"Brush away that black cloud from your shoulder!"
- STAND UP
- BENEFIT
- AQUALUNG Federico's Review / AQUALUNG Joel's review / Oleg's Review
- THICK AS A BRICK Federico's review / THICK AS A BRICK Joel's review /THICK AS A BRICK Oleg's review
- LIVING IN THE PAST Joel's review / Oleg's review
- LIVE AT THE GORBUSHKA, MOSCOW 2003
- Ian Anderson - WALK INTO LIGHT
This was innovative blues! Go for it, guys! In the beginning were Jethro Tull a band. Latter, they became a pseudonym for Ian, or a studio/tour band, never to write anything more than a few tunes while Ian Anderson wrote one album after another. But at this time the guitarist Mick Abrahams wrote and arranged a couple of songs, and also cooperated with Ian a couple of times. In fact the drummer Clive Bunker also cooperated with Ian, though only resulting in the boring drum-solo piece "Dharma for one". But even if the band wrote some songs together, the main element is Ian's flute. Without overshadowing any other (in fact Clive is the gangster here, with that "Dharma for one" solo), Ian and the flute are the ones that diversifies the atmosphere, so that we instead of a common blues-rock album from the late 60's/early 70's period here have an album with some new ideas, played by guys who's happy just to play. In fact Ian sometimes puts away the flute and picks up a harmonica, piano or claghorn (made by Jeffrey, about who they say this: 'He's one of us but doesn't really play anything - makes bombs and things'. Geez, if I was them I'd always be scared), though the flute still is the thing here. Yes, yes - Mick Abrahams' guitar is an always present element, and of course Bunker's drums always are there, and Glenn Cornick mostly has something to play on his bass guitars.. But you know.. It's like on all other Tull records...., in some way it's always there, only waiting for the right moment to rear it's head. The album takes off with "My Sunday feeling", which has some original flutework, but the repeating guitar riff (chord A-chord B, chord A-chord B, you know? Played on guitars with a quite ugly sound, too) sometimes bores me. Clive Bunker and Glenn Cornick provides the song with a good background work, but the song is still quite "common blues-rocker-quality"-ish. "Some day the sun won't shine for you" is a loose but tasteful pure blues tune, driven by the bass guitar and the guitars, who plays the same lines all the time, and Ian's harmonica. It also displays Ian and Abrahams singing the song together - Ian surely wasn't that egocentric he later would be. The song is a romantic and smooth one, without drums, but I think they were right about that - the song would just have become anottther "common" blues-rocker with the drums, and the tune is far too fine to be ruined by misplaced drums. "Beggar's farm" has got amazing flutework and a guitar riff heading back to Howling Wolf and his "Killing floor"-days. The lyrics this time shows some genius instead of common blues-lingo. And some rocking skills, but it doesn't really shake me that much. But still the tremolo/staccato flutework amazes me. "Move on alone" is Abrahams' tune, displaying a songwriting talent besides the skills as a musician which we already knew about. The song is romantic, with weird but very tastefull trumpets, which adds jazzy touch to the song. And the vocal is cool, nearly speaking, adding a cowboy feel to the song. Yes, it works for me. "Serenade to a cuckoo" is a Roland Kirk-tune, long but jazzy, mostly displaying Ian's obvious talents as a flute-player. But after all, that song is so tastefully made that I never got offended by it, I've rather got in love with it! It's so cool, that bluesy bass, those jazzy drums, that jazz guitar, and at last, that flute! "Dharma for one" begins as a hard-rocking blues-rocker, actually with some melody buried somewhere deep beneath a loud and enervating cow-bell (or whatever, I don't know percussives very well. Sounds like a cow-bell, anyway), before the music stops, replaced by the first part of the universally hated drum solo. Actually, the music returns some couple of times, first with Ian and Jeffrey's claghorn, then with a guitar/bass solo... But that awful drum solo surely destroys the song (not that it would have been good without the drums, anyway), making it the absolutely worst song on here (in fact it's the only bad one, makin' it even worse). "It's breaking me up" is generic blues, driven along by Ian's mouth-organ. Doesn't really blow me away, but if you're working with an important thing like reading through "Silmarillion" for the 4th time, it may work. "Cat's squirrel" is a traditional piece, arranged by Abrahams (or rather re-written by Abrahams - I've never heard a traditional tune sounding that way...), and has got a catchy guitar riff, though the song uses to be nothing more than a guitar solo, sounding like Jimi Hendrix and the Experience. Undoubtly Jimi would have made the slow guitar solos better than Abrahams, but when the solo's speed is raised, Abrahams sure work as well as any other. In fact Cream also covered this song on their debut album, so maybe it's here 'just because people like it', as the liner notes say, but I'm not sure if I like it very much... That riff, certainly, but perhaps Cream made it better... Well, I'd better go listen at Cream instead of comparing them with Tull, so that I'd know what I'm saying... "A song for Jeffrey" (that scary guy with the bombs, remember?) is another flute-driven tune, even if Ian change between the flute, harmonica and vocals, with that characteristic staccato flute melody. His voice sounds as if he had got a bun in his mouth while singing... The song is a funny but intelligent tune, interesting in it's own way - and it hardly sounds as anything else on the album. Have I got something more to say? Oh, yes, "Round" is about 50 seconds long, jazzy and with Ian on piano. 'This was how they were playing then ----- but things change. Don't they', to quote themselves. 'Indeed', I say.
Send your comments and reviews of "This Was"
After sad depature of Mick Abrahams ("sad" if we are talking
only about fans of Mick Abrahams (do they even exsist, I wonder? If yes, they
must listen to old blues records every day and play only one chord on their
guitar, hoping that they can play ultra - mega - super improvised solo)), Ian
Anderson finally became the real leader of Jethro Tull and almost completely
abandoned the hardcore blues direction the band have followed before. He picked
up a new guitarist called Martin Barre, wrote a bunch of songs and recorded
them specially for the new album called Stand Up (ha! You thought the album
was called Thick As A Brick or, even worse, Aqualung, yeah?). And like almost
everything that was released in 1969, this album is a masterpiece (surprise!
surprise!).
Really, I don't know how Ian Anderson guessed to mix some blues, hard rock,
folk and flute together and fit them all in music like this. And I can't explain
too. Maybe the force of his inspiration was really too much to make his hand
a bank of musical ideas, superb music and lyrics. Was it God or did good old
fella Ian sell his soul to the devil? I repeat it again - I DON'T KNOW! Maybe
you know better than me (though it's nearly impossible to know something better
than me)? Mail your ideas - all of Sam Ulward team and Oleg Sobolev personally
would like to read all of your crazy thoughts.
New guitarist Martin Barre shines on here too. If Mick Abrahams could do only
mummbling - bubbling on guitar and some self - indulgent blues solos, this man
can do anything - from heavy impovs and careful use of wah - wah to various
soloing and some experimentations with guitar. It is not a big surprise that
Martin played on every Tull album since Stand Up was released.
What about the songs on here? Well, I can't name a single song on the album
which isn't catchy, rockin' and memorable. So it is impossible to talk about
"bad" and "worst" songs on Stand Up, just because they don't exsist. And it
is very difficult to choose the best song on here, believe me.
Most of Tull fans will say to you that the best song on here is "A New Day Yesterday"
- very hard hardcore blues. Catchy bass riff, dark and groovy harmonica, weeping
drums and a killer flute/guitar duet (duel?) in the middle - all those things
can make a good song, can't they? And they surely do!
Ordinary listeners and critics are mad about "Bouree" - very original Bach "cover".
This 4 - minute instrumental suite shows every side of Jethro Tull circa 1969
- from gentle melody lead by flute to dark bass solos (bass rules all over the
song and the album - Glenn Cornick is one of the best bass guitarists ever,
believe me!). It was even played by Led Zeppelin on a pair of live gigs (no
joke!). For me, it is the best rock instrumental ever.
But as fo me, not "A New Day Yesterday" or "Bouree", as much as they are great,
aren't the best songs on here. I prefer the closing number - "For A Thousand
Mothers" - to be the best. It has one of the coolest rock'n'roll riffs I have
ever heard! And this crazy flute... The solo in the very end has some real magic
in it. I'm away of this planet while I'm listening to this piece.
Other songs are not as great as the songs I told you above, but they rule anyway.
"Jeffrey Goes To The Leicester Square" and "Fat Ma" are both smiliar to each
other due to the same percussion tone. But if "Jeffrey..." is fully concentrated
over this percussion, "Fat Man" have some experiments with balalaika. And Martin
Barre plays flute on here! And this little percussion solo in the middle rules!
But both songs are excellent anyway.
"Back To The Family" begins like a little folk ballad, but then it turns into
one of the best hard rock pieces in history. Lyrics are so gorgeous that Bob
Dylan may threw away his pen, pencils and papers. It was my favorite song a
little time ago, but I'm quite tired of it now. Still, it rules, rules, rules,
rules and rules again.
"Reasons For Waiting" and "Look Into The Sun" are both beautiful folk ballads,
full of self - searching atmosphere and lyrics. "Reasons" is quite angry and
full of emotions and it has gorgeous flute breaks and "Look Into The Sun" is
much better - it's so sad and has very beautiful acoustic guitar tone. The first
song cheers me up in hard moments and the second one always moves me in tears.
Surely the best ode to the summer I have ever heard.
"Nothing Is Easy" has some good sound of future Tull with all those marching
drums here and there and British vocal melody. Those vocals fit in the song
so well and carefully that I'm just amazed! I can't imagine it as the instrumental.
Finally, we've got another ballad - "We Used To Know". People, listen carefully
- "Hotel California" was ripped off this song!!! Yeah, it is so and because
of this "We Used To Know" might suck a lot of dicks, but great vocals and wah
- wah solo by Martin Barre make a song a masterpiece for me.
Al in all, I can't imagine that I can be tired off this album (except for "Back
To The Family", but even this song is great) - I surely will be listening to
it again and agian.
Go and buy it now.
Add your comments and reviews!
The unexplained falling from the peak. I do not know how Ian quickly turned
from one of the greatest songwriters ever to the man who picks up some great
songs from the previous album and re-writes them in the worst way possible.
He surely have done a little benefit. A benefit of lame, forgetable and monster-like
melodies.
At the first sight, Benefit is kinda Stand Up - the same production, the same
mix of styles, but it's all so fucked up by Ian that it makes me scream very
loud: "FUCK YOU, MR. ANDERSON!" and repeat this scream again and again hundreds
and hundreds of time, while I'm jumping around the burning mountain of Benefit
copies.
