Track Listing :: Credits :: Buy It :: Reviews :: Back to Disc
Back in the day, when musicianship was still valued by the music industry, any respectable record collection had more than a few instrumental records. These records were perfect for stacking on the LP. They were good for dinner music, wiling away the hours or even better, getting busy. That’s right, grandma and grandpa were putting that Jackie Gleason record on AFTER they turned off the Lawrence Welk show.
Above all this music was fun. And its that spirit of fun that is captured on “Steel Guitar Air Show” We tried to convince Jon that the lounge revival was over. Undaunted, he donned his smoking jacket and broke out his pick and slide. Chock fill of classics like Perfidia, the Lonely Bull, and Choo Choo Ch’ Boogie, a mix of spunky originals and guest stars like Neko Case, Sally Timms, Calexico and more, it’s part Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant back from the grave and part Esquivel wearing spurs. Add up all these parts, throw in the unquestionable technical mastery of one tricky instrument and “Steel Guitar Air Show” will guarantee your next dinner party or lazy afternoon won’t crash and burn.
It is, simply put, the last word in tiki-inflected, spaghetti western, when’s-the-Rat-Pack-showin’-up? geezer rock. We highly recommend mixing a pitcher of Mai Tais, slipping into those silk pajamas (you know, the ones with the little horsies and ukeleles on them), turn up the heat to 85 degrees, and get real, REAL gone. Seriously, if you can listen to this record without being put in a better mood, without a content, distant smile creeping up on you, you should see a specialist. Really.
Track List
- The Glow Worm – WM :: RA
- F86 – WM :: RA
- The World Is Waiting For A Sunrise – WM :: RA
- Circle the Wagons Babe – WM :: RA
- Who’s the Baddie? Says Alan Laddie – WM :: RA
- Hula Blues – WM :: RA
- Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive – WM :: RA
- The Lonely Bull – WM :: RA
- Beer & Lettuce – WM :: RA
- Summer Samba – WM :: RA
- Perfidia – WM :: RA
- Choo Cho Ch’ Boogie – WM :: RA
- Homie’s Parade – WM :: RA
- Agent Burns (Theme) – WM :: RA
- Can ‘O’ Corn – WM :: RA
- Million Dollar Mermaid – WM :: RA
Audio Clips
The above are streaming clips of the tracks. WM = Windows Media :: RA = Real Audio
Artists
- Jon Rauhouse – pedal steel & Hawaiian guitar
- Tommy Connell – all guitars
- Neko Case – Vocals on The World Is Waiting For A Sunrise
- Kelly Hogan – Vocals on Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive & The Lonely Bull
- Sally Timms – Vocals on Perfidia
- Joey Burns – Bass on tracks 1,4,8,9,10,12,14 & nylon string guitar on The Lonely Bull
- John Convertino – Drums on tracks 1,4,8,9,10,12,14 & percussion on The Lonely Bull
- Tom V. Ray – Bass on tracks 2,3,5,7,11,15
- Kevin O’Donell – Drums on tracks 2,3,5,7,11,15
- Nick Luna – Piano on Choo Choo Ch’Boogie, vibes on Agent Burns (Theme) & organ on Summer Samba
- Craig Schumacher – percussion on Summer Samba
- Frank Judge – Voice over on Million Dollar Mermaid
- Jon, Tommy & Craig – Haole Choir on Hola Blues
Production
- Tracks 1,4,6,8,9,10,12,13,14,16 – recorded & mixed by Craig Schumacher at WaveLab in Tuscon AZ
- Tracks 2,3,5,7,11,15 – recorded & mixed by Mike Hagler at Kingsize in Chicago IL
- Mastered by Mike Hagler at Kingsize in Chicago IL
Pictures of Tommy Connell and some of the gear used to record Steel Guitar Air Show, taken in the Wavelab studio.
BUY IT
Reviews
Bloodshot Records now has another quality performer to brag about, and listeners can look forward to Rauhouse’s follow-up recordings. There are no stunts to hear in this Air Show, just quality music.
Read more at Atomic Online
And ‘phenomenal job’ really sums up the entire record. There’s not a bad performance on here; everything smacks of style and grace, and Jon’s genuine love for good music is presented in a tight, tasty package.
Read more at Indie Workshop
Jon Rauhouse’s STEEL GUITAR AIR SHOW is a spirited romp. It’s part Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant back from the grave, part Esquivel wearing spurs, and part Santo & Johnny scoring a Spaghetti Western.
Read more at La Chunga
The entire production drips with the coolness of a Harlem cocktail lounge at 3 a.m. Rauhouse proves he’s no slouch as an arranger, producer, or musician. The project required more conceptual thinking than one might imagine “just a steel guitar album” would. Rauhouse has done a masterful management job. It is indeed a real steel guitar air show.
Read more at Rockzilla World
Track Listing :: Credits :: Buy It :: Reviews :: Back to Disc
Artist : Neko Case
Artist : Various Artists
Artist : Carolyn Mark & Her Room-mates
Artist : Neko Case
Artist : Various Artists
