TOO OLD TO ROCK 'N' ROLL: TOO YOUNG TO DIE!

Jethro Tull decided to stick with this hard rock/folk sound for their next album, the cumbersomely-titled Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (hereafter abbreviated to TORRTYD), released in mid-1976. Unlike Minstrel in the Gallery, which was an introspective collection of songs, TORRTYD is another concept album, this one telling the story of an aging rocker and discussing the cyclical nature of pop culture trends.

The other big difference between this album and Minstrel in the Gallery is that Minstrel in the Gallery is a good album. TORRTYD is like an even weaker War Child. There are some good songs on the album, but the music overall is unfocused and unimpressive, and there are fewer good songs overall to buoy this release.

(On a side note, in doing research for this piece, I happened to listen to the Steven Wilson remaster/remix of this album. Normally, I love his remasters; he's worked wonders to breathe new life into King Crimson's discography. But oh my god, he fucked this album up hard. The electric guitars are turned way down, and the orchestral arrangements are given far too much prominence. Instruments are also panned really hard to the left and right audio channels, resulting in a downright-distracting mix while wearing headphones. Such a treatment might be appropriate for King Crimson, whose music was often immensely dense, but Tull's music was only rarely like that. I know he's remastered other Tull albums, but now I'm afraid to listen to them.)

TORRTYD starts off with its two best songs: "Quizz Kid" and "Crazed Institution". "Quizz Kid" is one of the more aggressive songs on the album and is centered around a high-energy rhythm section, though the main musical theme of the song is an awkward, uncomfortable guitar riff. "Crazed Institution", meanwhile, draws upon Tull's strengths as a folk-rock act. Skittering high hats, twinkling piano, and a catchy melody carry this song.

Other highlights include the title track and "The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)", but they're not strong enough to spend much time discussing. The rest of TORRTYD alternates between limp folk and half-assed blues rock. Not only is the story of the album muddled and unclear, but the music follows suit, with lingering songs having unsatisfying resolutions.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2019/07/25/deep-dive-jethro-tull/