Got a new slide

[Robert****]

I bought a thick and heavy Dunlop brass slide - boy what a difference from that wimpy glass slide I had! That's definitely the way to go - with a heavy one. It makes for less rattling and it's easier to get the notes clear and solid. Number one thing for a slide - make sure it's heavy!

[Tone2TheBone]

Awesome Robster. Lets see some of that famous video with your new tripod.

[Nelskie]

You guys ever play any "finger slide"? Personally, I've always hated having the slide on my hand while I'm playing, so I've kind of "adapted" a slide technique using the middle and ring fingers of my playing hand. Since I don't get the nice "ring" one gets by using a glass slide, I've employed a little bit of a tremelo effect using a touch of string-bending. Although it might be a bit on the "primitive" side stylistically, it does work for me - and best of all, it keeps my digits un-encumbered, and free to roam!

So Robert, when we gonna' see some new "slide video" over at Dolphin Street?

[Robert****]

Yeah, yeah, let me practice first! I will put something up. Keep in mind I'm a beginner on slide. I tuned my old crappy Squier strat to E major and turned up the delay level, and wow what cool sounds I'm getting. I might be getting hooked on the slide thing now... I need to learn to simulate some steel guitar for our New Year's country gig, and I can't find my volume pedal. However, on the strat, I can easily simulate the volume swell stuff with the volume knob - it's so accessible on a strat. Gotta love a strat!

[Nelskie]

Robert - if you're getting into the "slide thing", you might want to check out Sonny Landreth's latest live CD - "Grant Street". That dude's a monster on the bottleneck.

[Robert****]

Thanks for the tip Nelskie, I love Sonny Landreth's playing. I've listened a lot to John Hiatt the last couple of years, and Sonny's playing with Hiatt is often nothing but spectacular. I will go find that live CD!

[Nelskie]

I have Hiatt's "Beneath This Gruff Exterior" CD, and Sonny's playing on that is really top-notch. I'm a huge John Hiatt fan myself, and hope to catch him live at some point in the near future. I also saw that he had a new live DVD & CD out, too. Definitely worth checking out.

[Robert****]

New DVD? Gotta check that out. I thought "Beneath This Gruff Exterior" didn't have all that many really good songs, which is unusual for Hiatt, but Sonny's playing was of course nothing but excellent, as always. I play many Hiatt songs in my "duo band". It's a lot of fun. We play the title track from Hiatt's latest CD - "Master of Disaster" - great song!

[Nelskie]

Hmmm - so you didn't like "Beneath This Gruff Exterior". I was the exact opposite - I loved the songs. As a matter of fact, I didn't own a John Hiatt CD or LP until my buddy Darren turned me onto that one a few years ago. I now have (7) of his CD's, and between my wife & I, they're all in heavy rotation at home / in the car. Besides "Gruff", I really like "Slow Turning" and "Bring The Family". I also have "Master of Disaster", but to me it seems a bit sedate compared to some of his other material. I do like the title cut. Considering that the nucleus of the North Mississippi All-Stars is providing the rhythm section on the album, I was a little surprised that it was so "low-key". The NMAS are also a terrific band, and one that I'd recommend you check out (if you haven't already). My all-time fave Hiatt cut is "Paper Thin" - killer vocals, killer guitar - definitely the full-meal deal!

[Robert****]

Yep, I hear ya. Most of "Master of Disaster" isn't quite as interesting as many of his past albums, like the ones you mention. This discussion is starting to need its own thread though...

[Nelskie]

Yeah - maybe I need to get something on HYH about John Hiatt.