Step back

Step back may refer to:

Setback (architecture)

A setback, sometimes called step-back, is a step-like recession in a wall. Setbacks were initially used for structural reasons, but now are often mandated by land use codes, or are used for aesthetical reasons. In densely built-up areas, setbacks also help get more daylight and fresh air to the street level.

History

Setbacks were used by ancient builders to increase the height of masonry structures by distributing gravity loads produced by the building material such as clay, stone, or brick. This was achieved by regularly reducing the footprint of each level located successively farther from the ground. Setbacks also allowed the natural erosion to occur without compromising the structural integrity of the building. The most graphic example of a setback technique is the step pyramids of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, such as the Teppe Sialk ziggurat or the Pyramid of Djoser.

For centuries, setbacks were a structural necessity for virtually all multi-level load-bearing masonry buildings and structures. As architects learned how to turn setbacks into an architectural feature, most setbacks were however less pronounced than in step pyramids and often skillfully masked by rich ornamentation.

Step Back (album)

Step Back is an album by blues guitarist and singer Johnny Winter. It features performances by a number of guest musicians, including Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Leslie West from Mountain, and Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats. It was released by Megaforce Records on September 2, 2014.

As on Winter's previous studio album, Roots, the songs are mainly blues standards.Roots and Step Back were both produced by his guitarist Paul Nelson.

Step Back was released posthumously. Winter had finished recording the album, and then played a concert tour in Europe, before he died on July 16, 2014. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts for Blues Albums and Independent Albums, and at #16 on the Billboard 200.

At the 2015 Grammy Awards, Step Back won the Grammy Award for Best Blues Album.

Critical reception

On AllMusic, Steve Leggett said, "Produced by Winter's guitarist, Paul Nelson, the album is full of gritty, soaring guitar, the kind of straightforward blues-rock style Winter has always been known for, and it's obvious over his last two albums that Winter still found joy and excitement in it all, and he went out playing perhaps as well as he ever had, having learned the nuances of these classic blues songs inside and out.... It's all solid, and it's comforting to know that Winter went out in peace with the blues and his legacy, and most importantly, without his skills diminishing."