LIVE - BURSTING OUT

From the middle to late seventies, Jethro Tull was at the height of their popularity, filling arena around the world. So it was only natural to make a live album. And while this is a great live album, it is impossible in an audio-only medium to capture the spectacular showman that Ian Anderson was at the time. I was lucky enough to see this band both prior to and after this recording, and they were (are) always a band worth seeing (despite the obvious discomfort Anderson now shows trying to hit high notes).

The songs are all well played, although it may be through the fog of memory that I recall a much tighter band back then. Martin Barre seens more spirited in his solos on this than he sounded even just a few years later. At time he plays with reckless abandon which he later replaced with smooth tastefullness. I prefer the former.

Highlights are a long excerpt from Thick As A Brick, and great renditions of Songs From The Wood and Hunting Girl.

I really Must get the 2 disk version.