Last updated November 14th, 1998
"Let me bring you songs from the wood:
to make you feel much better than you could know.
Dust you down from tip to toe.
Show you how the garden grows.
Hold you steady as you go.
Join the chorus if you can:
it'll make of you an honest man."
-- Jethro Tull, Songs From the Wood
While Jethro Tull was recording their next album, Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young
to Die!, their record company, Chrysalis, decided to release a compilation album.
M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull (M.U. stands for Musicians Union) is a "best of"
album that has only one new song on it, "Rainbow Blues" (which appears to have been
recorded during the sessions for the new album). Unlike the previous compilation, the
terrific Living in the Past,
M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull was an album aimed more at those fans new to
the band, and in many ways this was a good idea whose time had come. Tull had a
good repertoire of music by this time, and new fans could hear some of the band's
diversity and its classics (such as "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath") on this "best of"
compilation. By far, the weakest element of this album in my opinion was the cover art,
which was, to say the least, poor in terms of the quality of the artwork and covers that had
come on the Tull albums before and after it.
From a musical point of view, M.U. has some interesting stuff, but the choices
that were made are somewhat strange in their own way. While the classics, such as
"Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath", are here, other pieces, such as "Fat Man," "Living
in the Past," and the edited pieces from Thick As A Brick and A Passion Play, show some of
the other music that the band has created, although the latter two pieces are not
representative of the two albums in question. There is also the absence of any of
the material from the Minstrel
in the Gallery album, which to my mind, was a disservice to that album. That
said, Chrysalis was obviously going for something to be representative of Tull and
their sound, and this album certainly *does* provide that. The good news for the
fans who did not spend money on the M.U. album was that they got to obtain
the "Rainbow Blues" track when the first single from Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too
Young to Die!, the title track, was released. Overall, is an album that
was not really meant for the established Tull fan, but which seems likely to have
brought the music of Tull to the attention of a whole new group of potential fans.
There is no doubt that the music on the album is pretty good and representative of the
band's sound. Whether it's an album that a Tull fan considers they need in their
collection, however, is more likely to be determined on the basis of whether they want
the "Rainbow Blues" track (which is one of my favourite Tull tracks) or not.
Like WarChild before it, Too Old to
Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! had its origins in another project as well. While the
former was based on what would have been a film, this album had its origins in a project
that was meant to be a stage musical. The stage musical, like the film, was abandoned,
but Ian Anderson realised that he had invested too much time in the songs that had been
written for the stage musical, and he found that the basic story could be turned into an
album. In a nutshell, the story of Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! is
about a young rocker by the name of Ray Lomas, who clings to his music and fashion,
despite the fact he's getting older, while his old friends are conforming to society, and are
becoming "square." Fed up with the situation and rebellious about it, he leaves on his
motorcycle and has an accident on the A1, almost dying in the process. During his recovery
in hospital from his severe injuries, a "new" trend occurs in music and fashion, and when he
leaves the hospital Ray's image is current once more. Ray becomes a fashionable teen
idol again. What made the album fascinating was that it was released with a comic strip
on the inside of the album that illustrates the story of Ray Lomas, and ties the various songs
on the album to one another. From a marketing point of view it was a good idea.
Conceptually, the album deals with the topic of trends and how they go around, and then
come around again. Musically, the album is somewhat weak.
One of the central elements to this album was that Jeffrey Hammond had left the band
just after the Minstrel in the
Gallery album was finished, and his replacement was John Glascock, a gifted
man who had played with the band Carmen. Glascock brought a different sound to Tull,
coming from a flamenco-rock group, and in some ways it didn't really fit on this album.
For the most part, the real problem with the album is that it has a somewhat more commercial
feel to it - the lyrics are relatively straightforward, and the plot is simple. While there is some
really good material on this album, notably the tracks such as "Salamander," "Pied Piper,"
and "From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser," the rest of the material (including the title song)
are somewhat predictable and lack the gusto and verve that earlier work by Ian Anderson
and the band contain. Some have said that the album is "uninspired" or "stodgy," but I
am convinced that it is more a matter of the record's flaws stem from the music's origins
in the stage musical vein. Whatever the case, Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to
Die! is a testatment to the willingness of Ian Anderson to gamble, to take risks, and
to prove that he isn't too old to rock 'n' roll, and that he's definitely too young die..
When Jethro Tull came out with their next album, fans got a somewhat pleasant surprise.
