Customer Reviews

Stage Left

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For those who enjoy instrumental guitar albums, this album deserves a place in their collections. I can't quite give it five stars because Barre has indeed assembled a delectable assortment of riffs and tonal variations which will make the listener nod in appreciation - however, riffs and killer tones cannot in themselves assure great songs. However, the excellence of so many other things makes the CD warrant four stars. The recording is great, the afore-mentioned variety of sounds (acoustic and electric) is superb, and Barre has pulled out all stops to offer a little bit of everything. Does it always work? Not in my opinion . . . but when it does, the results are excellent. "Spanish Tears" features a beautiful interplay between steel-string Latin romance and Satriani-like electric chops that come together perfectly. "Murphy's Paw" has some great riffs, and "Favourite Things" features the very thing that I think is missing in some of the other fusion experiments - strong melody. The guy's playing cannot be faulted - he has not allowed himself to be confined to the Tull sound alone; neither has he remained in a 70's guitar stagnation. He weaves comfortably around a musical tapestry of acoustic beauty and electric vitality while delighting the listener with touches of classical and jazz influences in addition to the blues-based rock playing that he so humbly claims as his primary forte. I guess the only thing that keeps me from giving the CD five stars is that, though every song has superb playing, the tasty licks and modal phrases sometimes crowd out the melodic aspect which I think is Barre's real strength. There's even a Tull-like rocker in here called "Don't Say a Word" which neatly finishes the album as a pleasantly unexpected vocal offering. Jethro Tull fan or not (which I am, by the way), you'll find way more to like about this album than not.

OK, I admit that I'm possibly a little biased....I'm a huge fan of Jethro Tull and have loved Martin Barre's playing for all of his 30 (plus)year tenure as guitarist-in-chief for the band. So, after a career with that kind of depth, what does somebody who has that kind of recognizable musical history do for an encore?

This album, that's what.

This recording, largely instrumental, is just tucked full of great texture, from the many sublime acoustical works to heavier, creatively substantive electric offerings; This is a delightful collection of songs from a guitarist who, in spite of his laid back public persona, has remained an admired trend setter in popular music. The album, entitled Stage Left, features 14 songs recorded on 14 different guitars, resulting in a fresh, varied, and interesting sound for each track. Getting this chance to hear the author, a respected player, record some of the world's most wonderful guitars should put any sound engineer or critical listener into a sonic heaven!

But the real joy of this work is the compositional depth. The songs, because of the largely instrumental nature of this work...(there is only one vocal tune)..... are allowed to travel in directions that suggest the author's love for classical music and melodies. Mr. Barre does not rely upon the Tull legacy for his depth, but rather has managed to clearly stake his own territory in this work. One is, of course, occasionally reminded of the great Tull guitar sound, but only because the player is, in fact, responsible for that area of the Tull legacy. On first listening I was impressed with the variety of composition; on repeated listening I can happily say that I'm falling in love with the musical ideas flowing through this work.

In this collection the author has given us a real treat...we get to hear a world-renown guitarist dive deeper into his muse and come up with a collection of sounds and scapes that offers more on each listen. In this day of guitar shredders and how-many-notes-can-I-play-at-once albums, an artful collection like this one is a rare find. I highly recommend it! RD

I'm about to make a confession that may permanently ostracize me from the ranks of Tull fans; While Martin's first two solo albums both had some wonderful songs, on the whole - I didn't really like them all that much. It wasn't that they were all that bad, I guess I just was hoping for powerful and innovative guitar work that had been the hallmark of Jethro Tull albums since 1969. Instead, we ended up getting rather blasé tunes that were largely forgettable. So, when I purchased STAGE LEFT, I felt that I was simply fulfilling my obligation as a Tull completist and was resigned to placing another CD in the rack for only occasional play on rainy days.

To my utter delight, I was proven completely wrong with this new album! Here are 14 new songs that provide all the exceptional guitar work we've come to expect and love from Mr. Barre through 34 years of Jethro Tull playing. The CD starts with COUNT THE CHICKENS, a slightly silly name for a great piece played on the same guitar that gave us the seminal rhythms and solos from AQUALUNG. Other highlights of the album include FAVOURITE THINGS, SPANISH TEARS, and CELESTIAL SERVINGS. My favorite track is the stunningly beautiful, moody and evocative acoustic track WINTER SNOWSCAPE. Martin even treats us with some of his flute playing skills on STAGE FRIGHT.

Another great feature with this CD is the liner notes. Pictured are 14 of Martins guitars, (one for each track), and brief comments about each. Fans who have followed his career will recognize many of the guitars from shows long past like long lost friends.

This Barre solo album is outstanding in every respect, and I personally can't wait for his next solo release!

