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Topic: Are We Doing Much Better? |
Mac McKenzie
From:
Auckland, New Zealand * R.I.P.
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Posted 9 Apr 2009 3:17 am |
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| I have had another listen to Basil's line up of Sophisticated Hulas and have re-enforced my appreciated of the standard of playing. Have another listen to no.1, Bob Nicols, 3. Roland Peachey and 5. Harry Brooker (is my guess) and see if you can name players who have done better than the masters of some 60 years ago. To put it on a fair basis, no pedals, no multi-necks, (unless you are going to chord all the way through) and only six strings. Jerry comes to mind, his engineering of chords on his early records was exceptional. Joaquin Murphy, his speed and clarity is mind boggling. What Billy Hew Len did , considering his handicap, was truly amazing, but the finished product would not be much better than those we are comparing to. From this far away, that seems to be it. Any thoughts? |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 9 Apr 2009 6:54 am
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That's a hard question to answer, because the types of music being played today are totally different from that played 60 years ago.
I would say the physical mechanics of performance are the same, and there are many performers who play as well as those players you mentioned, but the steel guitar as an instrument has undergone so many changes that you can't really compare it. Nor can you fairly compare someone like Jerry Douglas or Cindy Cashdollar (to mention two contemporary steel guitarists) to Roland Peachey or Harry Brooker.
It's apples and oranges.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Gary Lynch
From:
Creston, California, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2009 7:05 am
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Brad is right.
As soon as we start to say one is better, or only one does it right, etc.,we do a disservice to music and musicians, and even instrument builders. |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2009 9:29 am It's an easy answer for me...
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How many steelers of today do you listen to regularly for sheer musical enjoyment and/or study, compared to those from the golden ages?
I might be able to list 10 current steelers, whereas the list of pre & post WW2 era greats is quite long. Add to that the lesser knowns from the past and the list is so long that there is no question. |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 9 Apr 2009 6:59 pm
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Mac, to pit the steelers of the past against the steelers of the present is just irrelevant.
Like Brad says, it's apples and oranges.
The many great players of the past gave us our roots and formed the basis of steel playing.
They are always a joy to listen to - and there's always more to learn, and inspiration to be drawn from them.
In that sense, they are still in the present - still with us as much as they ever were.
And the many wonderful steel players that are working today, still growing and evolving - are a precious resource to us all.
For the most part, they build on the roots of tradition and do their best to take it further - to progress and keep it fun and exciting.
If it weren't for them - and for aspiring new players, steel playing would eventually become just a footnote in history.
Perhaps a more apt analogy would be to say that it's like comparing the roots of a great tree to its branches and leaves.
Who would even think to make that comparison?
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BIG STEEL |
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Mac McKenzie
From:
Auckland, New Zealand * R.I.P.
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Posted 9 Apr 2009 11:54 pm
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| It was just a thought, "Are we doing much better?" Rick, you say " they build on the roots of tradition and do their best to take it further." We can do as well as the pathfinders by listening to what they do and finding out how they did it by copying, but in my view, Jerry and Joaquin " took it further" and I was wondering if there were others that could be mentioned because of their playing ability and technique or style would give the oldies a run for their money. Just a thought. |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2009 8:51 am
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"What Billy Hew Len did, considering his handicap, was truly amazing, ..."
I know you didn't mean anything by that. But if I had mentioned Billy Hew Len's handicap at all, I would have said ESPECIALLY considering his handicap. I consider him one of the 5 or 6 best ever of the without pedals players.
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Amor vincit omnia |
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