LIVE - BURSTING OUT

3.5 stars really!!!

As far back as I can remember, I was always aware of Jethro Tull (starting with Stand Up when I was five), but by the time I was 15, I owned every album and worshipped the group, with even their flawed albums finding grace to my eyes. Needless to say that when I got a chance to see them live (the tour from this era), I was over-appreciative of them. With now about three times that age, I must say that I see Tull's oeuvre rather more critically and use o lot more discernment than during my over-enthusiastic teenhood.

While I still have great memories of the concerts I saw back in the late 70's, today, with this live witnessing, I must confess that I was maybe a bit too awed at the performance given. I know there exist a film of the concerts given around the time (hopefully soon out as DVD) which gave a much better idea of what the show was about, because frankly this double live albums fails to do so correctly (visually speaking)

What we have here is a selection of the tour's concerts (every night was taped) and an overall view of their discography (debut album excepted) and although not the selection I would've made, it is still a fair one. Unfortunately for the first hour fans, their first real live album came a bit too late, as there are too many tracks from mid-70's albums for my tastes. One striking feat is the harder treatment of older material: A New Day Yesterday is now a hard rocker, but this relatively representative of Tull's spirit of the times.

There is as was always the case until the dreaded 80's, a good dose of improvisation or solo spots, which a record does not give the full impact: the Flute solo until Bourée medley and the surprising finale Dambusters. One good point is the TAAB track, which is done in third (this will get reduced to three minutes in the 80's concerts), another being some humorous comments Anderson was making in between the different tracks, although with repeated listenings, these can be bothersome.

For once, the remastered version does not hold any bonus tracks, but there is enough material to satisfy most Tull fans, but maybe not this lad anymore. Can't wait for that future DVD to come out, so I get the full picture.

This was so hard to find on CD for so long, but now I've got it, all the surching has been worth while. A brilliant live album that does justice to one of the best live bands ever. If you haven't seen them, listen to this, then you'll want to go get a look at Tull in the flesh as it where.

This is the great double live Tull LP. You have to listen to the entertainer Ian Anderson, taking a friendly British voice, a bit like Frank Zappa did during his concerts, using the American accent. When he sings, he seems to have very much fun! Martin Barre's electric guitar is rather razor, so sometimes the album flirts with the metal boundary. Accordion, glockenspiel, portative organ, acoustic guitar, flute, many instruments well played live allow us to notice Tull remains OUTSTANDING and complex on the scene. The bass is quite bottom, loud and well played. Barriemore Barlow does a very good job on drums: he is particularly outstanding during his incredible solo, easily comparable to Neil Peart's live solos! Many great songs from miscellaneous albums are played. It is definitely a great live prog album.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Another fine live album from the late 70's. It seems like the best live releases were made in this time like Second's Out by Genesis. Bursting Out has all the classy attributes that make it a definite addition to any serious prog rock collection.

A terriffic example of the band captured live in Switzerland. Unedited and complete with Ian Andersons`s bizarre sense of humour. When you listen to these collected Tull classics you could even convince yourself that you were actually present at the concert. A very good exampe of Jethro Tull`s output up to 1978 reproduced in a live environment beautifly. The album speaks for itself and anyone wanting to get into this pioneering band should use this work as a tool or building block in order to understand this complex and ever changing legendary progressive rock band. One of the best live prog albums ever. Look out for the Barlow drum solo. Ejoy.

This was the second Tull album I heard after buying Songs From the Wood. This is no doubt Tull when it was its best. The proof was the sold out Stormwatch tour at Madison Square Garden and how upset many were because they expected more songs from Bursting Out played instead of good stuff from Stormwatch. I am going to buy the new remastered Bursting Out - sure I won't be disappointed. I would love to give it 5 stars but that's because I love this album so much. I believe everyone who likes music should hear this album.

After playing this album for literally months, I have finally sat my skinny arse down to lend some ink to the wonderful JETHRO TULL recording "Bursting Out - Live". It is now remastered -- thank you very much Chrysalis/Capital records for doing so, and Ian ANDERSON, of course, for being there to supervise and lend your personal touch with colorful liner notes.

This was JETHRO TULLl at their peak; I have no question in my mind regarding that, particularly after some of their strongest releases prior to this, "War Child", "Minstrel In The Gallery", "Songs From The Wood" and "Heavy Horses". It certainly was a vintage musical renaissance for the band and progressive rock. In this wonderfully productive period, arguably the best JT lineup emerged. I am sure there are many JT fans that will disagree with my assessments for favorites, but that is the beauty of being a TULL fan, there are so many great albums and lineups to choose. Well, I have added another album to my ever-growing favorites list.

This is the band in top-flight form and the remastering certainly gave this recording a newfound crispness and clarity. Ian is in splendid voice and the band is as tight as it was going to get on that particular tour. For those of us who wish we were there (yours truly) and those that were, this double CD set is a must have acquisition. You cannot say you are a true JT fan if this album is not in your collection. This collection of live tracks epitomizes the JT sound of that era.

[* EMI and Capitol/Chrysalis both released this in 2004, UK and US; this version is said to be 15 minutes longer than the original release (and any subsequent reissues), though the added content, marked with a *, doesn't make up that difference.]

Now that the original full-length album is available on 2 CD's, this takes its place as the best Tull live album available. I was happy enough with the single-disc version, but this version has been remastered to boot. Ian Anderson's voice was just beginning to change (losing some of its depth, adding a nasal quality), but that's no big deal. I sure would like to hear a longer "Thick As A Brick"........

The newly remastered two-disc reissue of Jethro Tull's popular 1978 live set is certainly a blast from the past. Before this week I hadn't heard it for at least 25 years (hard to admit, but of course I was very young then). So how well does it stand up to a quarter century of hindsight?

The original double album was released soon after the back-to-back triumphs of "Songs From the Wood" and "Heavy Horses", in the first blush of the band's transfiguration into an Old English folk rock ensemble. This was Tull at their critical and creative peak: in retrospect never the safest place to be in the music business, as anyone listening with more than half an ear can no doubt recognize from this collection.

First the good news: there's no shortage of vital and exciting music on display here. Ian Anderson was in the acrobatic prime of his life, both physically and vocally, and assembled behind him is arguably the best of many classic Tull line-ups. The highlights are concentrated on disc one, which benefits from the better sound of the more acoustic numbers (the louder the band plays, the muddier the mix), and from some priceless between-song banter by Anderson, clearly rehearsed but no less amusing for that.

There's also a brief but sizzling rendition of the old blues chestnut "A New Day Yesterday" (a showcase for veteran Tull guitarist Martin Barre), and one of Anderson's typically stunning/vulgar/virtuoso flute improvisations, incorporating samples from "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and the venerable Tull update of "Bourée". How quick is this crowd? They spot the Bach tune and begin cheering wildly within the first few teasing notes.