Songs From the Wood was an album that had a rustic simplicity and charm that
won many fans over, and gave Tull a whole new group of fans who had only heard of
them through their Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! sound. In many
ways, this album is unique because it marked the beginning of a trilogy of albums to
close out the 1970s that expressed Ian Anderson's view of the world and his appreciation
of the vigorous life around him. In some ways, previous albums by the band had a
generally cynical view of the world, especially with regards to the modern society, but
Songs From the Wood features a rather celebratory attitude, that praises natural
and rural life. There is a strong appreciation of community, respect for nature, and love
of all living things on this album, and for the most part the album is a classy piece of work.
Songs From the Wood has very nature oriented themes, reflected by such
tracks as "Songs From the Wood," "Jack-in-the-Green," and "Cup of Wonder" (which
is a wonderfully pagan piece in its own right). While the music may appear to be
more along the lines of folk music at first, it does have the rock 'n' roll and the rhythms
that earlier Tull has had, but with a more rustic touch to it. With that rustic touch, however,
is an element of sexuality that is best represented on songs such as "Velvet Green" and
"Hunting Girl," both of which leave little to the imagination (although by the standards of
"Baker Street Muse"'s "Pig-Me and the Whore" from Minstrel in the Gallery is
still pretty tame). By far, my two favourite tracks off this album are "Velvet Green"
and "Fire at Midnight" which seem to be antitheses of one another, and yet reflect two
of the many perceptions of the rustic lifestyle. Songs From the Wood is also
distinguished by the fact that it is an album that was a group effort, moreso than any
other previous record, and this is credited on the album by a line about additional material
being added by Martin Barre and David Palmer. The creativity on this album is
obvious through the lyrics and the music itself, and shows the band at a happy, harmonious
point in their working together. Whatever the case, Songs From the Wood is
an album that shows some of the true spirit, not to mention the roots, of Jethro Tull,
and is a wonderful addition to any fan's Tull collection.
Just in time for Christmas, 1977, Chrysalis decided to release a second "best of" album
from Jethro Tull, but this time, the music chosen from the various Tull releases of the
past was made a bit more circumspectly. The album contained some of the favourites
that were not included on the previous greatest hits album, M.U. - The Best of
Jethro Tull, and included one previously unreleased track, "Glory Row," which
had been recorded during the WarChild
sessions. This time, Chrysalis made the wise move not to release the track on any
singles, although this did not help sales any. As I mentioned in the review of the
earlier M.U. album about the cover art, the same can be said here. The
cover art of Repeat is by far the weakest point of the album, and is totally
unimaginative and lacking in sheer vibrancy and colour.
In its essence, Repeat is a second "best of" album that provides new fans
some of the more recent music from Tull, although it does include excerpts again
from Thick As A Brick and
A Passion Play, not to
mention the wonderful "Cross-Eyed Mary" from Aqualung and a couple of other,
older pieces. Like M.U., Repeat is an album that has some very
representative Tull music on it, but is not something that is needed for the collection
of a Tull fan with all the earlier albums. On the other hand, both this album and the
earlier M.U. are good representatives of the music of Tull in the 1970s, and
as such, stand the test of time in this regard, but it is not an album for the established
Tull fan.
Like it's predecessor before it (Songs From the Wood), Heavy Horses
was the second album in a trilogy of disks that continued the themes explored in the
previous album. Songs From the Wood was full of folk and country imagery,
and Heavy Horses is no different in that respect. The rustic element of the
previous album is still here as well, and many of the songs on the new record concern
animals. The title of the album was a reference to the heavy working horses, a dying
breed with the advent of technology, and the album is somewhat more dark, more
menacing in tone, although it does have its light moments and there is a sense of hope
on the record as well. While Songs From the Wood dealt with rustic themes
to a large extent, Heavy Horses has more references to modern civilization,
and this is also reflected in the music found on the album. The use of the electric
guitar and the drums and percussion instruments are more prevalent on this album
than they were on the previous effort.
Musically and lyrically, Heavy Horses was something of a mixed album.
As mentioned, animals play a large role on this album, with pieces devoted to cats,
dogs, horses, and mice, among others. Some of the songs on the album are
beautiful and simplistic in the their musical stylings, notably the lovely "Moths"
and the equally wonderful "Weathercock," and "...And the Mouse Police Never
Sleeps" is an innovative piece of music that has much to recommend it. On the
other hand, the two longer tracks on the album, "No Lullaby" and "Heavy Horses,"
ran overly long, and it was obvious that the use of the odd tempos and unexpected
shifts in direction were starting to wear thin. Make no mistake, "No Lullaby" is my
favourite piece off the album (along with "Moths"), but it is one of the longest, most
tiring songs I've heard from Tull. On the up side, however, this album is marked by
the fact that the period of Songs From the Wood and Heavy Horses
were highly productive, creative times for the band. Something on the order of 20
songs were recorded during the Heavy Horses sessions, but only nine tracks
were used on the record itself. Several of these tracks have managed to find their
way onto anniversary boxed sets and the like, and it's a good thing - these songs
are some of the best work from this time, and it would be a shame if they had been
lost to Tull fans. That said, Heavy Horses is a fine album in many respects,
and deserves a place on the collection shelf of Tull fans. However, in some ways, it
is also an album that marked the beginning of the end of the at-that-time incarnation
of the band, and showed that Tull's music was becoming somewhat predictable.
