Rusty Young Rules!

Brian Herder · Post by **Brian Herder** » 22 Nov 2002 8:30 am

Listening to "Ride The Country" from Poco Live...just thought that it's been awhile since his name came up.

Wayne Cox · Post by **Wayne Cox** » 22 Nov 2002 10:20 am

What is Rusty doing these days? I've always admired him,but sometimes those of us in the "Eastern U.S." lose track of those great "West Coast" pickers.
~~W.C.~~

Brian Herder · Post by **Brian Herder** » 22 Nov 2002 11:53 am

Don't know...but, I wish he was still playing his ZB, or Sho~Bud through the Twin Reverbs .

Dan Farrell · Post by **Dan Farrell** » 22 Nov 2002 12:09 pm

Brian---I saw Rusty Young and Poco last month out here in Calif. The first time I saw them was in 1969 in Calif. Rusty still has his chops! He plays a Carter D-10 now and also a lot of lap steel. It is still a real show to see him.

Dan Farrell
'97 Carter D-10
Nashville 1000

Rich Weiss · Post by **Rich Weiss** » 22 Nov 2002 1:10 pm

When I was learning, it was Rusty who was the template for how I wished to play. Not Buddy, nor the others, it was Rusty. But most recently I've wondered which direction I would have chosen if the Robert Randolph template had existed back then. (1969)

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 23 Nov 2002 10:06 am

Rich I too emulated Rusty's California style
and still get excited when I hear Rusty, John
Call, Sneaky Pete,Buddy Cage, Neil Flanz and
Al Perkins. They really fueled the fire to
play pedal steel.

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 23 Nov 2002 10:26 am

I still love listening to the old Poco records too, especially when driving long distances, but I have to say there are few tunes where I can really relate to what Rusty is doing. I mean, his playing is fantastic all the way, but it is so much an integral part of the overall sound of the band that I can´t really single it out and apply it to my own playing. Of course there´s no offense intended here, I think it´s a great thing, I wish some of today´s bands would sound that tight. It´s just that with other players of that era, like Buddy Cage and Bobby Black, I find it a lot easier to take some of their licks and apply them to other tunes and eventually interpret them my own way. Rusty´s style instead, I often find it way too complex for that.
So every time I listen to Poco, it´s just - kick back and enjoy!

Regards, Joe H.

Dan Farrell · Post by **Dan Farrell** » 23 Nov 2002 12:14 pm

Rich-- I'm with you. Rusty Young got me interested in pedal steel back in 69. Too bad I waited thirty years to follow through. When CSN & Y came out with Teach Your Children with Jerry Garcia on steel, I knew better. I directed a lot of folks towards Poco if they started raving about the steel on Teach Your Children.

Dan Farrell
'97 Carter D-10
Nashville 1000

Jim West · Post by **Jim West** » 23 Nov 2002 2:46 pm

I think Rusty Young was responsible for selling more steels in the late '60's and early '70's than any other steeler out there by just the way he presented himself on the instrument. No one put on a better show on the steel guitar than Rusty Young. All the other steelers were sitting there stoned faced playing their instrument while Rusty was going through girations and contortions picking the steel up and setting it down rocking back and forth and sideways and never missing a lick. Rusty was a showman that propelled the steel to a level of popularity that I haven't seen since. He was da man!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 23 Nov 2002 2:59 pm

Yup, me too. My first influence on steel.

Chuck Lemasters · Post by **Chuck Lemasters** » 24 Nov 2002 6:00 am

Rusty is the guy who got me interested. From A Good Feeling To Know, the line he played behind the phrase, "Colorado mountains I can see your distant skies", did it for me. Had to have a steel guitar after I heard that one.

Brian Herder · Post by **Brian Herder** » 24 Nov 2002 7:09 am

Haha..what Chuck said. That one, simple lick did me in too. BTW, who's in Poco at this point?

Dan Farrell · Post by **Dan Farrell** » 24 Nov 2002 10:50 am

Brain-- when I saw Poco last month at The Grove in Anaheim, they had Rusty Young, Paul Cotton, George Grantham and Jack Sundholm (bass). I may have butchered Jack's last name, but they wefre a 4 piece and sounded great.

Dan Farrell
'97 Carter D-10
Nashville 1000[This message was edited by Dan Farrell on 24 November 2002 at 10:57 AM.]

Chuck McGill · Post by **Chuck McGill** » 24 Nov 2002 1:43 pm

How could I forget Bobby Black with Commander
Cody. All those guys are great.