But the sound quality is, as mentioned, inconsistent. In particular on disc two, where the stadium echo and over-mixed audience all but smother such live rarities like "Cross- Eyed Mary", and the otherwise excellent instrumental interludes of "Quatrain" and "Conundrum" (so named because of its lukewarm "let's-give-the-lads-a-beer-break" solo by Barriemore Barlow, otherwise one of the more underrated drummers of the 1970s).

And therein lies a problem. After ten years on the road the band was showing signs of resting on its laurels, already locked into the same autopilot encores of "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath" that would haunt their set list for decades to come. In 1978 the songs weren't exactly being played by rote yet, but by the sound of things it won't be long. Notice how a lot of the arrangements stick uncomfortably close to the studio originals, making the concert sound at times like a package of greatest hits, with clapping (compare it to GENTLE GIANT's more imaginative live document "Playing the Fool", recorded the previous year).

It doesn't help that by then Tull was playing to enormous, undiscriminating crowds in large impersonal arenas, not exactly the best setting for fostering a healthy audience/band rapport. As if to compensate the band throws itself headlong into the performances here, on even the most perfunctory numbers (I'm thinking of the sentimental sob fest "Too Old to Rock and Roll"...and the sadly abbreviated "Minstrel in the Gallery").

In retrospect this live album is both a celebration and a summation of Jethro Tull's career to date: the capstone on a decade of music that even the most partisan Tull fanatic (you know who you are) would agree the band would never again equal. In other words a mixed blessing, because there isn't much of a difference between a capstone and a tombstone, if you think about it.

No doubt my fav. live album of all time, magic moments for the listner. The best band i ever listen to since i was 15 . What can i say about the masters of prog and folk music . You must have it, if you don't, sill it or kill for it but must have it 100%. Good stuff from the begging to the last note of the album.

What can I say that was never said before? Maybe I start with the fact, that this live LP was the first Concert I have ever heard. Then Jethro Tull was the first Rock Band I adored so much that it hurts. That days a friend of mine gave me a copy of his original vinyl record and from that day one I listened to that tape every day. Years later I bought that LP on a fleamarket in the city for about 15 ?. Poorly the CD wasn't in print these days (in germany). The copy that my friend gave me years ago passed over to my girlfriend and she was very happy with the stuff she was listening to. Now I own the re-release and I am very happy with it (even if I would be more pleased with a SACD - i mailed that to Mr Anderson the other day).

What did you hear on the LP? First of all: very good proggish music!

It all starts with No Lullaby and it goes through the whole back catalogue. Side One is ending up with Thick As A Brick a very good piece of progressive music (but not as good as A Passion Play...). Side two opens with Hunting Girl and it is ending with The Dambusters March/Medley wich is very cool too.

The music is pure happiness. I mean I know a lot of Live Records today but this is still the best. I even know every single note, I can whistle every solo, I know what Mr Anderson is saying and how he does it etc.

There is just one thing I dislikes on this record:

If you listen to it and you listen to other Jethro Tull Live performances or you went to a Jethro Tull Concert you did not feel the same magic as you feel within this record.

If I had to describe it with 3 adjectives I would say:

Essential, Sexual, Bursting Out!

The best live album I've listened to till now!! The sound is very clear and curate, showing all the powerful dynamism of Jethro Tull in their highest peak of career. I love in particular the live version of A New Day Yesterday and its catchy marked played guitar and bass. Thanks John Glascock! Sadly it'll be your last complete contribution to a JT album! (John died after congenital heart disease surgery later in 1979, only managed to register bass parts in few Stormwatch's songs). It has to be rated with 5 stars because it's the only one JT's live album published in the seventies, some live tracks on Living In The Past (1972) apart. Only nowadays is published the live album (and DVD) Nothing Is Easy - Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970.

P.S. good Bursting Out 2004 remastered edition: highly recommended!!

The best live album I ever heard!

After ten years of being releasing studio albums, Jethro Tull decided to record the 1978 european tour and this is the result: a wonderful live album. Why wonderful? Well, there are a lot of reasons, but I will explain some of them:

1) Excellent sound quiality. The audio mix is quite perfect.

2) The performances are breathtaking. Some songs sounds better than their original versions: "No lullaby", "Sweet Dream", "A New Day Yesterday", "Too old to rock 'n roll..." and many more!

3) The track selection is simply the best. Yes, the best Jethro Tull songs are here. But well, you can say that songs like "Heavy horses", "The Whistler" or "Living in the past" are sadly absent, but... get out!! It contains a fantastic versiong of "Thick as a brick" and a fabulous flute solo including "Boureé".

4) And the last important thing... Jethro Tull music is quite fantastic, great songs, great performances, great sound quality, GREAT ALBUM. A worth having, surely.

I remember vividly how I was mad about this album the first time it came out in 1979 when I was an engineering student at Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. I bought the cassette version and it became my regular play everyday at my Fisher Tape Deck with NAD amplification and AR speaker system. The audio quality was not really good but I like the nuance this live set creates. You know what - the opening remarks by the master of ceremony of the show said it clearly in Italian language and followed with English part with Europe accent: "Good evening. Sit back and relax. Make yourself comfortable and enjoy an evening with JETHRO TULL!!! JETHRO TULL!!! ." oh man . what a rocking nuance the MC has created.

Right after the opening talk the band's music flows in wonderfully with "No Lullaby" which sets the overall tone of this dynamic live set. I especially love the energetic and dynamic drumming with sort of staccato style combining multi-size of toms. Really great and rocking and it brings the vocal line enters the scene "Keep your eyes open ." WOW! It's a great rocking part, my friend! This opening track flows seamlessly to the second set "Sweet Dream" with its continued energy as first track. What is another memorable part is the band's introduction which comes just before "Sakting Away On The Thin Ice of The New Day" (Warchild) where Ian made the talk in his funny way. What makes this part memorable? It's the way he introduced the band, something like: "Martin Barre on marimba. Martin Barre on marimba horrraaaaayyyy!!!" or "John Glasscock on electric guitar .horraayyyyyy .!!" Great work, Ian! I really like it very much and it has become the trademark of this live set. It rocks!

All tracks are performed excellently including my favorite "A New Day Yesterday" or "Jack In The Green" (Songs From The Wood) and oh yes . the legendary epic performed in edited version "Thick As A Brick". The flute work, as usual, takes a very good shot in this live set and it takes great solo at track 7 of Disc 1.

Disc 2 also offers a great collection of JT classics like "Hunting Girl" (Songs From The Woods), "Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll Too Young To Die", "Conundrum". Oh yes, there is a very attractive performance of "Minstrel In The Gallery" especially on the guitar solo intro - it's so rocking! "Cross-Eyed Mary" is another favorite of mine and it's performed wonderfully. For those who don't really know JT they must know this legendary "Aqualung" which once was a radio hit in the seventies and also "Locomotive Breath" which has been tributed by many bands including Germany's HELLOWEEN through its album "Metal Jukebox".

