{"id":10806,"date":"2016-05-18T05:30:58","date_gmt":"2016-05-18T09:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=10806"},"modified":"2016-05-13T10:20:41","modified_gmt":"2016-05-13T14:20:41","slug":"martin-barre-clever-and-complicated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2016\/05\/18\/martin-barre-clever-and-complicated\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin Barre: Clever and Complicated"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe thing that pleases me is melody,\u201d says Martin Barre<\/strong><\/a>, lead guitarist for British folk-progressive rockers Jethro Tull<\/strong> from their 1969 Stand Up<\/i> LP through the group’s dissolution. \u201cIf I can come up with some nice chords and a really melodic top line, that gives me great satisfaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since that band ceased operations, Barre has taken the opportunity to kick-start his long-nascent solo career. \u201cI didn’t get the opportunity to start doing solo material until 1983, when we all decided to take a year off,\u201d he notes. Going solo full time in 2014, Barre says, \u201cI started to learn very late, but maybe that’s a good thing. I was thinking, ‘Wow, this is great. I’m really inventing my career as a musician.’ And I’ve been happy \u2013 really, really happy \u2013 ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Photo

Photo by Bill Kopp<\/p><\/div>\n

Barre’s own songwriting and guitar playing style is muscular, straightforward rock that’s rooted in the blues. He’s no shredder: \u201cThere’s a place for every technique and every style of musician, but [‘shredding’ guitar] is not my cup of tea,\u201d he says. \u201cIt never was, really, and it never will be.\u201d<\/p>\n