Steel Guitar Rodeo

 (4 customer reviews)

On NPR, All Songs Considered, Steel Guitar Rodeo was featured as one of "the most anticipated albums of 2004." www.npr.org/programs/asc/archives/yearahead04/ "Jon Rauhouse's second solo work is a diverse and eclectic mix destined to land on `Best Of' lists for 2004. Rauhouse is a guitar wizard with masterful grace and elegance." http://umbrellamusic.com/cdreview.php?id=574

Besides being an awesome pedal steel player, Jon Rauhouse knows how to make a fun record. The instrumentals on Rodeo are awesome (Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse" is incredible!). And he somehow assembled a great cast of vocalists on this disc, too--Neko Case, Carolyn Mark, Kelly Hogan, and Sally Timms all take turns on songs. Rauhouse sounds like the missing link between Speedy West and Calexico. It's retro-sounding, but not a pastiche. His songs span a bunch of eras (from Raymond Scott to alt-country), but they're all played really really really well. Guitar virtuosos can get pretty boring, but not these guys. There are a ton of different styles here, but they all somehow work together. This is one of those rare CDs that would appeal to guitar geeks or anyone who just likes to hear fun music. I could listen to this CD every day.

I heard a piece on Rauhouse on NPR and had to give the album a try. What fun! A breezy retro collection with no irony, just pure enjoyment of true 'feel good' (How I hate that phrase but here it fits) music. The vocals complement the music so well: no "American Idol" screeching here--they know how to sing. His other album, "Steel Guitar Air Show" is also excellent, and in this vein, Los Straitjackets' "Supersonic Guitars in 3D" and "Viva Los Straijackets" are worth a listen. Don't forget Ry Cooder's "Mambo Sinuendo" to complete your guitar fest.