Definitely, this album is an excellent addition to any prog music collection. Whoever claims himself / herself as prog lover must own a copy of this CD. I upgraded my cassette version to CD sometimes in early 90s. When the remastered CD was released I was not interested to convert this one because the remastered one has the "Copy Controlled" label which usually impacts the audio quality badly. So, I'd recommend you to buy the original master CD instead of the remastered series. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Live albums, for me, must contain more than just going through the motions and playing it like the album. I happy to report that, for the most part, they fiddle with things here and there. First off, Ian Anderson is everything a front man must have, intelligence and charisma, and he has both in spades! His humor at times is pitch black and bawdy, his explaining of songs exemplory, but it's the music that counts, right? Well, don't worry me buckos there is plenty here and its up front and powerful. Every song is played with gusto and professionalism. I especially like Barlow's drumming on "Hunting Girl" and "Locomotive Breath", almost prog-metalish. "No Lullaby" and "Sweet Dream" are fantastic as is the 12 minute version of "Thick as a Brick". Ian's voice holds up very well throughout, yet my only gripe or two is that its not a full concert and I wish there was more material from the "HEAVY HORSES" album which this tour was supporting! Its a minor gripe, but suffice it to say, the album is a fantastic time capsule of the band at their peak. Ian's voice is still in fine shape and the 70's version of Tull will only be around for a short year or two. Its a MUST have for Tull fans and a great purchase for newbies. 4.5 stars!

The strange thing with those gigantic bands is that some live performances from earlier (to ancient) times are released way beyond their happening. Example : the Tull at the Isle Of Wight (played in 70 and released as official album in 2004 !). What I mean is that the Tull released very few live albums during its awesome carreer (compared to Purple or Yes for instance) and when they do, some times, it took a hell of time to release them.

A live release has never been a priority for the Tull. In 1978 though,, they decided to record one and therefore each single show from their tour in Europe was taped. Then, a bit of selection of the best tracks here and there and on we go !

This official live Tull album was recorded during the supporting live tour for "Heavy Horses". The public announcement from Claude Nobs (you know "Funky Claude" from "Smoke on the Water") shows that at least the first track is from Bern (Switzerland) since it is in Italian and French (it is aslo their only date of touring in Switzerland).

It starts quite hard rocking with "No Lullaby" from Heavy Horses, followed by "Sweet Dream" from ... Stand Up (69). They will also play a shorter version of "A New Day Yesterday" from this album. Another (weak) track from Heavy Horses "One Brown Mouse". One could have anticipated for other songs from "Heavy Horses" since it was a very good album.

Three songs from "Songs From The Wood" : ("Jack-In-The-Green", "Songs from the Wood" and "Hunting Girl"). The album "Aqualung" which is one of their masterpieces is also well represented with three tracks ("Aqualung", "Cross-Eyed Mary" and "Locomotive Breath"- you have to listen to this live intro : GORGEOUS. There is also a flute jamming solo featuring very nice moments.

The closing number of this first CD is a shortened (but good) version of "Thick". If like some reviewer, you would like to hear a longer version, there are options. Either you listen to the studio album (almost 44 minutes) or you can get some boots version (I have one of over 68 minutes recorded in Tokyo). Actually, a twelve minutes medley is not a so bad a compromise.

The remastered CD version (featuring two CD's), allows the rendition of three deleted tracks "Quatrain", "Sweet Dream" and "Conundrum" : an instrumental piece featuring a ...drum solo (hence the title). Forget about "Quatrain" though.

It is to really difficult to figure out but, "Cross-Eyed Mary" seems to be the last song of those concerts. So, from then on, I guess all tracks are encore. What is extraordinary (and I can confirm this for having seen them live, but not for this tour), is the fantastic sense of humour of Ian. He is such a great entertainer ! (although Martin must be pretty bored with his jokes about him; and this for more than thirty-five years) !

Track selection is good, sound capture is excellent, the band at its best to generate quite good live versions of their songs (several being Tull classics). What annoys me though, is that several tracks (too many to my taste) are quite shortened like : "Minstrel", "No Lullaby"or "Too Old".

Tull has produced very few live albums. Amongst all of them, "Bursting Out" is probably the best one. Four stars.

"Bursting Out" was a very very long awaited release, 10 years to release a proper live album.. Though there were the two 10 minute tracks from Carnegie Hall on "Living in the Past", it was definitely appreciated! I always though Tull were a great and charismatic live band, their best years in my opinion for touring were '69-'70, but the late seventies period shows were incredible too, and this album really shows that.

As I observed from a recording of a 1977 Japanese TV broadcast, this lineup is extremely tight, and Anderson especially energetic. Constantly moving, accentuating dramatic points to great effect, tossing twirling flutes and tambourines around the stage and singing with passion. The rest of the band plays their lines a little lower profile but with the same talent and compassion. Glascock and Barre are especially admirable on this LP.

The choice of songs is well distributed, with an obvious bias to the newly released folk masterpiece "Songs from the Wood". All are played with various deviations and improvisations which make them fresh and exciting. The flute solo and the condensed but invaluable Brick are the big highlights.

Essential live album!

(For the hat, a 4.5)

How are a King Crimson concert and a Jethro Tull concert alike? Singing bass players? Silly hats? No! (Besides, Fripp's hats were far sillier.) It's kick ass live production.

While some live prog acts (coughcouhgYesandGenesiscough) were content to try and recreate the studio material, Sir Bobbit Fripp and Lord Ian felt it necessary to take the studio tunes and give them unthinkable power on stage.

Need proof? Check the opening number on Bursting Out, "No Lullaby" from Heavy Horses. It wasn't exactly a sleepy little tune to begin with, right? After the quick, fun "all the band members start playing" intro, the live "No Lullaby" is shorter, faster and harder than the studio version could ever be. This trend continues with "Sweet Dream." The original version was a scary symphonic experience, the live version slams you on your head in terror (don't think about that sentence too much). Ian's vocals take on this evil edge, and the guitar is far more prominent. Neat lil' organ bits towards the end too (from I guess John; damn those twin keyboardists!).

The softer numbers are just as good. Ian puts the flute down for a second and introduces the band (note: Ian banter is always, always good. I won't give any of it away, but trust me, the cover price is worth it), and they play "Skating Away." God I love that song. It's pretty good here; the band switches instruments as is customary (possibly again during the song). It's not quite as good as the version on the A tour, but still, how can you not love that song? "Jack in the Green," the infamous all-Ian number, takes on new power in a live setting. Likewise, "One Brown Mouse" is totally improved on stage, with a great solo courtesy David Palmer (I'm guessing he does the synthy/pipey stuff, John the organy/pianoy junk).

"Alright," sez the Ian. Enough is enough with the acoustic stuff. And the band goes on to raise "A New Day Yesterday" from the dead. Like "No Lullaby," a song that was hard before becomes even harder, with a rapid fire machine gun solo from Mr. Barre. But it quickly turns into the "Flute Solo Improvisation." If you can only hear one Tull tune, it should be "Thick as a Brick." However, "Flute Solo Improv" is not a bad compromise. It contains traces from all across the band's past (and would continue to grow in later versions); bits of the "Bouree," "My God," and many more find their way in there. I love how each time he comes to a new bit of music, it sounds like he's trying to sound it out for the first time. Also, what's up with that flute? Some of the noises Ian makes that thing produce aren't natural.

