Prog songs that feature pedal steel guitar

[StevegSr]

Aside from Yes and Floyd songs, what other prog band's songs feature pedal steel guitar?

[GuitarGeek]

Just for the record, Pink Floyd doesn't have any pedal steel on their records, just lap steel.

I dunno if it qualifies as "prog" but Uriah Heep used pedal steel on a song called Tales, from The Magician's Birthday album. It was played by session player BJ Cole. That's the only thing I can think of that loosely falls into the "prog" category, if we discount the Steve Howe related examples.

Edit: Barry Cleveland had a pedal steel player when he played at ProgDay in 2010.

And I don't know if they count as "prog", but the Canadian band Red Rider had a pedal steel player too. I certainly think a song like Lunatic Fringe kinda sorta could be called "prog".

[Adinfinitum]

Ad Infinitum!

I used a Fender Table Steel guitar (the same one that SH used on Close to the Edge before he got the dual manual one) on several tracks.

My band mates said my playing was like Steve Howe after 5 pints! Let's just say it took a few takes to play in key - unless you have great ears or have been playin a table steel for a while, playing with good intonation is really hard (at least for me).

[regenerativemusic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cvoq8ybE7o&nohtml5=False

I had to post this song because you asked for pedal steel....this is Jerry Garcia playing on a Graham Nash song. Now, I know a lot of people like both Prog and the Grateful Dead, but I haven't been much of a Grateful Dead fan. However, this song is one of those major chill songs for me.

[GuitarGeek]

Ad Infinitum!

I used a Fender Table Steel guitar (the same one that SH used on Close to the Edge before he got the dual manual one) on several tracks.


Actually, on Close To The Edge, he used a single neck Gibson lap steel. He started using the Fender doubleneck steel on Tales From Topographic Oceans, and he didn't start with the pedal steel until Relayer.

[GuitarGeek]

I had to post this song because you asked for pedal steel....this is Jerry Garcia playing on a Graham Nash song. Now, I know a lot of people like both Prog and the Grateful Dead, but I haven't been much of a Grateful Dead fan. However, this song is one of those major chill songs for me.

Yeah, Jerry went through a heavy pedal steel period in the early 70's. Story goes that on the band's first trip to England in 1970, he found one in a music store, and bought it under the condition the store shipped it back to San Francisco for him. He played pedal steel quite a bit on both Workingman's Dead, American Beauty, and his first solo album plus quite a few guest appearances on other people's records. He said he would have continued using the instrument more if "I had another lifetime to learn how to play it properly".

But you remind me that Jerry played pedal steel on Your Mind Has Left Your Body from the Baron Von Tollbooth And The Chrome Nun album by Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, and David Freiberg. That's at least a psychedelic song, if not full on "prog".

[StevegSr]

Just for the record, Pink Floyd doesn't have any pedal steel on their records, just lap steel.

I dunno if it qualifies as "prog" but Uriah Heep used pedal steel on a song called Tales, from The Magician's Birthday album. It was played by session player BJ Cole. That's the only thing I can think of that loosely falls into the "prog" category, if we discount the Steve Howe related examples.

Edit: Barry Cleveland had a pedal steel player when he played at ProgDay in 2010.

Thanks for the tip on UH, but David Gilmour used a Fender 1000 double neck PEDAL steel guitar on Dark Side of the Moon, not a lap steel. He used some sort of open g tuning and didn't use the pedals for some reason. Not that I know much about pedal steel, but I'm just saying. I'm not sure what type of Pedal steel he used on the Division Bell song High Hopes, but it's a pedal steel.

[StevegSr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cvoq8ybE7o&nohtml5=False

I had to post this song because you asked for pedal steel....this is Jerry Garcia playing on a Graham Nash song. Now, I know a lot of people like both Prog and the Grateful Dead, but I haven't been much of a Grateful Dead fan. However, this song is one of those major chill songs for me.Mmm. Mmm. Good! :up

[Dave (in MA)]

Waka Jawaka

[StevegSr]

Waka JawakaDuh! I forgot about Waka Jawaka! That was the late great "Sneaky" Pete Klienow on pedal steel on the third track. He passed away back in 2007.

[frippster]

Zappa's It Just Might Be A One Shot Deal has a nice pedal steel solo by the great Sneaky Pete Kleinow. That's about the closest to an actual prog song/artist example I can think of besides Howe. Early 70s band Cochise had BJ Cole on steel. Not really prog, but at least rock. Cole sort of became the go to steel guy for rock playing in the 70s and again in the late 90s with The Verve, Spiritualized. He's probably best known for playing steel on Elton John's Tiny Dancer, but most of his work nowadays is in more ambient/experimental areas.

I'm a big fan of the steel and also dabble in playing (very badly), but haven't run across too much in the rock realm aside from the country-rock of the early 70s.

