Last updated December 8th, 1998
"Looking for sunshine, oh, but it's black and it's cold,
Yet you say that milk and honey's just round the bend.
Giving us a hard time, my friends,
handing us the same line again."
-- Jethro Tull, Fallen on Hard Times
Many of us were somewhat surprised at the album that followed on from the previous
album, Stormwatch. The new
album, simply called "A", was far different from the previous Tull album and
had a very modern, somewhat synthesised sound. Part of this was due, in fact, to
the odd origins of the record. After the <
a href="seventiestull2.html#Stormwatch">Stormwatch album, Ian Anderson
had wanted to record an album of solo music at the request of both Chrysalis Records
and the fans. He retained the services of Martin Barre and Dave Pegg (who was a
member of the group since the tour for the previous album but still hadn't recorded
anything with them yet). He got in touch with Eddie Jobson, since he wanted a more
keyboard-based sound for the record, and Jobson's friend, Mark Craney, was brought
in to play the drums. Effectively, Barrie Barlow, John Evans, and David Palmer were
no longer part of Jethro Tull. There are various other sources on the web that can fill
in the various stories about this "band split," so I shaln't go into them here... Suffice it to
say, the music of the new album was clearly not an Ian Anderson solo, and so the
"A" album was decided to be the new Tull album - and very different it was,
marking a new beginning to the Tull sound for the new decade.
Ian Anderson obviously wanted to try a different sound, to give Tull a quick boot-in-the-
pants musically, and hence the use of the keyboards and electric violin that were so
present on the record. "A" certainly retains a Tull quality, since it has Martin
Barre's guitars and Ian Anderson's flute, but they are more subdued on this album
than on any previous one, other than possibly This
Was. "A" is an environmentally aware album that clearly looks to
the future, but it doesn't have the subtle flavour and some of the humour that have
characterised earlier Tull records. My favourite track on the album has to be "Working
John, Working Joe" but there are others that stand out, notably the poignant "Batteries
Not Included," the wonderful "The Pine Marten's Jig," the truth-based "Fylingdale
Flyer," and the lovely "And Further On." Much of the subject matter on this album can
be seen as somewhat depressing, and yet the album is one that heralds Tull's leap into
the 1980s. As such, it is an important album in its own right, but one that is overlooked
by many.
It was fourteen months before another Jethro Tull album would be released, after the
mixed success of "A". By the time the new album came out, Eddie Jobson and
Mark Craney had departed, and were replaced by Gerry Conway on the drums and
Peter-John Vettese on the keyboards. The new album was The Broadsword and
the Beast, and it was a return to the old Tull form and tradition, but the new keyboards
sound was used in an effective manner and didn't overshadow the Tull Celtic and rock 'n'
roll influence of the earlier work. Like the period of Songs From the Wood,
this was a fruitful time for Ian Anderson's songwriting. Some twenty tracks were written
during this time, but only ten made it onto the album. The sound of Tull was much more
in harmony with the Tull sound ot the seventies, but Tull had definitely moved into the
1980s with this album.
Like several earlier Tull albums, much of the music on Broadsword was based
around the theme of crises, as the songs deal with various topics ranging from economic
and environmental crises, the problems that can stem from these, relationship problems,
and even touching somewhat on governmental issues. The songs on this album are
very, very good - and strong - ranging from the wonderful "Beastie" (which touches on
the same theme explored on Songs From the Wood's
"No Lullaby") to the touching "Flying Colours" and "Broadsword." There is the heart-felt
"Seal Driver," "Cheerio," and "Pussy Willow," as well as the somewhat more paranoid
"Watching Me, Watching You." The Broadsword and the Beast is a terrific
album, especially on the heels of "A", and is one that no Tull fan should be
without in his or her collection.
Go to the Ian Anderson Solo Albums page
for the Walk Into Light review.
The shock experienced by fans of Jethro Tull at Ian Anderson's solo album, Walk Into Light was nothing
compared to what was in store for them. The Tull album for 1984, Under
Wraps, was a Jethro Tull album that didn't have a drummer, as Ian Anderson
elected to go with an electronic drum machine on this one, and continue the trend
of electronic keyboards as a new element. Unlike the Anderson solo effort,
Under Wraps was bursting with energy, the keyboards of Peter-John
Vettese being balanced out by the guitar work of Martin Barre, and Ian Anderson's
flute was a solid presence on the record. In addition, Ian Anderson was singing
with renewed vigour, and the songs on the album reflected the vitality of the
members of Tull at the time - although Ian Anderson's voice would pay the price
later on.
Musically, Under Wraps is a highly diverse album, moreso than the
last few albums, although the album is not as strong lyrically in some cases.
There is an electronic and keyboard version of "Under Wraps" that is counterpointed
by its acoustic version later on, and the somewhat delicate "Later, That Same
Evening" is humbled by the searing electronic sound of "Heat." Other tracks take
a more introspective approach, such as the beautiful "Apogee" and "European
Legacy," but for the most part, this Tull album is one that had a good deal of
commercial potential that just didn't live up to the possible success it could have
had because of Chrysalis's seemingly deliberate lack of marketing for the album.
Under Wraps will be remembered more for the frenetic tour based around
the music of the album, a tour that cost Ian Anderson his voice for some time (and
a condition from which he has still not fully recovered; there are other sources of
information on this whole issue, so I won't bore you with them), than for the quality
of the music itself. I still can't bear to think of Tull as being without an actual drummer,
to be honest, and yet there are still tracks on the record, such as "Automotive
Engineering," "European Legacy," and "Apogee" that will stand out in my mind from
this record. The real problem with this album is that it is a disappointment, when taken
in comparison with the previous Tull album, The Broadsword and the Beast.
That is a shame, since Under Wraps does have some very good, highly
creative material on it...but just doesn't cut it as a Tull album.
In the aftermath of Ian Anderson's throat problem and singing dificulties, Jethro Tull
decided to take a break from recording albums. Chrysalis decided to market a third
"Best of" Tull album, and Original Masters was released in October of 1985.
When it comes right down to it, there is nothing really interesting to say about this
album, other than the fact that there was nothing more recent than material from 1977
to include on this "best of" record. While the package of the record was not overly
inspired once more, as per the last two "Best Of" records (see the notes on M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull and
Repeat - The Best of Jethro Tull
Vol II for more on this), at least Chrysalis didn't try the old trick of putting
a new or previously unreleased track on the album as they had with the previous two
offerings.
Original Masters is a very nice album that gives a decent sampling of some
of Tull's best pieces, and also offers some of the tracks that were released as part
of singles and the like, notably "Sweet Dream" and "Witch's Promise" (which are two
of my favourite Tull tracks), as well as "Life Is A Long Song." The record also
includes the classic "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath," as well as "Living in the
Past" and more "modern" pieces such as "Songs From the Wood" and "Minstrel
in the Gallery." Overall, the record is a good mix of relatively recent and vintage
Tull, and makes for a good introduction to the sound of the band for those who are
new to the group.
Continue on to Tull for the Eighties, Part Two
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This page first went on-line November 28th, 1998