"Songs From the Wood" is...well, it's not fantastic I hate to say. The band tries to recreate the studio version's lush sound. Later versions (that A tour again) correct this by stripping it down more, but, oh well. "Thick as a Brick" is brilliant. Not as good as the Madison Square version, but pretty damn good. Naturally, they couldn't play quite all of it, but they are able to play several movements, arguably some of the highlights, focusing less on the vocals and stretching out the instrumental sections. And, considering they cut out about seventy-five percent of the song, it doesn't come off too bad for an "epic." In fact, orchestration was wisely retooled for John's organ, and Martin's soloing is given the Tull-stage treatment. Result? Nothing is lost.

Disc two is the "hard" disc. We open with "Hunting Girl," which meshes just as well on stage as it did in studio, although Martin really stands head and shoulders above everyone else. A speedy version of "Too Old to Rock 'n Roll" is next, although we still have enough time for a sax solo from Mr. Palmer. Crap, how many instruments were there on stage at a given time? Also, just wanted to add that Ian's introduction to the song is my favorite bit of stage banter from the minstrel.

Anyways, I know it's hard to imagine with just the audio, but Ian's been guitaring, flauting and leaping around stage for about an hour now. He's tired. He takes a break. And so we reach "Conundrum." What's the "Conundrum" you ask? Why it's, "what do we do when Ian's gone?" The answer is play this instrumental that's based on a couple of decent riffs. Yeah. Ian's not here, so turn it over to Martin. Yeah! Turn it over to John, yeah! Turn it over to Barrie! Yeah! Yeah...okay, Barrie, you can stop now. Yes, sadly, this neat little tune is merely casing for a technically great, but endless and draining drum solo. I mean, hearing Barrie flaunt his technique is nice and all, but it's too long, and energy-less.

But next comes the song I've been waiting for, "Minstrel in the Gallery." The opening is surprisingly pretty on stage. The instrumental midsection is pretty much removed, but it's the third movement that really counts, and it's...good. It's sped up and harder, like everything else on the album, but it's also been plumped up a bit with additional keyboard parts. Part of what I loved about the song was its dryness. Oh well, it still kicks ass.

But wait, we haven't heard really anything from Aqualung! Right, here's "Cross-eyed Mary." We don't get the creepy mellotron opening, but Ian's flute intro is just as good, and the song itself is great, of course. Ian bids us all good night. But wait, we haven't heard AQUALUNG yet! What kind of a Tull album would be complete without that anthem to homelessness? But first we're hit with "Quatrain," a short, goofy instrumental bit that reintroduces us to everyone in the band. It's also kinda cool, and a perfect springboard to "Aqualung." The 'Lung is fantastic. Barrie changes the drums parts, but it's actually pretty cool. Martin's solo is absolutely killer, as usual.

Bursting Out is very hard to choose a favorite track from, but I choose "Locomotive Breath," especially when coupled with "The Dambuster's March." You see, I had forgotten what made that song so great, having heard it on the radio (which IS known to happen, amazingly) and a billion compilation albums. But Bursting Out reminded me that the point of "Locomotive Breath" is one thing: to rock. Hard. The live version makes the studio version seem like a soppy bit of fluff, as it runs down the tracks on renewed evil. Renewed evil with whistles. Ahem. Ignore that.

So, after you've taken one of the hardest songs in your catalogue and made it even harder, how can you close the show? Why, with "The Dambuster's March," a serious piece of music played for comic effect (with sound effects)! Tack onto that some amazing soloing from Mr. Barre that leave you wondering why his fingers haven't fallen off at some point during the concert. Ian (I assume) tosses some balloons into the crowd, and comes back for a final go at the audience.

So, in the long run, Busting Out is amazing. It's not flawless, no. And that's not just because a couple of the songs let me down. It's also my rhythm section. Barrie makes a couple of little mistakes here and there (er, aside from a certain drum solo, of course). John Glascock tries his best, but he occasionally lets me down on certain Jeffrey numbers ("Minstrel in the Gallery," "Thick as a Brick"). Oh well. Otherwise, everyone plays well. Yeah, even Glascock and friend, even the twin keyboardists, who actually gel pretty well. And besides, Ian and Martin are brilliant within and throughout, and we all know that they're the only ones who matter (wink).

I know! Busting Out will make a nice introduction to the band if you're just not up for Living in the Past. Think about the song list: it's got fan favorites, personal favorites, and some obligatory Aqualung numbers (not to mention a couple of surprises along the way). Better than any compilation I can think of. Besides, do compilations have neat pictures of Ian's hat in the liner notes? Nope. Plus, the two discs are arranged so that you don't have to take the case apart to reach them. How great is that?

(No special mention about the remaster down here; all that's up there. You see, the remaster is what gives us the great lil' "Quatrain," that spooky rendition of "Sweet Dream," and the glorified drum solo "Conundrum." So you're probably thinking it's not worth it, right? Why bother? Well, I tell ya. I'd rate both versions, original and remaster, the same. Although you don't miss out on much, the flow of the album is made by those numbers, particularly on the second disc (in fact, the course from "Conundrum" on is seamless). So it's really up to you: miss out on Barrie, or miss out the flawless flow of the show.)

TULL AS A WELL-OILED ENTERTAINMENT MACHINE

(N.B. This review is based on the 2004 reissue, which reproduces the original two-record set.)

As far as good-humoured entertainment goes, this set could not be bettered. Jethro Tull open their live set with a dynamic performance of 'No Lullaby', far more convincing than the original studio version, and never lose momentum until the end of this album. Tracks like "Skating Away" and "Hunting Girl" are performed with all the verve you can expect. Best of all are the many little extras the band inserted into old and familiar tunes. Towards the end of "Sweet Dream" there's a delightful little moment where David Palmer's pipe organ plays some baroque variations on the main riff, after which the rest of the band join in. "Cross-eyed Mary" is introduced by Ian playing "Pop goes the Weasel", and "Aqualung", apparently the first of the encores, is preceded by a jaunty little dance entitled "Quatrain". And so on. The trio of (semi-)acoustic numbers towards the beginning (particularly "One Brown Mouse") gives the impression that Jethro Tull must have made the largest crowds feel warm and happy inside. And the twelve-minute digested version of "Thick as a Brick" is superb - easily my favourite recording of this piece.

Still, it would never occur to me to call this one of the world's great live albums. The band performances lack the "now or never, life or death" urgency that characterises true masterpieces such as THE WHO LIVE AT LEEDS or King Crimson's FOR ABSENT LOVERS. Those acoustic songs are cute, but they never reveal Ian Anderson's soul. Obviously, he didn't want to regale huge stadiums with "Wond'ring Aloud" or "One White Duck". Such tracks would only put a stop to all that innocent fun...

