Customer Reviews

All Hat No Cattle

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The front cover of "All Hat - No Cattle" is adorned with a vintage image of 'Vegas Vic.' Just as the casino cowboy represented gaming, this disc is a risky musical gamble. Basically, this is steel guitar pop music that occasionally indulges in rock or surf. If you've always appreciated steel guitar music, but wished it didn't have so much twang, you may enjoy this disc. On the other hand, this recording will hold no interest for those coming from the Jerry Byrd, Buddy Emmons and Speedy West school of steel. Both the jazzy intellectualism and Hawaiian slack-key influence of most instrumental steel guitar music has been replaced with the simple conventions of pop music. Goldmark's predictable songs are often punctuated with a Kenny G like saxophone or an organ sound that could have been played on a 1985 portable Casio keyboard. As with most musicians who love to play but aren't especially good, Goldmark's covers are the best songs with special attention to 'the Way.' Hats off to Joe for playing the Grateful Dead's 'China Cat Sunflower.' The overall mood is light and happy as the tunes project a powerful optimism. The most frustrating aspect of listening to Joe Goldmark is that every once in a while, greatness can be heard in his playing. It may be a chord progression here or a solo there, but it never lasts for more than a fleeting moment. While "All Hat - No Cattle" may be good for the listener who enjoys instrumental pop, those from the real country camp should seek greener pastures.

Goldmark is awesome.
The creativity is inspiring- especially in the freestyling makeovers of popular tunes. Joes originals are great too.
An influence of Hendrix, Trower, Allman Brothers- just to name a few- from mild to wild.
Thanks Joe, please keep 'em coming.

If you are searching for some great steel guitar instrumental music that goes in a different direction from the usual steel, this Joe Goldmark CD is totally enjoyable. By "different direction" I am referring to other than "country". Thus, in my opinion, the "No Cattle" reference. As expected from his other albums, his forte here would be in the rock vein, but instead it is somewhere between easy listening and soft rock. So, again, this is different, but I would bet the ranch that even pure country enthusiasts will come around to this one too. Hey, the song, "Sweet Dreams" that he has added is that good.