STAND UP

My mind follows strange paths: this morning I woke up with "A New Day Yesterday" in my mind, from an album that I've likely listened to 30years ago for the last time if not more. So it urged me to go back to it trying to understand why. I'm back to my original vinyl copy, so no bonus tracks, remixes and their likes.

Of course, the main riff of "A New Day YesterdaY" is catchy and being it repeated so many times it's like it has been designed to find its place inside my few neurons, but I don't know if it would have had the same effect without Ian Anderson's voice and harmonica. Bluesy, some may say, but even if this a progressive rock site, I love the blues.

Said so, let's see what else this album has to offer. First of all, Jethro Tull in 1969 are still a sort of blues revival band with strong British folk influences. Later folk will put the blues out of focus, but the path is already clear: the medieval atmosphere of "Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square", with bongos instead of drums and the flute marks the beginning of a trademark.

J.S. Bach "Bouree" arrangement combines baroque with a jazzy reinterpretation. It will become a constant presence in the live gigs as it gives Ian the possibility of improvising his flute performance. Anyway, it's mainly Glenn Cornick's bass line that makes the job.

"Back To The Family" is on the bluesy side but with a vibe that reminds a bit to Van Morrison and Donovan. The fact is that we are all very familiar with Ian's voice and flute, so he could even play the qua-qua dance and be still recognizable as Jethro Tull. Well, relistening to it after all those years I don't hear so much blues as I was remembering. Great instrumental riffs but, I would dongrade the rating for the fade-out. Something that was going on so well, truncated in that way. I hope an integral version has been published on the various re-release/remixes, but as I have said I'm basing on the original vynil only.

"Looking To The Sun" has again that late 60s feeling: acoustic, with folk influences with a touch of psychedelia enhanced by Martin Barre's guitar. Unfortunately this fades out, too.

Side B now... "Nothing Is Easy" opens it and is a full Jethro Tull track: signature changes, Ian's flute and a very interesting chord progression. Ok, there's a sort of chain of 5th, but it ahs also a jazzy bass, drums solos, and of course Ian's flute plus a very good but short (bluesy) guitar solo before the coda.

Percussion open "Fat Man". This is not too far from what Pentangle where actually doing. The bongos give it a hippy feeling.

"We Used To Know" has by coincidence the same chord progression of Hotel California and to my years sounds like the grandpa or the father of Aqualung. It also came out 7 years before the Eagles. Curiously, it may be the chord progression but some guitar passages seems to have been reused by the Eagles. In the 80s a similar progression will be used by Andy Latimer on Stationary Traveller.

Clean flute on "Reasons for Waiting". An acoustic song with just some organ in the background. The easiest way to describ it is "a british folk song". Not a traditional one, but in that vein.

A rock track closes the album. "For A Thousand Mothers" wouldn't be misplaced on Aqualung and the 5/4 signature will become typical of this kind of Jethro Tull songs. Heavy with some blues influence.

Is this an excellent addition? Yes, it is. Not yet a masterpiece but an excellent album, and two years after it we'll have Aqualung.