Although he’s had a 50+ year career recording with the likes of Buffalo Springfield and the Eagles as well as being a Founding Father of Poco, Rusty Young has taken this long to finally release a solo album. At the Grammy Museum, emcee’d by the insightful Scott Goldman, Young shared stories with the audience, ranging from his being elected to the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame to his living in a cabin in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri.
As a pioneer of “country rock,” Young gave a historical background to moments such as his recording of “Kind Woman” with Buffalo Springfield, as well the breakup of that band which resulted in Jim Messina, Richie Furay and he forming the iconic Poco, which gave hits such as “Crazy Love” and “A Good Feeling to Know.”
Most intriguing was his behind the scenes observation as a studio musician spinning intriguing yarns about Keith Moon, Gram Parsons and George Martin and his own opinion about the music business. “Songs are friends that you get” Young observed as far as his own writing skills. Intriguingly, Young pointed to a session with Moon that was a pivotal moment in his musical journey. “Moon played what he felt, and not what the rules were.” As for George Martin, “He didn’t tell you what to do; he encouraged you, which actually made you want to play better.”
After the chat, Young performed a handful of tunes which include material from his new album, a personal piece entitled “My Friend” as well as a romantic read of the popular “Crazy Love” which had the audience sing along. Vocalist/guitarist Chelsea Williams came on stage and brought rich harmonies to the gorgeously homespun “Rose of Cimarron,” taking the listeners back to a era and style when beauty and Americana ruled the airwaves.
Upcoming events at the Grammy include The Oak Ridge Boys 02/15 and Old Dominion 02/28