Southern Steel is the fourth studio album by the American guitarist Steve Morse, released in 1991.[2][3][4] "Cut to the Chase" appeared on the soundtrack to Ski Patrol.[5] "Simple Simon" was a minor heavy metal radio hit.[6] Morse promoted the album with a North American tour.[7]
| Southern Steel | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Recorded | M.O.R. Studio, McDonough, Georgia | |||
| Genre | Instrumental rock | |||
| Length | 38:09 | |||
| Label | MCA[1] | |||
| Producer | Steve Morse | |||
| Steve Morse chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editMorse, who wrote all of the album's songs, was backed by drummer Van Romaine and bass player Dave LaRue.[8][9] Morse first worked on the music for "Arena Rock" during his time with Kansas.[10]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Calgary Herald | C[12] |
| Chicago Tribune | [5] |
The Calgary Herald wrote: "Obviously an ardent Jeff Beck fan, this one rings with everything Beckish except Jan Hammer."[12] The Chicago Tribune determined that "the album is fast and heavy hick-rock and though it goes through plenty of chord and tempo changes, Morse's fingers never get cold."[5]
The Austin American-Statesman deemed the album Morse's "most mainstream rock to date."[13] The Los Angeles Times called it "instrumental rock in overdrive but with conspicuous intelligence in the driver's seat."[14]
Paul Kohler at AllMusic wrote that "Morse always delivers, especially on this uptempo, hard-hitting, instrumental rock virtuosity."[11]
Track listing
editAll music is composed by Steve Morse
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cut to the Chase" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Simple Simon" | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Vista Grande" | 5:04 |
| 4. | "Sleaze Factor" | 3:39 |
| 5. | "Battle Lines" | 4:07 |
| 6. | "Southern Steel" | 3:56 |
| 7. | "Wolf Song" | 3:22 |
| 8. | "Weekend Overdrive" | 4:06 |
| 9. | "Arena Rock" | 4:01 |
| 10. | "Point Counterpoint" | 2:12 |
| Total length: | 38:09 | |
Personnel
edit- Steve Morse – guitar, guitar synthesizer, engineering, mixing, production
- Jeff Watson – guitar (track 1), mixing (tracks 1, 2)
- Van Romaine – drums
- Dave LaRue – bass guitar, engineering
- Rick Sandidge – mixing (except tracks 1, 2), mastering
- Glen Meadows – mastering
References
edit- ^ Abbott, Jim (8 Feb 1991). "In the Bin". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 23.
- ^ "Steve Morse Biography by Richard Skelly". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ^ Obrecht, Jas (Apr 1991). "Steve Morse's Southern Steel". Guitar Player. 25 (4): 14.
- ^ "Entertainment". The Kitchener-Waterloo Record. 9 May 1991. p. C9.
- ^ a b c Herrman, Brenda (4 Apr 1991). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
- ^ Barr, Greg (19 Apr 1991). "Taking Flight". Ottawa Citizen. p. D3.
- ^ Joyce, Mike (13 May 1991). "Steve Morse". The Washington Post. p. B7.
- ^ Piccoli, Sean (May 7, 1991). "Sonic musical code in Morse guitar style". The Washington Times. p. E3.
- ^ King, Peter B. (March 17, 1991). "'Southern Steel' Showcases Morse's Wizardry". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. J3.
- ^ Graff, Gary (May 26, 1991). "A few words with ... guitarist Steve Morse". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 6.
- ^ a b Kohler, Paul. "Southern Steel - Steve Morse Band". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
- ^ a b Wagamese, Richard (10 Mar 1991). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. F3.
- ^ McLeese, Don (21 May 1991). "Another Southern rocker...". Austin American-Statesman. p. C6.
- ^ Woodard, Josef (6 June 1991). "Steve Morse". Los Angeles Times. p. J4.
External links
edit- In Review: Steve Morse Band "Southern Steel" at Guitar Nine Records