Various Artists - Steelin' It: The Steel Guitar Story [4xCD]

The steel guitar is a predominant instrument in country music, but it had its origins in Hawaii. Steelin' It is a 4-CD Properbox set that celebrates the origins of the sound through tracks recorded from the late twenties to the fifties.

Joseph Kekuku was credited by many as the inventor of the lap steel guitar in 1889. allegedly he was walking along a railroad track strumming his guitar when he spotted a bolt lying on the ground. He picked up the bolt and slid it along the strings. Intrigued by the sound this created he taught himself to play with the back of a knife blade.

In the thirties the hollow body instrument was replaced by a flat wooden slab with an electric pickup. The likes of Adolph Rickenbacher, Paul Bigsby and Leo Fender helped develop and manufacture the first popular electric steel guitars.

Disc 1

• Andy Sanella-Slidin' On The Frets
• Sol Hoopii & His Novelty Four-Iniki Malie
• Kalama's Quartet-Wai O Minnehaha
• Four Hawaiian Guitars-Black Boy Blues
• Sam Ku West-Farewell Blues
• Sam Ku West-The Memphis Blues
• Sam Ku West-St Louis Blues
• H.M.Barnes And His Blue Ridge Ramblers-Honolulu Stomp
• King Nawahi's Hawaiians-Hawaiian Capers
• Waikiki Hawaiian Trio-My Best Girl
• Segis Luvaun-Wela-Ka-Hao
• Kanui & Lula-Ua-Like No A like
• Andy Sanella-Blues Of The Guitar
• Palakiko & Paaluhi-Honolulu March
• Hawaiian Beachcombers-Breezy Hawaiian Melody
• Roy Smeck Hawaiian Orch-Kalima Waltz
• Jim & Bob: The Genial Hawaiians-Saint Louis Blues
• Jim & Bob: The Genial Hawaiians-By The Waters Of Minnietonka
• Sol Hoopii & His Novelty Quartet-An Orange Grove In California
• Sol Hoopii & His Novelty Quartet-Oh Lady Be Good
• Roy Smeck's Serenaders-Guitarese
• Roy Smeck's Serenaders-Slippery Fingers
• Roy Smeck's Serenaders-Limehouse Blues
• Tau Moe & The Original Hawaiians-Hula Blues
• Tau Moe & The Original Hawaiians-Rhythm Of The Islands

Disc 2

• Milton Brown & Brownies-Takin' Off
• Bill Mounce-I Found A New Baby
• Modern Mountaineers-Taking Off
• Bob Dunn's Vagabonds-Stompin' At The Honky Tonk
• Cliff Bruner & His Boys-Kelly Swing
• Bill Boyd & His Cowboy Ramblers-Jitterbug Jive
• Sons Of Dixie-Don't Ever Go Wrong
• Roy Newman-Dust Off That Old Piano
• Bob Wills & Texas Playboys-Stay A Little Longer
• Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys-Texas Playboy Rag
• Spade Cooley-Boggs Boogie
• Johnny Bond-The Daughter Of Jole Blon
• Spade Cooley-Spadella
• Hank Penny-Steel Guitar Stomp
• Bob Wills-Steel Guitar Stomp
• Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys-Steel Guitar Rag
• Leon McAuliffe-Steel Guitar Rag
• Leon McAuliffe-Twin Guitar Boogie
• Leon Mcauliffe-Take It Away Leon
• Shelly Lee Alley-Train Whistle Blues
• Shelly Lee Alley-I've Got the Blues #2
• Al Dexter-Down At The Roadside Inn
• Ted Daffan's Texans-Blue Steel Blues
• Ted Daffan-Weary Steel Blues
• Ted Daffan-Car Hop's Blues

Disc 3

• Charles Mitchell-Mean Mama Blues
• Sons Of The West-Panhandle Rag
• Sons Of The West-Sally's Got A Wooden Leg
• Hi-Flyers-Juke Box Jump
• Leodie Jackson-Steeling The Blues
• Leodie Jackson-Double Crossin' Mama
• Spade Cooley-Steel Guitar Rag
• Spade Cooley-Texas Steel Guitar
• Johnny Bond-John's Other Wife
• Johnny Bond-I Won't Stand In Your Way
• Ernest Tubb-So Round So Firm So Fully Packed
• Ernest Tubb-Don't Look Now (But Your Broken Heart Is Showing)
• Jimmy Heap & The Melody Masters-Dessau Waltz
• Billy Briggs-Down In New Orleans
• Billy Briggs-Pretty Baby Boogie
• Lone Star Cowboys-Steel Guitar Bounce
• Cecil Campbell & The Tennessee Ramblers-Steel Guitar Hop
• Cecil Campbell & The Tennessee Ramblers-Campbell's Steel Guitar Special
• Les Anderson-This Is Southland
• Les Anderson-And I Shook
• Tommy Sargent-Steel Guitar Boogie
• Merl Lindsay & His Oklahoma Nite Riders-Safety Pin Rag
• Merl Lindsay & His Oklahoma Nite Riders-Slidin' Steel
• Tiny Murphy & His Bar 69 Boys-Hot Steel
• Little Jimmy Dickens-I've Just Got To See You Once More

Disc 4

• Buster Martin-Herbie's Steel Guitar Polka
• Hank Penny-Remington Ride
• Webb Pierce-I Need You Like A Hole In The Head
• Shot Jackson-Steeling The Mood
• Floyd Tillman-I Don't Care Anymore
• George Morgan-Be Sure You Know
• Billy Walker-Mexican Joe
• Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant-Speedin' West
• Speedy West-Stratosphere Boogie
• Hank Williams & The Drifting Cowboys-Settin' The Woods On Fire
• Joe Maphis-Fire On The Strings
• Charlie Feathers-Peepin' Eyes
• Charlie Feathers-I've Been Deceived
• Marvin Rainwater-Where Do We Go From Here
• Slim Rhodes-Uncertain Love
• Slim Rhodes-Gonna Romp And Stomp Tonight
• Onie Wheeler-A Booger Gonna Getcha
• Onie Wheeler-A Beggar For Your Love
• Faron Young-Shame On You
• Faron Young-I'm Gonna Live Some Before I Die
• Rose Maddox-Looky There Over There
• Terry Fell-That's The Way The Big Ball Bounces
• Terry Fell-Wham Bam Hot Ziggity Zam
• Melvin Endsley-I Ain't Getting' Nowhere With You
• Bill Haley & The Comets-Is It True What They Say About Dixie