Buddy Cage

[Caleb Melo]

You just can't bring up Buddy Cage's picking without bringing up his amazing work with Great Speckled Bird. Definitely my favorite stuff he did!

[John Lacey]

Listen to Trucker’s cafe with headphones sometime. The solos do a pan-cross during the solo that’ll blow you away.

[John Cadeau]

Buddy and I met when we were 12 years old, taking steel guitar lessons at the Ontario Conservatory of Music. We went to high school together. He used to bring his steel guitar over to my place and we'd set our guitars up in the living room and play together for hours. It really ticked off my brothers and sisters. But we had fun.

[Bob Carlucci]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8gC8pIQsjk

Not well known, but Buddy is ALL OVER this one, and right out front!

[Pete McAvity]

Reviving an old thread. Because I like Buddy Cage stories.

I was fortunate enough to obtain what I’m 95% certain was the Anvil case Buddy had made to house his Hilt D12. Foam had disintegrated.

It’s been repurposed.

[John Larson]

Speaking of Buddy Cage. This is one of my absolute favorite PSG performances ever. Total Hendrix or Eddie Hazel vibe going on but on pedal steel.
"Death and Destruction" from NRPS Gypsy Cowboy
https://youtu.be/IZXmj6KjK2I?si=-BGpasKXk9MaLKvu

[Dave Ristrim]

It's been awhile since I posted...so...... Buddy Cage. He is one of my biggest influences. Never got to meet him, but feel after listening to, and deciphering his playing for many years that I developed an incite to a unique approach to the pedal steel. He was both conventional and simultaneously way off the trad map, thankfully. Part of me wished he toned it down and played the more "trad" game, but at the same time I was rooting for him to take it to the next level. I feel he succeeded in the later. We have had many "stylists" (mavericks, renegades, etc) in our pedal steel world, and I love every single one of them, but Cage is SO high on my list. Peace out fellow steelers

[Steve Mueller]

Really enjoyed reading this thread and listening to some Buddy Cage. He was one of my early 70's influences. "She's No Angel" is one of my all time favorites.

[Craig Stock]

Great song 'Death and Destruction' by the NTPS, produced by Steven Barncard, Chris Templeton may have some incite into that album, as he is friends with Steven.

If you see this Chris, Thanks for the cool Christmas card, you made my wife Marylou and me very happy. 'Hello Mary Lou'!

[Jeff Peterson]

Loved the sound,(recorded, not live so much) but the 'technique' was hard, and in my case, after practice, totally dismissed. New Riders live was fun, but terrible sounding...such were the times. I'm sure some, most, all would agree that listening to Franklin or Tommy White or many others 'at speed' is way cleaner and more in tune, and a 'poopload' faster. You can definitely learn from him, but not for too long.

[Bob Carlucci]

I understand where you are coming from Jeff, but in reality Tommy White and Paul Franklin, are world class elite steel players.. Not all pro players get to that level. I have heard similar comparisons in the 6 string world.. BB King couldn't play chords, and admitted it, yet he is considered a great guitarist by many of us,, He made great music with the guitar, despite his limitations.. Same with Clapton,, His name is legendary among some guitarists, and a target of ridicule from others, Your average fairly proficient 15 year old player today can do much of what he played on his recordings with no problem.. Yeah Buddy Cage could be raw, and was not an elite player by todays standards, but I dunno, not sure you are giving him his due. We must remember, this is all about music, not technical proficiency.
I HATE to do this, as its just sooo cliche', but I must go back to my old standby. Garcia's steel in Teach Your Children, was musically perfect in my opinion. He was not an accomplished steel player by any stretch, and he knew and admitted that fact. However his musical instincts were impeccable, and it showed in that song. No one could have done a better part for that song, no matter how technically advanced in their playing.. When I saw Buddy's hand bouncing 8 inches off the strings, I knew his technique was not the best.. It worked for him though, and his legacy is some really cool steel guitar playing that although not refined, caught a LOT of us by the ears, and helped us learn to be steel players... bob

[Dennis A Brown]

For me Buddy Cage's best playing was on the Ian and Sylvia Great Speckled Bird record which encompassed country and rock in one of the best marriages ever. Amos Garrett's lead guitar work is stellar as well. And Ian and Sylvia at the peak of their songwriting and singing. Here's a link to a playlist for the uninitiated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWqyK0b ... FED72238EE

[David Farrell]

I love Buddy Cage & The NRPS! Buddy is a ripping steeler.

[Dave Zirbel]

Glad to see this thread pop back up. From my mid teens to my late 20’s Buddy was on my radar since i listened to the Dead and NRPS a lot back then. While I dug his playing he wasn’t my favorite back then. A few years ago someone posted a link to an old tune he played in the late 60’s and I really dug it. I went down the rabbit and with the help of another forum member we stumbled across some stuff he recorded as far back as 1966. You can find some vintage Buddy on the Emmons push pull here.
viewtopic.php?t=412505

It’s really interesting stuff, he was smoking on the steel pretty good back in his early 20’s before Great Speckled Bird and Anne Murray. It’s interesting to hear him practicing a little more restraint in his playing, but still had the stoney rock and roll vibe. His tone and attack were top notch. Happy holidays!