Steve Forbert

Singer/songwriter Steve Forbert just released a new album. Well, it's not really new, though it is a new release. The record, "Down in Flames," is actually about 25 years old.

But the master tapes had sat on shelves for that long -- the result of a falling-out with the long-defunct Nemperor label. Sony Music wound up with ownership of the tapes, and Forbert only recently was able to work out a deal to get the music and put it out there for his fans.

Forbert, who rose to fame and experienced comparisons to Bob Dylan in the 1980s after the wild success of his "Romeo's Tune," is philosophical about how it all turned out. He was in his mid-20s then, and while he never rose to the international fame that critics predicted, he wound up with a good, solid, productive career and a loyal fan base.

Forbert, who performs solo on Wednesday at Kirk Avenue Music Hall, realizes that even some of the brightest paths can end in darkness, and if things had turned out differently back then he still would have had no guarantees.

Forbert, 55, said the "Down in Flames" episode was frustrating, but he's still pleased with the results.

"It's possibly too little, too late. It was 30 years ago and it would've been nice to have kept the momentum going back then. But you know what, Jimi Hendrix was dead at age 27, so you tell me."

He didn't have to do much with the record once it was recovered from two places -- one tape properly stored in a Sony vault and another Forbert said he "happened to find" in a Fort Lee, N.J., storage facility. He and production partner Robby Turner only needed to remove some outdated keyboard parts and rerecord one guitar solo. The vocals remain as they were originally recorded.

"My impression was, wow, this thing is in pretty good shape," Forbert said from his home in Nashville, Tenn. "We worked really hard on this. This thing is close. We were finished."

He has performed some of those tunes over the years, even writing new lyrics to "They're Out to Break Us" and "Because My Heart Says So."

Don't expect new lyrics for songs such as "Romeo's Tune," "Going Back to Laurel" or other fan favorites. But do expect to hear plenty of newer original songs.

The title of "Stolen Identity" is self-explanatory, timely and very funny. "Don't Look Down, Pollyanna" is a poignant tune about a newly homeless woman. You can hear those songs and more at his Web site, where he sells his records and offers free downloads.

Forbert, who said he works "80 percent on inspiration," said he would rather have the advantages that a major label deal can bring, but he is satisfied that he has been able to keep working and using his music to relate to his true fans.

"I mean I still love songs," he said. "I live for songs. And I enjoy playing for the people that take the trouble to come hear me.

"There are people that are deliberately there. They are not there because it's, you know, the flavor of the month of whatever it is. We're on the same wavelength, and we're all in the same place, I would say, you know, for a 30-year span of good reason and shared experience. So it's very real to me. So the rest is just where you find yourself and rolling with it."