So what's we've got on here? Speaking about music, almost nothing. The good
songs ("With You There To Help Me", "Son" and "Inside") are good, but only good
- nothing really great for me. Ah no, I'm sorry, "With You There To Help Me"
seems to have the best chorus on the album - catchy and memorable. And the intro
is cool too. Oh, and I think I like "Son" only because of one of the best lyrics
Ian have ever written. Musically it is just a piece of primitive pseudo-hard
garbage with a cool, but very short acoustic section.
The only real gem is "Nothing To Say" - a really fantastic epic. It can pretend
to be in top 10 of the best Tull songs ever with its' gorgeous guitarwork and
Ian's singing (I love that "Nothing to saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay"
roar at the end of the chorus).
But that's all! Other songs are shit (I'm sorry to be very sharp, but it is
the holy truth). They can't help me to change my opinion about the album. Seriously,
I'd like to rise the rating for a point or a two (at least, make it a 10), but,
still, the whole album doesn't deserve it. Too pity that the other songs are
not another "Nothing To Say"s.
Let's take "To Cry You A Song". This song seems to be a huge fan-favorite, but
it means nothing to me. OK, I can sit through this stupid hard riffage, and
those fuzz vocals sound really good (it's not "21st Century Schizoid Man", but
it's cool anyway), but chorus is so primitive and the song itself turns into
a meaningless guitar soloing (Marting plays good, but I can't stand it). And
this is what you call fan-favorite? Well, I can imagine a thousand Tull fanatics
singing the lyrics and Martin Barre repeating that lame riff for five or six
minutes on some concert. And ya know, this picture makes me puke.
But it is not the nadir of the album. Yeah, it's hard to imagine something worse
than "To Cry You A Song", but "Play In Time"... It can be a perfect example
of a bad song. Someone can take four different notes, write meaningless lyrics
and put some really awful "jamming" inside and he'll got something like "Play
In Time". A terrible song.
Others? "Alive And Well And Living In"? Crap! Not only because it is a re-write
of "Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square", because it is a piece of crap. "For Michael
Collins, Jeffrey And Me"? It's a piece of crap too. Boring nd terrible. And,
sorry, I can't remember anything from "A Time For Everything?" it all. And I
always fell asleep in the middle of "Sossity: You're A Woman". Even the fact
Martin Barre says it's his favorite Tull song doesn't save it (he says Under
Wraps is the best Tull, after all)
And you know, Benefit has a very ugly cover. "Don't judge album by the cover",
isn't it? You know, sometimes even wise things can be wrong.
Well, first of all the lineup ; on this album plays :
Ian Anderson : flute, acoustic guitar and voice ( I can say "..the man of a thousand voices.." ).The songwriter and the brain of the entire band, he wrote all the song here and also contributs with the usually first class flute and some inspired acoustic guitar works.
Martin Barre : eletric guitar and descant recorder ; not so inventive as guitarist but he' s extremely good and expressive.
Clive Bunker : drums and percussions.A damn good drummer and he' s very inventive, often with his drums he seems to accompany the melody and improves the nuances of the sound ( like with his sublime drums work on "Locomotive Breath" ).
John Evan : piano, organ and mellotron.One of the most skilled keyboardists of the epoch, maybe on the same level of K. Emerson.
Jeffrey Hammond : bass guitar, alto recorder and odd voices.Maybe the only bassist who can really rate with J. Entwistle ( in the case you don' t know the man, this means a fantastic and groovy driving bass ).
The first concept album from this band, or better from I. Anderson.What' s the concept?The distinction between religion and God ; I found an interesting key of interpretation in the booklet of the newest remastered edition : dig it
1) In the beginning Man created God ; and in the image of Man he created him.
2) And Man gave unto God a multitude of names, that he might be Lord over all the earth when it was suited to Man.
3) And on seven millionth day Man rested and did lean heavily on his God and saw that it was good.
4) And Man formed Aqualung of the dust of the ground, and a host of others likened unto this kind.
5) And these lesser men Man did cast into the void.And some were burned ; and some were put apart from their kind.
6) And Man became the God that he had created and with his miracles did rule over all the earth.
7) But as these things did come to pass, the Spirit that did cause Man to create his God lived on within all Men : even within Aqualung.
8) And Man saw it not.
9) But for Christ' s sake he' d better start looking.
And about music?Well, "Aqualung" represents for Tull the first step towards prog, mainly for the intelligent lyrics, the importance of the concept ( but not its predominance as will happen later on "Thick As A Brick" ), the folk vibes, the complexity of arrangements ( not always so complex, but I admit that, differently from other prog bands, Tull' s arrangements rarely fall into self indulgence, and this is a very good point ) ; plus they didn' t discard their previous style and, as result, there are on this album some terrifing rocking songs ( like the title track, "Locomotive Breath" and "Cross-Eyed Mary" ).Is this enough for the album to receive a 9/8?Not, but there are something more here.First of all the songwriting ability : maybe there aren' t so memorable tunes like on "Stand Up", or so complex musical movements ( as in the "one-song albums", like "Thick As A Brick" ), but all the compositions are solid, often very expressive ( for examlpe "My God" manages to be serious, intelligent, complex but not too involved, and, musically speaking, groovy and breathtaking...but it also rocks! ) and diverse : some song are multipart, often an acoustic part and an eletric one ( this creates a great counterpoint in song like "Aqualung" ), you can find rock, folk, protest songs, prayers, ballads....Anderson did a really great job in diversify them.Another good feature of the album is surely the musical skills of the band : Anderson' s flute in the intro of "Cross-Eyed Mary" or his solo on "My God" are among his best, it' s incredible how his instruments can rock and be soft at the same time and his flute isn' t a filler for the sound, rember!I' ll pass on some very inspired piano Bach-esque works courtesy of Evans, to focus your attention on Barre : very good work on rhythm and solo too.Clive Bunker is the best drummer they ever had and J. Hammond-Hammond is terrifing : his bass is always very incisive.What can I add?Let' s analize the songs.The title track is overplayed by classic rock radio, with his menacing beginning eletric riff, then becomes a smooth ballad with very cool vocals ( what' s the effect on Ian' s voice?It' s a real mark of the particular atmosphere of the song, or at least of the atmosphere of the acoustic part ) then returns to be a full rocker, with a fantastic solo by Barre."Cross-Eyed Mary" has a folkish intro, based on an a flute played "in crescendo" ; the sound is gently filled with a sinth ( or an organ ), then it suddenly ( maybe too suddenly...) becomes a pure rock number, with a distorced eletric riff and Anderson singing in a very scary way.One of the best song here is for me the acoustic "Cheap Day Return" : the acoustic guitar is relaxed, wisely interlaced with the other guitars, and Ian sings with a peaceful and lullabish voice....very good song.Then we have three ballads, that rely mainly on Ian flute and voice ( as usual!!! ) : they sound quiet the same song to me but I admit that the flute work is surely good, and these songs are important for the concept : they complete the description of the main character but also provides with the most introspective and smooth part of the entirre album."Wondering Aloud" is one of the most tear-inducing of the songs here but it' s quiet trite and has a bare style in comparison with other composition ( "Cheap Day Return" for instance ) ; "Up To Me" is a very accorate prayer after all, but it has its moments, even if it's quiet overlong for my tastes."My God" starts the second part of the album, called as the song "My God", that deals more explicity with religion ; well, even if the song was about yellow cats or fucking girls it' d sound fantastic the same : the sophsticate acousitic ( that reminds a bit to me to some chords played by Townshend on "Tommy" ) intro, the counterpoint between acoustic and eletric guitar on a side and the flute on the other, the intelligent lyrics, the intricate rhythm pattern ( very expressive )..., the usual first class flute and voice : maybe the best song here."Hymn 43" is a rock song, remarkable mainly for the excellent piano supported by a brilliant guitar."Slipstream" is a song in "Wondering Aloud" "Up To Me" style : nothing new or remarkable, but quiet charming too, expecially for the "psychedelic" end."Locomotive Breath" is surely the masterpiece here ; the cool piano intro, in Bach style, becomes sligthly rocking with the addition of some guitar licks in the background then it suddenly ends and the main eletric riff begins pumping onto your ears, while Bunker is busy in one of his best drums arrangement : together with Barre guitar the effect is of a train growing in speed and ineluctably going forward ; the lyrics are about an unlucky man and his unlucky acts.....for me it doesn' t deals so much with the concept, but they are quiet good the same.Sadly the last song is also the worst : the musical skills of the band doesn' t manage to improve the weak composition, even if the lyrics are surely interesting.Has this album some weaks points?Yes, maybe in the concept : the music is fantastic and the concept ( for what intelligent it is ) gets lost into music and as result some songs ( like "Aqualung" ) are mainly pleasant and imaginative pictures, nothing more.Plus the album is perfectly recorded but there is nothing very innovative or groundbreaking, in fact is the peak of their rock period, with some prog ( you may say folk as well ) vibes.Howewer an interesting album, intelligent, with an immaculate production and music.....maybe I overrated it, but I don' t know where, so...
Yep, that’s more of the truth. No stupid Aqualungs here, I tell ya! They were wrong, the Tullers. But it’s an interesting theme, indeed. Though I don’t think it’s necessary to rewrite the guys’ wicked interpretation of the Bible here, Federico and John have already done that. But if you don’t want to read that interpretation, I think my review works all OK. *I hope so, at least*
Jesus, I’m feeling disturbed… Perhaps it’s because I’m listening at a Caravan album right now… I usually don’t listen at other albums than the one that I’m reviewing, but I felt it could be good to vary the formula. Well, the Tull did always the blues-rock before. They were actually very good at blues-rock, and they had something special… But things change – don’t they, to quote This was’ liner notes. Away with the blues, let’s make folk-rock! By any unclear causes, they’ve always been placed in the "prog" category, though they spent just as much time on making blues, folk and "commercial" music, just as much as they made prog albums. At least don’t I call this album prog, there’s hardly any pure prog-tunes here. "Wind up", maybe, and "My God" and perhaps "Locomotive breath", but those songs aren’t very different from other, except for the Tull’s sound, of course. No, the prog didn’t enter the Tull scene until the next year, when they released Thick as a brick, though even there there were just as much folk as it was prog. That album is prog mostly because that the whole album contains but one song, which surely seems/seemed progressive. The music didn’t become wholly prog until A passion play, which definitely deserves to be called prog, but only for the worst… No, I’d rather count Jethro Tull as a folk-rock band, judged by the first years, or a synth-band, judged by the 80’s releases. Or a quite retro band, if we judge them by their 90’s output. If we judge them by their 1973-76 output, though, they might actually be a prog band, but that’s only four years…
This album contains a huge lot of British folk, among with some piano-rock and guitar-rock. An excellent example of this is the title track, which begins as a heavy guitar tune, with crunchy chords and riffs, but moves over into an acoustic and calm folkish tune, with lots of acoustic guitars, but while the time passes, more piano is gradually added. After another while, the song becomes a fast, piano-driven pop tune, though with some guitar riffs and a bluesy bass-line.