Edit: Looks like I wasn't the only one thinking Zappa

[StevegSr]

Zappa's It Just Might Be A One Shot Deal has a nice pedal steel solo by the great Sneaky Pete Kleinow. That's about the closest to an actual prog song/artist example I can think of besides Howe. Early 70s band Cochise had BJ Cole on steel. Not really prog, but at least rock. Cole sort of became the go to steel guy for rock playing in the 70s and again in the late 90s with The Verve, Spiritualized. He's probably best known for playing steel on Elton John's Tiny Dancer, but most of his work nowadays is in more ambient/experimental areas.

I'm a big fan of the steel and also dabble in playing (very badly), but haven't run across too much in the rock realm aside from the country-rock of the early 70s.My sentiments exactly. I'm glad I didn't actually post it! Too much repetition. LOL

[Zeuhlmate]

Bob Drake?

[StevegSr]

Bob Drake?Bob Drake? No, but the late Pete Drake is A-OK, as is BJ Cole and Red Rhodes. All excellent pedal steel players.

[StevegSr]

Ad Infinitum!



My band mates said my playing was like Steve Howe after 5 pints! Let's just say it took a few takes to play in key - unless you have great ears or have been playin a table steel for a while, playing with good intonation is really hard (at least for me).I shall give you a listen tonight with a shot of Bailey's in my coffee! Good show, I say.

[Dave (in MA)]

Edit: Looks like I wasn't the only one thinking ZappaWell, you zeroed in on the actual song; I just lazily threw out the album name.

[StevegSr]

Well, you zeroed in on the actual song; I just lazily threw out the album name.And I said the third track! Now that's lazy. LOL

[Dave (in MA)]

Truck Driver Divorce ought to have it, but it doesn't.

[StevegSr]

Truck Driver Divorce ought to have it, but it doesn't.Agreed! LOL

[Mister Triscuits]

Early 70s band Cochise had BJ Cole on steel.

He is on Procol Harum's "As Strong As Samson" (alongside his former bandmate Mick Grabham).

Daniel Lanois on Brian Eno's Apollo.

[yoyiceu]

Glenn Ross Campbell, playing in the second version of The Misunderstood, before going on to Juicy Lucy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng513Jf2Klg

[syncopatico]

since lap steel has been mentioned, Roy Wood and The Move had a few proggy bits on their last album 'Looking On' (or maybe more like *proto-prog* moments),
this is live in the studio in 1970 from the 'Beat Club' German TV:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hpNEpb1OWg&list=RD5hpNEpb1OWg

[syncopatico]

make that their second to last album! ;)

[Progbear]

Irmin Schmidt of Can was very into the steel guitar circa Ege Bamyasi. So much so that their manager was forced to take it away from him, for she feared he might give up playing the keyboards! :lol


since lap steel has been mentioned, Roy Wood and The Move had a few proggy bits on their last album 'Looking On' (or maybe more like *proto-prog* moments)

There’s tons of pedal-steel on the Super Active Wizzo album, which is one of the most bizarre records ever made: sort of jazz fusion meets Western swing with a very typically Roy Wood-ish patina over it all. Kind of an acquired taste, for sure, but I love it!

[Brainforest]

Aside from Yes and Floyd songs, what other prog band's songs feature pedal steel guitar?

7301

Alan Morse from Spock's Beard usually plays lap steel, but played pedal steel on the opening sections of "A Treasure Abandoned" from Brief Nocturnes a few years back.

[pb2015]

Truck Driver Divorce ought to have it, but it doesn't.

Or "Harder Than Your Husband."

"Fire in the Hole" by Steely Dan

[Reid]

These guys are fairly obscure, but this album features pedal steel, electric vibes, and 8 string acoustic. It's an unusual sound.
http://www.aheadbehind.com/index


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d73wrtqu-f4

[frippster]

Daniel Lanois on Brian Eno's Apollo.

Forgot about that one. Good album. Lanois plays steel on his own albums occasionally as well.

A couple of more recent bands that I totally forgot about but are among my faves are Friends of Dean Martinez and Japancakes. Neither are prog, per se, but both have elements that would likely appeal to (little p) progressive fans. I'm honestly not sure if either band is still active but have released several albums that are all-instrumental with pedal steel being the lead instrument. Martinez has more of a desert/post-rock/cinematic vibe that at times reminds me of Meddle-era Floyd. Japancakes was on the fringes of the Elephant 6 collective (anybody familiar?) and have elements of pop,psych and even kraut rock (mainly, repetition and groove) at various times. They even occasionally use synthesizers and mellotrons. That's Prog, right? :)

[Dave (in MA)]

Dan Berglund's Tonbruket is proggish & has a guitarist who sometimes plays pedal steel.

[Dana5140]

Glass Hammer uses pedal steel on some of its songs, such on on Lex Live. I think they use it on Chronos Deliverer. Fred plays it on the DVD.

