- This Was (1968)
- Aqualung (1971)
- Thick as a Brick (1972)
- Too Old to Rock n' Roll, Too Young to Die! (1976)
- Songs from the Wood (1977)
- Stormwatch (1979)
- A (1980)
- The Broadsword and the Beast (1982)
- Rock Island (1989)
- A Little Light Music (1992, live album)
- Living with the Past / Nothing is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 (2014, live album combo)
THIS WAS 1968 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'A Song for Jeffrey', 'My Sunday Feeling', 'Beggar's Farm', 'Cat's Squirrel'
Frontman Ian Anderson has taken Jethro Tull through several different phases throughout the band's career. I guess most people will associate them with the proggy sounds of albums like Aqualung and Thick as a Brick most, but on This Was, their 1968 debut, they mostly play blues rock with Anderson's trademark flute playing thrown in for good measure. Blues rock was big with British bands throughout the 60's thanks to bands like Cream, The Yardbirds, the Bluesbreakers etc. (coincidentally, all these groups featured Eric Clapton at one point or another...), but Anderson's flute is really what sets This Was apart from a lot of the other groups at the time. I mean, honestly, how often do you hear a flute in any kind of rock music? Saying that, most of the music on here is really, really bluesy and nothing like they would sound in the coming years. And to be fair, while Anderson may be playing his flute, it isn't on every song. A lot of the music is instrumental too, and has a very improvised feel too it, like ' Cat's Squirrel'. Some of the tracks like 'My Sunday Feeling' and 'Beggar's Farm' have more structure however. 'Dharma for One' features an impressive drum solo. I like this album a fair bit, but on certain tracks I kind of forget I'm listening to Jethro Tull. Sometimes the music even sounds like John Mayall's Bluesbreakers or really early Led Zeppelin.
Adam's rating: 7.2/10
AQUALUNG 1971 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: Everything.
I've always been fond of this record. I mean, it is generally considered to be Ian Anderson's greatest output, but it's a record that I find more to like about it as the years pass, if that makes any sense. I guess I was about 14 when I picked it up, and even then I thought it was brilliant musically. I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics until I got older, and when I did, I realized that Ian Anderson can be a genius when he wants to be. Lyrics on songs like 'Wond'ring Aloud', 'Hymn 43' and 'My God' seem to make sense the first time, yet are still open to multiple interpretations. The album explores themes such as religion ('Hymn 43'), God ('My God'), the homeless ('Aqualung'), eccentric figures ('Mother Goose') and, uh, a schoolgirl prossie ('Cross-Eyed Mary'). Ian also touches on personal matters, like him visiting his terminally ill father ('Cheap Day Return'). Despite the often serious topics, he often uses a subtle amount of humour throughout - not so much that it's completely in your face, but just enough for you to at least notice. Some people even consider Aqualung to be a concept album about the distinction between religion and God, but Ian denies this.
Musically the album definitely qualifies as progressive rock. There are plenty of folky, acoustic moments but the band also utilizes elements of hard rock on brilliant songs like 'Cross Eyed Mary', 'Hymn 43' and the absolute classic 'Locomotive Breath'. 'Slipstream', 'Cheap Day Return' and 'Wond'ring Aloud' are short, entirely acoustic folk pieces that are absolutely wonderful - the latter features one of my all-time fave lyric of any band EVER: 'and it's only the giving that makes you what you are...'. 'Mother Goose' and 'Up to Me' are folk rock songs through and through; Ian Anderson handles all the flute and acoustic guitar work and he is backed up by Martin Barre's outstanding electric guitar playing. The signature title song and lengthy 'My God' combine everything that makes Jethro Tull so great in the first place - folk and hard rock. Oh, and an absolutely crazy flute solo on the latter. All in all Aqualung is one of the 70's greatest rock albums. I don't know if all rock fans will enjoy it due to the unorthodox instrumentation (flutes probably aren't everyone's cup of tea...), but fuck, you should still give it at least one listen regardless. Despite the album's status, Ian himself doesn't consider it to be his finest hour; apparently the studio where the album was recorded was a converted church and the room was massive. To him, nothing sounded right when it was recorded, but there you go. Interestingly, at the same time Led Zeppelin were recording their seminal fourth record downstairs at the same time as Jethro Tull.
