Original Masters - Jethro Tull
Years ago I was in a record store with a friend who found this CD, said that I would probably enjoy it, and bought it for me. I admit my first impression was less than generous, but as is often the case with certain genres it grew on me over time. I even saw fit to name the turtle in my profile picture Jethro, after this band.
Like many of my most beloved artists, Jethro Tull appears unstuck in time, casually utilizing sounds and cultural reference points from all over human history. At times it even reminds me of Faith and the Muse, but with a more playful spirit. Many songs such as Too Old to Rock & Roll and Aqualung have a definite classic-rock sound while Minstrel in the Gallery and Witch's Promise draw imagery and instrumental flourishes straight from a Renaissance fair. The overall aesthetic leans more toward classic rock, which makes it fit right in alongside most contemporary music, more so than those deliberately invoking an ancient or historical feel.
Locomotive Breath, perhaps my favorite track on here, joins several other favorite songs (and a whole album) drawing its main theme and symbolism from trains. I don't know why these songs are so often dynamic and compelling, whether they are hopeful or, in this case, despairing.
Another favorite track is Skating Away On the Thin Ice of a New Day, which takes that despair and turns it into the trepidatious excitement that sometimes marks periods of dramatic change. I remember this song being a great comfort to me during one of the many times of transition I have lived through, probably the time when I had dropped out of college and was struggling to find a job. Perky flute and guitar riffs punctuate lyrics that are almost cliched in their positivity, but still tinged with anxiety.
I still know very little about this band and their other albums, but I can tell they are talented, intelligent, and creative in their songwriting. And their style is eclectic enough that I feel quite confident about playing them for mixed company whose tastes I may not know very well. I definitely would categorize Jethro Tull as a band I would like to hear more of once I am finished reviewing the rest of my collection.
Next: Volume One
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Two things to check out. 1 - Hymn 43 from Aqualung. 2 - A Song for Jeffrey, live from the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. Both available on Youtube. I have vinyl of #1 and DVD of #2. Hymn 43 was a pop song on the radio when I was in 6th grade @ Catholic school which made it even more subversive..
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