"Cross eyed Mary" has got one of the strongest introes on the album, one of the strongest introes of their whole career actually, ruled by Ian’s "bubbling" flute melody, repeated but gradually changing bass lines and a steady drum. That intro actually overshadows the rest of the song, even if the rest of it also fits my tastes quite well. It’s riff-driven, but the riff has some silent points in it, and those makes the song jagged.
"Cheap day return" is an acoustic 1-minute thing, folkish as anything acoustic on the album, and it’s got an ear-pleasant melody. These acoustic tunes really rules!
"Mother Goose" has a charming flute-melody a ‘la Thick as a brick. It’s mostly acoustic, though a powerful electric riff passes in in the latter part of the song. Some congas or something is also here, but some medieval inspirations can be found if you listen carefully.
"Wond’ring aloud" is yet another mostly acoustic tune. Another version of the song, called "Wond’ring again" can be found on the Living in the past compilation. This "Wond’ring aloud" is interlarded with strings and a piano, making it a pleasant experience.
"Up to me" has got a dominating flute/piano riff, while the verses are with classical guitar, vocals and flute only. I’m wond’ring how Ian managed to make that in concert… The vocal melody is quite non-stopping, and sounds actually quite immature. OK, to be frank, the whole song feels quite immature, but what the, it’s stll good.
"My God" has a dark piano/vocals beginning. It feels as if Ian blames someone because of that one’s wicked religion and ill deeds… A male choir also passes in with some "Aaa, aaa"’s, and Ian’s flute does a lion’s share. A scary tune, actually.
"Hymn 43" is a piano/guitar driven rocker, opening with Ian shouting "A father hiiigh in Heaven", and then it just rolls on. Sometimes Barre makes some harsh tones on his guitar, though. The song is powerful, and Ian sounds as if he had to bear lots of sorrows.
"Slipstream" is yet another string/acoustic guitar/vocals folky tune, short as usual. But in fact some part of it is quite catchy.
"Locomotive breath" is the one that most other reviewers says is the best song on the album. I nearly agree, though "Hymn 43" is a cut above… It starts as an instrumental piano tune, quite pompous and probably inspired by some old master, Beethoven or Bach for instance. But that piano tune slowly becomes bluesy, and the other guys adds their instruments. But then the intro moves, or rather jumps, into a heavy tune with Barre making repeated rasps on his guitars, like the ones he made in "Hymn 43". Those rasps and a line played by the whole band at once makes the whole song.
"Wind up" is the half-power-ballad that ends up the song. In the beginning quite sentimental but emotional, before it moves over into a Barre-dominated rocker, with his chords he takes up most space besides Ian’s vocals. In fact he also delivers a solo, have ya heard… But then the song again becomes a sentimental power-ballad. But the song really works, even the power-ballad parts (in fact those parts are the best). The song is a worthy end to one of the most important "prog" albums ever… Prog, hmph.
1971 was the year of a big changes for Jethro Tull. First of all,
one of the greatest bassist in history of rock'n'roll Glenn Cornick quit the
band for some reasong and Ian Anderson picked up his long-time friend Jeffrey
Hammond-Hammond - another very good bassist. If you don't believe me, listen
to the squeezing bass lines on Thick As A Brick or on "Backer Street Muse" from
Minstrel In The Gallery. It is interesting that Jeffrey coulld not play any
instrument before joining Tull - Ian gave him a bass lessons!
Oh, and John Evan finally joined Tull. Who is he? He is the best piano player
ever. Period. Forget Keith Emerson, forget those crappy classical piano players
- John Evan is the king. If Emerson is the pure god of self-indulgence near
his piano (or other instruments) and classical players play everything note-to-note,
John Evan likes to jam on piano, but he never gets the bad results. He rules.
Oh and finally the biggest change is that Jethro Tull went prog. It is that
progressive rock (a real progressive rock, not a prog as King Crimson or Yes)
Tull that we all love to death. And the first album that shows us this Tull
is Aqualung. Everybody seems to say it is a concept album, but Ian Anderson
himself said in his interview recorded specially for Thick As A Brick remaster,
that Aqaulung is "just a bunch of songs". But, still, some songs like "Hymn
43" and "My God" have a very anti-religious lyrics. So let's all together think
that Aqualung is (and always was) the concept album.
OK, but a concept the album has is only a concept the album has - no concept
can change the music. And what's about the music? It's great! The album begins
with "Aqualung" - a six and a half minute long suite. Heavy chords turn into
the great sad acoustic section and continues with a great guitar-leading jam.
A rock masterpiece! But even it does not come close to the main hit of the record
- "Locomotive Breath". A little jazzy jam in the beginning is only prelude to
the main section with that rockin' riff imitating the trrain going. Oh and that
flute solo!
By the way, speaking about the flute... You know, if you don't like that crazy
flute passages taken from Russian folk music in the middle of "My God" - you're
crazy. If you don't like the short intro to "Cross-Eyed Mary" - you're an idiot.
Sorry, but it's truth. Ian Anderson played in those songs maybe his best flute
solos ever.
The other side of the album I like very much is the short acoustic ballads.
There are three of them on this album - "Cheap Day Return", "Wond'ring Aloud"
and "Slipstream". They all are great (although they are not as great as "Nursie"
from Living In The Past), especially "Cheap Day Return".
So if the album is so great why a 14, not a 15? It may seem strange, but I don't
know. Maybe because the Jethro Tull album that was released after Aqualung?
Do you remember the name of that masterpiece? Thick As A Brick.
Mail your comments and reviews of "Aqualung"
This time they really showed their prog side, or better their folk-rock-prog side ( but a more precise definition can achieve the only result of making myself ridiculous ) : what a worth moment!People usually said that this album is the answer to "Tarkus" by ELP but I don' t care people ; yes the album is constitued by a long fourty minutes long suite ( divided into two parts for pratical reasons ) but it hasn' t anything to do with the cold and emotionless prog of ELP for musical but also "lyrical" causes.Musically this album is a sourt of mix, more oriented towards prog and folk, of prog and rock ( while "Aqualung" is more a rock album ) ; the new drummer, with his precise and steady style, similar to the Giles' s one, brought this album into the prog ground but Anderson really came out with original melodies and original compositions and arrangements.Without doubt their most original album : if you want to know what prog means buy this ( and "Tarkus" of course ).
The lyrics and the concept are very interesting ; the cover is also cool : have you ever seen the original one?It' s a real paper, with articles, publicities,...the article on the front cover is about the disqualification of a young poet from a poetry contest : his work was considered blasfemous and contrary to the current moral.At this point is clear what is the subject of the lyrics.In fact the lyrics were co-written by Ian Anderson and the author of the disqulified poem ; goes without saying they are full of social critics and rage against the false moralism of some people.WARNING!This subject can be sound similar to the ones of some punk albums : THIS ALBUM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PUNK!!!!!!!The subject is treated in a very intelligent and poetical way, it' s not a flame towards society, even if it surely harsh against traditional religion and the "common" behaviour".
What about the music?If you like a band who composes solid and well refined songs, maybe this album can' t satisfy you, because it built on a 40 minutes long suite, without significative pauses ( but this "opera" has surely its parts, like the folkish intro, the majestic flute solos and each part represents some of the strophes of the poem ) and it may sound to you a bit fragmentary ( expecially the B-side : personally I think that it contains the weakest moments of the entire albums, it sounds like a little recycling stuff...always coupled with some musical gems as typical for this album ).So if you want Tull at their peak of songwriting get "Aqualung" or if you are interested in fancy melodies and rapsodic runs get this : here you can find the best melodies Ian Anderson ever wrote, believe me!They extremely diverse, just a little less than in "Aqualung", complex but not involved, all the key passages and tempo changes are made with gusto, without a technicism for the sake of technicism, fluent ( but flawed with some difficulties on side-B as I already said ) and the music fits very well with the concept, being able to be melancholically depressed and dreaming ( expecially in the beautiful acoustic part in which Ian sings "...spending down the years and the days of my yought..." -uhm, this is a typical feature of a lot of folk ballads, I think- ) powerful and rocking ( that beautiful Barre' s solo perfectly back by a great keyboard section ) and that flute everywhere, interlaced with all the most beautiful melodies in order to increase their already powerful charm...ah that flute...What can I add?The technical perfection of the band ( even if that kind of prog drums doesn' t coincide completely with my tastes, I really prefer Clive Bunker ), the fantastic voice of Anderson at his peak with some "minstrel-esque" parts really tasteful, the fancy in composing make this album the Tull masterpiece.
Mail your comments or reviews!
