I know it’s a bit early for this..

[bradsteel]

It’s only October - and I’m sure many will have heard this before - but the feel of this track is incredible!

[Danny Mitchell]

'Kinell, that was fast.
I guess it is a bit early, but if I could go as fast as that I'd come early too.
Scary post, Brad, my ears are still trying to catch up
Thanks for posting, tho.

[TonyT]

I don't believe I have those particular notes on my steel, I'll keep looking though! Jesus help me!!

[bradsteel]

Danny, those chops will make our eyes and ears bleed mate the whole thing is just timed so well and it’s pitch perfect - I’be listened to it 20+ times

Tony, please let me in on the secret when you find them mate!

[Ken Byng]

The whole Christmas album by Franklin is brilliant Brad.

[bradsteel]

Absolutely Ken! Christmas has never sounded so good!

[Gary James Peters]

Extraordinary technique! I wish PF would push himself to the limit like this a bit more often when he is playing non-Yuletide music. To transcend the inherent naffness of a Christmas album as he does here (and how) takes some doing.

[Ken Byng]

I much prefer Buddy Emmons' Christmas album to Paul's to be honest, although Franklin's album is very good. Buddy's tone and musicality on his Christmas album (recorded way before PF did his album) is as good as it gets and light years from being naff, and is regarded by many as his finest.

[Gary James Peters]

I have it from a very reliable source that Buddy Emmons (way back when) stayed one night at a hotel near Bristol airport (where I live...Bristol that is, not the airport, although it feels like that sometimes!) in transit to somewhere else in the world. Word got out and, evidently, he set up his steel in the foyer/bar and did a two hour set to the assembled worshippers. During that two hours he didn't play one single country song. Instead he played jazz, classical and, you guessed, some Christmas favourites. Probably wasn't too naff.

[Ken Byng]

For those guys who like to hear Franklin almost setting his steel alight with speed, here is one that blew me away when I first heard it near 30 years ago. It's the New Nashville Cats, featuring Mark O' Connor (fiddle), Brent Mason (lead guitar) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel) on a tune called Pick It Apart. Many of us on this site will have heard it previously, but for the uninitiated here is the original track. Of course PF's playing is off the scale and I reckon that only Tommy White, Doug Jernigan and Buck Reid could match the Mach 5 speed that he reaches on this track. However take a careful listen to Brent Mason's guitar solo. He plays a killer augmented sequence in the middle of his solo. Turn up the volume, sit back and get knocked out by this red hot playing by all concerned.