STAND UP

The second Jethro Tull album is slightly more folky than the bluesy debut album. The music is still very much blues. The bluesy harmonica, guitars, bass and drums is very much here. But again; the flute is dragging the music headlong into folk music territory. But not long enough, in my view.

All the well known Jethro Tull ingredients, instrument wise, is here and the shape of things to come is starting to become clearer. The vocals are here too. There is even some symphonic prog elements here on the top of the blues/folk stuff. The second track Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square brings news about things to come from Jethro Tull. It is short, but it is still great. Bourée is also another break with the blues stuff from the debut album. Hard rock also comes into fore on this album. There is a lot of nice stuff on this album.

I see this album as a more or less transitional album and a snap shot of a band developing into a prog rock powerhouse. It is a good album.

3 stars