Last updated October 12th, 2003
"And where on earth are all those songs of Eden,
The fairy tales, the shepherds and wise men?
Just one old dosser lurching down Oxford Street,
to spend his Christmas lying in the rain."
-- Ian Anderson, Looking for Eden
After the wonderful return to form that Tull experienced with The Broadsword and the
Beast, Ian Anderson decided to record the first solo album of his career, and
in 1983, the fans were presented with Walk Into Light. It was not the album
that the fans were expecting... He recruited the services of Peter-John Vettese, who
had been involved with Tull on the Broadsword album, and the resulting
album was one that was very techno, very electronic in sound. Oddly enough, the
album was also rather soulless in its own way, and had a very cold, somewhat
mechanical sound. It came as an even bigger surprise to see that Peter-John
Vettese had five writing credits on the album, with Ian Anderson not writing all of the
music on the album, something that had not occurred since the first Tull album, This Was.
When it comes right down to it, Walk Into Light is a rather non-Tull sounding
album; for that matter, it is a non-Ian Anderson sounding album, since there is hardly
any flute or acoustic elements to the record at all. The album appears to be Ian
Anderson's attempt to experiment somewhat with non-traditional acoustic and electric
guitar music, and there is evidence of the computer drum kits and other modern
technology on this record. The songs on the album deal with all manner of subjects,
ranging from computers and their place in our lives ("User-Friendly") to songs about
trains and the way in which travel on trains can be equated to going through life
("Trains"), to the changing nature of Germany and its people ("Different Germany").
One of my favourite tracks on the album is "Looking for Eden," whose theme is pretty
obvious, but which may or may not feature a return of our old friend, Aqualung, in a rather sparse form.
Walk Into Light was, and still is, a sore disappointment to those fans of Tull who
were expecting an Ian Anderson solo album to emphasise what he does best, superb
lyrics and brilliant acoustic, flute-oriented music.
Return to A Tull for the Eighties page.
1995 saw the release of Ian Anderson's second album just before Easter. Divinities:
Twelve Dances with God (which we can shorten to just Divinities here) was
a remarkable album, that emphasised just how versatile and creative Ian Anderson
really is. While it was presented as a solo album, Divinities features the talented
Andy Giddings who contributed quite a bit to the composing and recording of the music,
Doane Perry playing the percussion, and several other musicians from the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra, London, playing a variety of classical musical instruments.
The album also has one of the most interesting origins as well. The project was
proposed to Ian Anderson by the classical division of EMI, and when Anderson had
his doubts, he was told that they wanted him to be able to write some original music
for the flute and perhaps other classical orchestra instruments, and suggested that
he might want to look at a religious or spiritual theme. He began working on the
project between the Tull tours of 1994, and actually wrote material on the flute, rather
than on guitars or keyboards. When all is said and done, even with the participation
of Andy Giddings, who ably worked up the orchestration and arrangements, this album
is truly an innovative one and shows the sheer creativity that Ian Anderson has always
been possessed of.
Divinities is not an album for everyone however, and many Tull fans were
somewhat surprised by the album when they first looked at it, let alone heard it. The
album is pretty much the sophisticated view of religions and the nature of God that Ian
Anderson wanted to portray, and is not his personal religious beliefs, as he has had
to explain many times. Regardless of that, Divinities is a remarkable album
that has ten pieces of terrific "Music for Flute and Orchestra" on it. Each of the songs
on the album is distinct from the other tracks, but they all share the same thing - the flute
of Ian Anderson and Andy Giddings's superb keyboards. "In A Stone Circle" is very
much a Celtic song, sounding as if it has its roots with Stonehenge. "In A Black Box"
seems to be about the darker side of religions, although there is also the possibility
that it is based on the concept of the music box (as was hinted at during the
Divinities tour). Interestingly enough, this is one of my favourite tracks on the
album, and reminds me of Renaissance's
"Trip to the Fair" with its carnivalistic feel at times. More than any other track, "In the
Grip of Stronger Stuff" is probably the most "Tull"ish of the album's tracks, without the
distinctive sound of Martin Barre, of course. Interestingly enough, as Ian Anderson
explained during a concert at Massey Hall in Toronto, the song is an ode to the demon
drink. "In Defence of Faiths" is one of the most beautiful, haunting tracks on the album,
with Andy Giddings providing an organ-like sound that makes the music almost hymnal.
