THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST

In my view, the best Tull album ever, as excellent melodies and lyrics were allowed to stand without Anderson's indulgent abrupt changes of mood and rhythm, "cheeky" lyrics, and overly long instrumental breaks. There are ten strong songs here, with "Broadsword" the evocative masterpiece, conjuring a grim defiant atmosphere, and boasting simply but effective drumming. The intro, crescendo and fade out are masterfully handled. "The Clasp", about the humble handshake, is a minor masterpiece, with incisive lyrics reflecting on the dehumanisation of the motorised society. "Fallen on Hard Times" nails the materialism of our world, while finding something original to say about it: "Somebody wake me, I've been sleeping too long, Oh I don't have to take this lying down." As much as "Aqualung", the album has a sense of the whole, but unlike "Aqualung" is not blemished by absurd instrumentals with no organic connection with the rest of the song, e.g. as in "My God" and the title track. Finally, "Cheerio" presents the feeling of closing a good day,without any sentimentality at all. A satisfying close to a well-conceived plan. Apparently thier biggest ever seller in Germany: no surprise given the odd touches of Teutonic imagery.