Best Pedal Steels In Rock

[@bluefieldlex643]

Nice. Love the Pedal Steel and Sneaky Pete. Christine's Tune was my first Flying Burrito Brothers song. Been hooked ever since. Would like to mention Bobby Black from Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen - Country Casanova (song and album). Also "Skunk" on Steely Dan - Pearl of the Quarter. Great Channel, Thanks!

[@courtwilliams8489]

The vibrato, the blocking and subtle pedal work, you are by orders of magnitude the finest air steel player working today. This is what first call looks like.

[@francapitanelli9775]

My man!

[@ronniecapitanelli3729]

So Great Fran ..! Grateful Dead Stuff, Little Feat, Flying Burrito Brothers .! All Top Notch Pedal Steel Tracks. But Also One Of My Favorite’s Would Be a Song Titled: Panama Red💨 N.R.P.S.🌵

[@davehopping7212]

Yup. Buddy Cage could just plain shred. Another honorable mention should go to Pure Prairie League's John David Call.

[@davestagner]

As a steel player myself, Jerry got me into it in a lot of ways, but Buddy Cage with NRPS is one of my heroes. His shreddy speed is something I try to imitate (badly).

[@superorangeish]

Sneaky on Fl. Macs Come a little bit closer is mind boggling along w/ Christines warm sultry voice.Unreal

[@ChrisHludzik]

Another Sneaky Pete moment is on the song “Turn Around” from the original mix of Billy Joel’s debut solo album Cold Spring Harbor. I will also second what other people have mentioned regarding Steve Howe. His pedal steel work on the Yes album “Drama” is transcendent. And Skunk on those early Dan albums is awesome as well.

[@alexanderednie1205]

Jerry’s steel into inThe Wheel is one of his most beautiful lines he ever played

[@ivanochoa731]

Allways love the sound of the Marshall Tucker Band pedal steel sound remember the song desert skies love that sound...thanks Fran love your content!!

[@BlakeHouse-j3u]

Toy Caldwell

[@Birdtrane2]

Al Perkins (Manassas) Pete Drake (All Things Must Pass)

[@sass3676]

For sneaky Pete, the Frank Zappa song “it just might be a one-shot deal” is such a fantastic piece of music.

[@drjohnosterman9681]

Steve Howe on You and I is masterful

[@ronniecapitanelli3729]

AND his wicked cool pedal steel lick on the “LIVE” version of Siberian Khatru from YESSONGS * Good Stuff Dr. John ..!

[@chrisbr1969]

This was great! I actually like a lot of these with the pedal steel jacked up!

[@dbuschman1]

poco dedicated pedal steel rusty young totally kicked ass espescially live and I saw em many times many decades ago.

[@francapitanelli9775]

I’ll have to check him out 👊

[@dbuschman1]

best guitar face dancing ever by Fran along with Sneaky Pete on Little Feat I couldn't stop laughing but the expressions are puuuurrrrrrfect - f__k macho guitar face, this eclipses all guitar faces! Rock on Fran you da BEST!

[@jtsrecordroom3963]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video ! I'm on a New Rider's kick lately.. Buddy Cage was awesome. and I do like Sneaky Pete's steel work on The Blue Album" .. the 3rd Burrito Bros. album with Rick Roberts. You showed great examples, and there are too many outstanding steel players to mention in a short time. I was with ( guitar ) Gene Clark's son Kai in our band, although we were straight forward rock in the 90s. Regards. JT

[@IKIDIF]

And you and I by YES! Steve Howe is so underrated

[@elizabethdemchuk83]

I have to add that I’ve never been into Little Feat, but your video is definitely starting changing my mind on that.

[@BljarrLjewis]

I always thought Sneaky Pete brought smokin' Telecaster lines to the pedal steel, kinda a Clarence White thing in reverse haha I also love Rusty Young from Poco, love his Hammond-aping and ripping solo on the track "Anyway, Bye Bye (You can also hear the sound Timmy Schmidt maybe brought over to the Eagles 😋)

[@loststylus7641]

If you ever did a part two I would love to see the inclusion of Skunk Baxter from Steely Dan! Pearl of the Quarter and Brooklyn Owes the Charmer have some of my favorite solos on pedal steel

[@perlehmann3336]

Buddy Emmons on Roger Mcguinn's "Bag full of money"

[@glenhenning9261]

And for boomers like me who could never quite pull off the beautiful parts in "Crimson and clover" {Tommy James and the Shondells"} on guitar- well, must have been done on pedal steel!

[@MrLarry4956]

Need to add Greg Leitz to the west coast sound of the pedal steel

[@michaelrogers9809]

Such good stuff!

[@samblethen]

I have tons of Dead and Garcia boots that have Jerry's best pedal steel stuff

[@Sjavik]

Tank’s Fran. A seldom topic to stumble upon 😊 You’re probably aware, but then listen again on the faboulus tasty pedal steel work from Jeff «Skunk» Baxter on the early Steely Dan tracs; «Fire in the hole» and «Razor boy». Such a trip 👍

[@elizabethdemchuk83]

I always think of, “At This Moment,” by Billy Vera and The Beaters. Not sure if Skunk Baxter played on it, but I’ve loved that song since I first heard it on Family Ties, lol.

[@JimMorrisonsBathtub]

Two of my favorite pedal steel performances in rock songs come from The James Gang: There I Go Again played by Rusty Young in a guest performance and Dreamin' In The Country played by Joe Walsh

[@felixsantana258]

Yeah Brotha!!! Much luv for the pedal steel!!! Hats Off to Ben Kieth who Neil Young leaned on heavily. Great find for Mr Young 😺

[@edfromchicago]

Thank you Fran!

