THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST

Ooh, I love this album. Especially if you put it in context. In 1983 it was hard to believe any band would release an album like this: high caliber prog fok, very 70´s style (albeit with some modern synthesizers sound here and there). It was a bold movement, for it surely would meet with some hostile reviews. But the results were worth it and far better than the weak A (1980).

Ian Anderson found the right line up here: with Dave Pegg on bass he reconected himself with his folk rock roots, and with Peter-John Vettese he found someone who could dealt with the latest keyboard and programming technology without deforming the song´s strutures. The guy was a fine arranger and could handle things very well: the album sounds more updated for the 80´s. But it is still the old Jethro Tull we all loved. Very few classic bands could claim that at the time.

Even now I think the album stood well the test of time: Ian Anderson is very inspired, the band is good shape and the songs flow evenly. Production is good, but although I don´t own the new remastered version, I recommend you get that one: the sound is actually better and you also get some good bonus tracks with it. The Broadsword And The Beast may not be a classic in the same vein as their best 70´s output, but it comes close. Four stars.