Verdict: Three stars and a half.

An awful live from Jethro Tull's second period with the characteristic sound of the band at that time: binary, harsh and not progressive anymore. Ian Anderson singing is very bad as well. And on top of that, the sound quality is poor. To avoid!

A VERY ENERGETIC LIVELY PERFORMANCE!

It took 10 years for JETHRO TULL to release a live album if you want to forget the 2 songs from the LIVING IN THE PAST compilation. That was not the norm back then usually as the big names usually released big double live LPs at the height of their glory following a succesful studio album like DEEP PURPLE, YES, URIAH HEEP and other big acts.

Following the disapointing HEAVY HORSES- at least for me- i was glad JETHRO TULL didn't push too many numbers from this album ,but decided to do almost a ''greatest hits and other goodies'' live album. Almost every studio album has one or more song represented in this VERY well recorded BURSTING OUT. The sound is crystal clear, no imperfections, you would think they have performed it last night in your living room in front of you.

Another high mark is the fact IAN ANDERSON voice is back in its full splendor, even the 3 HEAVY HORSES tracks sound way better than the studio originals. MARTIN BARRE is back in the front delivering riff after riff giving a hard edge to this recording. JOHN GLASCOCk who took over HAMMOND-HAMMOND bass duties on TOTRNR does a great job with BARLOW keeping the band tight sounding. And JOHN EVAN never mentioned in the same sentence with WAKEMAN or EMERSON, proves he could have gotten more recognition than he ever had.

There are no songs better than others; this is a ''greatest hits'' or ''best of'' sure to please any TULL fan. Of course, we all have our own selection of songs we would prefer to hear as there is always a subjective preference, but IAN ANDERSON and mates took no risk with this release. So you are getting LOCOMOTIVE BREATH, AQUALUNG a medley of the best moments of THICK AS A BRICK , the title tracks of SONG FROM THE WOODS, MINSTREL or TOO OLD TO RnROLL and other classics such as SWEET DREAM.

The older period is represented by a very energetic A NEW DAY YESTERDAY and of course the concert JT staple BOURREE. Also worth noticing well in the tradition of the 70s live albums, a lot of room is given to the musicians to show off their talents with the traditional drums solo from BARLOW and a frenetic guitar performance from MARTIN BARRE.

A very pleasant live album which can be used as a perfect introduction of JETHRO TULL music with some of their best songs, a great IAN ANDERSON vocal performance ,a of mean guitar, a band in top form and a clear sharp production. What more can you ask for? !

4 STARS!

In the mid-Seventies I discovered prog and I remember that Jethro Tull was one of the last Classic Prog bands that became part of my progrock collection. I was disappointed about the spare use of keyboards in comparison with the other Classic prog bands and in fact the only studio-album that kept my attention is Aqualung, generally considered as their highlight. I also bought this live double album but for some reason I sold it soon after and my attention for Jethro Tull slowly faded away. Until Eddie Jobson joined the band on their album A and I even decided to witness the A-tour in 1980, an unforgettable experience (Jobson with his transparent electric violin and huge Yamaha CS80 synthesizer) and I was blown away by Jethro Tull their dynamic and powerful stage performance. Since then I have seen Jethro Tull 3 times in the Eighties and Nineties, humor and prog, an unusual combination! A few weeks ago I stumbled upon the remastered 2-CD version of this live album, I paid only 9 euros, even cheaper than the original 2-LP version.

Listening to the 2 CD's I am impressed by the captivating blend of folk, blues, rock and classical. A very special element adds Ian Anderson with his very distinctive voice, his swirling work on flute traverse and his funny words in the poshy 'upper-stiff lip' language. But let's not forget the great Martin Barre, what a powerful, often harder-edged guitar sound, a captivating contrast with the often classical sounding flute traverse and tasteful vintage keyboards (like Hammond organ, Grand piano and harpsichord). Songs like Thick As A Brick, Cross-eyed Mary, Aqualung and Locomotive Breath are performed very well and in my opinion sound better and more powerful than on the studio albums. And that's perhaps the reason why I have seen Jethro Tull more times on stage than I own their studio-albums!

One of the best live albums of one of my favourite bands. My favourite Tull's live is, actually, "A Little Light Music". I know I'm alone in this case. However, this one is only a hairline weaker, that means, still magnificent.

Funky Claude announced a band capable of being raw and controlled at the same time, preserving their essential "tullness". "No Lullaby" in this version (a KILLING guitar riff+flute intro) is much better than on the studio album. That is the case with all the songs from the "Heavy Horses", actually (I'm not very fond of that album). "Thick As A Brick" is shortened to 12 minutes, but all the essential parts are here, don't worry. And so on...why bother, you know the songs probably.

The flaws are: "A New Day Yesterday" (a matter of taste), "Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll..." (again), "Minstrel In The Gallery" (the best bit is cut out. why?)...and that's it. Everything else is highly enjoyable. Flute Solo show Ian's virtuosity well, the finale "Locomotive Breath"-->"The Dambusters March" is great to investigate if you're a Tull fan. "Quatrain" is fun. "Conundrum" is progger's delight, with great drum solo, proving us that JETHRO TULL had two drumers-geniuses in their career: both Barlow and Bunker are outrageously good, Bunker proved it on "Dharma", Barriemore Barlow proved it here.

Because of a few flaws, this one deserves 4,4999 stars, but it's still quintessential. A major live work from a seminal prog band. C'mon.

I must say, that when Tull records a live album, it leaves me wanting more. The emotional highs offered by studio releases such as Aqualung, Brick, and Songs from the Wood are not as intense here. Rather, what it seems to me is that Tull is going through the motions of a live show, rather than performing one. The production isn't so bad, but I would recommend the studio albums prior to this.

What can I say about this otherworldly fantastic live album? Not much other than it is one of the best live albums I have ever heard. Live In Japan is certainly put to complete shame by this - this is up there with Yessongs and Seconds Out.

What you get here is one of the best bands of all time, touring in support of a fantastic new album (Heavy Horses) and at a time in their career when they had just released a long series of very good albums, performing a very powerful set consisting of some of their very best material ever. All this is presented in good sound quality and the end result is simply stunning.

The set list is almost exactly as it would be if I had chosen it! And the performances bring something new compared to the originals. I will not comment on the music itself since most people know these songs, and if you don't see the reviews of the studio albums.

I would want to say that this is a perfect introduction to Jethro Tull. It shows all their different sides; Hard Rock, Folk, Jazz, Blues, Classical etc. something you will not get if you start with one of their studio albums. But you will want those as well after you have heard this!

I realize that this is one of my worst reviews ever. But I cannot come up with anything to criticise. This album reminds me why I love this band so much.

A masterpiece and one of the best live albums of all time, possibly the best.

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.

