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"We wanted to take our time and find ourselves," says
Robert Randolph. "Find
out what was really inside of me and the band and bring
that out.
Really try
to come up with the best songs, dig deep within, and
let all of the experiences that we have had in the last
three years come out in the music."
With Colorblind, Randolph and
the Family Band have taken the difficult leap from
being great performing artists to being great recording
artists. Since
emerging from a House of God church in Orange, New Jersey
steeped in the "sacred steel" tradition, Randolph's
astonishing pedal steel playing has had a revolutionary
impact. Like a mere handful of musicians - Louis Armstrong,
Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder - he has actually been able
to redefine the sonic possibilities of his instrument.
Randolph's string wizardry is the focal point of the
Family Band's legendary live appearances, and led to
guest spots with artists ranging from the Blind Boys
of Alabama to Ozzy Osbourne.
But even Randolph admits that
the Family Band's previous recordings have focused
more on capturing their onstage magic than on making
an album for the ages. "On
the last record (2003's Unclassified)," he says, "we
had some ideas, wrote as we went along, and we were out
of there in three weeks - and that's cool. But in working
with so many people and getting advice from Eric Clapton,
Steven Tyler, and the guys from Dave Matthews Band -
they all say, 'We'd love to see your talent showcased
within the context of a great song.'
I was always caught up in the show, because I'm comfortable
as a performer,"
he continues. "But Carlos Santana said to me, if
you ask fifty people which they remember most, a show
or a record, 48 of them will say a great record.
Because you live with a record, you can pick it up fifty
years later and still listen to those songs."
So Randolph set some new goals
for his second studio album - something he wanted to
stand on its own, not just be a souvenir of a great
concert. For
inspiration, he went back to some classic sources. "I
listened to Sly Stone, a lot of Hendrix, Zeppelin, Stevie
Wonder," he says. "Then I'd go back to a church
service and I'd think, I want Colorblind to be a mixture
of all of these things."
The big step this time around
was the decision to collaborate with other songwriters.
The talent assembled was immense, including Tommy Sims
(who has written songs with Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt,
and Garth Brooks), Jeff Trott (Sheryl Crow), Mark Batson
(Dave Matthews Band, Gwen Stefani), and the team of
Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders (India.Arie, Heather
Hedley). "We're fortunate to
be good musicians," says Randolph, "and we
were able to channel into that foundation during the
collaboration process, and grow as songwriters."
Not that it was easy for such
a pure player to make the emotional commitment required
to craft and shape new material. "At first, it was kinda weird," he
admits. "You put up this wall, like, this guy is
going to try to change me, make me write a song that
I wouldn't be comfortable performing - that's automatically
what you think. So at first I wasn't being as open as
I should have been."
The breakthrough, he says, came
with a ballad called "Stronger," written
with Steve McEwan, who has scored country hits with the
likes of Faith Hill and Kenny Chesney. "He was more
of an aggressor, like, 'Let's go, we gotta write a song
here!' And that was really the first step, the song that
got everything glued in. Then I knew I could hold my
own as a songwriter."
Randolph says that he began to
feel growth that was both musical and personal. "I learned a lot about
myself," he says. "You get into that mode and
there's so much uncharted territory, it's like discovering
a whole new country. That confidence helped feed myself
and the band."
As the album's title indicates,
the results on Colorblind range from infectious R&B to timeless ballads. "Ain't
Nothin' Wrong with That" is a sure-fire party-starter,
while "Blessed" presents Randolph's more spiritual,
introspective side. And, there is a blistering version
of the Byrds' "Jesus
is Just Alright With Me," featuring Randolph and
Clapton - who became a close friend and mentor to the
younger artist when they toured together - in a blazing
guitar battle recorded live in the studio.
Though Randolph has been defined
by his jaw-dropping pyrotechnics on the pedal steel,
he notes that the studio time devoted to this album
led to an evolution in his playing as well. "Now instead of playing over the
top of everything, I'm learning to play within the melodies
and the concept of the song," he says. "It
doesn't have to be the most fancy lick, but everything
needs to work together - the melodies and the lyrics
and the music."
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