UNDER WRAPS

Jethro Tull

Prog Folk

2.23 | 600 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

As everyone knows, this is a controversial JT album (to say the least), but it does have a lot going for it, and I intend to speak up in its favour.

Initially, having been bludgeoned by 'Walk into Light', I heard this and thought oh no, more of the same, but over time I had learned that JT releases usually need more than just a few listens.

Additionally, Martin Barre has repeatedly declared this to be his favourite Tull recording, so I tried to shut off the part of me trying to hear the traditional JT that I knew and loved, and hear this on its own terms. And yes, I can see partly see Barre's view, although I do wonder a bit about this being his MOST favourite album.

It's quite electronic, the beats are synthetic, but apart from and inspite of that, it's got a warm feel and there are beautiful melodies that do need some effort to get acquainted with, being pretty buried in parts.

Additionally, this album has a few tracks that rock, and hard. Take European Legacy or Radio Free Moscow. If these songs were produced with a more rock-band type instrumentation, they would raise the roof, but in a weird way these rockers are concealed under a layer of electronica that make them quite hard to detect.

But other tracks are very interesting and intriguing too, Saboteur and Astronomy, for instance mean a lot to me now, but only after a lot of effort, just as the other tracks do. Interestingly enough, there honestly isn't a track here that I don't like.

All in all, I would declare this the most difficult Jethro Tull album to get into, and I spent more time on this than on Passion play when I originally got acquainted with that one and that's saying a lot!

I REALLY like this album now, being patient has paid off, and I rank it considerably higher than Rock Island or JTull.com.

Shame about its reputation, but I feel it deserves a shot in the arm here, by me giving it four well deserved stars.

npjnpj | 4/5 | 2008-8-25

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