And well it should, as it has its roots in Anglican music. "At Their Father's Knee" has a
very martial feel to it for the most part, yet there are some different segues into other
tempos that make the song stand out very much. This one is the Judaic song on the
album, and has some interesting sound to it. "En Afrique" is a piece that has a tribal
quality, but has a nice sinuous, often sensuous, feel to it. My favourite track on the
album, "In the Pay of Spain," is one that has a regal sound to it and an at times sweeping,
almost epic feel. The final track, "In the Times of India (Bombay Valentine)" refers to
the newspapers in India, which on Valentine's Day, print messages from boyfriends,
girlfriends, husbands, and wives, as Ian Anderson explained it at the Massey Hall
concert. Taken as a whole, the Divinities album shows the versatility of Ian
Anderson's music and the beauty of "flute music" when taken out of the purely Jethro
Tull context. While this album may not appeal to everyone, it certainly has a musical
content that has universal appeal in the opinion of this reviewer.
Return to The Nineties Tull, Part Two page.
Originally completed for October, 1998 release, Ian Anderson's third solo album,
The Secret Language of Birds, was originally delayed to spring of 1999
because the band didn't have a record album contract, and then to March of 2000
because the new record companies didn't want it to conflict with the new Tull album,
j-tull Dot Com. This third album
has turned out to be the record that fans have wanted for fifteen years - the solo
acoustic project that Ian Anderson didn't seem to want to create until now. The
Secret Language of Birds is named after the "Dawn Chorus," the natural sound
of birds heard at dawn, particularly in the disappearing rainforests, but it was originally
going to be called Boris Dancing, after the track of the same name that was
first played in various concerts during 1998; fortunately, that name didn't stick. The
Secret Language of Birds, affectionately known as SLOB as it was
nicknamed by a Tull fan on the web) is a musical collection that is a feast for the ears
and the palate of the most distinguishing connoisseur of music, regardless of whether
one is a Tull or Ian Anderson fan. Ian Anderson recruited Andy Giddings, who plays
a variety of instruments other than keyboards on the album, notably glockenspiel,
marimba and accordion, but his orchestral arrangements on this record are simply
superb. Gerry Conway and Martin Barre also do stints on the album, and Darren
Mooney and James Duncan play the drums on a couple of tracks as well.
The music on SLOB is a mix of various styles, in some ways still reflective of
Ian Anderson's Middle Eastern influences. In actual fact, there's a bit of everything on
this album. Lyrically, the album is even moreso a mix of different styles and feels. As
some may know, Ian Anderson pursued painting earlier in life before he became a
musician, and there is strong emphasis on the arts here. "The Little Flower Girl" is a
song based on the painting of that name by Sir William Russell Flint, "A Better Moon"
refers to a work by Foweraker, while the man famous for his townscapes peopled by
matchstick-like figures, L.S.Lowry, figures in "Circular Breathing." An Henri Rousseau
painting was the inspiration for the album cover, to take things even further. There are
several romantic songs that catch at the imagination, including "Postcard Day" and
"The Jasmine Corridor." Two of my favourite songs on the album are "Montserrat" and
"The Habanero Reel," both of which share something in common - the colours orange
and green that Ian Anderson observed on the Caribbean island and the colour of the
Habanero peppers! "Set-Aside" is the British name for the agricultural policy within the
European Union, whereby a farmer is paid a government subsidy NOT to cultivate
part of a farm. The song is about the derelict condition that such land ends up in and
the depressing state of mind that the farmers themselves seem to undergo (according
to the Ian Anderson press release from Papillon Records on the subject). My favourite
song on the album, "Sanctuary," has to do with child prostitution in India, but also with a
zoo in the UK referenced by Ian Anderson (again in the Papillon Records press release).