Adam's rating: 9.5/10
THICK AS A BRICK 1972 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: All of it - it comes in two parts.
Progressive rock was arguably at the peak of it's popularity around the early to mid 70's with bands like Yes and Genesis dominating scene (and the mighty Jethro Tull of course!). Concept albums were something of a trend among prog bands, and Ian Anderson had taken note of this. People thought Aqualung was a concept record, Ian denied this of course. With Thick as a Brick, Ian decided he'd take a punt at making a concept album, but given how popular it was to make these kind of LP's at the time, Thick as a Brick is actually a parody of what other bands were doing. Monty Python was even one of it's influences. The humour is fairly subtle though; subtle enough that when the record was released, many people assumed it was a serious attempt and compared it to Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. The entire album consists of two continuous parts each lasting over 20 minutes. Both parts are still a medley of individual songs however. Despite the lyrical approach and themes, musically this is Tull at their finest. Well, for me Aqualung still tops it, but there seems to be an ongoing debate over which record is better. Both parts consist of all that makes Tull such a great band, but they also experimented with classical instrumentation and tempo shifts, presumably to throw in as many aspects of prog rock traits possible. It's all good experimentation - it just sounds good even if it isn't meant to be taken seriously!
Apparently the album was a hoot for the band to record, but sometimes I think musicians can still write amazing songs if they aren't in the zone and 100% focused. I know this is a bad comparison, but Van Halen's Diver Down is a classic album and it's full of goofy covers and silly ideas! Anyhow, Thick as a Brick is a classic of the prog rock genre, and it's one that needs to be heard in full each time. This makes it less accessible than the average Tull record, but one that is deeply rewarding if you really concentrate on the music. I've got the 2012 Stereo edition, which was mastered by Porcupine Tree's own prog wizard, Steven Wilson.
Adam's rating: 9.3/10
TOO OLD TO ROCK N' ROLL, TOO YOUNG TO DIE! 1976 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'Quizz Kid', 'Taxi Grab', 'Too Old to Rock n' Roll, Too Young to Die', 'From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser', 'The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)'
Unlike the often mistaken Aqualung, 1976's Too Old to Rock n' Roll, Too Young to Die! is a concept record. The album tells the story of an ageing rock star, and it is told through the lyrics, 'natch, but also a comic strip in the record sleeve. To be honest, from this perspective, the album's nothing sophisticated or artsy; Ian Anderson is not Lou Reed. Musically however, I think Too Old to Rock n' Roll... is pretty damn solid. The record takes elements from past works by fusing folk and rock to create Ian's own brand of prog, but it's a little more straightforward and probably easier to listen to than seminal works like Aqualung or Thick as a Brick. There seems to be a little more emphasis on rock than folk in my opinion, with more hooks and more prominent electric guitar licks from Martin Barre. John Evan's piano work here is outstanding, with a 'rocky', almost ELO- like playing vibe throughout. Songs like 'Quizz Kid', 'Taxi Grab', 'The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)' and the title song are classic Tull numbers, surely? Also, 'From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser' is a respectable ballad. The music isn't as ambitious or epic in track length as some previous songs like 'My God', but it really just feels as if the entire band knew exactly what they were doing and how to please the fans on this CD. It isn't a masterpiece, but it is a classic for sure.
Adam's rating: 8/10
SONGS FROM THE WOOD 1977 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'Songs from the Wood', 'Jack in Green', 'Ring Out, Solstice Bells', 'Velvet Green', 'The Whistler', 'Pibroch (Cap in Hand)'
Ian does the full folk rock on this record. He's always been influenced by the genre, but this album is probably enough to qualify as folk rock on it's own, even if it is more of a progressive kind of folk rock. I'm not too sure where I stand on this one; I think the musicianship is amazing with some truly outstanding melodies and performances from every band member on songs like the title song, 'Jack in the Green', 'The Whistler', 'Velvet Green' and the lengthy 'Pibroch (Cap in Hand)', but on the other hand it kind of makes me yearn for the more diverse sound established on albums like Aqualung. If I'm in the right mood however, this album hits the spot up to the point where I'd take it over any other Jethro Tull album (bar Aqualung). There's also a song on here called 'Ring Out, Solstice Bells', a Christmas song that isn't pure cheese like Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' or Wham's 'Last Christmas'. My family has had this double-CD Christmas compilation since before I was born and 'Ring Out, Solstice Bells' is on it. I've loved the track since I was a little kid, basically. However, I can't really listen to that song at any other time than December as I think it's morally wrong to do anything even remotely Christmassy before then (I friggin' hate it when people get their trees and shopping in November!!!). But yeah, Songs from the Wood is an amazing record when I want to hear it, it just isn't my go-to Jethro Tull album.
