Perfect one! love it. wonderful flute intro then it slaps you. Love the lyric , then , ian hits with the almost Humerous repitition of the names. A gently rocking song i can dance too, somewhat in that respect reminicent of Benefit. Dude! what's not to remember? Sorry I get carried away.
I did not like this album or understand it when it came out. Now, I just cannot take it off my play list or stop listening to it - since a few months after it came out. I love this album, and it is definitely in my top 10 list, maybe top 5, hard to say but I just have to make room for it at the top because it is so damn good. And as the best Tull does, the more I listen to it the more I like it even better.
One thing I have to at least somewhat agree with you on - at least at first when you have not listened to the album - is the difficulty of remembering the names of the different songs, and I think that is why - you have not bothered to listen carefully enough to the album to differentiate the songs. That's where I was after a few weeks of having the album and not listening to it that much. In the start the videos helped with that. Videos that were much better in my opinion than the videos of Zealot Gene which I found unique, but creepy. First Ginnungagap, then Navigators, then Hammer On Hammer. The first one to break through to me was Allfather, probsbly because my own father is a son of a B, but it is a completely delightful song. Then Wolf Unchained because at first I really did not like it because I thought it was too simplistic, but eventually they all have cool parts to them that distinguish them.
Curious if you had any opinions on the two different official mixes we've gotten? Personally one of my biggest issues with this album is i find that the mix and production cripples most of it. The music lacks the punch it should have and so it sounds extremely restrained. Clearly it's to not drown out Ian's voice but there's got to be a better solution than just making the band sound muddled and muted. I thought the alternative mix helped a lot at least (although I wish the organ on Navigators was more prominent).
Truth be told, I only have the original mix. As much as I love my Tull, I'm not too keen on having multiple mixes available so close to the initial release date... I would rather put that money towards an Under Wraps boxset (really hoping this is something that happens, but I won't hold my breath!)
I think this is over-critical on the voice. First, if you compare Anderson's singing here with other rock singers of today, he sounds still far more interesting and charismatic than all of them. Second, if you compare the singing with that on the early four Tull albums - it's better here! It took him a while of experimentation back then to find a singing style without too annoying quirks. Third - he does manage to sound like in older days here and there on the album, especially on Allfather, which also vocally sounds like a heavier outtake from the 1974 Warchild album. It seems reviewers today are somehow lying in wait to "detect" vocal failures on albums, which they think they succeed in when he is simply expressive with his voice, like here with the dramatic tone in "jupiter" on Hammer On Hammer. To me it is very clear that his vocal problems are a live thing - for me he never failed to be an irreplaceable singer in the studio. I don't think at all that Anderson should lean towards more acoustic music. First, the voice would be in the forefront even more, giving the reviewers even more opportunity to nitpick on it. Second, the best Tull songs for me have always been the heavier ones, the more recent albums being no exceptions. Third, I like the attitude of showing age the middle finger by making more energetic music than most younger bands a lot. I can't get into the Martin Barre band. Very generic sound, very generic singers especially. Like an average blues rock band doing Tull covers having an above average guitar player, which alone doesn't justify my time.
I love Martin Barre, but I hate what has become of him, and his band, what he calls his music. If there is anything that proves the heart and brain behind Jethro Tull was Ian it is the divergence between the two. I had a big problem with RocFlote when it came out. I just did not like it. It was strange, and I just did not want to hear it, and had it not been Ian and Tull I probably would not have, but I know Tull takes off slowly in my brain, it always take a while to sort out and see all the different lines of melody and the nuances of rhythm. The turning point came when I was driving to a regular appointment about 1/2 hour away and I would put it on and let it play without listening too close or critically and just letting it wash over me. I found as I walked around during the day part of the album would repeat in my head like an ear worm, but there were so many, and they were attached to each other in the most interesting ways. RocFlote is one of my top 10 favorites now. I love it. I hear new things in it every time I listen, it's like Ian is playing with us. I also agree with you on the energy in Ians music. If I had to choose one dimension of Tull that captured me it is the energy and precision of the music. But it is the whole package. The reviewer here has not listened to it enough.
With Tull, it's been a long slow tail of decline on several fronts, since the late Seventies. In early Tull, we had the essential desperation of life in the lyrics matched by a desperation in the music. Then, SFTW onwards, we mostly get the musical gentility to which Brad refers, which often fails to match the desperation that continues to underlie the words. Nowadays there's the voice, which often fails to fully match its context. And then there's the rest e.g. the strange decisions that Ian makes...
