Music of Steve Tibbetts

Last updated September, 1998

Tibbetts is, in my humble opinion, the single most interesting American musician. A rather bold statement considering how few people know him, but I am prepared to defend my position. Tibbetts plays guitar, both electric and normal. He also plays some kalimba and likes to add "found sounds" to his work. Tibbetts has relied on Marc Anderson for his rhythm since the very beginning. In fact Anderson is the co-author of a number of songs on Tibbetts' albums.

His Recordings

Steve Tibbetts has released just seven records since his first, back in 1976. His first record, recorded while he was in college, is basically not very interesting and now almost impossible to find (it was never released on CD). His second record, which was his final project at college, is the record "YR".

YR    Released in 1980
YR is a stunning record. It is mostly guitars, sometimes many different guitar tracks layered on top of each other, with rhythm from conga drums and tabla. It is hard to describe what his music sounds like. It is sort of like American surf guitar music with an Indian flavor and a willingness to explore shifting rhythms and quiet sounds. I have listened to this record since 1982 and it remains one of my favorite pieces of music. Thanks to ECM Records, this record is widely available on CD. Before ECM re-released it, it was not easy to find as it was self-published by Tibbetts.

Northern Song    Released 1982
Somehow, and heaven knows how this happened, Manfred Eicher, the man behind ECM, heard YR and asked Tibbetts to come over to Europe and record a record for ECM. Tibbetts talks about this in the liner interview included with "Big Map Idea". The resulting record, unlike all other Tibbetts' albums, was recorded in the typical ECM two or three day session. While this may be the right way to record jazz (and who am I to argue with Eicher?) it was not the best way to record Tibbetts. At first listen, Northern Song is quite dull (very unlike YR). But if you spend the time to really listen, you may find (like I did) a record of subtle textures and moments of real beauty. Of Tibbetts' albums, this is the weakest, but I would be sad to not have it at all.

Safe Journey    Released 1984
Well, despite some very mean reviews (and I would guess, poor sales) of Northern Song, Tibbetts went back to his home in Minnesota and spent the next year or so recording Safe Journey. This record proved that YR was no fluke and that Tibbetts was an artist of (dare I say it?) genius. Both sides of this record start out with Tibbetts fast and furious guitar. The later songs are quieter, filled with mystery and hinting at events that caused sorrow. Do the final two songs hint at some reconciliation? Tibbetts talks about how he and Marc recorded one of the songs here (also in the liner interview on Big Map Idea). Safe Journey is a superb album, one of the best albums released in the 1980s.

Exploded View    Released 1986
I know nothing about this record except the music itself which is loud and angry. Tibbetts, for the first time, adds the human voice to his palette of sounds. The voices are not singing lyrics but they do add a more human dimension to Tibbetts music. I like this record a great deal, but I have to be in the mood for some powerful music. This is by no means an ambient record like Northern Song.

Big Map Idea.    Released 1989
This marks the start of Tibbetts "travel" records. The last set of songs on this record were recorded in Nepal and they include many more found sounds. For me, the real high point of this record is Tibbetts version of a song by Jimmy Page (yes that Jimmy Page). The song is "Black Mountain Side". It is such a pleasure to listen to this song, I almost wish Tibbetts would do this sort of thing more often. The Nepal tracks are very good as well.

The Fall of Us All    Released 1994
Another "travel" record, this one apparently inspired more by Bali than Nepal (though again, I didn't know what Tibbetts has been doing, he hasn't toured in the US for 10 years, at least as far as I know). Though this is an impressive album with some impressive tracks, it is not quite as good as his earlier records. The fact that he added a synth player is also not a good sign. I have anything against the synth per se, but Tibbetts never had any problems before getting strange and interesting sounds onto his recordings, so what's the problem now? I would say this is another "angry" record, but somehow the anger is not as focused, or not put to as good a use as it is in Exploded View.

Cho    Released 1997
This is not a solo record for Steve, it is a collaboration with a Tibetan Buddhist Nun. Mostly is consists of devotional Buddhist chants embellished with Steve's recognizable sound environment. I like it well enough. It is fairly quiet and contemplative music, more like Northern Song than any of his other records.

This goes to the Tibbetts page on the ECM web site.

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