Adam's rating: 8/10
STORMWATCH 1979 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'North Sea Oil', 'Flying Dutchman', 'Dark Ages'
Many people seem to regard Stormwatch as the last of a folk rock trilogy that started with 1977's Songs from the Wood, but folk has always been a huge part of Jethro Tull's sound to begin with. Maybe it does tend to lean on the folkier side of things than some of the early-mid 70's records, but I don't think I could outright label Stormwatch purely as 'folk rock' unlike Songs from the Wood. Some of the songs like 'Home', 'Warm Sporran' and the excellent 'Flying Dutchman' do qualify as folk rock, true, but then you've got more prog rock numbers such as 'Dark Ages' and tracks such as 'Something's On the Move' touch on hard rock. I'm pretty sure this disc does not qualify as a concept record, but it does have a common theme going (the environment, resources running dry etc., Greenpeace hippy type-stuff), and it's noticeable from the get-go on opener 'North Sea Oil'. Bass player John Glascock, who had been with the band since 1976's Too Old to Rock n' Roll, Too Young to Die! and previously played in the prog rock band Carmen, tragically passed away just months after Stormwatch's release. This led to key Tull member's Barriemore Barlow (drums) and John Evan (piano/keyboards) to depart and it had a dramatic effect on the band's sound for the next few years. Getting back to Stormwatch though, I like it overall, but I feel like the band were running out of steam at this point - at least the particular lineup that recorded it anyway.
Adam's rating: 7/10
A 1980 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'Fylingdale Flyer', 'Working John, Working Joe', 'Black Sunday'
The death of John Glascock resulted in a major line-up shift for Jethro Tull. Only Ian Anderson and Martin Barre remained, and they were joined by legendary Fairport Convention bass player Dave Pegg and an American drummer called Mark Craney. I'd heard mixed things about this CD. I knew it was the first time Ian properly experimented with synths, so I had no interest in picking it up until I stumbled across a used copy for £3 in my favourite local record store. For that price I decided to give it a go.
Thankfully, A isn't really as bad as I was expecting it to be. For some reason I figured it was going to sound like Tull attempting to create a new wave sound, but really it's more like a less-folky Tull with synths and keyboards instead of pianos. Obviously Martin's guitars aren't quite as prominent either. Ian still has plenty of flute moments, so it has that going for it. The brooding 'Black Sunday' is arguably one of the band's better songs of the 80's, and I do like 'Fylingdale Flyer' and 'Working John, Working Joe' too. In fact, individually most of these tracks aren't all that bad, it's just when listening to A in full, I kind of get fed up about two thirds in. The keyboards have been brought forward too far into the mix to really make this one of Ian's better records. Also, I think if Martin Barre's playing had been emphasized, I'd like this one more. I don't think A is a failed experiment because it has a lot of cool ideas here and there - and it still sounds like Tull for sure, but you should definitely treat it with caution on a first-time listen.
Adam's rating: 6/10
THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST 1982 (Chrysalis)
- Rock Island (1989)
- A Little Light Music (1992, live album)
- Living with the Past / Nothing is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 (2014, live album combo)
THIS WAS 1968 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'A Song for Jeffrey', 'My Sunday Feeling', 'Beggar's Farm', 'Cat's Squirrel'
Frontman Ian Anderson has taken Jethro Tull through several different phases throughout the band's career. I guess most people will associate them with the proggy sounds of albums like Aqualung and Thick as a Brick most, but on This Was, their 1968 debut, they mostly play blues rock with Anderson's trademark flute playing thrown in for good measure. Blues rock was big with British bands throughout the 60's thanks to bands like Cream, The Yardbirds, the Bluesbreakers etc. (coincidentally, all these groups featured Eric Clapton at one point or another...), but Anderson's flute is really what sets This Was apart from a lot of the other groups at the time. I mean, honestly, how often do you hear a flute in any kind of rock music? Saying that, most of the music on here is really, really bluesy and nothing like they would sound in the coming years. And to be fair, while Anderson may be playing his flute, it isn't on every song. A lot of the music is instrumental too, and has a very improvised feel too it, like ' Cat's Squirrel'. Some of the tracks like 'My Sunday Feeling' and 'Beggar's Farm' have more structure however. 'Dharma for One' features an impressive drum solo. I like this album a fair bit, but on certain tracks I kind of forget I'm listening to Jethro Tull. Sometimes the music even sounds like John Mayall's Bluesbreakers or really early Led Zeppelin.
