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Steve Forbert's middle-age rock |
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Written by Glenn BurnSilver
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Thursday, 01 March 2007 |
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 With the exception of a few blues artists, middle age is not a theme commonly addressed in song. Could you imagine Mick Jagger ever giving in to age? No way.
Steve Forbert, however, is more honest about his mortality. His latest album, “Around The Bend,” out this June, tackles the subject of growing old in a young man’s game.
“I make no apologies for aging,” Forbert said by phone from his Nashville home. “I don’t know if anyone’s made a record with much of that. People make records that try to stay young, young, young, so this one is going to be like, ‘Hey, we’re 50. What’s so bad about that?’”
That Forbert is around to make a record about growing old is a testament to his desire to make music. Forbert migrated from small-town Meridian, Miss., to the bright lights of New York City where he lived at the YMCA and busked on street corners and subways hoping for a break. Ever the optimist, Forbert always knew he was on the right path.
“I saw a mouse scurrying in the subway tracks on a freezing cold day while I was waiting for a train and that kind of put things in perspective,” he said with a laugh. “It was looking over pieces of chewed gum, toothpicks and matchsticks. I felt that (in comparison) I was doing pretty good.”
Eventually, Forbert was signed and released his first record. Quickly, hailed as the “next Bob Dylan,” for his blend of rock esthetics and folk sensibilities, Forbert was again behind the eight ball, at least from an outside perspective. Forbert said he never tried to live up to such lofty billing.
“No one could live up to it,” he exclaimed. “No one ever has. I mean, look at Bob today. He’s some sort of cosmic force of talent and brains. There’s only one Bob Dylan, so there. It didn’t mean anything.”
At one point, his label refused to release his fifth album but wouldn’t drop his contract either. A five-year legal battle ensued, but Forbert didn’t despair.
“No, because I had a secret wild card ... I’m one of those people that likes to play and play songs; I’ve been doing it since I was 10. In spite of all that (label hassles) I was still out playing. There is always ‘that.’ Music is absolute and a C chord is still a C chord. I just kept playing.”
These days Forbert is happy with a simpler life in Nashville, putting out albums in his own good time, and as always, about whatever strikes his fancy—like growing old.
“There is a song called ‘Middle Age’ and another called ‘30 More Years And I Am Out Of Here,” he said with another laugh.
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TO GO
Steve Forbert
8 p.m. Friday,
March 2 Avogadro’s Number
605 S. Mason St., Fort Collins 493.5555
$17 www.steveforert.com
www.myspace.com/steveforbert
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Go back Jack, do it again?
Steve Forbert is somewhat ambivalent about the music industry these days. He got his break after moving to New York City and paying his dues on street corners and subways. Would he do it the same way today?
“If you look at the visuals and videos and egos, it’s different today,” he said. “It’s not to say that wasn’t there before, but it’s just become such a big part of it. Just listen to Fergalicious or “Got My Sexy Back.” If that’s what I was listening to as a kid I would go into something else.”
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A measure of success
Forbert laughs the music industry’s measure of artistic success—selling millions of records and playing huge arena shows full of props and gadgetry.
“That is not where I am at,” he said with a laugh. “To me (success) is to keep trying to write songs, to keep at it, playing and loving what you’re doing.” | Only registered users can write comments.
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