Jethro Tull´s classic line up and at their absolute peak! I was surprised of how long it took for JT to release a a live double album since their stage performances were their forte since the very beginning. However, it was all worthwhile the wait. it came out in a very bad time for a prog band (in 1978), but it stands out among one of that decade´s great live albums of all time. if you´re into JT, this is definitly THE live album to own!

Everything works here: the tracklist is fantastic (but be sure to get the new remastered double CD version. For years I had the single CD edition which had dropped Sweet Dream, Conundrum and Quatrain from the original vinyl), the sound is simply perfect, with all the instruments and vocals very well balanced, the usual witty Ian Anderson interventions and the powerful delivery of a very tight band. It is also one of the few recordings of the band as a sextet (arranger and long time friend David Palmer joining in as the second keyboards player). I should point out the great perfomances by Martin Barre (terrific guitar!) and John Glascock. Most songs are equal or superior to their studio counterparts.

Bursting Out is a classic live album in a decade full of classic live albums. A real masterpiece of prog music. I could rave about this CD for hours, but you better just listen to it and find out why this band is one of the greatest shows on earth. I don´t usually rate that much a live record, but this one deserves it. 5 stars.

Of all the live albums in my collection, BURSTING OUT, along with ON YOUR FEET OR ON YOUR KNEES by Blue Oyster Cult, and TWO FOR THE SHOW by Kansas, are the ones I listen to the most. This captures Jethro Tull at the peak of their powers in 1978 with their best known classic lineup of members- just after SONGS FROM THE WOOD and HEAVY HORSES. There are a lot of powerful renditions of their more famous numbers contained here, "Aqualung", "No Lullaby", "Minstrel in the Gallery", "Locomotive Breath", etc... even a snippet from "Thick as a Brick" is tried out . And there is some very good banter by Ian Anderson, also. This album could really be used as an introduction to Tull by a newbie. 4 stars and almost the whole 5.

Jethro Tull's 1978 live album Bursting Out is one of those rare and fantastic live albums where the sound and energy are so fantastic that many the tracks eclipse their studio counterparts, where the guitars are louder and heavier and the drums are harder and more forceful.

Bursting Out finds the band on tour supporting their Heavy Horses album and as such contains an absolute wealth of material that fans of the band's work from the 1970s will love, representing most of their albums up to that point with at least one track and delivering a lot of the classics side by side.

Highlights include an astounding twelve minute rendition of 'Thick As A Brick,' as well as the louder and heavier versions of 'Sweet Dream,' 'No Lullaby,' and 'A New Day Yesterday,' however the whole record is absolutely essential listening.

In addition to the harder rock moments, like 'Cross Eyed Mary,' and 'Hunting Girl,' there are acoustic favourites like 'Jack In The Green,' 'One Brown Mouse,' and 'Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day,' that work brilliantly along side the heavier tracks and also both a big Flute solo and Drum solo to display the member's immense talents? not that everyone wasn't doing that anyway adding great flourishes of exemplary musicianship throughout the proceedings.

The performance is absolutely phenomenal with big exciting drum fills, creative guitar solos and Ian's usual astounding Flute and Vocal work on a particularly high standard here.

Overall, Bursting Out is a fantastic live record, a great representation of the band's 1970s progressive period and would serve as a fine introduction to the band indeed for potential fans. It is one of the best Jethro Tull albums period. If you like Jethro Tull at all then get yourself a copy.

First of all, Hello Everybody this is my first Prog Album Review ! I am 34, come from France (Sorry for my approximative english), where unfortunately, Prog Rock music is not very popular, and thus Prog Rock Live Performances are relatively seldom. It's not very easy to find people dealing with Prog Rock around me (except my current 55 years old office colleague). So, Thank You Prog Archives to exist ! My favourites sub-genres are psychedelic/space, symphonic and folk/medieval prog. If I want to escape far far away, no need for drug or other things like that, all is in Prog !

I have chosen Bursting Out Live Album to begin with, because it is in my opinion one of the most energetic and joyful performance of one of my favourite prog bands. I bought it 16 years ago and listening to it always gives me the same "bliss" sensation. All the members are at their best. Ian Anderson is totally "Mad" and his madness is strongly contagious. My favorite parts are : - Sweet Dreams : Martin's electric guitar tears the air, John's Medieval pipe organ part is very cool - A new day yesterday + flute solo : no comment, just listen ! - Thick as a brick : for Ian and Martin instrumental "communion" - Hunting girl : an invitation to dance on the walls - Cross Eyed Mary : that really rocks - Aqualung : for Martin Barre's amazing solo - Locomotive Breath : Tull's final signature for 40 years !

I had the chance to see Tull on stage in 1999 and 2001 (Olympia, Paris). Ian gained in flute what he maybe lost in voice. Anyway, they were still excellent (although different members except Ian and Martin).

If I had to keep one single CD from Tull, no doubt, this is "Bursting Out" !

A brilliant document of Jethro Tull's live show at what was arguably their apex. The recordings here come from the Heavy Horses tour, before the point where the onset of John Glascock's health problems brought the turmoil which would result in the fumbling of Stormwatch. With powerful, hard rocking versions of great tracks from Aqualong onwards, the renditions of songs on here give their studio versions a run for their money every single time - indeed, the selections from Warchild and Too Old to Rock and Roll blast their studio equivalents out of the water. Enough of Ian Anderson's stage patter is conserved to give an idea of the raucously funny tone of Tull's stage show without taking up space which would be better served by more songs - and the song selection is outright sublime. This, in short, is how you do a live album - and moreover, perhaps the best Tull release ever. When you remember them, remember them like this.

I've had a love/hate relationship with Jethro Tull since my friend Tommy Cline turned me on to the curious aura that inhabited their debut album, 'This Was,' early in 1970. Some of their records make me happy as a turkey the day after Thanksgiving and some of them infuriate me no end. Rarely is there anything in the middle. This live double disc LP that featured performances culled from the European leg of their tour in support of their remarkable 'Heavy Horses' album in '78 is par for the course. The first half of the recording shows conclusively why this band is a genuine and very deserving titan in Progland while the second half only confirms to me how they can be frustratingly patronizing when it comes to exploiting the hard rock side of their collective personality. Having said that, I must admit 'Bursting Out' is what I expected considering my rocky relationship with this eclectic group. Frontman Ian Anderson's snarky but inoffensive you-bought-the-ticket-so-take-it-or-leave-it attitude speaks directly to the prog snob me and I accept his grinning ain't-life-a-surreal-trip countenance willingly. I'm a fan because the upside of Jethro Tull trumps the downside every time. I had the privilege of seeing them live sometime later the same year I discovered them whilst they were on their 'Stand Up' tour so I already knew how incredible they could be when they were feeling their oats. It was really just a matter of finding out how well their onstage presence and musical acumen was captured on tape.

