Southern Steel (album)
1991 studio album by Steve Morse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Southern Steel is the fourth studio album by the American guitarist Steve Morse, released in 1991.[3][4][5] "Cut to the Chase" appeared on the soundtrack to Ski Patrol.[6] "Simple Simon" was a minor heavy metal radio hit.[7] Morse promoted the album with a North American tour.[8]
| Southern Steel | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 5, 1991[1] | |||
| Recorded | M.O.R., McDonough, Georgia | |||
| Genre | Instrumental rock | |||
| Length | 38:09 | |||
| Label | MCA[2] | |||
| Producer | Steve Morse | |||
| Steve Morse chronology | ||||
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Production
Morse, who wrote all of the album's songs, was backed by drummer Van Romaine and bass player Dave LaRue.[9][10] Morse first worked on the music for "Arena Rock" during his time with Kansas.[11]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Calgary Herald | C[13] |
| Chicago Tribune | [6] |
The Calgary Herald wrote: "Obviously an ardent Jeff Beck fan, this one rings with everything Beckish except Jan Hammer."[13] 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."[6]
The Austin American-Statesman deemed the album Morse's "most mainstream rock to date."[14] The Los Angeles Times called it "instrumental rock in overdrive but with conspicuous intelligence in the driver's seat."[15]
Paul Kohler at AllMusic wrote that "Morse always delivers, especially on this uptempo, hard-hitting, instrumental rock virtuosity."[12]
Track listing
All 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
- 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