Steel This Guitar
One of the year's sadder passings was that of "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, who died of Alzheimer's disease in January at age 72. Kleinow's playing lent a melancholy grace to the retro yet revolutionary country-rock sound of the Byrds' unforgettable Sweetheart of the Rodeo and the group's subsequent country offshoot, the Flying Burrito Brothers. Kleinow's guitar embellished an astoundingly long and varied list of artists, from the Bee Gees and Pat Boone to Stevie Wonder and Frank Zappa. Before and after his musical career, Kleinow was also a noted stop-action special effects artist on the Gumby and Davy and Goliath TV series, more than one Star Wars movie, and countless commercials.
I was reminded of Kleinow's cosmic country licks by a few cool new steel-driven albums:
Jon Rauhouse, Steel Guitar Heart Attack (Bloodshot)
Rauhouse proves himself a pedal-steel historian on an album that lends a Western-swing flair to old-timey originals and chestnuts ranging from "I'll Be Seeing You," "East of the Sun," and "Begin the Beguine" to Lalo Schifrin's Mannix theme and The Andy Griffith Show's "Fishin' Hole" theme song.
Chris Difford, South East Side Story (Luna)
Melvin Duffy's pedal-steel twang adds a bittersweet hue to Difford's acoustic versions of "Up the Junction," "Tempted," "Cool for Cats," and other tunes associated with Squeeze, his celebrated UK group. Bandmate and co-songwriter Glenn Tilbrook's reedy harmonies are the only thing missing from these evergreen pop gems. Difford's touring the US as I type.
The Last Town Chorus, Wire Waltz (Loose)
Megan Hickey's whispery voice and kitten-with-whip lap-steel electric guitar lie at the core of this wafty and sometimes funereal album. The payoffs come when Hickey cuts loose and rockets out of the doom room on rollercoastering slide work.