BENEFIT

I like Jethro Anderson as well as Jethro Tull. Jethro Anderson was the band who replaced Tull after the first album. Ian Anderson always has a vision, and it's interesting to follow his mad pied piper routine wherever he goes. But Tull it isn't. Having said that, I like this album, Ian almost breaks into songwriting at a couple of points, Cry me a Song has a writer's certainty about it that you don't tend to hear in much else he does. Witches Promise has the structure of a song too, but it's a folk song rather than a pop or rock base.

For me, this was just about the last knockings of a band that echoed the original Tull, from here on in, they went on to other meanderings, sometimes to great effect, sometimes to no good purpose.

But let's face it, Ian Anderson is a National treasure, so let's not knock it all too much. 4 stars, would like to give 3.5 if I could, because it deserves more than a bare 3, but isn't quite an excellent addition.