Always enjoy your enthusiasm. You didnt ask my opinion but I'v e noticed those of us who are very familiar with old Tull realllllly realllly seem to focus on the old voice and it seems to detract from the enjoyment . However, listening , you seem to quite like the great majority of the songs but you get stuck on a few quibbles about the voice. Anyway, I'm not making any sense. Thanks for what you do.
What can be said? The tone and range of his voice between 1968 - 85 was such a vital component that made those eras so special. He can still write great songs and albums, but one way or another, that special tone of his is no longer present in the music. I try not to be too harsh, but unfortunately his diminished voice is a reality.
@@bradbridges8733 this is a totally different thing, but slightly on the same thing. I did not listen to This Was till after I heard benefit and Aqualung. Though not diminished he sang differently on those album and when I heard this was for the first time I was quite thrown by that and I still remember being unsure about This was because of that. of course I love it now. in Another Another special album. Maybe I feel a little bit that way about all the later albums though the voice does change, the albums are special
And even diminished, Anderson has a very special vocal quality that no one else has. I and some of us geezers watched him struggle year after year on stage since the 80s when he was asked by many to quit. but he still brings a certain magic to his recordings. I guess I’m just convinced that much of that is because Old Ian Anderson is competing with Young Ian Anderson. That’s why I mention that there are many young reactors, who don’t quibble with his voice when they listen to a new song.
It’s just such an amazing thing. Also that I first heard told him I was 17 and now that I’m 70 he’s still making what I consider at least a very good albums of new music. On Spotify I made a playlist called something like Jethro Tull Ian Anderson from the 21st century. I will share a link here later. 35 amazing songs on that list diminished voice and all.
The fix for not liking this album is simply to listen to it more. By the way, your hairline isn't what it used to be either, and doesn't really live up to these Tull reviews. How do you like that?
The return of this channel is one of the best things about 2024.
Thank you kindly!
So glad to see your back!
Welcome back! I've missed you.
Perfect one! love it. wonderful flute intro then it slaps you. Love the lyric , then , ian hits with the almost Humerous repitition of the names. A gently rocking song i can dance too, somewhat in that respect reminicent of Benefit. Dude! what's not to remember? Sorry I get carried away.
Trickster = Mayhem, Maybe
Cornucopia = Reason For Waiting
I did not like this album or understand it when it came out. Now, I just cannot take it off my play list or stop listening to it - since a few months after it came out. I love this album, and it is definitely in my top 10 list, maybe top 5, hard to say but I just have to make room for it at the top because it is so damn good. And as the best Tull does, the more I listen to it the more I like it even better.
One thing I have to at least somewhat agree with you on - at least at first when you have not listened to the album - is the difficulty of remembering the names of the different songs, and I think that is why - you have not bothered to listen carefully enough to the album to differentiate the songs. That's where I was after a few weeks of having the album and not listening to it that much. In the start the videos helped with that. Videos that were much better in my opinion than the videos of Zealot Gene which I found unique, but creepy. First Ginnungagap, then Navigators, then Hammer On Hammer. The first one to break through to me was Allfather, probsbly because my own father is a son of a B, but it is a completely delightful song. Then Wolf Unchained because at first I really did not like it because I thought it was too simplistic, but eventually they all have cool parts to them that distinguish them.
Curious if you had any opinions on the two different official mixes we've gotten? Personally one of my biggest issues with this album is i find that the mix and production cripples most of it. The music lacks the punch it should have and so it sounds extremely restrained. Clearly it's to not drown out Ian's voice but there's got to be a better solution than just making the band sound muddled and muted. I thought the alternative mix helped a lot at least (although I wish the organ on Navigators was more prominent).
Truth be told, I only have the original mix. As much as I love my Tull, I'm not too keen on having multiple mixes available so close to the initial release date... I would rather put that money towards an Under Wraps boxset (really hoping this is something that happens, but I won't hold my breath!)
Fair review of the album, agree on almost all the points. My favorite song is Cornucopia.