They opened the show the way I would've anticipated them to with something extremely progressive. These guys had no intention of taking the formulaic route by starting things off with one of their familiar hits. On the contrary, they came out and smacked the audience upside the head with a song that was foreign to at least ninety percent of those in attendance. 'No Lullaby' is a highly complex number off of 'Heavy Horses' that emphasizes their uniqueness rather than their accessibility. The band is incredibly tight and precise in every area, fostering a satisfied smile that creases my aging mug. One of my all-time favorite JT tunes, 'Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day,' is next and they don't disappoint. They have an uncanny ability to make difficult songs like this one sound like child's play. The sound quality is impeccable in that every delicate nuance from the glockenspiel to the accordion comes through clear as a bell. 'Jack in the Green' follows and I get the feeling that their set list was developed with the material they preferred in mind and not in an effort to kowtow to those who came to hear 'Bungle in the Jungle.' Because of that emphasis their delivery is spirited and energetic throughout, especially in the early stages of the program. On 'One Brown Mouse' I'm reminded that no one, and I mean no one sounds like Jethro Tull. They're totally off the reservation most of the time and usually creative and progressive-minded without apology. Kudos to the keyboard duo of John Evan and David Palmer for their tactful work on this particular selection. 'A New Day Yesterday' (from the masterpiece that is 'Stand Up') gets an updated treatment that takes advantage of the tune's inherent dynamics. Guitarist Martin Barre slays his solo and the unison riffs at the end are very cool. I prefer their addicting studio version but this ain't anything to sneer at. After that they jump right into an extended flute flurry wherein showman Ian gets his prancing ya-yas out while putting on a clinic of how to astound a crowd with his slender instrument of choice. The group playfully joins in when he veers into a verse of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' and again later on when he takes a too-short detour into the brilliant 'Bouree' that's a treat to my ears every time I hear it.

For 'Songs from the Wood' their boys club chorale vocalizing impresses before they slip right into the number as effortlessly as putting on a pair of warm, fuzzy slippers. Next they present their gift to the prog world known as 'Thick as a Brick.' To say they do this icon of our esteemed and honorable genre full justice is an understatement. Hearing it performed in a live setting gives the listener a fresh perspective on how great this piece of music is. Yes, it's been trimmed down considerably for time's sake but, all in all, it's a stellar rendition of a multi-faceted treasure that never fails to fascinate. It would be hard for any of their compositions to match that gem so they ease their enraptured multitude down a bit with 'Hunting Girl,' one of their intricately-arranged electrically-charged prog folk ditties that sets them apart from all others who dare to enter their end of the prog field. While 'Too Old to Rock 'n Roll, Too Young to Die' is far from being the best track from that surprisingly fine album of the same name, it's the most identifiable to the folks out front and they do it well. However, it also marks a turning point in this particular extravaganza as they go in a direction I wish they wouldn't go in. Their overrated disc, 'Minstrel in the Gallery,' has never done much for me and their presentation of the title cut here doesn't change my opinion although I do admire Barre's enthusiasm as he punches it hard with his edgy guitar attack.

At this juncture the band descends into outright pandering to the throng by playing three numbers in a row from their popular sellout album, 'Aqualung.' Thankfully, 'Cross-Eyed Mary' comes off less shrilly than the original but I can't say the same for the overexposed tune that bears that dubious record's moniker. That lumbering number always conjures up bad memories for me because it was that LP that figuratively threw a bucket of water on my white-hot obsession with the band when it came out in late '71 and estranged me from their work for a very long time. I understand that it's a bonafide crowd-pleaser (the gathered mass of humanity croons like they're at a soccer match when it's over) but I don't have to like it. It's much too plodding and coarse for my taste. 'Locomotive Breath' follows and I'm tempted to simply say 'ditto' but I'll try to be unbiased as I assess it. At least the piano intro is engaging but once they jump into the 'rawkin'' meat of the song they ham it up for all it's worth and milk this stale staple of classic rock radio dry. The ending is purposely pompous and noisy and it leads to something labeled 'The Dambusters March' which is some kind of raucous, intense instrumental sequence that suddenly ebbs down to a cheeky acoustic guitar and vocal as Anderson reprises the famous line from 'Aqualung' before the lights go out.

The US release left off three obscure tracks ('Quatrain,' 'Sweet Dreams' and 'Conundrum') probably for cost-effective reasons and perhaps someday I'll get a chance to hear them because they're most likely unorthodox. After reading my therapeutic get-it-off-my-chest rant concerning the inclusion of what I call the dregs of their catalog one might think I didn't care for this concert album but you'd be wrong. I deem it excellent because it's a fair representation of the band's approach to entertaining and I certainly can't cast dispersions on the engineering involved. It's top shelf on the technical side from start to finish. Special mention must go out to the rhythm section of Barriemore Barlow on drums and John Glascock on bass because they do a superb job of holding it all together while establishing a solid groove under every selection. A dedicated follower probably has this album already. If you're a Jethro Tull novice you'll get a good dose of the twisted genius that makes this group so special. But be forewarned. They just might drive you nuts, too. 3.6 stars.

Bursting Out gives us two discs of solid Jethro Tull live performances, featuring content primarily from albums circa 1973 - 1978. Admittedly not my favorite time frame of output for this great prog band. So, while the band's instrumental performances are great, they are used on a fairly mediocre setlist.

However, there is still a lot to like about this album for Tull fans. The rhythm section of Barlow and Glascock is on fire throughout the show, with a fine production that lets us hear every bass and drum riff clearly. However, there isn't very much playfulness or emotion in the group's playing. That isn't to say that they aren't tight and exciting, but Burstin Out lacks any "wow" moments that showcase their talent in a way that sticks with you. I wouldn't say that they're phoning it in... maybe more that they're so professional at this point that the music lacks the vibrancy that being rough around the edges can sometimes bring. Still, entertaining instrumental performances are the highlight of the album.

Anderson's vocals are another matter for me. I've never been that large of a fan of his, and his vocal style sounds even more underwhelming in the live setting. He is excellent at phrasing, but his range is poor, so his vocals sound identical from track to track; as if he were singing the same lyrics over and over again while the band plays different songs. If you're a fan of Anderson, you'll probably be pleased, because his voice is finely produced letting you hear every gusty tremolo. I'm much more a fan of his flouting, which is characteristically good throughout Bursting Out.

So overall not enough to make Bursting Out a mandatory live album for the casual Tull fan, but enough good stuff to make for an occasional listen.

Set-list: 2 - Instrumental Performances: 3 - Lyrics/Vocals: 2 - Stage/Energy: 3

Review Nº 43

Jethro Tull always was a very curious, typical and different band. They were formed in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, in 1967. Despite they had released their first album 'This Was' in 1968, for unknown and extremely inexplicable reasons Ian Anderson decided not to record or issue an official live album of the band during the early heyday of the group. That meant that the post "Aqualung" tour, the much lauded "Thick As A Brick" tour, and basically everything from 1967 to 1978 went completely undocumented in terms of live material. And we are talking about nothing less than ten studio albums of the band. Well, at least officially, although there are nice live snippets here and there.