[rcarlberg]

Geir Sundstøl on Nils Petter Molvaer's "Switch"
Robert Powell on Clothesline Revival's "Of My Native Land"

[JKL2000]

I don't even know what pedal steel guitar is.

I sort of think Pendragon uses either pedal or lap steel guitar on one of their earlier albums, but I can't pinpoint the song. Or I'm just wrong.

[Rarebird]

Wally?

[Derk]

On the Asia album Aqua Steve Howe plays pedal steel on The Voice of Reason.

There is also pedal steel guitar on Everyone is Everybody else by Barclay James Harvest on the tracks Poor Boy Blues and Mill Boyys

Sid McGinnis plays steel guitar on 6 of the tracks on Peter Gabriel's second album

[Derk]

Pete Sinfield's Still (or Stillusion) has pedal steel on a few tracks - Will it be You, A house of hopes and dreams, Envelopes of yesterday ( I think) maybe some others.

[Dave (in MA)]

Dan Berglund's Tonbruket is proggish & has a guitarist who sometimes plays pedal steel.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQuNKxBhhT4

[StevegSr]

I forgot that BJ Cole played pedal steel on Roy Harper's song Naked Flame from the Bullinamingvase album.

[Bigpicturekeys]

On the Asia album Aqua Steve Howe plays pedal steel on The Voice of Reason.

There is also pedal steel guitar on Everyone is Everybody else by Barclay James Harvest on the tracks Poor Boy Blues and Mill Boyys

Sid McGinnis plays steel guitar on 6 of the tracks on Peter Gabriel's second album

Sid McGinnis also on One Way World....track 4 on PG II, Home Sweet Home.....last track on PG II

[flowerking]

Glass Hammer uses pedal steel on some of its songs, such on on Lex Live. I think they use it on Chronos Deliverer. Fred plays it on the DVD.

I'm pretty sure there's some on Perelandra, Heaven maybe?

It Might Just be a One Shot Deal as others have mentioned has a brilliant slide solo.

Not prog but Jerry Garcia plays some on Hooteroll which is a very underrated album.

[trondis23]

Farmers Market:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkph4H-ss1s&nohtml5=False

[StevegSr]

This thread went one page further than I imagined, but at least two important things were stated: Floyd did use pedal steel which many were unaware and Howe started using pedal steel with the Relayer album and not sooner, so I guess that's good.

[Bob Drake]

Bob Drake?

I've never played a pedal steel guitar. I've done a lot of slide guitar with volume pedal, just a regular guitar and a glass or metal slide, maybe you're thinking of that.

Pedal steel guitar is one of the greatest instruments in the Universe and I love hearing a good player on one. Can't think of any names off the top of my head. Actually I can - a fellow I knew back in Denver called Glenn Taylor. he could do that thing that just made you spontaneously weep it's so beautiful.

[The Dark Elf]

One of the most pronounced uses of Pedal Steel on a Yes album...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3fQ1wPCFdc

[GuitarGeek]

One of the most pronounced uses of Pedal Steel on a Yes album...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3fQ1wPCFdc

Not pedal steel. That's a "steel guitar" but not a pedal steel, as such.

And regarding Pink Floyd, can one cite exactly y where GIlmour played pedal steel? I"ve never heard of him using such an instrument, and I've read quite a few magazine articles on him. Things like One Of These Days, Great Gig In The SKy, Shine On You Crazy Diamond Part VI, and High Hopes are all lap steel.

[Progbear]

Not pedal steel. That's a "steel guitar" but not a pedal steel, as such.

Lap steel

[GuitarGeek]

Lap steel

That's what I would call the steel on Going For The One (and also The Ancient, Gates Of Delirium, etc), but I seem to recall at some point, it being suggested that's still inaccurate. Technically, the instrument Howe uses, the doubleneck Fender steel, sits on metal legs, so it's not on his lap, actually. And unless you're Jabba The Hutt, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't fit on one's lap anyway. I believe on one of the Keys To Ascension albums, Howe is credited with playing both "pedal steel" and "steel guitar". So I'm not really sure what to call that instrument.

But then if Howe's instrument isn't a lap steel, then maybe neither is Gilmour's, since he always has it sitting on metal legs too, or at least onstage he does anyway.

[Koreabruce]

Moon Safari used the services of a pedal steel guitar player pretty extensively on A Doorway to Summer, Blomljud, and I think also on Lover's End.

[dpt3]

That's what I would call the steel on Going For The One (and also The Ancient, Gates Of Delirium, etc), but I seem to recall at some point, it being suggested that's still inaccurate. Technically, the instrument Howe uses, the doubleneck Fender steel, sits on metal legs, so it's not on his lap, actually. And unless you're Jabba The Hutt, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't fit on one's lap anyway. I believe on one of the Keys To Ascension albums, Howe is credited with playing both "pedal steel" and "steel guitar". So I'm not really sure what to call that instrument.