First I just want to say that Jethro Tull is the prog group that is most far from prog, as a musical genre. They rather played folk-rock, just compare them to any other prog band, and you'll see an obvious difference between them: The other proggers worked hard to make their music symphonic, they used mellotrons, they tried to do music as over-blown and complicated as possible, they wrote cryptic or fantasy-inspired lyrics. OK, I admit that Tull (or rather Ian Anderson) also tried to make symphonic music and "intelligent" (?) lyrics, but after all, they were a prog band! I just tried to explain that they weren't as prog-ish as, say Genesis or Kansas. I suppose you know the album's background already, but here we go anyway: The lyrics are first written by an 8-year-old boy, Gerald Bostock, who won a prize for it. But then it became obvious that he was depressed while writing the poem, so he was disqualified, and another girl got it instead. The whole thing made the whole GB upset. So Ian Anderson decided to make an album with the poem as background. I just hope that Gerald got some royalties. By the way I should mention that this and the coming albums are about the most proggy they ever did. This album shows the new direction of their music. They became a prog band after the previous Aqualung, but not before today they played any pure prog. Folk rock was the thing before, now long live prog with folk elements! But I suppose that the lyrics inspired mr I. Anderson to make some ultra-pretentious-bombastic-complicated music, and I think he liked it and continued with the same formula for some while. But while he wrote the lyrics by himself on A passion play, for instance, he had no-one but himself to satisfy, so he made it even more pompous than before, resulting in a much weaker album. While the album only has got two songs, it's quite hard to explain how it sounds. But I'll do my best. Side 1 begins with some of the classic folk-rock they played before. And the stanza "... and your wise men don't know how it feels to be thick as a brick" is beautiful enough enough to be a psalm. It moves over into a rocking part, with a rolling bass riff, which moves over into the first proggy part of the album, sounding like ELP (that means pretentious and hymnish), which moves over into a keyboard-dominated part, wsich movs ocver jnto.. blrrrfb...spprffftg... urgh, I have to be more progressive, I think, not use the same words all the time. I'm yawning as if I've been awaken all the night. Well, it moves over into... oops I did it again (ain't I funny? Quoting Britney Spears. tee hee hee..) Uh, I think I'm too tired to make a review. Well, there's some parts sound like a Deep Purple jam, some more ELP-ish keyboard jams, and some parts are really beautiful, I tell ya! Jethro Tull weren't like other groups in a special case: They were nearly always at their peak, in any way. I won't say that they always were good, because they weren't. But always peaking, at least for the most time. While the lyrics came from a depressed young boy, they're often critical against the society, and especially against the other boys, digging Biggles and Superman. I believe he was a bit mobbed, the poor boy. OK, I've wrote 32 rows of more or less inventive reviewing, this is the 33rd. Go and get this album if you don't own it. If you already own it, just decide if you like it or not, and then either keep it or sell it. Simple. By the way I should mention that the second side (or part, if you want to) begins quite lame, while I decided to choose the first part as best "song". That was the 35th row.
In 1972 the drummer Clive Bunker left the band for some unknown
reason for me and Ian Anderson introduced to the world a new drummer - Barriemore
Barlow. I don't know where and when did he find this unknown guy, but he damn
was very lucky that he did fing him, just because Barrie was one of the best
drummers in rock history. Not the best maybe (there are still someone like Phil
Collins or Keith Moon for ya), but certainly one of the best. Speedy and mad,
slow and sad - the guy is different. And he really proved it on every Tull album
he had ever played. And especially on the live one (Bursting Out), but that's
another story.
I won't tell you that Thick As A Brick itself is the only one, album-length
song, 'cos you know it. I'd better tell you that the song itself if just a lot
of short songs gathered together. And all of those short songs are so beautiful
and superb musically, that I can't imagine any other album to come close in
the art of music. Not even The Final Cut (yeah, right, you have heard it from
me - The Final Cut does not reach Thick As A Brick in the art of music), not
Selling England By The Pound or many other different albums. Plus, the album
itself is a conceptual and the concept is the best one ever done... The Final
Cut can't reach the Tull masterpiece here, too.
And what is the concept? It is the story of an 8-year old boy named Gerald Bostock,
who wrote the poem called "Thick As A Brick" and won the prize at the poetry
contest. But everybody was against the boy and his poem, so he was disqualified.
But then Ian Anderson appears and he records an album with the lyrics taken
right from Gerald's poem (it is Ian's lyrics and they are great, do not fear,
but, ofically, they are credited to Gerald). And all this story is detaly described
on the... album cover! Yeah, right, the album cover which is just fantastic.
Imagine - it is a real newspaper called "St. Cleve Chronicle" with a lots of
articles (not only about Gerald - there are lotsa crap like culture and sports!).
It's absolutely great, believe me. I doubt that any other cover can reach this.
Just 'cos it's the real art. It may be not so perfect as Tales From Topogrophic
Oceans or In The Land Of Grey And Pink covers, but it is amazing anyway.
As for music, the album is a pure prog. Complex long jams are here and they
rock as nothing else. Ian played not only flute and acoustic guitar - he played
some saxophones, a trumpet and even a violin (s the addition to the David Palmer's
string quartet which sounds only once on the whole album). Martin Barre played
on lotsa instruments kinda mandolin and Jeffrey took into his hands a real fretless
bass. Amazing! Don't forget the use of organs by John (I prefer the organ sound
on A Passion Play, but this rocks)! It seems that only Barrie used a standart
drums on here and did not play on any percussion instruments. Still, the drumming
is great and I have nothing against it.
The albumn begins as the short, but complex pop song with such a great arrangement,
that is extremely beautiful (that piano part drives me crazy). My favorite is
the third verse ("And the love that I feels...") - so beautiful and sad for
me, something what Ian Anderson have never done before. And those lyrics...
"And your wise men don't know how it feels to be thick as a brick". Indeed.
But then comes "A Son" part - heavy with weeping organs and very hard Martin
guitar and Ian screaming lines like "See there! A son is born! And we pronounce
him fit to fight! There are black-heads on his shoulders!" etc. etc. etc. I
don't know what he describes in this part - the end of the world or the death
of the young guys on the war... Just don't know. But those lyrics are maybe
my favorites on the whole album.
Oh and this "Poet And The Painter" part that comes next... It is really crazy.
It lasts for six minutes and contains every part of Jethro you've got to hear.
At the beginning, Ian sings some nearly meaninngless lyrics that surely have
some meaning (I know this meaning, but I can't explain - just like in The Who
song!). And then comes a long jam in which everything fits with everything.
Martin uses his guitar in a very roaring way, playing lines he has just got
in his mind (including some lines from Jefferson Airplane's "Hey Fredrick")
and Ian playing unbelieveable things on his flute and turns into the devil singing
that "To watch them all aside" with such evil energy in it that it makes me
fear him (seriously!). Barrie and Jeffrey were mad while recording this, I'm
almost sure. Six minutes of pure Rock Nirvana.
But it's not the end! "What do you do when the old man's gone - do you wanna
be him?" asks somebody Ian/Gerald in the new part of the song. It all quicky
turns in some... some hymn agiant the government and judgement, I guess. At
least, such line as "I'll judge you all and make damn sure that no-one judges
me!" says about it. Flute works on here like nowhere else. Those passages are
so angry and beautiful that I can't even tell you what feelings are inside mewhile
listening to this.
One of my favorite parts goes next ("You curt your toes in fun..."). It may
seem childish, but for me it is a masterpiece. A perfect theme for your Christmas!
And listen carefully to that jazzy piano John plays in the very end of this
part - it might be one of the best piano parts he had ever played! I love it!
"So!" part is just a speech to the heroes of the comic books you have read in
your childhood. Ian wants them to rise up and be real and he even wants to make
a new government of Supermans and Robin Hoods. But after the short and very
fast interlude ("You put your bet on number one..." which sounds really good
with all those flute passages Ian played between the lines Ian sings something
really bombastic. Let me quote it. "So!/ Where the hell was Biggles/ When you
neded him last Saturday?/ And where are all the sportsmen/ Who always put you
through?/ They're all resting down the Cornwall/ And writing up their memories/
For a paperback edition/ Of a Boy Scout manual!" Have you got any ideas what
it's all about? I think that Gerald describes all the enemies of a humble small
guy like him. But why it was placed in such song? I dunno.
Oh, and I almost forgot about furious and avangarde jamming in the very end
of the first side. People seem to hate it, but I love it. John Evan is the king!
And the repeating of one musical phrase isn't boring at all. And flute rocks
with double energy again. What's so bad about it? Even Tull fans hate it. But
I'm sure that if Ian placed this jamming into "A Passion Play", Tull fans would
say it is sounding cool.
And then the side number two begins. Everybody says it's bad, but I think people
just don't get it at all. This side can't be compareable with the first one,
but it is a rock masterpiece anyway. All of the parts are perfectly completed
in all ways and it perfectly shows the instrumental talents of every member
of the band. Ian fucks every other fluetist in the world with his flute, Martin's
guitar dominates on this side, Jeffrey's bass lines were fantastically played
(listen to that "Let me tell you..." part and come tell me he can't play bass
- I'll say that you're an idiot!) and John just does not need a word of honor
- I said everything I could about him on Thick As A Brick above.
But Barrie beats them all. In the very beginning of the second side he plays
a one minute - long drum solo which must be the best drum solo I have ever heard.
Don't get me wrong, I still love that improvised choas that Ian Paice did on
Live In Japan/ Made In Japan, but I'm crazy about TAAB drum solo. It is speedy,
quite short for most of drum solos and it's got no signs of self-indulgence.
You may say: "Oleg, dear, but Ringo's "The End" solo is much more shorter, speedy
and much more well - constructed". But remember that Ringo was never a good
solist - his best moments are just ordinary drum lines and partes (kinda "Come
Together" or "Strawberry Fields Forever" drums), so that's why his solo isn't
"mine".
But the second side begins not with the solo - it begins with "A Son" part reprise
which is even more speedy than the original part. Then goes the above - mentioned
solos, some weird jamming (with Jeffrey and Martin talking about God at the
backgroud) and it all turns into the gorgeous acoustic song ("In the clear white
circles..."). I believe it is the best acoustic Tull I have ever heard bar the
first part of "Minstrel In The Gallery" (a song) and, of course, "Nursie". I
love the every second of this part. Too bad that it's too short.
And then, after a sad ballad comes the real masterpiece - "Do You Believe In
A Day?" line. The medieval feeling on this song is breathetaking - I haven't
heard anything before or after. Oh, and the way Ian sings... "Doooooooooooooo
yoouooooooooooooou belieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeve in a daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay..."...
He sings it like he's crying - I tell ya! And this sad feeling runs for five
or six minutes and you'll never get bored while listening it.
The fast and Hellish part "Let me tell you...". Once again, it's nearly perfect
with great verses and superb instrumentation. Lyrics are the hell great too
with all of those strange fantasies a-la A Passion Play. The part could easily
be put down to "A Passion Play" as the description of Hell or something. Keyboards
are great and hard and Barrie turns into Kith Moon with his crazy drumming.
Finally, we've got a reprise of "So!" with the same lyrics but with new lines
and arrngement - with some new agressive riffage from Martin Barre (one of the
best riffs Tull have ever done) and David Palmer's beautiful string quartet.
And finally, in the very end we can here a short, 30-second reprise of the very
first part of the piece.
But even that's not all! The remastered edition of the album contains the interview
with Ian Anderson, Martin Barre and Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond and the great shortened,
eleven minutes-long live version of "Thick As A Brick" taken right from live
at Madison Square Garden, New York in 1978.
