MARTIN BARRE GOES BACK TO STEEL
Jethro
Tull guitarist Martin Barre has announced the release of his sixth and most
important solo album to date. Back
To Steel celebrates
the guitarist’s
50-year career with a return to his roots of steel strings and electric guitars
and will be released on 18th September and
will be available through
www.martinbarre.com and iTunes and Amazon initially.
While
paying tribute to Barre’s
past, Back To Steel reveals
his vision of the band’s
future; it brings together all of his influences, including his undying love
for early blues, and follows his evolution throughout an extraordinary half
century that delivered his name to classic rock history.
The
album features tracks Skating Away and
Slow Marching band from
the Jethro Tull repertoire, an affectionate salute to that important portion of
Barre’s
career and a thank you to the fans who have supported him over the last 42
years. Eleanor Rigby
is also included as homage to the week spent working with
Paul McCartney. Continuing to share his lifetime memories and experiences, the
guitarist gives us an insight on Birmingham’s
60s club scene with Smokestack and tells about his very first trip
abroad in Calafel.
Barre says about Back
to Steel: “This CD is my most
important work in my career as a musician.
I feel that my songwriting has matured to a point that makes it totally
accessible to all audiences. I want this
music to be the basis of everything I do from now on. My criteria were, that It would work live in
a powerful way and keep our identity as a blues/rock band. As always I’ve
put in small quotes of music that give light and shade to the album.”
Martin Barre is currently playing some
dates in the UK and Europe and will be performing in the States for the first
time in November and December. The multi
talented band sees Barre taking care of guitars, mandolin, bouzouki, banjo, flute and keys,
with Dan Crisp on vocals, George Lindsay on drums and percussion, Alan Thomson on bass and vocals -
catch his slide solo on ‘Without Me’ - and Alex Hart
and Elani Andrea contributing on vocals and
backing vocals.
A ‘Back to Steel’ tour is in the pipeline for 2016; if
you can’t wait, here’s where you can
catch Martin and his band this year for an evening of blues, rock and Tull,
plus a few tracks from the new album: Martin will also be Special Guest on the Cruise To The Edge Event headlined by Yes in America in November 2015
Mon 31st July Sussex Trading Boundaries
Sat 8th August Somerset
The Square & Compass
September
2015
Sun 6th
Derby Off The Tracks
Festival
Sat 19th Exeter The Phoenix
Sun 20th
Somerset Cheese & Grain, Frome
Mon 21st
St. Ives The Guildhall
October
2015
Fri 2nd
Southport The Atkinson
Sat 3rd
Kinross The Green Hotel
Sat 10th
Surrey Haslemere Hall
Back To Steel was recorded in
Devon by James Bragg who was also the engineer on Away with Words and Order of Play, Barre’s last 2 solo albums.
Track list as follows - all tracks
music/lyrics by Martin Barre unless stated:
1.
Back to Steel
2.
It's getting better
3.
Bad Man
4.
Skating Away (Tull with arrangement
MB)
5.
Chasing Shadows (inst)
6.
Hammer (inst.)
7.
You and I
8.
A moment of madness
9.
Calafel (inst.)
10.Eleanor Rigby
(Beatles arrangement MB)
11.Peace and Quiet
12.Sea of Vanity
13.Smokestack (Howlin
Wolf plus music/lyrics MB)
14.Without Me
15.Slow Marching Band
(Tull)
Martin Barre’s love affair with
music started in the 60s-playing saxophone, before being handpicked by Ian
Anderson to take on guitar duties from Mick Abrahams in Jethro Tull. 43 years later, Martin is vastly recognised as
one of the greatest influences in classic and prog rock. His guitar solo on Aqualung was voted 20th best
ever in the UK and 25th in the USA. His sound and skills have been a major
factor in Jethro Tull’s success and have
attracted a long list of high profile collaborations, including Paul McCartney,
Phil Collins, Gary Moore and Joe Bonamassa.
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