Adam's rating: 7.2/10
AQUALUNG 1971 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: Everything.
I've always been fond of this record. I mean, it is generally considered to be Ian Anderson's greatest output, but it's a record that I find more to like about it as the years pass, if that makes any sense. I guess I was about 14 when I picked it up, and even then I thought it was brilliant musically. I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics until I got older, and when I did, I realized that Ian Anderson can be a genius when he wants to be. Lyrics on songs like 'Wond'ring Aloud', 'Hymn 43' and 'My God' seem to make sense the first time, yet are still open to multiple interpretations. The album explores themes such as religion ('Hymn 43'), God ('My God'), the homeless ('Aqualung'), eccentric figures ('Mother Goose') and, uh, a schoolgirl prossie ('Cross-Eyed Mary'). Ian also touches on personal matters, like him visiting his terminally ill father ('Cheap Day Return'). Despite the often serious topics, he often uses a subtle amount of humour throughout - not so much that it's completely in your face, but just enough for you to at least notice. Some people even consider Aqualung to be a concept album about the distinction between religion and God, but Ian denies this.
Musically the album definitely qualifies as progressive rock. There are plenty of folky, acoustic moments but the band also utilizes elements of hard rock on brilliant songs like 'Cross Eyed Mary', 'Hymn 43' and the absolute classic 'Locomotive Breath'. 'Slipstream', 'Cheap Day Return' and 'Wond'ring Aloud' are short, entirely acoustic folk pieces that are absolutely wonderful - the latter features one of my all-time fave lyric of any band EVER: 'and it's only the giving that makes you what you are...'. 'Mother Goose' and 'Up to Me' are folk rock songs through and through; Ian Anderson handles all the flute and acoustic guitar work and he is backed up by Martin Barre's outstanding electric guitar playing. The signature title song and lengthy 'My God' combine everything that makes Jethro Tull so great in the first place - folk and hard rock. Oh, and an absolutely crazy flute solo on the latter. All in all Aqualung is one of the 70's greatest rock albums. I don't know if all rock fans will enjoy it due to the unorthodox instrumentation (flutes probably aren't everyone's cup of tea...), but fuck, you should still give it at least one listen regardless. Despite the album's status, Ian himself doesn't consider it to be his finest hour; apparently the studio where the album was recorded was a converted church and the room was massive. To him, nothing sounded right when it was recorded, but there you go. Interestingly, at the same time Led Zeppelin were recording their seminal fourth record downstairs at the same time as Jethro Tull.
Adam's rating: 9.5/10
THICK AS A BRICK 1972 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: All of it - it comes in two parts.
Progressive rock was arguably at the peak of it's popularity around the early to mid 70's with bands like Yes and Genesis dominating scene (and the mighty Jethro Tull of course!). Concept albums were something of a trend among prog bands, and Ian Anderson had taken note of this. People thought Aqualung was a concept record, Ian denied this of course. With Thick as a Brick, Ian decided he'd take a punt at making a concept album, but given how popular it was to make these kind of LP's at the time, Thick as a Brick is actually a parody of what other bands were doing. Monty Python was even one of it's influences. The humour is fairly subtle though; subtle enough that when the record was released, many people assumed it was a serious attempt and compared it to Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. The entire album consists of two continuous parts each lasting over 20 minutes. Both parts are still a medley of individual songs however. Despite the lyrical approach and themes, musically this is Tull at their finest. Well, for me Aqualung still tops it, but there seems to be an ongoing debate over which record is better. Both parts consist of all that makes Tull such a great band, but they also experimented with classical instrumentation and tempo shifts, presumably to throw in as many aspects of prog rock traits possible. It's all good experimentation - it just sounds good even if it isn't meant to be taken seriously!