The live version is great. It contains first three parts of the first side and
some jamming which I really like and a terrific ending. Ian picks up his acoustic
guitar and begins to sing: "So you ride yourselves over the fiiiiiiiiiii-ie-ie-ie-ld-Z/
And you make all you animal diiiiiiiiiiiii-ea-l-Z/ And your wise man don't know
how it fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-ea-ea-l-Z/ To be thick as a..." And then we can hear
all of the audience screaming: "BRICK!" It is a great ending. It sounds more
powerful on Bursting Out, but that's another story. But, of course, it's better
to listen to the whole song instead of listening the this cutted one. Thick
As A Brick is something I can't image cutted or anything like that. But the
live version is cool and it does not bother me too much. Moreover, I once thought
it was the best track on the remastered CD! Poor stupid me... But time has passed
and I decided that the short version is not the long in every ways.
And speaking about interview... It's long (for 16 minutes), funny and with a
serious Ian Anderson. Strange - the man always have been so funny on stage but
in this interview he turned into serious old musician who... who... well, who
gives an ordinary interview like he has already done for about 500 times during
his lifetime. Thank Lord that Jeffrey and Martin saved everything. They said
really funny things and their rememberings are much more colourful and interesting
than Ian boasting: "We have recorded the whole thing in 8 days".
So it's time to end the review and I must say that Thick As A Brick is a final
creaton of Ian Anderson's pure genius. I can listen and listen to this album
forever, only because with every listening I always find something new - something
I have never heard before. And lyrics, arrangements, instruments, vocals...
All this fit in music so well so I can't imagine the orginal thing be covered
by anyone. If someone of musicians is currently reading me review, please, do
not cover "Thick As A Brick". It's useless. I think it will be the greatest
tragedy in rock world (no joke!). If someone has already covered it, it is a
tragedy, but I haven't heard any cover of the thing anywhere. Hope Dream Theater
and Spock's Beard won't touch it too (they are the great bands and their covers
are always great, but this time I prefer listen to the original).
OK, enough said about the cover stuff, so I return to the final words. The album
proves that Ian was ne of the best world's songwriters. And lyricsts too. And
he and everyone n Tull circa 72 deserve the place in the Hall of Fame. Only
for making Thick As A Brick. Thank you, guys.
Add your thougths or send your reviews!
When I checked out George's review, it was obvious to me that some small differences between the CD release and the original LP release (the one I now have on CD); on my version is "Boureé", "Teacher" and "Hymn 43" present, while the CD release contains "Locomotive breath". In 1972, Ian Anderson had left the days of single-making (A passion play??? A single therefrom would be 10 minutes, at least). Shame, here's alot 'o good blues/folk-rock and alot 'o good mood (still that Passion play? C'mon, they were bothered dinosaurs at that time, they probably just had nothing better to do). Well, most of the songs on the album are A and B-side singles, though some are available on studio albums ("Wond'ring again", "Hymn 43" or "Locomotive breath" from Aqualung, "Boureé" from Stand up, "A song for Jeffrey", and actually "Dharma for one" also originally is from This was. Perhaps I missed to mention some songs. If so, it's because of a bad research). Some of the songs from studio albums are actually re-arranged (for the worst), and now I'm talking about "Wond'ring again" (wond'ring aloud", ya know?) and "Dharma for one", which actually sounds horrible on here, while the studio version is at least acceptable. Dunno why they decided to release that. Perhaps Ian wanted to boast with the lyrics, or perhaps Clive Bunker wanted to boast with his drum solo, which now is about twice as long as it uses to be. What do I know? I'm in need of the guys' e-mail addresses so that I could interview them before I reviewed them. But then we have the positive things: the whole album except of side three, the live one. On there, there's only two songs -"By kind permission of" and the already mentioned "Dharma for one". The first, "By kind permission of", begins with Ian mumbling something about "a song about... ah, everything", and then John Evan passes in with some virtuos piano playing, later to be joined by Ian. The song is the evidence that virtuos playing don't make a good song. They try to make the thing bluesy, but without reward - they just bothers the listener. Come on, Tullers - a King Crimson jam a 'la "Moonchild" or "Providence" enjoys me just as much as this! Keith Emerson knew better how to make such songs. And "Dharma for one"... well, you know... It's that kind of song you usually forget soon. Except for one part, where they boys in the band shouts "Dharma! Dharma! Dharma!", but neither that sounds good - it's that kind of sound you can find on A passion play. But except of some guitar tones, this song just passes on. Not even the ultra-long drum solo is catchy or intensive enough to catch your ear. But after all, "Dharma for one" is a little bit better than the previous song, while it at least includes a good guitar riff (though it don't apply anything to the song, actually). But besides that little disaster... "A song for Jeffrey" is just that blues-rocker it uses to be, "Love song" works well on the punk theme - "three chords is enough". "Christmas song" is a pretty and ear-pleasant tune. Ian's vocals is the main melody - a very folkish one (know that I love Irish and British folk), and a violin and a marching drum adds a bit'o diverseness to the atmosphere. "Living in the past" is said to have been written on an American motel during the night time, thought to be a nice single. Which it became! Maybe not successful, but it's catchy, with a chorus that makes you hummin'. Sounds like a rollercoaster - it goes up and down in a way that makes you wanna laugh (or, in this case - sing). "Driving song" is a heavy blues tune. A bit too pretending, but good anyway. Sounds like Free. "Boureé" is a kind of chamber music, acoustic except of a bass guitar. One thing about it - it entertains me much more than classic chamber music ever has entertained me. This rocks, as well as swings a bit. Of course it would have sounded better with an acoustic double-bass, but we can't get everything. "Sweet dream" is, as George says, a kind of pre-goth, but some wind-instruments gives it a feel of Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Never thought I would say that about Jethro Tull, but here we are. "Singing all day" is a strange piece, were the guitar just plays about two chords, and the bass repeats the same line over and over - except when Ian singsa cappella. "Witches promise" is a romantic rocker with a catchy chorus which reminds me of a song I had forgot for alot of years, though I still don't remember it's name. "Teacher" sounds as if it comes right out of Thick as a brick (perhaps it does? *the bad research again*). "Inside" continues the formula. "Just trying to be" also continues the formula. Thick as a brick-fans, look here! "Wond'ring again" is another version of "Wond'ring aloud" from Aqualung, and perhaps you know it, then? It also continues the Thick as a brick-formula. They could probably have made a double album of the Brick. "Hymn 43" is another Aqualung song, though it does not sound as Thick as a brick. It's a lovely, powerful tune, and inside me I can almost hear Bruce Springsteen sing it (almost, that is). "Life's a long song"'s a good-moody one, based on acoustic guitars and piano, with a pleasant chorus. Gotta like it a bit. "Up to the 'pool" is a calm and not that entertaining tune, though it's got some intelligent arranged violins. "Dr. Bogenbroom" continues the Brick and Lung formula, both at once. Works well. "For later" sounds like Emerson, Lake & Palmer rather than Jethro Tull, but I like ELP, too, so why complain? But perhaps it sounds too proggy for it's own best. "Nursie" is a calm, ear-pleasant ballad a 'la Simon & Garfunkel. Yes! I got it! the perfect explanation! That's what I say/feel, at last - go listen at it and see if you think the same. Have it so long!
This little compilation contains 19 different tracks - 12 are
from different singles that Tull released in inthe period from 1968 to 1971
("Song For Jeffrey", "Love Story", "Christmas Song", "Living In The Past", "Driving
Song", "Sweet Dream", "Singing All Day", "Witches Promise", "Inside", 'Wond'ring
Aloud", "Locomotive Breath" and "Just Trying To Be"); two long live tracks ("By
Kind Permission Of" and "Dharma For One") and four tracks from the EP released
September, 1971 ("Life's A Long Song", "Up The Pool", "Dr. Bogenbroom", "Nursie"
and "For Later"). And the quality of all those tracks is so high that it made
me to gave the album a 15 and proclaim it to be my favorite rock compilation
(I don't call Magical Mystery Tour (which is one of my favorite albums) a compilation
- I think it is an album). There are still The Who's Odds And Sods and The Beatles'
Past Masters, Vol. 2 to come near, but Living In The Past is my personal favorite.
Singles tracks are a real mess. On US release you get "Bouree", "Hymn 43" and
"Alive And Well And Living In" (which was not on the American release of Benefit)
with all of them. Plus, you get one track from the US release of Benefit - "Teacher".
The track itself is nothing great (though it is a fan-favorite), but so was
Benefit! But I'm reviewing the British release at the moment, so I won't talk
about them at all. And I won't talk about "Song For Jeffrey", "Inside" and "Locomotive
Breath" - you can find all those songs on various Tull albums.
So what about the singles? "Love Story" is a beautiful song and Mick Abrahams
plays a guitar on here, "Christmas Song" is a pure folk and it rules, "Living
In The Past" is a big fan favorite and I can easily understand it - it's great
speedy jazzy song with the amazing bass line. "Driving Stupid" is a goofy ittle
song, but for a goofy little song it sounds perfect. "Sweet Dream" is heavy
with roaring guitars and evrything like that. "Witches Promise" has got a great
playing from John Evan and beautiful; romantic atmosphere. "Wond'ring Aloud"
is the another version of "Wond'ring Again" from Jethro Tull. It's fine but
a little bit overlong for me, so I prefer the shorter version to this. Finally,
there's a little "Just Trying To Be" with John Evan playing on celeste and it
rules.
The live tracks are very underrated. They were recorded at Carnegie Hall at
November, 1970 (you can find some of that show on The 25 Years Of Jethro Tull
box-set). I don't know why so much people say that those two songs are crappy.
Granted, not everyone will enjoy the long drum solo on "Dharma For One", but
people must remember that the song itself was re-arranged and Ian added a vocal
part which sounds so good that it makes me forget about that drum solo (which
is really stupid, by the way). But I simply don't unerstand why people hate
"By Kind Permission Of" - a 10 minutes long piano improvisations by John Evan.
He proves that he is the best piano player ever! And Ian adds some beautiful
flute in here. And the raving coda taken from 'With You There To Help Me" from
the same concert is more than powerful! Why everyone hates it? It's a mystery
for me.