I think this is over-critical on the voice. First, if you compare Anderson's singing here with other rock singers of today, he sounds still far more interesting and charismatic than all of them. Second, if you compare the singing with that on the early four Tull albums - it's better here! It took him a while of experimentation back then to find a singing style without too annoying quirks. Third - he does manage to sound like in older days here and there on the album, especially on Allfather, which also vocally sounds like a heavier outtake from the 1974 Warchild album.
It seems reviewers today are somehow lying in wait to "detect" vocal failures on albums, which they think they succeed in when he is simply expressive with his voice, like here with the dramatic tone in "jupiter" on Hammer On Hammer.
To me it is very clear that his vocal problems are a live thing - for me he never failed to be an irreplaceable singer in the studio.
I don't think at all that Anderson should lean towards more acoustic music. First, the voice would be in the forefront even more, giving the reviewers even more opportunity to nitpick on it. Second, the best Tull songs for me have always been the heavier ones, the more recent albums being no exceptions. Third, I like the attitude of showing age the middle finger by making more energetic music than most younger bands a lot.
I can't get into the Martin Barre band. Very generic sound, very generic singers especially. Like an average blues rock band doing Tull covers having an above average guitar player, which alone doesn't justify my time.
I love Martin Barre, but I hate what has become of him, and his band, what he calls his music.
If there is anything that proves the heart and brain behind Jethro Tull was Ian it is the divergence between the two.
I had a big problem with RocFlote when it came out. I just did not like it. It was strange, and I just did not want to hear it, and had it not been Ian and Tull I probably would not have, but I know Tull takes off slowly in my brain, it always take a while to sort out and see all the different lines of melody and the nuances of rhythm. The turning point came when I was driving to a regular appointment about 1/2 hour away and I would put it on and let it play without listening too close or critically and just letting it wash over me.
I found as I walked around during the day part of the album would repeat in my head like an ear worm, but there were so many, and they were attached to each other in the most interesting ways.
RocFlote is one of my top 10 favorites now. I love it. I hear new things in it every time I listen, it's like Ian is playing with us.
I also agree with you on the energy in Ians music. If I had to choose one dimension of Tull that captured me it is the energy and precision of the music. But it is the whole package. The reviewer here has not listened to it enough.
With Tull, it's been a long slow tail of decline on several fronts, since the late Seventies. In early Tull, we had the essential desperation of life in the lyrics matched by a desperation in the music. Then, SFTW onwards, we mostly get the musical gentility to which Brad refers, which often fails to match the desperation that continues to underlie the words. Nowadays there's the voice, which often fails to fully match its context. And then there's the rest e.g. the strange decisions that Ian makes...
Always enjoy your enthusiasm. You didnt ask my opinion but I'v e noticed those of us who are very familiar with old Tull realllllly realllly seem to focus on the old voice and it seems to detract from the enjoyment . However, listening , you seem to quite like the great majority of the songs but you get stuck on a few quibbles about the voice. Anyway, I'm not making any sense. Thanks for what you do.
What can be said? The tone and range of his voice between 1968 - 85 was such a vital component that made those eras so special. He can still write great songs and albums, but one way or another, that special tone of his is no longer present in the music. I try not to be too harsh, but unfortunately his diminished voice is a reality.
@@bradbridges8733 this is a totally different thing, but slightly on the same thing. I did not listen to This Was till after I heard benefit and Aqualung. Though not diminished he sang differently on those album and when I heard this was for the first time I was quite thrown by that and I still remember being unsure about This was because of that. of course I love it now. in Another
Another special album. Maybe I feel a little bit that way about all the later albums though the voice does change, the albums are special
Just me being a total Tull geek!
And even diminished, Anderson has a very special vocal quality that no one else has. I and some of us geezers watched him struggle year after year on stage since the 80s when he was asked by many to quit. but he still brings a certain magic to his recordings. I guess I’m just convinced that much of that is because Old Ian Anderson is competing with Young Ian
Anderson. That’s why I mention that there are many young reactors, who don’t quibble with his voice when they listen to a new song.
It’s just such an amazing thing. Also that I first heard told him I was 17 and now that I’m 70 he’s still making what I consider at least a very good albums of new music. On Spotify I made a playlist called something like Jethro Tull Ian Anderson from the 21st century. I will share a link here later. 35 amazing songs on that list diminished voice and all.
The fix for not liking this album is simply to listen to it more.
By the way, your hairline isn't what it used to be either, and doesn't really live up to these Tull reviews.
How do you like that?