Apparently the album was a hoot for the band to record, but sometimes I think musicians can still write amazing songs if they aren't in the zone and 100% focused. I know this is a bad comparison, but Van Halen's Diver Down is a classic album and it's full of goofy covers and silly ideas! Anyhow, Thick as a Brick is a classic of the prog rock genre, and it's one that needs to be heard in full each time. This makes it less accessible than the average Tull record, but one that is deeply rewarding if you really concentrate on the music. I've got the 2012 Stereo edition, which was mastered by Porcupine Tree's own prog wizard, Steven Wilson.
Adam's rating: 9.3/10
TOO OLD TO ROCK N' ROLL, TOO YOUNG TO DIE! 1976 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'Quizz Kid', 'Taxi Grab', 'Too Old to Rock n' Roll, Too Young to Die', 'From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser', 'The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)'
Unlike the often mistaken Aqualung, 1976's Too Old to Rock n' Roll, Too Young to Die! is a concept record. The album tells the story of an ageing rock star, and it is told through the lyrics, 'natch, but also a comic strip in the record sleeve. To be honest, from this perspective, the album's nothing sophisticated or artsy; Ian Anderson is not Lou Reed. Musically however, I think Too Old to Rock n' Roll... is pretty damn solid. The record takes elements from past works by fusing folk and rock to create Ian's own brand of prog, but it's a little more straightforward and probably easier to listen to than seminal works like Aqualung or Thick as a Brick. There seems to be a little more emphasis on rock than folk in my opinion, with more hooks and more prominent electric guitar licks from Martin Barre. John Evan's piano work here is outstanding, with a 'rocky', almost ELO- like playing vibe throughout. Songs like 'Quizz Kid', 'Taxi Grab', 'The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)' and the title song are classic Tull numbers, surely? Also, 'From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser' is a respectable ballad. The music isn't as ambitious or epic in track length as some previous songs like 'My God', but it really just feels as if the entire band knew exactly what they were doing and how to please the fans on this CD. It isn't a masterpiece, but it is a classic for sure.
Adam's rating: 8/10
SONGS FROM THE WOOD 1977 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'Songs from the Wood', 'Jack in Green', 'Ring Out, Solstice Bells', 'Velvet Green', 'The Whistler', 'Pibroch (Cap in Hand)'
Ian does the full folk rock on this record. He's always been influenced by the genre, but this album is probably enough to qualify as folk rock on it's own, even if it is more of a progressive kind of folk rock. I'm not too sure where I stand on this one; I think the musicianship is amazing with some truly outstanding melodies and performances from every band member on songs like the title song, 'Jack in the Green', 'The Whistler', 'Velvet Green' and the lengthy 'Pibroch (Cap in Hand)', but on the other hand it kind of makes me yearn for the more diverse sound established on albums like Aqualung. If I'm in the right mood however, this album hits the spot up to the point where I'd take it over any other Jethro Tull album (bar Aqualung). There's also a song on here called 'Ring Out, Solstice Bells', a Christmas song that isn't pure cheese like Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' or Wham's 'Last Christmas'. My family has had this double-CD Christmas compilation since before I was born and 'Ring Out, Solstice Bells' is on it. I've loved the track since I was a little kid, basically. However, I can't really listen to that song at any other time than December as I think it's morally wrong to do anything even remotely Christmassy before then (I friggin' hate it when people get their trees and shopping in November!!!). But yeah, Songs from the Wood is an amazing record when I want to hear it, it just isn't my go-to Jethro Tull album.
Adam's rating: 8/10
STORMWATCH 1979 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'North Sea Oil', 'Flying Dutchman', 'Dark Ages'
Many people seem to regard Stormwatch as the last of a folk rock trilogy that started with 1977's Songs from the Wood, but folk has always been a huge part of Jethro Tull's sound to begin with. Maybe it does tend to lean on the folkier side of things than some of the early-mid 70's records, but I don't think I could outright label Stormwatch purely as 'folk rock' unlike Songs from the Wood. Some of the songs like 'Home', 'Warm Sporran' and the excellent 'Flying Dutchman' do qualify as folk rock, true, but then you've got more prog rock numbers such as 'Dark Ages' and tracks such as 'Something's On the Move' touch on hard rock. I'm pretty sure this disc does not qualify as a concept record, but it does have a common theme going (the environment, resources running dry etc., Greenpeace hippy type-stuff), and it's noticeable from the get-go on opener 'North Sea Oil'. Bass player John Glascock, who had been with the band since 1976's Too Old to Rock n' Roll, Too Young to Die! and previously played in the prog rock band Carmen, tragically passed away just months after Stormwatch's release. This led to key Tull member's Barriemore Barlow (drums) and John Evan (piano/keyboards) to depart and it had a dramatic effect on the band's sound for the next few years. Getting back to Stormwatch though, I like it overall, but I feel like the band were running out of steam at this point - at least the particular lineup that recorded it anyway.