[@markdimarziomusic]

This is really cool ! Thanks so much ! 😊👍

[@butchlauer]

So much fun!

[@josep.maria.b]

Cool video! Have always dug pedal steel in rock so loved it 🧡!! Pretty much agree with your selection, although I had not listened the Doobie Brothers theme, which I really liked :) If I had to suggest additions, top off my head I would go for the outro in Cowboy Junkies' "Sun comes up, it's Tuesday morning" (Edit: ok after rewatching the video, it's not a Dobbie Bros. theme but a GD one)

[@frednjanice7018]

Hi Fran excellent compilation you started and I would like to add Joni Mitchell's "California" to the list along with Jackson Browne's "Takin it easy" and the smooth flow of that song into "Lady of the well" by Sneaky Pete. Pete Kleinow is undoubtedly the father of the "California Sound" when it comes to Pedal Steel. Last but not least let's mention Pete's long solo in Frank Zappa's song "It Just Might Be a One Shot Deal". Buddy Emmons of Emmons Pedal Steel Guitars himself said Sneeky Pete is the best he's ever heard, and he's heard a lot...

[@Mrmustard1380]

Many steel players (including myself) would say Buddy Emmons is the best pedal steel player of all time. Pete was a great player, but he was no Buddy Emmons

[@rscottmurray]

Buddy did name Sneaky Pete as one of his favorites, but not the best he ever heard. Sneaky was known primarily as a rock steel guitarist and he was certainly one of if not THE most in-demand of the L.A. studio guys, Emmons was up there too. but Ralph Mooney is really the godfather of the West Coast sound (primarily out of Bakersfield) and he was Capitol Records' number one guy for most of the 60s (recording with Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Wynn Stewart, etc) before joining up with Waylon Jennings in the 70s. Ralph influenced every steel player who came after him, especially all the other CA guys like Norm Hamlet, Tom Brumley, Jay Dee Maness, Bobby Black, Leo LeBlanc, Rusty Young, Al Perkins, Buddy Cage, Jerry Garcia, Jeff Baxter and the list goes on. Ralph influenced Sneaky Pete too, but Pete was an original in many ways. his tone, tuning, steel bar, and effects were unique to him

[@outoftheirskulls5676]

Bobby Black. Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen.

[@steveberthel7685]

Just a correction...Jerry Garcia didn't play on Sweethearts of the Rodeo. That was Lloyd Green and JD Maness. Do an episode about Rusty Young and Poco!!

[@timmychriss]

Hey Fran love your show, Steve Howe Goin for the one?

[@ronniecapitanelli3729]

Hey Tim * How’bout Steve Howe on the “LIVE” version of Siberian Khatru from YESSONGS 😌👍🏻

[@saintbrando]

Great video pal! I’ve been calling you Frank. Sorry about that, seeing that your name is really Fran. Cheers 🍻

[@michaelmohrle1773]

You forgot to mention Jerry Garcia with New Riders of the Purple Sage !! All he did was play pedal steel in the group that he was also a co founder of from 1968-71.

[@antonimarques5687]

Budy cage NRPS is the best!!!

[@ethanschoof4953]

Great video man, can I ask how you were able to bring the steel parts out more in the audio? Would love to be able to do that when I practice

[@SusanPfeiff]

You've missed some high points: tracks by Buddy Emmons, Rusty Young, Paul Franklin, Bruce Bouton & Jeff Baxter. These players evidence accomplishment & good taste. Keep listening. Musically, SP.

[@kiron6753]

this is awesome, really curious how you isolated the steel?

[@fredericmorterol8059]

Nice job! How about Toy Cladwell on see you later I'm gone, You ain't fooling me, Keeps me from all wrong and Walking the streets alone.

[@jefffisher1297]

Bobby Black, of Commander Cody...

[@gxtmfa]

I appreciate Jerry’s work on the instrument, but as a pedal steel player, it was kind of disappointing realizing how incredibly limited he was on the instrument. He was my gateway to better musicians though, and I’ve become obsessed with Pete kleinow’s style of accompaniment

[@Mrmustard1380]

You think Jerry was "incredibly limited", on pedal steel? Please elaborate. Fwiw, PS was not his primary instrument and he only played it for about three years, and the recordings he played on in those years are classics because of his PS playing. The only disappointing thing about him on PS, is that he didn't keep going with it.

[@gxtmfa]

@@Mrmustard1380I understand as a PSG player myself that he had an imposing physical limitation to deal with in the lack of a right middle finger (probably one of the most important fingers for PSG picking/ pick blocking). And beyond that, I do respect his musicianship. But he really just slams the A and B pedals down to go from the I to IV a lot, and he never really got good with the other knee levers or B and C pedals being used together. He’s kind of the PSG equivalent of a guitar player who shreds minor pentatonics. I’m very open to being proven wrong. Maybe there’s footage of him doing some crazy runs at a NRotPS concert. But Jerry was the first to admit the instrument was one he wasn’t as proficient as he wished on. The man is part of the reason I started PSG (“Teach your children” is my favorite song), but Pete Kleinow was exploring new possibilities on the instrument at the same time as Jerry. That’s not to mention legends like Buddy Emmons, Paul Franklin, and Lloyd Green who really contextualize how much room there was for Jerry to grow.

[@andrewburnes2158]

Osmium is my dang jam.

[@mkp108]

NRPS’s Dead Flowers is better than the Stones version. Jerry’s divine Pedal Steel on Dark Hollow !

[@superorangeish]

The music is too loud..its hard to hear what you are saying

[@bpg921gg2]

Check out Rusty Young of Poco especially their 2nd album and delivrin. No that's not a Hammond B3!

[@francapitanelli9775]

Right on.