CREST OF A KNAVE

Crest Of A Knave is a somewhat uneven Jethro Tull album. The programmed drums and keyboard patterns on Steel Monkey make for an awful start. The following couple of tracks are quite strong on the other hand. Lyrically some songs here are similar to the theme of the Heavy Horses album; countryside romanticism, old time nostalgia, scepticism of technology and progress etc. Musically, however, this is not really similar to Heavy Horses.

She Said She Was A Dancer is a balled with somewhat cheesy lyrics. Dogs In The Midwinter is more typical of the 70's Jethro Tull; it would have fitted on Songs From The Wood.

Budapest is the longest track, but I would say that it is very far behind any of the bands 70's epic songs. There isn't really that much happening in the song during its ten plus minutes.

Mountain Men has real potential, but it is too long for its own good. The Waking Edge is one of the best songs here together with Dogs In The Midwinter and Farm On The Freeway. As many have mentioned there is a Dire Straits sound to several songs here. Personally, I don't mind that too much.

This album is good, but not quite deserving of four stars, I think. But it is not far behind.