Some five months after the release of Heavy Horses, Jethro Tull released the
magnificent live album Live - Bursting Out an album that the fans of the band
had been waiting for for so long. Up to this time, the only other live material that the fans
had heard on any album was the two tracks recorded live at the Carnegie Hall concert
that appeared on the Living in the
Past double album, and this new album was one that was to prove very popular
with the Tull fans out there.
In many ways, the Live - Bursting Out album is quite special. It was recorded
during the various tours of 1977 and 1978 in European countries, and featured a Jethro
Tull that was at their peak of productiveness; it was the 10th anniversary of the band,
and they were composed of six members - Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, Barrie(more)
Barlow, John Evans, David Palmer, and John Glascock. The album portrays Tull as a
terrific live act, and if the banter on the album of Ian Anderson on stage, both with the
audience and the band members, is any indication of these concerts, the atmosphere
must have been absolutely wonderful. I remember seeing Tull in both 1977 and 1978
when I was still living in Montreal, and the two shows were superb. I don't think they
had the same dynamic force that the band had during their European concerts (some
of the bootleg CDs from the late 1970s show Tull to have been sheer *dynamite*
when in concert), but it was pretty wonderful nonetheless. Suffice it to say that
Live - Bursting Out is one of the best live recordings I've ever heard, and a
testament to the durability and popularity of Jethro Tull and the music they made in the
1970s. If there is one marring element to the album, it is that when the original version
of the CD was released three of the tracks - "Sweet Dream," "Conundrum," and "
Quatrain" - were dropped from the CD. When the double CD was released of the
album, the three tracks were put back on the album, but "Quatrain" was put in the wrong
place! *sigh* Good old Chrysalis at it again...
The last album in the trilogy that had begun with Songs From the Wood and
continued with Heavy Horses came to fruition in 1979. The Stormwatch
album was one that, unlike its two predecessors, seemed to have trouble coming to
terms with itself. By its very nature, Stormwatch was an album that deviated from
the themes of the earlier two records, dealing as it did with environmental issues and
themes. Most of the tracks on this album appear to deal with the idea that mankind has
abused the environment and that if he doesn't clean up his act, there will be a storm
brewing that will deal us a harsh lesson in this regard. This is very much reflected on
the album's back cover, which depicts a coastal area with oil refineries on land and oil
rigs off to sea. The whole region is covered with massive amounts of snow while a gigantic
polar bear rampages along the coast. The message of the album is very clear, I think,
but at the same time, I have always felt that Stormwatch's strong ecological
message is one that is delivered using a sledgehammer from the point of view of the
music and the lyrics.
Musically, this album has always struggled to my mind for some sense of identity. While
it is obvious that the music on Stormwatch moved away from the folk-like qualities
of the earlier Songs From the Wood and Heavy Horses, there are some
brilliant pieces on this album, notably "Dun Ringill" and "Old Ghosts," but other pieces
lack the sheer musical quality of the band. As was the problem on the Heavy Horses
album with tracks like "No Lullaby" and the title track, Stormwatch had its two
mini-epics, "Dark Ages" and "Flying Dutchmen," that while bringing across their messages
clearly, went on for way too long. Both of these tracks have a somewhat gothic feel to
them, which in some respects makes them sound out of place, and yet the album is very
much a darkly themed one. In a change of pace, there are two instrumental tracks on
the album, "Dark Sporran" and "Elegy," and both of these reflect some of the issues and
themes from the two earlier albums in this trilogy. "Elegy" is a lovely, warm piece of
music from the pen of David Palmer, which was originally to be part of the ballet that had
been planned at one point, The Water's Edge (a project which had fallen apart as
well), and is the first piece of music on a Tull album not written by Ian Anderson for the
first time since This Was. As already noted,
Stormwatch was the last Tull album of the nineteen seventies, and as such,
marked the passing of an era for the band in many ways, as the nineteen eighties were
to prove. In many ways, this is a good album, but it is one that simply fades from
memory for lack of anything truly unique on it.
Continue on to Tull Into the Eighties
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This page first went on-line August 8th, 1998