HEAVY HORSES

But don't compare it with Songs form the Wood!!! Listen to it in its own right...

I don't know how, but I somehow missed out on this first time around - I guess it was being very young with no money. I had "Songs from the Wood" and totally loved it (one of my all time favourites) - I had heard the HH album briefly borrowed from a friend on a knock-off tape - but not owning the music yourself always spoiled it for me and I thought it sounded disappointing after SFTW - everyone saying that it was in the same folky vein (which was quite right of course) - maybe I wasn't in the right mood and so I let it go.

However, having seen JT live recently (finally after all these years!!) - despite Anderson's voice having gone to pot (will we ever stop talking about this, poor guy?), it inspired me to go back in time and acquire Heavy Horses....

I was blown away - I totally loved it and still do - this has become one of my favourites. And I think it was because I was lucky because of what happened to me here - because I listened outside the wake of SFTW.

You will love it if you are a fan of very folky twiddly acoustic guitar, mandolin and flute etc.. and beautiful melodies (because some of the melodies here are some of the best Anderson ever wrote).

However, it also has a very strong rhythm section - the drumming is highly skillful with unexpectant twists and turns, and above all the bass playing is wonderful throughout with lovely lines expertly played. There's a story here which brings about great sadness, as this was the last album that John Glascock played all through (I know he briefly appeared in Stormwatch before losing his life), and Barrie Barlow was soon to follow out of the band (as I understand it eventually too sad to carry on). The band never truly recovered - although there has been some great music since, none of the albums has truly attained the height of Heavy Horses - for me the last of JT's total masterpieces. Knowing this sad tale brings the music to the fore - brings you out in sad nostalgic goose-pimples - and helps you to love it out of great respect for this truly wonderful and sadly lost bass player (and his drummer friend). Yet the music is full of bounce and joy - without foreknowledge of the sadness to come.

I don't want to go through the tracks individually because that can be a bit of a bore, but they are all superb - all 5 stars except perhaps No Lullaby and Moths which I would give 4 stars (still excellent of course!).

They are all full of extremely cleverly written, twiddly, folky (with some rockiness here and there) stuff with fabulous melodies - amazingly well sung by Anderson (note my comment earlier).

The ultimate best two tracks for me are Acres Wild (amazing!), but best of all is One Brown Mouse in which Anderson sings for me one of the best melodies he has ever written - a truly beautiful song and he sings it brilliantly.

Long live the Tull !

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MASTERPIECE - especially if you love folk and strong rhythm - but remember - listen to it as an album in its own right and DON'T compare with SFTW - and read the sad sad tale about John Glascock - then acquire it and let the album take you on the ride of a lifetime. I'm going to take my dog for a walk now and listen to it right now - I CAN'T WAIT!!!

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