Adam's rating: 7/10
A 1980 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'Fylingdale Flyer', 'Working John, Working Joe', 'Black Sunday'
The death of John Glascock resulted in a major line-up shift for Jethro Tull. Only Ian Anderson and Martin Barre remained, and they were joined by legendary Fairport Convention bass player Dave Pegg and an American drummer called Mark Craney. I'd heard mixed things about this CD. I knew it was the first time Ian properly experimented with synths, so I had no interest in picking it up until I stumbled across a used copy for £3 in my favourite local record store. For that price I decided to give it a go.
Thankfully, A isn't really as bad as I was expecting it to be. For some reason I figured it was going to sound like Tull attempting to create a new wave sound, but really it's more like a less-folky Tull with synths and keyboards instead of pianos. Obviously Martin's guitars aren't quite as prominent either. Ian still has plenty of flute moments, so it has that going for it. The brooding 'Black Sunday' is arguably one of the band's better songs of the 80's, and I do like 'Fylingdale Flyer' and 'Working John, Working Joe' too. In fact, individually most of these tracks aren't all that bad, it's just when listening to A in full, I kind of get fed up about two thirds in. The keyboards have been brought forward too far into the mix to really make this one of Ian's better records. Also, I think if Martin Barre's playing had been emphasized, I'd like this one more. I don't think A is a failed experiment because it has a lot of cool ideas here and there - and it still sounds like Tull for sure, but you should definitely treat it with caution on a first-time listen.
Adam's rating: 6/10
THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST 1982 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'Beastie', 'Clasp', 'Fallen On Hard Times', 'Slow Marching Band', 'Broadsword', 'Seal Driver'
ROCK ISLAND 1989 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'Kissing Willie', 'The Rattlesnake Trail'
I'll be honest here and admit that aside from this, 1989's Rock Island, the only other Tull albums of the 80's I've listened to is this record's predecessor, Crest of a Knave and 1980's A (reviewed above). I'm definitely more of a Tull enthusiast than I am a fan. Again, I found this CD used (this time on eBay) for £1.99 years ago, and when I listened to it for the first time I thought 'what happened?!'. The only other records of theirs I'd actually heard at the time were Aqualung, Thick as a Brick and Too Old to Rock n' Roll..., and while it's clear that Ian Anderson wrote and performed on Rock Island, it's certainly a departure from their proggy 70's works. Like A, the folk and acoustic elements are kept to a bare minimum throughout the disc, and the music to me sounds like specific Jethro Tull trademarks (i.e. Ian's voice and flute work) mixed with melodic hard rock bands such as Magnum and Night Ranger, maybe even Dire Straits at times. Aside from Ian's flute melodies, the music is largely built around Martin Barre's guitars - which are pretty excellent by the way - there's just a little too much emphasis on them to really sound like classic Tull, in my opinion.
Listening to this album again however, it's a little better than I remembered. I don't think it's awful or anything - 'Kissing Willie' and 'The Rattlesnake Trail' are cool songs and there isn't a track on here that I particularly dislike (even 'Another Christmas Song' was better than I expected). The problem is - and it's my own problem - that I haven't heard enough Tull records between 1979's Stormwatch and 1987's Crest of a Knave to really know if this CD's focus is a natural progression. Many of the key 70's members bar Anderson and Barre aren't present and at least three albums were made in that space of time, so yeah...
