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To celebrate his 50-Year career, guitarist Martin Barre releases his sixth solo album, Back To Steel (2015) on 18th September. The album brings together all of his influences from early blues to classic rock. It features 11 newly penned tracks together with 2 songs from the Jethro Tull repertoire and 'Eleanor Rigby' from Martin's stint with Paul McCartney.
While paying tribute to Barre’s past, Back To Steel (2015) 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 an 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:
August
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 (2015) 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)
You can pre-order the album through Amazon HERE.
While paying tribute to Barre’s past, Back To Steel (2015) 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 an 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:
August
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 (2015) 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)
You can pre-order the album through Amazon HERE.
Source: Press release
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