It's usually called a console or table steel guitar. Historically, it's kind of an intermediate phase in the development of the pedal steel from the lap steel proper.

[GuitarGeek]

It's usually called a console or table steel guitar. Historically, it's kind of an intermediate phase in the development of the pedal steel from the lap steel proper.

Right. As I recall, Fender made console steels with as many as four necks, which theoretically afforded the steel player the same type of diversity of tunings that you gout with the pedal steel. Of course, you can't bend strings on a console steel the way you can on pedal steel, but I guess that's the trade off.

For what it's worth, Howe says in his guitar collection book that he used a Gibson lap steel on the studio versions of And You And I and Siberian Khatru. I think he said on the Close To The Edge tour, he took that guitar out, and just placed it on a table for those songs.

I don't think he got the Fender doubleneck console steel until around the time of Topographic Oceans. The "guitar tree" that he used on the Topographic Oceans tour had the Fender mounted on it (along with a Coral sitar and a Danelectro 12 string).

[A. Scherze]

For what it's worth, Howe says in his guitar collection book that he used a Gibson lap steel on the studio versions of And You And I and Siberian Khatru. I think he said on the Close To The Edge tour, he took that guitar out, and just placed it on a table for those songs.

I don't think he got the Fender doubleneck console steel until around the time of Topographic Oceans. The "guitar tree" that he used on the Topographic Oceans tour had the Fender mounted on it (along with a Coral sitar and a Danelectro 12 string).


IIRC, he had a table on extended legs with wheels in tracks, so that it could be slid into and out of position.

[yoyiceu]

British Seventies prog band Wally had a pedal steel player (Paul Middleton) as a well as a violinist and played a kind of prog-country fusion in their two albums.

[GuitarGeek]

re: Howe's Fender doubleneck console steel:



IIRC, he had a table on extended legs with wheels in tracks, so that it could be slid into and out of position.


That came later, I think starting on either the "solo albums" tour in 76 or the Going For The One tour. He took the Fender console steel and dolly casters mounted under the underside of the legs, then mounted it on a track that allowed him to move it back and forth a few feet. There's video footage from the GFTO tour, where he sort of walks the Fender steel back and forth during the solo in GFTO itself.

I don't think he used such a setup on the Tormato tour, though, as I don't think there was as much room on the rotating stage as there had been on the previous tour. He did bring it back for the Drama tour, as there's photos in the guitar collection book showing it. The way he made it sound like in the book, I thought that was the first tour he used it on, until I saw the video footage from 77.

I think he must have abandoned the sliding casters setup for awhile, because all concert footage I've seen from the 90's, he doesn't seem to use it. On some tours, he had his roadie...er, I mean guitar tech, bring the Fender out for the songs that he needed it, but it was otherwise kept out of audience view, for songs that didn't require the instrument. I think when I saw them the first time, in 97, he kept it onstage through the whole show, but in 99, the guitar tech had to bring it out for the songs that used it.

I know when I saw them in 2002, he had gone back to the casters and track setup, but with the addition of an arm to support the Coral sitar. I remember this, because when I saw them in Akron on that tour, during intro of Close To The Edge itself, when Steve's playing that initial guitar solo, the guitar tech pushed the steel out toward Steve, apparently a little too early, because Steve then pushed it back toward the wings, as if to say, "No, not yet!".

(and by 2004, he had replaced the Coral sitar with one of those "virtual" guitars made by Line 6, which apparently allows you to dial in a very life like emulation of the Coral, which he presumably preferred using onstage, rather than the original instrument)

[regenerativemusic]

Not quite Prog but Jerry Garcia played pedal on Graham Nash's song "I used to be a King." Up there with "And You and I" for me.

[jake]

There’s tons of pedal-steel on the Super Active Wizzo album, which is one of the most bizarre records ever made: sort of jazz fusion meets Western swing with a very typically Roy Wood-ish patina over it all. Kind of an acquired taste, for sure, but I love it!

What a coincidence - I just heard this album for the first time this weekend and was very impressed - I then watched a couple of YouTubes and remembered that I had actually seen the BBC2 in concert which they came from. I remember thinking this band was very much a 'work in progress' and unusual - even for a serial eclectic like Roy. Pity he wasn't able to follow through with that direction.

As for the main theme of this thread - after their fake country album Ween kept a pedal steel player in the band for most of their albums thereafter - used to great effect on White Pepper especially.

[jamesmanzi]

I know Lanois' name came up earlier in the thread, but I just got around to picking up his latest album yesterday and was listening to it on the morning commute.

This one is all processed lap and pedal steel, no other instruments, very ambient.

https://daniellanois.bandcamp.com/album/goodbye-to-language