Jay Ganz · Post by **Jay Ganz** » 24 Nov 2002 2:16 pm

Supposedly, Poco's coming out with a new
CD in the near future. That's what I've
read in some music magazine anyhow.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 24 Nov 2002 2:40 pm

I interviewed Rusty Young for Steel Guitar World Magazine. He gave me what I consider the best advice for a beginner on steel guitar that I ever heard. He said if you have a teacher that is just teaching you licks instead of theory applied to licks and the fret board that your being ripped off. He was soooo right!
I quit the teacher I had immediately and started studying harmony and interval theory
and applied it visualy to the fret board. It turned the old light bulb on. I wish he was at the convention every year playing. He has immense knowledge. Rusty, you are great inspiration to all of us.[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 November 2002 at 02:40 PM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 November 2002 at 02:41 PM.]

Randy Pettit · Post by **Randy Pettit** » 25 Nov 2002 7:28 am

Rusty Young is THE reason I play PSG. In my estimation, he may be the most underappreciated player given all the current players he has influenced and inspired. There are people who never listen(ed) to country music who know what a PSG is because of Rusty. I believe the same comments being made about Robert Randolph could've been attributed almost word-for-word to Rusty 30 years ago.
Make no mistake, Rusty is one of the "heavyweights" of pedal steel. I still marvel at his C6 work on "Everybody's Talkin'" on the Suite Steel album. He can do it all! Even today, I tend to fall back on some of his licks when I'm in a tight spot. I'd like to see this thread continue as a "roll call" of Forumites who owe their love of PSG to Rusty.

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 25 Nov 2002 7:52 am

Yup, me too. My first influence on steel.

what Jimbeaux said.

I recently discovered that the first half of Rusty's solo for "Bad Weather" fits perfectly over the chords for a Last Train Home tune (All Eyes Go- mp3), so I have been getting to play it almost note for note at recent gigs... I am fairly sure when this happens I am the only one in the room who has a clue that I am paying tribute to a Master... and my misspent youth

------------------

"I AM Z-BOY!"

Zumsteel U12 "Loafer" 8&6 :: ZB Custom D-10

:: Fender Tube Amplification
www.voicenet.com/~vanallen/ :: vanallen@voicenet.com :: www.lasttrainhome.com

Arty Passes · Post by **Arty Passes** » 25 Nov 2002 9:42 am

I was in high school and never heard of a pedal steel, but a friend turned me on to Poco, and I thought - I don't know what that thing is, but my the time I'm 30 I'm gonna get one - Saw them in Boston around '73, and was awestruck - I got my own Maverick when I was 20, and changed my life forever.
"What Am I Gonna Do" still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck....
Arty

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 25 Nov 2002 10:01 am

You Better Think Twice, even though it was a Dobro, KILLED me. Bought the deLIVErin' album shortly thereafter, and am hooked to this day!

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 25 Nov 2002 2:53 pm

Me Too!, First heard POCO doing 'Heart of the Night', remember I'm only 40, but the steel on that song just hooked me, I then went on to buy every album they made and have gone on to most other steel players and related bands.

That album 'Legend' may have been a little Poppy for most of you, but I echo the same thing that was said about Robert Randolph, you need to have someone in the mainstream to ignite the fire in young kids, the same way Rusty did it for me.

------------------
Regards, Craig

[This message was edited by Craig Stock on 25 November 2002 at 02:55 PM.]

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 25 Nov 2002 3:59 pm

Thanks for all those kind words -- I truly appreciate them.

No, I'm not THAT Rusty Young -- I'm Russ D. Young -- but I just couldn't resist! If you want to see what the genuine article is up to, check out: http://www.angelfire.com/music4/rustyyoung/

[This message was edited by Russ Young on 25 November 2002 at 07:16 PM.]

Jim West · Post by **Jim West** » 25 Nov 2002 4:45 pm

"Grand Junction" was a big head turner for me. That song still kills me.

Keith Murrow · Post by **Keith Murrow** » 26 Nov 2002 10:56 am

..[This message was edited by Keith Murrow on 26 October 2004 at 03:39 PM.]

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 26 Nov 2002 11:06 am

Even though I was drawn to pedal steel music by people like Bobby Black and Buddy Cage, there is something about Rusty Young's playing on "Kind Woman" that really grabbed me. It's as if his playing proves that "less is more" ...

But I also have to agree there is something undescribable -- or is it inexplicable? probably both -- about that "Colorado mountain" lick in "Good Feelin' to Know."[This message was edited by Russ Young on 26 November 2002 at 11:41 AM.]