Secrets of the Sky Guitarist Clayton Bartholomew Lists His Top Five Classic Rock Records; Exclusive “Fosforos” Music Video Premiere

Secrets of the Sky guitarist Clayton Bartholomew took some time to give us a list of his Top Five classic rock records of all time. The band, who dropped their new album, Pathway, via Metal Blade Records a few weeks ago, have been receiving rave reviews and are now kicking off a tour this Friday. If all that’s not enough, we’ve partnered up with the band and label to exclusively premiere their brand new video for the song “Fosforos” – dig it!

Pathway is a true audio exploration delivering thirteen epic tracks that yield varying tempers and textures with each passing listen. Engineered, mixed, mastered and co-produced by Juan Urteaga (Machine Head, Testament, Sadus) of Trident Studios with Secrets of the Sky, the record has already reaped critical approval from media outlets nationwide, with the word “masterpiece” becoming a common description among critics.

Clayton Bartholomew’s Top Five Classic Rock Records:

01. Pink Floyd – ‘The Wall’:
Bartholomew: I love pretty much every Floyd album, so it is hard to narrow it down to one, but I will go with The Wall because I feel it is the darkest of their albums. I also feel this one was the pinnacle of Gilmour’s musical creativity culminating with the pinnacle of Water’s lyrical and conceptual creativity.

02. Led Zeppelin – ‘III’:
Bartholomew: Again, so hard to choose just one, but my personal fav is their third record. There isn’t a weak moment, the balance between folky acoustic numbers and heavy rockers is great for that loud-quiet-loud fix and let’s be honest – classic rock radio haven’t beaten this album into the ground like so many of the other ones in their catalog so it still feels fresh to me every time I slap it on.

03. Jethro Tull – ‘Thick as a Brick’:
Bartholomew: This concept-y album is basically one long piece and it flows so well from beginning to end. These guys (along with a few other bands of the era) found a way to marry technically complex arrangements and exceptional musicianship with catchy choruses and memorable melodies. The subject matter has always struck me as interesting due to the dry English wit employed by singer and flautist Ian Anderson, even if it isn’t always clearly decipherable.

04. Jimi Hendrix – ‘Electric Ladyland’:
Bartholomew: Jimi seemed to come into his own on this record, probably due to having a bigger budget and more time and access to the studio. The result for me is more experimental and a much more personal sounding album.

05. Robin Trower – ‘Bridge of Sighs’:
Bartholomew: Robin Trower has always been awesome, but it is his slower and more somber material that really grabbed me. Songs like “Bridge of Sighs” and “In this Place” feel intimate and depressive, but also reflect a great deal of soulful emotion.

Tour Dates (w/ North):

06/12 – The Complex – Glendale, CA
06/13 – Caravan – San Jose, CA w/ Cold Blue Mountain
06/14 – 1078 Gallery – Chico, CA w/ Cold Blue Mountain
06/15 – The Wandering Goat – Eugene, OR w/ Cold Blue Mountain
06/16 – Rotture – Portland, OR w/ Cold Blue Mountain
06/17 – Black Lodge – Bremerton, WA
06/18 – The Pin – Spokane, WA
06/19 – The Railyard – Billings, MT
06/20 – Foot Foot Fest – Fort Collins, CO w/ Reproacher
06/21 – 7th Circle Collective – Denver, CO