Steve Tibbetts - The Fall of Us All

One of Tibbett's hardest-edged releases, this album is more charged and somewhat darker than his previous releases. As with most of his work, the focus is on multi-tracked electric and acoustic guitar, with lots of varied percussion (those familiar with Tibbett's work may think him more a frustrated percussionist than a guitarist). Yet, though this builds upon previous albums, The Fall of Us All requires more of the listener and is very much a full body of work rather than a collection of songs. Travel to Nepal is a marked influence on the textures of the tracks, and would point the way to Tibbett's future projects with musicians from other lands. - by Rob Caldwell, AMG

Steve Tibbetts is a difficult artist to categorize. While the German-based ECM was (at one time) the home of jazz guitarists Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie and Ralph Towner, Tibbetts' music seems more a product of Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa than Jim Hall or Wes Montgomery. Throw into the mix the wordless vocals on some tracks and the use of tabla and synthesizer, and Tibbetts and the other musicians on this CD produce some powerful music--not to mention amazing guitar pyrotechnics from Tibbetts himself. Also worth seeking out are his self-titled debut and the follow-up "YR" on the Frammis label. I have these both on vinyl--I'm not aware that they were ever released on CD--and the guitar playing is nothing short of stunning. "The Fall of Us All" was Tibbetts final release on ECM before signing with Hannibal/Rykodisk. While his earlier ECM releases are good, they don't have the edge this does. On these eleven instrumentals, Tibbetts performs on both acoustic and electric guitars with an amazing technique that will leave you mesmerized. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - by Steve Vrana, Amazon.com

Artist: Steve Tibbetts
Album: The Fall of Us All
Year: 1994
Label: ECM
Runtime: 69:51

Tracks:
1.  Dzogchen Punks (Steve Tibbetts) 7:49
2.  Full Moon Dogs (Steve Tibbetts) 9:13
3.  Nyemma (Steve Tibbetts) 4:50
4.  Formless (Steve Tibbetts) 2:43
5.  Roam and Spy (Steve Tibbetts/Mike Olson) 4:15
6.  Hellbound Train (Steve Tibbetts) 7:16
7.  All for Nothing (Steve Tibbetts) 7:15
8.  Fade Away (Steve Tibbetts) 6:41
9.  Drinking Lesson (Steve Tibbetts) 3:44
10.  Burnt Offering (Steve Tibbetts/Marc Anderson) 7:27
11.  Travel Alone (Steve Tibbetts) 8:33

Personnel:
Steve Tibbetts (Guitar, Percussion, Discs)
Marc Anderson (Congas, Steel Drums, Percussion)
Marcus Wise (Tabla)
Jim Anton (Bass)
Eric Anderson (Bass)
Claudia Schmidt (Voice)
Rhea Valentine (Voice)
Mike Olson (Synthesizer)