridge the gab between acoustic and electronic instruments.
"Give Life Back to Music"
"The Game of Love"
"Giorgio By Moroder"
"Beyond"
"Motherbaord"
"Fragments of Time"
"Horizon"

This one is probably familiar to most who are familiar with left-field pedal steel playing. Daniel Lanois on Brian Eno's Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks. Another album where a mix of synthesizers and pedal steel creates a great soundscape. According to Eno the inspiration for these country-esque ambient pieces was the fact that the astronauts going up into space were allowed to take a limit amount of music to listen to and all brought Country & Western.
"Silver Morning"
"Deep Blue Day"
"Weightless"

The KLF's Chill Out has pedal steel sprinkled throughout their 1990 ambient masterwork played by Graham Lee. Sadly due to the myriad of samples used on this album it will probably never be reissued in its original form. There is this recent remix with the illegal samples removed.

I mentioned Steely Dan earlier in the post so it would apropos to give recodnition to Skunk Baxter's steel work on their early albums. Using wah guitar to imitate trumpet and steel to imitate trombone on the cover of Duke Ellington's "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" is genius.
"Dallas"
"Fire in the Hole"
"Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)"
"Pearl of the Quarter"
"East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"

Here's a real left field one. German-American electro-industrial pioneers KMFDM had Mark Durante on guitars for a few albums in the 90s. The band has always had quite the disparate mix of instruments and sounds not usualy heard in electro-industrial. Female backing/lead vocals, and things like Hammond organ on a few songs. Apparently Durante got really into western swing and country during his time in KMFDM. Most of the steel on albums like Nihil and Xtort is pretty indistinguishable from its usual idiomatic sound due to being slides covered in sheets of distortion. Here's a western swing esque bit in the remix of "Brute" from the Nihil album. "Inane" has a steel bit after the guitar solo.
"Brute (Punch Mix)"
"Inane"

Speaking of industrial in the video for Ministry's "Jesus Build my Hotrod" band leader Al Jourgensen is monkeying about on an Emmons pedal steel miming the slide parts in the song.

What are some songs you've heard that you wouldn't have expected to find steel guitar in?
_________________
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

I've heard pedal steel on one of R&B singer Toni Braxton's songs called "If I Have To Wait". Paul Franklin played steel on it. When I listened to the song, I wondered if Toni Braxton is a fan of the pedal steel guitar. The steel in the song is awesome!

John Larson · From: Pennsyltucky, USA

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

I think the pedal steel can fit into just about any kind of music, and I've done some of that type of playing myself ("off the wall", non traditional). Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lot of demand for it.

Johnny Cox · Posted 24 Feb 2024 3:16 pm

Steel Guitar works in every style of music with the right player. Every musician has styles they like and understand no matter the instrument they play. Maurice Anderson was a great steel player. His forte was jazz and western swing. Lloyd Green is a great steel player his forte being traditional country. The instrument isn't limited, only the player and attitudes of other musicians, singers and producers limit steel. Myself, I don't care for rock, rap, punk, you get the idea, so that limits me as to the styles I can or desire to play. But my attitude for others is "go for it" to any player who wants to venture into other styles. The instrument is ready and willing.
_________________
Johnny "Dumplin" Cox
"YANKIN' STRINGS & STOMPIN' PEDALS" since 1967.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

On "If I Have To Wait", Paul plays a note before Toni starts singing the first verse where it sounds like he's chiming and sliding the bar on one of the high strings on the steel. He's also heard playing a part in the chorus after the second line in the chorus. The pedal steel sounds awesome with Toni's voice! Also, the country band Blackhawk features Paul Franklin on their fourth record, The Sky's The Limit", which was released in 1998. He's heard on several songs on the record, including one song featuring Blackhawk keyboardist Dave Robbins called "Always Have, Always Will", and another one featuring former Blackhawk guitarist Van Stephenson called "Think Again", and there are other songs the steel is heard on the record while lead singer Henry Paul is singing and playing guitar and mandolin

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

You might be interested in some of the stuff being done by Forum members Gary Peters, Chris Templeton, Mathew Jut, Christopher Woitach, Susan Alcorn, and others posting over in the Steel On The Web section.

Interesting that you mention Steely Dan’s “Dallas”. I knew Fagen and Co. had written the song, but I only ever knew the Poco version because they released it on an album a few years before Steely Dan did. I think Poco did it a little funkier than the original, and though I could do without the strings, they were arranged tastefully and still allow for those amazing vocals and Rusty Young’s steel fills and solo to cut through.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kSNgR6WESkA

I would hesitate to call “Dallas” something other than a pretty straight ahead Americana country-rocker, though. SD certainly would not have lost many customers if they had stuck to that direction.

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