Adam's rating: 6/10
A LITTLE LIGHT MUSIC 1992 (Chrysalis)
This live CD is made up of many performances spanning several different shows in Europe, 1992. The title refers to the fact that the album consists mostly of softer and more obscure material, and for the most part it's very acoustic, save for 'Locomotive Breath'. It's for the fans, really. The reason I have it in my collection is because it was compiled with my copy of A for some reason. I actually quite enjoyed it overall, even if the only tracks I was really familiar with from the top of my head were 'Living in the Past', 'Bouree', 'Locomotive Breath', 'Too Old to Rock n' Roll, Too Young to Die' and 'A Christmas Song'. Hmm, dunno what else to say about this one.
Adam's rating: 7/10
LIVING WITH THE PAST / NOTHING IS EASY: LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 2014 (Eagle)
This package combines two Jethro Tull live records - Nothing is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 and Living With the Past. The former was obviously recorded in 1970 but it didn't see the light of day until 2004. It was quite amusing to hear Ian Anderson introduce 'My God' (one of their most famous tunes) on this disc as 'here's a new song...' since Aqualung had not yet been recorded. Obviously they'd only made three studio albums at this point and the music was still largely bluesy with the occasional flute melodies and solos. I must admit I do quite like this Brit blues period of the band even if I think they did get better as songwriters by the time Aqualung came along in 1971, and the performances here sound very natural and sometimes improvised. Considering I'm not really a Jethro Tull buff by any stretch of the imagination, I've enjoyed this CD each time I've listened to it.
Living with the Past was actually originally released in 2002 and recorded in 2001 at the Hammersmith Apollo, but I wanted to discuss it after the other half of the package purely because the recording itself comes decades later. I was pleasantly surprised by just how good Ian and the gang sound here. I know they were still together up until 2011 but as I've already stated, I haven't followed this band religiously, so I can't compare everything they've ever recorded. As the title suggests, they play through many songs from their past, right from the debut This Was up until 1999's J-Tull Dot Com. I was blown away by just how close some of these tracks sound to their original studio counterparts; the session violinists and cello players for example play note-for-note perfect on 'Wond'ring Aloud'. Of the two discs, this one is probably the one I like best, but I had a good time with both really. I'm not sure how this 2014 Eagle reissue compares to the original releases of the CD's, but the jewel case comes in a slipcase and extensive notes within the booklet which is cool.
Adam's rating: 7.6/10 (Nothing is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wright 1970)
Adam's rating: 8/10 (Living With the Past)
Contemporary reviews of this album seem to be mostly negative and critical, but I've seen many more recent online reviews to be far more positive. It seems as if people like it now, but hated it back when it was new. So, is this one of Jethro Tull's most misunderstood albums? I couldn't really tell you myself, since I'm no Tull expert, but I do prefer Broadsword and the Beast over the last album, A. I guess the majority of the retrospective criticism stems from the fact the band were still using keyboard synths, but they seem to be better integrated within the songwriting this time around, and they aren't totally prominent in every track either. 'Beastie' and 'Clasp' certainly sound like none other than Jethro Tull to me, even with the latter's synth intro. Strangely enough, the keys on this album actually give the music an added, almost medieval/baroque dimension that I quite enjoy. Sort of sounds like a rockier Age of Empires soundtrack! 'Fallen On Hard Times' is excellent - it's a folky, but driving rock song with some very nice mandolin usage. I don't quite understand why it just suddenly fades out after three minutes though, could've easily gone on for another minute. 'Flying Colours' starts off quite slow and moody, I assumed it was gonna be a ballad, but in actuality, it ends up being a sort of rocker. 'Slow Marching Band' is a piano-driven ballad, and quite a pretty one too. 'Broadsword' is quite an epic song, actually. The only thing I dislike about it is the loud, 80's sounding synth that comes and goes (probably the worst use of keys on the album), but the rest of the track is superb. Martin Barre really goes all out on this track, displaying his talents on the electric guitar. 'Pussy Willow' mostly goes full acoustic folk, and again, sort of has a medieval-tinge going for it. The chorus does escalate to a bigger sound however. Maybe the decidedly electronic-driven 'Watching Me, Watching You' is a little too much to handle on a Tull record. This is probably the only track on the album that I dislike, but it's not entirely awful either. 'Seal Driver' is the other epic number on here; it's quite progressive, with some brilliant guitar work from Mr. Barre in the middle of the track.
I guess the initial criticism of this album was down to what the fans were looking for back in the 80's. To me however, this sounds like prime Tull. The only iffy track is 'Watching Me, Watching You', the rest is very good.
