Pullin’ ‘Tubes | Robert Randolph Gets Amped Up

Today we present the first installment of Pullin’ ‘Tubes on JamBase. Each week Jeffrey Greenblatt profiles a recently released video he’s particularly enjoyed and thinks our readers will as well.

Before Robert Randolph and the Family Band burst onto the jam scene in the early part of the aughts, with their potent mix of gospel and soul drenched funk-rock, the pedal steel was predominantly relegated to the world of country music. Randolph changed perception of the off-kilter instrument, introducing the secular world to the powerful sounds of scared steel. Where the instrument typically helped supply the soundtrack to lonely country laments, Randolph showed off a completely different way of playing it – ripping off fiery licks that managed to inhabit a place where Jimi Hendrix meets Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton, all while building a reputation for his incendiary live shows.

After signing to Warner Brothers Records, the band released three underwhelming studio albums that never quite captured the magic of what endeared the group to so many live music fans with their mostly slickly-polished, over-produced sound. Randolph and his band have moved to renowned jazz label Blue Note, which last Tuesday released Lickety Split, their first studio album since 2010. The 12-track effort is the record that long-time fans have been waiting for – a straight up high-energy party album that channels the free-wheeling spirit of the band’s live shows.

Let’s check out the music video for the opening track and lead single “Amped Up”…

Robert Randolph & The Family Band continue their summer tour with an appearance at Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay in San Diego, CA, tonight before heading to the East Coast for a string of shows.

Written By: Jeffrey Greenblatt