East Village, NYC
2/27/02 11:33:18 AM
A short letter to the steel players out there on a recent string concerning me: Hey Folks! The last time I did this (enter the Forum) was at the behest of JB; he rocked my ass about my apparent invisibility when there were actually a lot of concerned and caring players in the cyberworld who were expressing interest in my whereabouts. And mental state, I would guess. He urged me to answer some of the legitimate questions. I hope it got to everybody. And I apologize for seeming so remote. But damn, I'm busy, man! With playing, living , earning a living , it just never occurs to me to jump on the Forum and chat. However, this was a freak instance when I popped in and wow! I was so fortunate to pick up on some great stuff from E (on the p/p-a/p subtleties example "But what do I know?!"), from J. Byrd (on teaching/Fire in the Gut, etc.) Without these two giants, I would be pushing a broom in some fastfood store. Or "doing life without parole"!
No, there wasn't some jerk out there who scared me off the internet . it doesn't work like that. Nobody has that kind of power over me. I still remain the only one who is accountable/responsible for his own behavior. In the steel community, I'm apparently referred to as one of the "Edgers" , particularly in Nashville. Perfect. I miss Waylon, we all owe him a lot. He, and Paycheck, Willie, J. Cash, Vassar Clements invented that style as country/bluegrass artists go, the middle finger to the Nashville Establishment! Jones is that way too but they never could punish him for that; they were just dumb(founded) over how he sang like that. Hell, "Jones don't even know!" - Vassar said to me one day. I've lived and played that way since I was a kid. Unconventional? I suppose so. Those guys are my heroes.
1. Hey Bo!in 1972 we were just inventing the stuff you guys take for granted nowadays (I would just hope that after all of their [and our] pioneering, some of the steelers would end up with more educated ears than to have to settle for/squabble over some piece of crap like a Peavey!) The Dead hadn't even built the Wall Of Sound (which kicked a lot of asses into action in the Sound Reinforcement field) yet. I had just taken over the steel chair from Gar, the year or two before, with a real raw band and was just trying to figure out how to keep this new job. Btw, I love the info on the tape-trading angle. For all you guys (no particular gender) out there, this stuff was unavailable to us in the 50s/60s. Enjoy. 99% legal??? Aw man, where's the fun in that? And Amos!! You're so right!! One of my Mentors. Hell, I was just trying NOT to embarrass myself in front of him ! "Keep To The Safe Stuff, Cage!" was always running through my mind whenever I had to face down with him but you know, he just forced you into a corner and made you break down those walls through his guitar genius alone. Amos is one of the greatest guitar players in history.
2.Kevin H: Mrs. Cage (Leslie) was one of those women a couple years ago , still is! We celebrate a year of marriage this May 7.
3.Mark v.A: I'll keep my ears/eyes open for a new gig for ya!
4.Hey Jim C. Maybe you might consider updating your copedant!
5.Jim Smith was one of the engineering steelers who built the guitar I play, and have kept for over 20 years. And Jim, there were no Marshalls. (Ah! All them drugs/all them years!! Alas...)
6.Joe Henry: Yeah, Charleton! Mooney.
7.Michael Johnstone: Beck stood over me one night while I was going orbital (can't recall the gig) and some producer told me about it a couple years ago. I had no idea. Hey man, I WILL be back home in CA asap, trying like crazy to get www.brooklyncowboys.com booked out West. My website will keep you all informed so we can get together when I gig in various places. I miss CA, Mike. When Healy and Bear/Cutler were building the Wall Of Sound, Dan H. would take 40 Twins and routinely replace the cheap potentiometers, capacitors, resistors, condensers (stuff where Leo saved thousands of $$ on the production line) with high-rent versions. He devised a gizmo for matching power tubes and changed our amp lives forever. I hope you all realize the giant contribution that Dan Healy made on our behalf in the world of sound. The set me up w/both channels of a MacIntosh 2300 -> w/2 Fender Twin heads, running into 4/6 Hard Trucker speaker cabinets, each consisting of 2 x 12" JBL's (Bear's choice) by 1974. I still play through the same system today, minus the Mac. Just 1 HT speaker cabinet is necessary for the gigs I play today. Jorma has a couple he wants to give me but I must get out to his ranch to pick them up. Maybe this year. www.buddycage.net I hear he's publishing a book on how this is all achieved. www.healy@classicradio.com
8.Jon Light: Hi Jon!! Never mind some clown diss-ing me a couple years ago ! You're from $^%&$# Brooklyn!!!!!!! Fuhgeddabudit (one word!) ! What do we care? I don't remember the incidental drug reference from this halfwit but maybe he just could never get his hands on the quality that was available to me at the time. I come up on 13 years sober in June. Thanks amigo.
9.Jeff L., Chris F., Tony P., Ron C., Ted R., Craig S., Steve F., DJ & JB : it was a treat for me eavesdropping in on you all. OK ! it's all about "Those Who Went Before Me." But make no mistake, any of those guys (Crawford, E, Charleton, Mooney, Doug, Paul) would tell you to make your own music, not to stifle the creative process by demanding that things be played in a completely pedantic fashion in order to draw upon their licks, creations & innovations - their art. We are all so lucky to live in a time when we could benefit from their performances, to steal ("All musician's are clever thieves" A. Garrett), to borrow, to share. Don't kill the steel/rock potential by putting limitations on some else's style or their apparent success. Guess what? YOU CAN'T!! Rock will simply JUST HAPPEN whether you like it or not! Nature of the Beast. Greed, avarice and jealousy are the devils in all of us ! be better than that. I'm pretty sure it's gonna work out for you all just by my latest reading of some of the neat comments I've seen on this Forum! Good luck Folks! WHAT A GREAT INSTRUMENT. Thanks for The Life, I 've had through playing this horn.
Buddy Cage/NYC
And there you have it.
Comments?
John
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Fulawka D-10 9&5
"All in all, looking back, I'd have to say the best advice anyone ever gave me was 'Hands Up, Don't Move!"
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel
www.buddycage.net
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by JB Arnold on 27 February 2002 at 07:12 PM.]</p></FONT>
What a great post!!
Anyway, thanks!