Adam's rating: 8/10
ROCK ISLAND 1989 (Chrysalis)
- Standouts: 'Kissing Willie', 'The Rattlesnake Trail'
I'll be honest here and admit that aside from this, 1989's Rock Island, the only other Tull albums of the 80's I've listened to is this record's predecessor, Crest of a Knave and 1980's A (reviewed above). I'm definitely more of a Tull enthusiast than I am a fan. Again, I found this CD used (this time on eBay) for £1.99 years ago, and when I listened to it for the first time I thought 'what happened?!'. The only other records of theirs I'd actually heard at the time were Aqualung, Thick as a Brick and Too Old to Rock n' Roll..., and while it's clear that Ian Anderson wrote and performed on Rock Island, it's certainly a departure from their proggy 70's works. Like A, the folk and acoustic elements are kept to a bare minimum throughout the disc, and the music to me sounds like specific Jethro Tull trademarks (i.e. Ian's voice and flute work) mixed with melodic hard rock bands such as Magnum and Night Ranger, maybe even Dire Straits at times. Aside from Ian's flute melodies, the music is largely built around Martin Barre's guitars - which are pretty excellent by the way - there's just a little too much emphasis on them to really sound like classic Tull, in my opinion.
Listening to this album again however, it's a little better than I remembered. I don't think it's awful or anything - 'Kissing Willie' and 'The Rattlesnake Trail' are cool songs and there isn't a track on here that I particularly dislike (even 'Another Christmas Song' was better than I expected). The problem is - and it's my own problem - that I haven't heard enough Tull records between 1979's Stormwatch and 1987's Crest of a Knave to really know if this CD's focus is a natural progression. Many of the key 70's members bar Anderson and Barre aren't present and at least three albums were made in that space of time, so yeah...
Adam's rating: 6/10
A LITTLE LIGHT MUSIC 1992 (Chrysalis)
This live CD is made up of many performances spanning several different shows in Europe, 1992. The title refers to the fact that the album consists mostly of softer and more obscure material, and for the most part it's very acoustic, save for 'Locomotive Breath'. It's for the fans, really. The reason I have it in my collection is because it was compiled with my copy of A for some reason. I actually quite enjoyed it overall, even if the only tracks I was really familiar with from the top of my head were 'Living in the Past', 'Bouree', 'Locomotive Breath', 'Too Old to Rock n' Roll, Too Young to Die' and 'A Christmas Song'. Hmm, dunno what else to say about this one.
Adam's rating: 7/10
LIVING WITH THE PAST / NOTHING IS EASY: LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT 1970 2014 (Eagle)
This package combines two Jethro Tull live records - Nothing is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 and Living With the Past. The former was obviously recorded in 1970 but it didn't see the light of day until 2004. It was quite amusing to hear Ian Anderson introduce 'My God' (one of their most famous tunes) on this disc as 'here's a new song...' since Aqualung had not yet been recorded. Obviously they'd only made three studio albums at this point and the music was still largely bluesy with the occasional flute melodies and solos. I must admit I do quite like this Brit blues period of the band even if I think they did get better as songwriters by the time Aqualung came along in 1971, and the performances here sound very natural and sometimes improvised. Considering I'm not really a Jethro Tull buff by any stretch of the imagination, I've enjoyed this CD each time I've listened to it.
Living with the Past was actually originally released in 2002 and recorded in 2001 at the Hammersmith Apollo, but I wanted to discuss it after the other half of the package purely because the recording itself comes decades later. I was pleasantly surprised by just how good Ian and the gang sound here. I know they were still together up until 2011 but as I've already stated, I haven't followed this band religiously, so I can't compare everything they've ever recorded. As the title suggests, they play through many songs from their past, right from the debut This Was up until 1999's J-Tull Dot Com. I was blown away by just how close some of these tracks sound to their original studio counterparts; the session violinists and cello players for example play note-for-note perfect on 'Wond'ring Aloud'. Of the two discs, this one is probably the one I like best, but I had a good time with both really. I'm not sure how this 2014 Eagle reissue compares to the original releases of the CD's, but the jewel case comes in a slipcase and extensive notes within the booklet which is cool.
Adam's rating: 7.6/10 (Nothing is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wright 1970)
Adam's rating: 8/10 (Living With the Past)