But my favorite part is the tracks from EP. They are all great. "Life's A Long
Song" is quiet and cheerful with the string quartet sounds like it never sounded
before! In "Up The Pool" Ian turns to Bob Dylan with his quiet acoustic guitar
tone and Dylansque lyrics. I love this song. "Doctor Bogenbroom" has a great
atmosphere, some funny singing from Ian and a great catchy chours. "For Later"
is a little 2-minute instrumental which was amazingly played by guys. Finally,
there's MY FAVORITE JETHRO TULL SONG EVER (if we don't count "Thick As A Brick")
- a one and a half minute long acoustic ballad with Ian and his acoustic guitar
only. The melody is so sad and beautiful and Ian sings like he never sang before
or after - his best vocal perfomance ever.
Go and buy this now, you won't be disappointed, blieve me.
Send your comments and reviews of "Living In The Past"
"Ah, so our last one reached #1 in the US? Well let's make
another concept album then!" Sorry, Ian, but I think that you went totally overboard
with this one. Thick as a Brick was a very good album, and
it was even some sort of sell-out. #1 in the US is not bad at all. But...
Why follow it up with an album of synthesizers and ultra-pompous lyrics where
the previous had acoustic guitars and cute, angry lyrics written by a child?
Well... I don't know... but it's obvious that no one really liked it. The critics
hated it, whether the album deserved it or not, and only a few of the whole
bunch of fans that brought this album to another US #1 really appreciated it.
In fact the band broke up after this one was released - during five days!
The album contains such unusual thing as synthesizers (unusual when dealing
with Tull, that is), which only makes some parts of the album sound really cheesy.
It was a natural step, of course, why should Jethro Tull be folkish when band
after band got synthetic? Of course, the Tull sounded better before, but what
could the guys know about that when the final recording was made? The fact that
they quickly returned to the old formula (Minstrel in the Gallery)
tells us that mr Anderson was quite regretful after this failured attempt to
be proggish. Not that Minstrel is much better, but at least
it's pleasant. This album is mostly a same-tempo 45 minute opus with few hooks
and less inspired playing. There's one exception, though: At the beginning of
the second side is the pompous streamline prog replaced by a story about a hare
and some couples of other animals, each thinking of themself as something superior
to the others. In the end, when the animals have searched for the Hare's lost
spectacles, the Hare beats the other selfish animals while picking up a spare
pair. The story is told by Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, who has a saucy story-teller
voice, accompanied by some cute orchestral thingies, adding a Winnie-the-Pooh
atmposphere to the "song".
Alright, I think I've made it clear that this album lacks both catchy melodies, inspired playing, good lyrics, well, whatever. Even Ian's singing isn't very pleasant to listen at. Of course, there's exceptions - some parts are really cool, but the fact that the thing is a whole song makes it difficult to figure out which parts that are superior to the others, and in fact I don't really care. The record is a darn boring listening anyways. Worth to mention is an organ part almost exactly identical with Soft Machine's "Out-Bloody-Rageous" from their 3rd album. What once was an innovative theme is now a shameless rip-off, what have happened to Ian Anderson? The organ theme is just as horrible to listen at as before, with the exception that before it was innovative and actully quite groundbreaking - what is it now?
The lyrics are unusually full of cliches, "In that forsaken paradise that calls itself Hell, where no one has nothing and nothing is" sounds as if it came right outta the mouth of Kerry Livgren.
Well, I hope I gave this one quite a bash, cuz it deserves it. Of course, there's people who worships it, but not me. Good night.
Well, I really don't wanna write this review, so excuse me if I'm sounding too sour. But Ian really wants to figure out his diehards - thus this is really a hard piece to appreciate. Almost, or even at least, one half of this album is totally hookless acoustic noodlings, without any melody, only accompanying Ian's vocals. During the previous years Ian often spontaneously picked up his guitar and played some cute tunes on it, this time he picks the guitar and suddenly don't know anything about how to make a melody on it. But he doesn't seem to realise it - he just keeps playing the stoopid guitar! The poor and uninspired guitar playing certainly makes one half of the album sound uninspired, while the electric half too often sounds cheesy and not too inspired, neither. Anything on here is beaten by far by anything from Thick as a Brick, and the only lominous point is the lyrics, which are worthy of imitation. About the social life, you know Well, the lyrics work, but are pooly accompanied by the band. But let's forgive the other guys, it's Ian who is the author of everything except the string arrangements by David Palmer. John Evan, the underrated piano virtuoso, has very few things to play, some piano noises here and there and that's all. Martin Barre, the excellent guitarist, passes in here and there with some solos and that's all. At least he's heard more than Evan. Let's forget the drummer Barriemore Barlow, he has nothing difficult to play and is mostly absent. And the bassist... Is there really a bassist? Dunno...
OK, I'll move away from bashing the poor lads and move into the songs. The album opens with the title track, an 8-minute thing opening as an acoustic, though actually quite cute, acoutic ballad, moving over into a rocking guitar-driven tunewithout much of a great melody but still highly accessible. Alright, there's one flute/guitar theme which is kinda great, it could have fitted on any of the earlier albums but here it just seems to be a filler-theme. The vocal melody and accompanying guitar isn't very far from AC/DC, rough and all that. Yeah, I like it a lot.
"Cold Wind to Valhalla" also opens with acoustic guitars, just as anything on here, but the acoustic guitar works this time, and together with a flute back-up and a good vocal melody and some strings it makes a fine tunes. The chorus is also a fine thingie. Unfortunately, a too complex rocking verse brings down the song somewhat. Still, we haven't reached any of the really boring ones.
There's one song called "Requiem", which didn't even know existed before
I read George's review. It's something like a boring ballad, but I'm not really
sure!
I know what the next track, "Black Satin Dancer", sounds like, though. I've
played it over and over several times, so now I've discovered what the song
is about: First, an acoustic noodling, second, a good rocking part with a
great guitar solo and, third, a faster-and-faster guitar theme with stupid
vocal noises in the background, fourth, another guitar part with some vocals,
too complex for it's own sake, fifth, the pro-apocalypse with the faster-and-faster
theme now played slower-and-slower instead, moving over into the sixth thing,
the final apocalypse with the main vocal theme repeated, accompanied by some
strings.
"One White Duck/010 = Nothing At All" is mainly another acoustic noodling, but I like the atmosphere. It doesn't contain any hooks, and 8 minutes is somewhat overlong...
"Baker St. Muse" is a SIXTEEN-minute opus about how life is in London. It's divided into several lesser parts, all which are impossible to figure out from any other. The chorus is catchy, but imagine that most of it is half-acoustic noodlings, in the end repeating the title track. OK, then there's only one song left: The forty-second acoustic album closer which actually could have fitted on Living in the Past, it's darn pretty. "Hello, Sun/Hello, Bird/Hello, Lady/Hello, Breakfast/Might I buy you again tomorrow?" is what it's mostly about. It's the only excellent song on here, but it's far too short to give the "Minstrel in the Gallery" monstrum a fair fight for the best song.
The album's songs sounds as if they were written during the time the others were recorded, which means a quite short time. But if you get into it, you should buy A Passion Play and get into that, too. Then, my friend, you can proudly announce you to be a Jethro Tull diehard.
I thought the comments made by Joel Larsson were baseless and downright rude.
Does Joel have any musical background??
Just take a quick moment to read the following quote from Joel.......
"Let's forget the drummer Barriemore Barlow, he has nothing difficult to play
and is mostly absent"
EXCUSE ME!! Nothing difficult to play and mostly absent huh.....well he obviously
didn't listen to the album or he would have realized that the opening track
"The Minstrel in the Gallery" and "A Cold Wind to Valhalla" have some of the
most difficult drum parts on that album. Not to mention "Baker Street Muse"!
Obviously Joel doesn't understand the complexities of Barriemore Barlow's playing
or of the music!!!
Let's see Joel play some of those parts!!!!!!!!
Wow. No, I meant: "WOW!!!!!!!!!" After some tries to go "back
to the roots" on Too Old To Rock'n'Roll, Mr.Fluteplayer decided to make folk-rock
album. And REAL folk-rock, not that folk elements on Minstrel In The Gallery,
which certainly suck. And so he made it! More of then - he made THREE folk-rock
albums (The Folk Trilogy): Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses and
Stormwatch (which certainly not in fact folk-rock, but Ian Anderson often
says it is, so let's give him a try). And every album has its own meaning -
Songs is "The Wood", Heavy Horses is "The Country", Stormwatch
is "The Sea". We can also plus Warchild as "The State" and Minstrel In The Gallery
as "The City". Concepts sucks, yes, but Ian was the conceptomaniac - only Ray
Davis and Roger Waters can challenge him.
The main fan-favourite on here is 9-minute epic "Pibroch (Cap In Hand)" that
has slightly guitar harmonies and great vocals part with one of the greatest
Ian lyrics ever. The other epic is "Velvet Green" - 6 minute mini epic, but
it has forgettable melody that does nothing to me.
The album is quite poppy, maybe the poppiest "classic Jethro Tull" album, but
I don't care. It has only two singles released ("Ring Out, Solstice Bells" and
"The Whistler") and one big hit (the title track), but at least two another
songs could be the hits: "Cup Of Wonder" (which is maybe my favourite Tull song
ever). But poppy or not Ian got all of his musical forces to write GOOD riffs
and GOOD intros-and he got it. There's no riff sucks or intro that makes me
destroying my CD-player (like in "Baker St.Muse"). More of that - he finally
got to make music videos. I have seen one of the greatest clips ever - "Ring
Out, Soltice Bells" (maybe it was released later, but I don't care). Maybe Ian
needed money? Guess, you've got to need it after "non-commercial" Fucker
In The Cemetry (ups! Sorry, Minstrel In The Gallery, of course) and
"false sell-out" Too Old To Rock'n'Roll.
Album opens with the title track, which, as I said before, was a big hit. Starting
cool-great vocal harmonies suddenly turns into the beautiful folk melody and
then turns into little jam. Great song, but it does not really deserves to be
the hit or even fan-favourite. I much prefer both "Cup Of Wonder" and "Ring
Out, Solstice Bells" to be it. First has one of the greatest Ian riffs ever,
great catchy chorus and some passages remind me classical music. "Ring Out"
is the strong pop-hit with great vocals harmonies and best chorus Ian ever did
with all of these "Ring out,these beeeeeeeells"...
There is also big fan and critics favourite - "The Whistler". For me - it is
a bit overrated, but still good, with Ian playing role of the whistler. Some
ballads exists on here too - "Jack In-The-Green" and "Fire At Midnight". "Jack
In-The-Green" is the only song in Jethro Tull history, where Ian Anderson played
on all instruments, including even drums (don't miss his drumming-it's something!!!!).
The second is 2 and a half minute ballad which is really solid and it's included
in my top5 Tull ballads.
