Ballads play a very special role in the history of rock music. Firstly: They document the emotional side of the genre and show that behind (almost) every rocker’s hard chest beats a soft heart. Secondly: Those quieter songs are being played by radio stations without rock-affinity – and are loved by listeners for their emotional depth. And thirdly: In an increasingly hectic world, ballads offer brief moments of pause, of reflection on the essential things in life.
So it’s no wonder that the ballad compilations of the Axel Rudi Pell band are an absolute success. Over 250,000 copies have been sold of “The Ballads I” (1993) to “The Ballads V” (2017) alone. And nine (!) of the current Top-10 most streamed Pell songs on Spotify are ballads! More than enough reason therefore, why fans of the Bochum guitarist and songwriter regularly push for a continuation of this release series.
Successfully: On April 21st, 2023, “The Ballads VI” will be released on CD, double vinyl LP and as digital download, as always via Steamhammer/SPV. And – as expected – the release will come with a few small surprises. Not only is “The Ballads VI” the latest edition of the popular ARP “The Ballads” series, but also the direct successor of the studio album “Lost XXIII”, which managed to rank #2 in the official German album sales charts in April 2022.
In view of the new ballads compilation, which comes with a total of 13 ballads “made by ARP” with five of them are brand new recordings, Axel Rudi Pell sums up his growth as a songwriter and musician: “Looking back, there is not a single ballad during the almost 35 years of my solo career that I need to be ashamed of, quite the contrary: some of them are still among my favourite songs today”.
The new ballads album “The Ballads VI” will be released on April 21st, 2023, worldwide through SPV/Steamhammer as CD DigiPak (incl. poster), 2LP Gatefold (trans orange black vinyl), CD/LP bundle with shirt (only at the Steamhammer Shop), download and stream, here.
Tracklist:
1. Revelations (new instrumental)
2. Diamonds and Rust (new cover version)
3. Morning Star (new song)
4. Dust in the Wind (new cover version)
5. Hidden Secrets (new instrumental)
6. Gone with the Wind
7. She’s a Lady
8. Room with a View
9. Fly With Me
10. As Blind as a Fool Can Be
11. I Put a Spell on You
12. Beyond the Light
13. Quarantined 1
European Tour Dates 2023:
24.04. DE-Cologne – Essigfabrik
25.04. DE-Saarbrücken – Garage
27.04. DE-Bochum – Zeche
28.04. DE-Singen – Stadthalle
29.04. CH-Bern – Bierhübeli
01.05. DE-Munich – Backstage
02.05. DE-Langen – Neue Stadthalle
03.05. DE-Berlin – Huxleys
05.05 SE-Malmö – KB
06.05. SE-Stockholm – Fryshuset
07.05. SE-Gothenburg – Pustervik
09.05. DE-Hamburg – Fabrik
10.05. DE-Hannover – Capitol
11.05. DE-Karlsruhe – Substage
12.05. DE-Leipzig – Hellraiser
13.05. NL-Drachten – Iduna
14.05. DE-Bochum – Zeche (sold out)
Line-up:
Johnny Gioeli – Lead and Backing Vocals
Axel Rudi Pell – Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Ferdy Doernberg – Keyboards
Volker Krawczak – Bass
Bobby Rondinelli – Drums
Weblinks:
www.axel-rudi-pell.de
www.facebook.com/axelrudipellofficial