Long-time Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre has just released his third solo album "Stage Left" which displays the diverse range of musical styles of this extraordinarily talented musician. Barre has been long regarded as one of rock music's greatest guitarists. After listening to "Stage Left", it's easy to understand why.
This eclectic album includes 13 instrumentals and one vocal track all which were composed by Barre himself. A wide range of guitars and stringed instruments are the focal point of each track. Inside the CD cover, there is a list of these instruments as well as photos of each of them along with commentary from Martin Barre.
This CD's musical highlights includes the opening Allman Brothers-style raveup "Count The Chickens" and the acoustic folk of "As Told By", "Favourite Things", "D.I.Y" and "I Raise My Glass To You". The Track "After You, After Me" shows off a slight Steve Vai/Joe Satriani groove while the acoustic "Spanish Tears" and the Clapton-eque "Celestial Servings" display a lighter jazz feel. "Winter Snowscape" has a style that is similar to that which is heard on the Windham Hill record label.
The two tracks that sound the most like Jethro Tull are "Stage Fright" which features Barre playing the flute in a very Ian Anderson-like style and "Don't Say A Word", the album's closing vocal track in which guest singer Simon Burrett sounds quite similar to Anderson vocal-wise.
My respect for Martin Barre as a guitarist has grown considerably since listening to this album. He certainly can play in just about any style that comes his way. "Stage Left" is not only a must for Jethro Tull fans but for guitar afficianados as well. Martin Barre definitely goes above and beyond the styles of his famous band and has come up with one the best instrumental guitar-rock albums of this year. "Stage Left" is definitely a Stage Right in my opinion. Check it out. It's worth it.

Jethro Tull's guitarist releases an excellent instrumental (one vocal track) CD. The CD demonstrates some remarkable versatility moving effortlessly from electric rock to acoustic jazz and folk. Not many guitarists can pull this off and Barre seems to do so in stride. Some of the tunes retain a minstrel like quality, sans flute, that is very reminiscent of the Tull's heyday most notably in French Connection. Overall, a success by any ones measurement.

This is a great album, and after several listens two things are made abundantly clear. Martin Barre is such an integral part of the Jethro Tull sound. And the fact that he was not listed among "Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Guitarists" further confirms what a bogus institution it has become.

Barre is a master craftsman and all the songs are structured and arranged with an ear for melody and a good hook or two to boot. One is often fatigued after listening to most solo guitarists with their non-stop-over-the-top noodling and screechy pyrotechnics. Not so with this album.

Some stand outs: "A French Correction" starts out with a jaunty guitar run that would appeal to any "Gentle Giant" fan.

"After You, After Me" opens with a blues procession and an Indian tom tom beat in the back. After a little acoustical change-up at 1:57 Martin unleashes a multi-layered blistering attack. Go Martin. Ah, but this is all short lived as he goes into another mood change before reprising the rocking section a little later. Martin is too much the gentleman.

There is a song to fit any style and mood with a wide variety of guitars utilized throughout, but Barre is no show off. There is a consistent attitude running through the whole disc which makes this his first solo album with a more solid production and unified vision.

Long ago I gave up buying albums by guitarists. But hearing two tracks from this album - "Count the Chickens," a concise, energetic rocker, and "Winter Snowscapes," a beautiful, melodic piece - convinced me to give it a go. And I was not disappointed. Barre consistently delivers melodic compositions with emotional content. He's not just playing to prove he can. The songs are quite varied stylistically, including rock, classical, and jazz influences, but Barre puts a unique touch on each one. The supporting players deserve credit, too. Two of Barre's Jethro Tull bandmates play on this album: Jonathan Noyce, bass, and Andrew Giddings, keyboards (but it really doesn't sound like a Jethro Tull album). Noyce's bass work deserves special mention. He has referred to himself as a "stealth" bass player, and that's well represented on this album. It's the kind of bass playing that you're rarely conscious of, unless you listen for it, but if it's taken out, you miss it.

Barre has delivered a terrific CD, not to be missed.

I admit I don't love every track on this CD, but I think it's a fine effort overall. The acoustic pieces are uniformly lovely, and the electric pieces -- while not quite as consistent -- still deliver the goods. Probably the best solo guitar album you're likely to hear this year.

This is a solid guitar presentation with many styles and sounds - acoustic, electric, spirited and tough, casual and frenetic (but always under control - amazing that). We all know Martin from Tull with his sharp, timely interjections and riffs but here his guitars breathe a bit freer with more patience. It also asks us to sit back and be patient as well. It may not have the arrangement complexities of some Tull music but you may be surprised at its likable kinetics and at how intricate Martin can weave a song. Martin's other solo releases are both fun and appreciable but on STAGE LEFT he lets the guitars take center stage throughout. All instrumentals except for final cut. A good investment for great driving music. You might as well buy it with Ian's Rupi's Dance and save some postage. Enjoy.

At times it seems that Martins talents are held back a bit while recording with Tull. On previous solo ventures vocals seem to get in the way, NOT THIS TIME! I love this stuff and I don't think that you will be disappointed with it at all. Finally, we get to see what Martin can do on his own. One of the most underrated guitarists of our time and now maybe the rest of the world will take notice. For the "Quiet Man", Thanks to you for all that You do.