"Hunting Girl" is song that I can't include in any of "groups" on this album
- it has great riff, amazing instrumental section and great lyrics that remind
me "Witch's Promise". But for some strange reason I always ignore this one -
it's not bad, but I don't like it. Funny.
So, I want to tell to all of the old bastards that reading my review (NB: I'm
going crazy! There's no single old bastard that reading my review!) - BUY SONGS
FROM THE WOOD NOW!!!!!!!!!!
Any comments or reviews to grant us with?
I explained the whole album above. No need for anything more. OK then, maybe everybody haven't heard Dubliners. I'll come up with the lineup first: Ian Anderson sings, plays flute, mandolin and guitars. Martin Barré plays electric guitars. John Evan plays organ and piano (thank God he left the synths at home this time!). Barriemore Barlow plays the drums and some percussion. John Glascock plays bass guitars. David Palmer played portative pipe organ, keyboards and made the orchestral arrangements. Co-member Darryl Way played violin on two songs ("Acres wild" and "Heavy horses"). From now on I'll be more careful with putting dots everywhere. Who thought they (or rather "he" - Ian, that is) still could make ssuch good music? And in 1978, during the punk era! Well, this album proves that Ian still had his roots in the folk. Why he didn't make a co-album with any old Irish men I dunno, but I suppose he was too egocentric... But no, we shouldn't blame him here, it's the album that's the important thing. And it's good, even great! A very strong aspirant to be my favourite Tull record, at least it's about my absolute favourites among '78 albums. The Tull should have concentrated on doing the folk-rock instead of making pretentious "theatres" or one-song albums. Well, who needs A passion play when we could have got this instead? A small minority, that is. This album has got an atmosphere that brings the mind back to the days of Thick as a brick, though this time it's more childish, while the Brick were a bit more mature-sounding (I repeat: only a bit, the Tull weren't full-grown before A passion play, and they grew up only for the worst) thanks to the lyrics, which this time mostly is about animals instead of debating Superman abd other things about today. The album kicks off with "...And the mouse police never sleeps", with staccato flutes and childish lyrics, and with a good folk basis. Everything here has got a good folk basis, so from now on I won't mention it. It ends up with the band saying "The mouse sleeps" repeated times with harsh voices. As we expect it ends up in a cough... "Acres wild" is even more folkish, now we even have Irish-sounding violins and whoopee-ing men. "No lullaby" starts off with quite rocking guitars, which soon disappears to sometimes appear again. The song has got a discrete orchestration, or rather "stringestration" while strings are the only instruments that can be heard. The song can be quite boring sometimes, mostly when Barré plays a solo. His solos feels quite misplaced here. Well, I can live with the song, after all. "Moths" is better, cause now we return to the folk, and no-one can resist the beginning, where Ian uses his dark, weezy voice, which together with a flute and acoustic guitar makes one of the strongest songs on the album, especially while it is so beautiful!! It moves me to tears - but after all, it's about suicide. "Journeyman" opens with a catchy bass line that accomanies Ian's voice and some strings. The song is quite repetitive, but after all, it's got a good idea and isn't even 4 minutes long, so why complain? "Rover" is also a very folky tune (why do I still tell you if a song is folky, then? I thought I would skip that!) and has got more nice acoustic guitars, but this time Barré passes in with some well-placed electric guitar lines, and the chorus is dominated by Ian's voice, again the weezing one. And the song is the catchiest on here. "One brown mouse" has got a very obvious touch of Irish folk and of nursery rhyme. Mentioned should be that the song is very good, too. The album's atmosphere is the most obvious on this song. "Heavy horses" is a lament dedicated to the heavy horses, or whatever. The intro delievers us Glascock and Barré in a catchy cooperation. But it is the chorus and the moody verses that amazes me so much; when Ian roars "HEAAAVY horses", it shakes me more than the roar in "Rover". Oohh, why didn't punk sound like this??? The album closes with "Weathercock", another Irish-sounding tune, until some percussion fills in with marching drums, which suddenly gives a medieval feel to the song. The previous song overshadows this one, unjustly, because this one is really strong. Go and listen at this record, I tell ya - it's better than it first seems!
Send your comments and reviews of "Heavy Horses"
C'mon, Ian - what's that for kinda cover?? Nice painted by David Jackson/Peter Wagg, but Ian's cover-concept is far too pretentious and egocentric, don't you think? But, if we look at the musical side of the album, it's actually one of their strongest ever - not very far from HH. Though they this time have concentrated in making a diverse rock album. Hard rock anthems are mixed together with folkish instrumentals, "classic" Tull, unstructured jams, and even a power-ballad, have you seen! This one may actually work as their absolutely quintessial album. The lineup? Ian Anderson on vocals, flute, acoustic and bass guitar, Marin Barre on electric and classical guitar and mandolin, Barriemore Barlow on drums and percussion, John Evan on piano and organ and David Palmer on synthesizers, portative organ and orchestral arrangements. John Glascock helped with bass guitar on "Orion", "Elegy" and "Flying Dutchman". The album kicks off with "North sea oil", with a bit classic Tull, though with unusual emphasizing on rock (just as nearly anything on this album). It's also got a catchy chorus with Ian shouting "In Nothern sea - OOIIIILL!" In "Orion" they tries to give us a heavy chorus, but it sounds too strained to work very well for me. The verses are good, though. They're more classic-Tullish in those, and with those calm and folkish verses, with some strings, too, they save the song for me. "Home" is the one pretending to be a power ballad, lots of strings, and of course (after all we're talking about power ballads) Ian sings the chorus in a commercial way we seldom have heard him before. "Dark ages" is the longest tune this time, pretending to be a heavy epic. Some unstructured parts of the song unfortunately prevents it from being that good, though it still works. The dominating element in the song is a harsh guitar riff a 'la Judas Priests "Solar angels". OK, the Tullers came out with a similar riff even before, and that "Solar angels" came out two years after this album came out, so Tull can proudly call themselves the authors of the riff. The parts of the song where that riff is present is the best parts, while it kicks ass. "Warm sporran" begins as a cheesy synth-song, but Ian and Barre comes in with the flute and mandolin in a gorgeous folky melody, and it'll be even better when Barriemore adds some marching drums and the whole Tull sings wordless strophes, which reminds me of rogues around a campfire. Really good! "Something's on the move" mixes classic Tull with hard rock, all in a good way. But it sounds as if I've heard it before, and it could have been better. I believe they should have added a bass guitar, 'cause the song seems quite harsh and life-less. "Old ghosts" marks the definitive return to the old days, built around different small, catchy pieces of music (this don't mean that the old Tull always did so), and it's got a strong chorus. Ian really sounds as a ghost sometimes. "Dun Ringill" continues the old days, acoustic and Thick as a brick-sounding as it is. "Flying Dutchman", then... Well, generally it sounds non-structured, with some guitars/bass sounds making nothing. But in fact is the chorus quite structured, though it does nothing for me. The song is the thin mutton of the album, decreasing the overall rating from a 13 to the 12. Well, at last: "Elegy", a gorgeous chamber music-inspired instrumental tune, also with a huge touch of folk. And that guitar solo by Barre sounds just as good as anything by Gary Moore. The song is the only one written by David Palmer, and it's one of the best songs on here. Come on, Ian - let the other's talents play! But anyway, thanks for another good album, guys.
Send your comments and reviews of "Stormwatch"
Well,this album is the most underrated Tull album ever.Why?Just becase it was released in the end of 80’s!Most ofalbums released at that time are crap,but not Rock Island!It is an album with serious music and lyrics,the album where Ian Anderson showed us the totally new sound of Jethro Tull.What sound you’ll ask?Well,the hard-pop sound that canbe as enjoyable as Tull stuff of the end of 70’s.
Most of people who underrate this album always say that Rock Island is just a stupid rewriting of Crest Of A Knave.IDisagree.While COAK was too much Dire Straits and early 80’s Tull influenced,RI is the strong hard-pop record.But some songs(“Undressed To Kill” and the title track)are realy rewritings of COAK.
What’s about music?It became much stronger,riffs became much clever and really driving,as the hard-pop riffs must be.Or hard-rock riffs,as on the opener named “Kissing Willie”.It’s really great songs,with amazing flute/guitar riff and catchy chours.But lyrics are damn stupid and banal.By the way,lyrics are stupid and banal on the whole album.The next song,”The Ratlesnake Trail” is the solid rocker with that amazing flute.The only weak spot is the short Barre’s solo where he showed us how he wants to become new Ritchie Blackmore.Ian vocals are good,especially that “up that dusty hill” part.
“Ears Of Tn” that goes next might be a great balad,but Mr.Anderson fucked up this song as possible with that heavy chours and the middle part reminds me some weak Queen songs and strange Martin’s solo.
Then goes two rewritings of that Crest Of A Knave stuff-“Undressed To Kill” and “Rock Island”.The first one is a bluesy rocker,with very good instrumental parts and really crazy flute.The title track is the worst song on here.It’s melancholical,without any hint of hooks.It reminds me “Nothing To Say” from Benefit.But “Nothing To Say” was the great song,not the kind of song like “Rock Island”-the songs that always bored me to sleep.
“Heavy Water” is the good hard-pop song,with catchy chours and forgetable melody.It’s very dull and that’s all!Then goes the only hit single on Rock Island-“Another Christmas Song” and it’s really wounderful!It has the great atmosphere of Christams.And what an intro1It’s just for five seconds long,but I was listenning it for almost a hour!No-one,except Phil Collins can do the great drum-machine dominated intro like that!
“The Whaler’s Dues” is really great epic,with strong influence of blues and early 70’s Tull.It has great opening and ending.And I don’t mention that funny “Are you forgive me?NO!” lines.Then goes my personal favourite on this album-the funny story named “Big Riff And Mando”.It’s hard and all and contains some great guitarwork.The ending is really cool.I love that song,to death!The ending,”Strange Avenues” is sad half-instrumental with really crazy flute.In the ending,there’s a little reprise of the title track and it’s really great!
So...Buy this album now!
Mail your comments and reviews!