Another song of note is "Boris Dancing" which is based on Ian Anderson's seeing
some footage of legendary Russian leader Boris Yeltsin dancing. While the song was
first played live in concert, it was in a rough form at that time, and Ian put it together in the
studio for this record.
As can be seen, The Secret Language of Birds is a powerful album, full of
various types of imagery, with lyrics and music that have both a timelessness and a
fullness to them. Ian Anderson's comments about each song can be found at the back
of the album booklet, and one of these sums things up nicely, as he warns us not to take
it all too seriously: "Don't be upset with the above. It's just the quick crossword puzzle,
with monkeys in hiding". However, to use a phrase from another Tull song, some of the
monkeys here are willing to strike up the tune. This album is a brilliant set of music,
and it should be in every fan's collection. I know that it's one of my favourite albums so far.
Return to Tull Into the New
Millennium page.
One of the things that I adore about Ian Anderson's music is that he is capable of
differentiating himself stylistically from his work with Jethro Tull. That being said,
the creative force behind Jethro Tull has released his fourth solo album, Rupi's
Dance, and has come up with an album that combines the stylish songwriting
for which Ian Anderson is known with musical styles from different parts of the world.
What makes this album unique is that there is a professionalism, an artistry, and
a some what mystical lyricism that comes together to form a seamless whole with
this album, something that was also strongly present in his previous release,
The Secret Language of Birds, but which truly shines through on this
recording. The process is smoother here, however, with tight lyrics and music, and
an energy and positive nature that comes through on each and every song.
But make no mistake - there is no faddishness to this album, there is nothing on
this album that doesn't remind us that Ian Anderson is synonymous with Jethro
Tull. Each song on Rupi's Dance says something different, and is intended
to convey a meaning. Some are more frivolous than others, such as "Rupi's Dance"
(a jig-like lullaby that deals with a dark-haired feline swaying to the sound of CNN
playing quietly in the background), "Calliandra Shade (The Cappaccino Song)"
(which could be taken to be almost a commercial about coffee, perhaps even
Starbucks), and "Two Short Planks" (a witty, subtle piece about the vaguaries of
being inadequate at certain tasks, such as school work). Others are more serious,
such as "Old Black Cat" (an ode to Ian's dead cat, Mauser), "Griminelli's Lament"
(an almost sorrowful song, written for Italian flautist Andrea Griminelli), and "Pigeon
Flying Over Berlin Zoo" (about the plight of animals caged, that has several deeper
meanings to it). The album is rounded out with a series of other tracks, including
"Eurology", a lively and entertaining instrumental that has a strong European sound
and feel to it, and three of my favourite IA solo tracks, "A Raft of Penguins" (a musical
exposition dealing with playing with orchestras and entertaining before before crowds),
the wonderful "Lost in Crowds" (a piece that is reminiscent of the classic old Tull that
deals with drinking parties and how to deal with the people at them, featuring some
truly magical musical passages), and "Not Ralitsa Vassileva" (a terrifc piece of
bluesy music with strong European influences about a young woman who might
aspire to be Ralitsa, the sophisticated CNN reporter, but isn't). There is an added
bonus track, "Birthday Card at Christmas", which comes from the forthcoming Tull
Christmas album, and offers the promise of a truly inspired Tull Christmas CD.
There is a strength to this album that has been lacking in some of the more recent
efforts on Tull's part, but Ian Anderson has come up with a superb album that features
thirteen songs of varying subtleties, with all the lyrical magic that the frontman for
Tull is able to conjure. The songs on this CD conjure up a variety of images, perhaps
not as strongly as the painting-inspired The Secret Language of Birds, but
offer a bit more musically, as Rupi's Dance shines with flavours from all over
Europe, and even some North American influences to it, and features some stirring
stories and tales to entertain even the most discerning listener. This album is
everything an Ian Anderson solo album should be, and I cannot recommend this
CD highly enough to anyone.
Return to Tull Into the New Millennium page.
The Emporium | Jethro
Tull Page | Tull Album Reviews | Page Top
This page first went on-line December 3rd, 1998