Album Notes

FIT THAT STEEL
Song-by-song

Boilermaker Blues (written by PJ Liles). This is pretty much an autobiographical snapshot of Steelbeam lead singer PJ. The imagery evoked of West Texas oilfields and tanks on rails sets the tone for the band. Boilermaker Blues has its own choreography that was previously performed by The Beamettes, a group of young dancing girls.

Redneck Ways (written by Steve Sparks) Written with Steelbeam in mind, Steve presented the song to the band when he was a member of the South Austin Gospel Choir. Redneck Ways paints a vivid picture of the working man’s trials and tribulations. It’s become a staple and signature song of the band. Steve passed away in 2004 after a lengthy bout with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Engine 17 (written by Eric Leikam) A live show favorite of Steelbeam fans. this song has been played on the radio frequently. The first four or so lines of the song are true according to Eric, but the rest was made up. One morning Eric was walking to work when he saw a fire truck come down the street and he noticed that everyone on board was female. That got him to thinking, what if a pyromaniac fell in love with the woman who drives the fire engine…

Cheap Whisky (written by Steve Convenience Ulrich) This was one of the first songs Steelbeam did when Steve Ulrich was a member of the band. It’s the tale of economical alcohol and a love lost. Steelbeam adds a little crowd-pleasing country snap to the song.

Jaded And Bored (written by Steve Convenience Ulrich) Another of Steelbeam’s first songs. Steve Ulrich had released the song on his first solo CD. Steelbeam re-arranged the song to make it more uptempo. It’s a stream-of-consciousness observation of a man’s midlife foibles. This tune has also been getting some airplay on Austin radio.

Hazel Eyes (written by PJ Liles and Joel Frazier) A catchy country dance number about a man looking himself in the mirror who knows that sleep only brings painful memories of a love that’s over and done. The band doubled and tripled their background vocals to create a fun sloppy-drunk sound on the song.

Produced by Kyle Judd and Eric Leikam
Recorded at Cribworks Studio by Merel Bregante Oct 2004
Mastered by Jerry Tubb at Terra Nova Digital Audio Inc. Austin, TX