The track listing (the stuff performed by the band at this evening):
INTRO/ LIVING IN THE PAST
CROSS EYED MARY
ROOTS TO BRANCHES
JACK-IN-THE-GREEN
Extracts from THICK AS A BRICK
HUNT BY NUMBERS
BORIS DANCING
THE WATER CARRIER
IN A GRIP OF STRONGER STUFF
? (some instrumental from Martin Barre’s solo records)
BOUREE
FLYING DUTCHMAN’S Intro/ MY GOD
BUDAPEST
Folkish Instrumental Intro/ AQUALUNG
LOCOMOTIVE’S BREATH
PROTECT AND SURVIVE/ Coda
Well, at 12th of April 2000 my great dream has come true! I was at the real
Jethro Tull’s concert and was by several meters from Ian Anderson and Martin
Barre, one of the greatest musicians ever. Now, a day later, I am beginning
to write the actual review... Oh yes, as I suppose, Jethro Tull hasn’t disappointed
my hopes. They performed rather unexpected choice of songs (see the tracklisting
above), who could think that they will play MY GOD or PROTECT AND SURVIVE, for
example? The realer songs must be RADIO FREE MOSCOW or SAID SHE WAS A DANCER,
because these songs are about Russia... Anyway, Jethro Tull’s discography contains
of so much great songs, that they won’t be able to perform them even on 10 concerts,
I think. The only problem was with show-organization: too much tickets were
produced for sale, so there was very big and tight crowd in the concert-hall,
some people were unpleasantly drunk and stood not very straight and calm, sometimes
they rocked and tried to sing with Ian Anderson (I need to say it was absolutely
unnecessary). Oh, and big thanks to Ian who asked fans not to smoke at all!
Except songs Ian joked a lot. For example he said that English drunks like to
have the well-known cat food “Whiskas” after having of some whiskey portion
(the words WHISKAS and WHISKEY are quiet similar, are they?). Also before the
performance of BORIS DANCING he said that it’s about Russian ex-president Boris
Eltzin (who’s very famous of his loving to alcohol); Ian said that Eltzin is
the worst dancer ever.
The thing which almost moved me into tears was that Martin Barre and Doane Perry
seems much older than on their photos of several years ago. They really seems
like old men (though Martin played and run across the scene as young rocker,
and Doane was very energetic too; so it’s not surprising that they performed
such songs as AQUALUNG and LOCOMOTIVE’S BREATH even harder and more powerfully
than on Bursting Out and A Little Light Music). The newer members (I mean Andrew
Giddings and Jonathon Noyce) by the band seemed very pretty guys too. The keyboardist
was like an intelligent and funny comic actor with very pleasant little smile
and a little bit crossed eyes, and the bassist who behaved himself like cool
security from English Prime Minister Department. And what about music? Yes,
the music was! And it was wonderful evening of great music! Though before Jethro
Tull there were two Russian “electronic guys” who played some kind of ethnic
music (of rather low quality) by synthesizer-sampler and some winds, with no
lyrics but repeats of stupid phrazes like ÏÎ×ÅÌÓ ÒÛ ÌÍÅ ÍÅ ÄÀ¨ØÜ? (Why don’t
you let me make love with you?) or ÂÈÒÞÍß, ר ÎШÌ, ÀÑÜ? (Victor, what do we
need to roar?), rubbish! But after several seconds of some kind of INTRO and
1sy chords of LIVING IN THE PAST the actual show really has began! The piercing
sounds of flute made the spectators happy as nowhere as I felt. Everybody wanted
Jethro Tull being thursty for music. CROSS-EYED MARY, AQUALUNG, LOCOMOTIVE,
HUNT BY NUMBERS really rocked (as usual though). There was that famous vocal-sound-effect
in the beginning of the AQUALUNG’s “acoustic part”, only with bigger effect
(it sounded like Ian was singing from underwater). Acoustic and folkish numbers
were amazing! JACK-IN-THE-GREEN was even better than on the album, I have a
feeling like I was in the real wooden country house near a forest. Anderson’s
solo-stuff from Secret Languages was also wonderful, especially THE WATER CAREER
where Ian played a little falcetto-guitar, Andrew used harmonica and Jonathon
Noyce had the interesting sort of percussion with deeply-bass sound.
THICK AS A BRICK (of course) haven’t been performed completely (maybe you want
a full version of A PASSION PLAY on concert yet?!), though there were the 1st,
the 2nd, the 4th and the last parts of this outstanding composition . I wished
DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE DAY so much, but... The live-version of BOUREE was the
particularly interesting, with some changed structure and, the main thing, with
additions of the new parts (though maybe they are not the new, I’ve never heard
the original “classical” version of this J.S.Bach’s composition and I suppose
that the “classical” version contained those parts, which weren’t performed
by Jethro Tull on their Stand Up album in 1969). But the greatest impressions
I’ve got were by those three half-epics: MY GOD, ROOTS TO BBRANCHES and BUDAPEST.
Do you remember those acoustic-guitar-passages in the beginning of MY GOD? How
do you think, who had to play them? Martin Barre? No! It’s Ian Anderson! I was
absolutely sure that such fast-tempered guitar-solos were always performed by
Barre, but I was mistaken... For this purpose Ian used his little mandolin-kind
guitar, which also is like a childish guitar. Oh, and that sharp and sudden
break at the second verse! It was like a great thunder through the silence!
And the flute-solo at the middle! I’ve heard only two persons who can play their
instruments so sincerely, powerfully and heavily: the 1st is Jimi Hendrix with
his guitar, and Ian Anderson with his flute, I guess so. BUDAPEST was rather
close to it’s album-version, without especial improvisations, but it was performed
so suitably and breathtakingly, that...I know, you’ve understood me, I simply
like this composition very much, and it seems to me that Ian treats it especially
too. And ROOTS TO BRANCHES, oh, only on this concert I’ve got to feel how wonderful
this song is (though I listened the album zillion times). It’s really dark and
mind-penetrative, with very solid bass-parts and excellent stylistic-improvisations
in the middle (and jazzy-swinging, and hard-rocking changes at some seconds,
and it was performed at the scene!). Oh, yes, the Tulls are rare professionals!
They can so easily play so complicated structures and have nice smiles on their
faces at the same time! And at the end there was the song I couldn’t expect
to. I even wasn’t sure if it was performed live ever. But it was, and sounded
very well! Those who listened “A”-album know that PROTECT AND SURVIVE is violin-keyboard
oriented song with some flute-moments in it, but this Saturday it was performed
with riffing guitars and faster arrangement.
At the end Ian began to throw some huge balls from the scene, and I (as many
other men) began to try to touch one of them, and I was rather successful (with
pretty average height of mine) pushed the ball twice by the umbrella. My coming-back-to-home
was full of feelings that my life is not totally in vain – how much people presented
at the shows of such great bands as Yes, Deep Purple, Roger Waters and, at least,
Jethro Tull during one and a half year? I don’t think much of. “The Idiot’s
Dream” has come true, I thought, I’ve seen Jethro Tull naturally! And I still
find myself under very pleasant impressions and warm feelings
Any comments or reviews to grant us with?
Well...Look at that cover.Just take a single look on it.What do you see?You see a old man on a black and white phohotography with strange drunken and pessimistic eyes...Is it Ian Anderson?Is it the man with that long hair and an optemistic look on the cover of Bursting Out???
Yes,it is our Ian.Unfortunetly,it’s our Ian.Unfortunately,it’s our Ian who had released his first solo effort named
Walk Into Light,that could really show us what would be like the next Jethro Tull album,Under Wraps...Well,but before review some history,OK?After The Broadsword And The Beast Ian had found that he want to do something new.He picked up the Jethro Tull keyboardist Peter-John Vettese to do the totally electric album,without any hint of acoustic...And he got it!The result is the worst Ian/Jethro Tull album ever-Walk Into Light.
Well,this album isn’t really Ian’s solo album,I can easily name it the first Vettese album,because it’s fully dominatedby Peter.Just look!A)five songs(“Fly By Night”,”Made In German”,”Trains”,”User-Friendly” and “Different Germany”) are written by him,just the lyrics are written by Ian;b)Just take a look on instruments that Ian and Peter used to record this record(“Synthesisers,Piano,Rhodes Charms and Expander,Yamaha CP80,Roland JP8,Promars MC202,Emulator Original User Samples,Ludwig drums via Linn Drum Commuter;Fender,Sehecter and Martin Guitars,Wal Bass Guitars,Pearl Flute”as it’s written in the booklet)-they are fully Vettese;c)The sound is the strangest sound Ian produce ever just because it’s fully Vettese sound;d)Peter plays on all instruments,except synth,piano and flute...
Now,let’s listen to the songs,or what?Well,the songs are fully poppy-orintied,and they all are divided on hit-singles and another songs...
What’s about the singles?They all(and there are four of the ten songs!)are unlistenable crap.”Fly By Night” is quite good-perfomed,but that synth are really degeneratic,back-vocals are degeneratic too,but very funny.Still,Ian’s lyrics are great.In fact,the lyrics of this song can easily pretend to be in the top ten Ian’s lyrics ever.The title track,that also was hit-single hasn’t got that kind of synth,Ian’s singing and lyrics are absolutely dumb,without any meaning.Another hit single-“End Game”-is a simple New Wave/Synth cacafonia/love song which I can’t stand at all.It’s funny,especially ending,when Peter says his “I think I love you” with two types of vocals.And,finally,the last hit is“Looking For Eden”,which is totally ruined by Ian and his strange kind of singing.Still,it is the only single which were really radiofriendly.
As the singles are bad,another(“not-poppy”)songs are totally unlistenable,exept “Different Germany” and “Trains”(they both were written by Peter and it shows that he really had talent),but I will tell you about this two songs later.Right now,I’m going to tell you about “Made In England”-the hard-like song,that is really the worst song Ian had ever perfomed.OK,it’s not totally bad,some instrumental passages are good.”Black And White Television” has some good moments too,not-too-bad vocal arrangement,but sucks.”Toad In The Hole”(who’s hole?Ian’s hole?Peter’s hole?)with that stupid rythm and strange atmosphere sucks too,and it has no good moments at all.And,”User-Friendly” is something horrible,throwed into the cacafonia with catchy lyrics.
Now about good songs-“Trains” and “Different Germany”.They both were written by Vettese and,man,that guy really can write songs!”Trains” is the funny pop-song,very catchy.Synth used fantastic,back-vocals are great.On the other side “Different Germany” is a single prog-number on this album.Fantastic melody,fantastic lyrics.But it looks just like a synthfulled outtake from The Broadsword And The Beast.
Oh,the album sucks.Totally sucks.And the concept whcih I think it has(the story of making TV-programs)also sucks.Don’t buy it,even if your life depends from the copy of this album...
P.S.By the way,did Peter release some solo-albums?If yes,don’t buy it either.
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