I love the Ry Cooder style of delta blues slide. I’ve seen the jaw-dropping beer bottle video from Danny Gatton.
What are your very absolute best slide guitar performances that you have heard? Please share them with us.
I’m a big Ry Cooder fan, and love the track “Yellow Roses” from “Chicken Skin Music” (as well as the rest of the album), recorded with the Hawaiian musicans Gabby Pahinui and Atta Isaacs…unfortunately the audio quality here is pretty poor.
I’ve been looking for that clip for years. Well, not all that hard, but I’ve been keeping my eyes open for it. Problem was, I had it in my mind that it was Stevie, don’t know why.
I swear I’ve mentioned that clip (mistakenly attributing it to Stevie) on here before, but I can’t seem to find it.
Bad link, here’s a good one: Slide Guitar: A Lesson on How It's Done - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board
David Lindley “Mercury Blues”
Duane Allman “Statesboro Blues”
Also not a working link…
Good Lord that’s awesome.
I watched it earlier. I very distinctly remember him using the beer bottle as as slide and noticing how much was spilling and then later draping the towel over the top and playing with his hand over the top of the fretboard. I don’t know when that was aired or where it came from, but if I had to guess, I would say I saw it probably 15 years ago or so and maybe on Austin City Limits. I used to watch a lot of that back in the day, when they used to play the ‘good’ bands instead of just anyone. But like I said, I always had it in my mind that it was Stevie, so I never managed to find it online, but those two images have always stuck with me since I saw it on TV. Another one that’s always stuck with me, but I do go back and watch it from time to time, is Stevie and Jimmy playing together…on the same guitar. If you don’t watch the whole thing, at least stick around until they swap. Jimmy can’t see what he’s doing for the entire second half.
Works for me.
I think Duane Allman’s best slide playing is on the great album Ton-Ton Macoute with Johnny Jenkins pre The Allman Brothers.
You mean I’m not the only person who actually owns that cd?
Me, too. And while I think Trucks is the best out there, the technically best guy, the Steve Vai / Eric Johnson gunslinger of the slide is Sonny Landreth (YouTube link).
Players like Roy Rogers are brilliant, too - and I am sure gaffa will post here to vote for Rev. Payton, who is a great player.
What?!?!?!?!?!
Where’s Elmore James’ “Hawaiian Boogie” ???
J.B. Hutto???
Lil’ Ed???
And how about prewar: Barbecue Bob ???
Come ON!
:smack:
Wow. That Sonny Landreth is a good player, but he actually sounds like Eric Johnson! And not just his tone either (which is almost a ringer for Eric’s) but his phrasings are often very similar. Except with a slide!
Thanks for that…I’d not heard of him before.
Sorry Ma’am - of course you’re right. But, per FoisGrasIsEvil’s post, I knew he’d be looking for faster, more intricate work.
FG - Landreth is a monster; he perfected a technique where he lifts the slide and frets behind it while still using the slide. The man is a freak. And yeah, he gets a nice round Eric Johnson tone.
For slide-on-steroids but in a more old school vein, check out Roy Rogers; lemme see if I can find something representative…
Okay, here you go: Roy Rogers (slide guitar) - Outro Slide Instrumental - YouTube
ETA: just watched that link through. You’re welcome ;).