The definitive Jethro Tull's sextet of Anderson, Barre, Glascock, Barlow, Evan and Palmer, finally unleashed a real live album to their fans in 1978. After a decade of existence, a large back catalogue of songs has mushroomed from which the band presented a hugely varied set list, night after night. As one of the finest live recordings ever, "Bursting Out" radiates a sonorous trapezoidal portrait of a different era, accurately capturing a zenith blip in the Jethro Tull's annals.

'Bursting Out' is a double live album of Jethro Tull, it was released in 1978 and it was the first live album released by the group. It was recorded at several locations, during the European tour between May and June 1978, when they presented their eleventh and last studio album, at time, 'Heavy Horses' released in the same year. As the specific recording dates and locations aren't credited, there isn't a certainty where each track was recorded. However, the linear notes and stage introduction indicate that at least some tracks were recorded at the Bern Festhalle in Switzerland, in 25 May 1978. Originally, the CD was released in a single disc version with three tracks deleted, 'Quatrain', 'Sweet Dream' and 'Conundrum', because they couldn't fit in only one CD. In 2004, the full original record was re-released as a digitally remastered 2-CD set. This is my CD version, and so, this is the version that I'll review.

So, my version of 'Bursting Out' has eighteen tracks and is divided in two discs. Each disc has nine tracks. About the tracks, all we can say is that Jethro Tull made a very diversified, great and interesting repertoire choice to the album. Of 'Heavy Horses' we have 'No Lullaby' and 'One Brown Mouse'. Of 'War Child' we have 'Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day'. Of 'Songs From The Wood' we have 'Jack In The Green', 'Hunting Girl' and the title track 'Songs From The Wood'. However, the version of the title track is only a small live version of the original title track. Of 'Stand Up' we have 'Bour'e' and 'A New Day Yesterday'. But these two tracks are only two live shorter versions of the original tracks. Of 'Too Old To Rock'n'Roll: Too Young To Die' we have the title track. Of 'Aqualung' we have 'Cross-Eyed Mary', 'Locomotive Breath' and the title track 'Aqualung'. Of 'Thick As A Brick' we have a short but a very good live version from their amazing and memorable studio album. Of 'Minstrel In The Gallery' we have a small live version, but with a very attractive performance, of the first track of the album.

Beyond those tracks, Jethro Tull performed some other very interesting tracks. 'Sweet Dream', is a live version of the 1969 UK's single hit and that was included only on the remastered version of 'Stand Up', as a bonus track. 'Flute Improvisation/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Bour'e', is typically a virtuoso and astonishing flute improvisation by Anderson, incorporating small samples from 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' and 'Bour'e'. 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen', is the rendition of the classic English traditional Christmas carol song that was recorded on 'The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'. 'Conundrum', is an excellent instrumental interlude with a Barriemore Barlow's drum solo, so typical on the live albums of the 70's. 'Quatrain', is another excellent instrumental interlude and is the smallest track on the album. 'The Dambusters March/Medley', is a very interesting form to close the album. It's a Jethro Tull's typical way, to transform a serious piece of music, playing it in a very comic way, and getting a good final effect with it.

Conclusion: 'Bursting Out' features a very dynamic live performance from the line up that many Jethro Tull's fans consider comprising the golden musical era of the group. The sound of 'Bursting Out' is remarkably good, and the repertoire included on it, is very solid and very representative of the group's history until that time, which gave to the band a certain arena rock status among other bands. The tendency on this album is to play it very loud and very hard, which is a way of making the original studio themes sounding very different and in a very nice way. 'Bursting Out' is a great live album from the 70's with all the ingredients that a live album must have. It includes a good, solid and representative musical repertoire from the band, and most of all, the live versions of the songs are played very well and in some cases they're completely brilliant. So, 'Bursting Out' is a great Jethro Tull's live masterpiece.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

As much success as JETHRO TULL had releasing one huge successful album after another throughout the 1970s, it wasn't until 1978 that they put out their first official live release in the form of the double album BURSTING OUT which would only come out after the release and tour of their eleventh studio album "Heavy Horses". As a result of waiting so long the playlist is quite the sampling of the band's entire canon up to the point that this particular live release only contains two tracks from that album. The performances are from the European segment of their tour although the individual tracks remain uncredited for any specific venues so it's likely that instead of an accurate representation of any given night, this is sort of a compilation of the best tracks of the lot and then were compiled and tidied up for this special 93 minute and 31 second celebration of their energetic live performances as an offering to those who were unable to attend their fantastic fun filled folk rock parties in the flesh. As with many albums of the period, this one happens to be one of those that was released differently across the pond having one double album release in the UK originally and once released on CD in the US omitted three tracks ("Quatrain," "Sweet Dream," "Conundrum.") in order to be cheap and throw it all on one disc. This has since been corrected with newer double CD versions retaining the original song listing.

BURSTING OUT begins the festivities with a welcoming introduction in a few European languages before the band members jump right into action on the hard rockin' "No Lullaby" which serves as a sort of warm up practice where they improv around the basic melody on their instruments before Ian Anderson finally kicks in his poetic singing bearded bard persona with his unmistakable vocal signature and then never lets up for the entirety of the double album. BURSTING OUT jumps all over the place as far as representation of their career is concerned. While it does begin with a "Heavy Horses" track, it jumps into the past with the non-album single "Sweet Dream" all the way back from the "Stand Up" days and then into the unavailable anywhere else track "Jack In The Green." The album continues cranking a track or two from almost every album except for "This Was" and "A Passion Play." There is even an outstanding performance of "Thick As A Brick" although it is wisely edited it down to a manageable 12 and a half minutes but nonetheless a power display of their majesty and their ability to pull off all their studio antics in a live setting.

While the band pretty much play together in cooperative and intricate symbiosis there are moments where the occasion allows the performers strut their stuff as when Anderson dishes out a beautifully compelling flute solo on the "Bourée" Medley and Barriemore Barlow is allowed to demonstrate his drums and glockenspiel talents that wouldn't be appropriate on the studio recordings. The band generally play together quite organically and sound on top of their game which at this time they were. This album could also be considered the last of the good old days since shortly after this release, bassist John Glascock would quickly deteriorate from a congenital heart defect, leave the band and pass away only a year later. The band's popularity would begin to wane after BURSTING OUT although they would continue on in new uncharted folk rock directions and never really wash out. Despite the release of BURSTING OUT, JT would not overindulge in the release in a flood of live albums and it wouldn't be until 1990 that they released another live offering in the form of "LIve At Hammersmith '84." Luckily there have been quite a few stellar JT live offerings since then but this is the best of the lot and one of the most important live recordings of their 70s appearances.

Review #70

"Bursting out" was JETHRO TULL's first live album which was both recorded and released in 1978 in several European cities while the Heavy horses tour (interestingly there are no songs from the "Heavy horses" album in this record. The album features songs from the "Aqualung", "Thick as a brick", "Minstrel in the gallery", "Too old to rock and roll" and "Songs from the wood" albums but frankly, the performances have almost any interesting change from the studio versions.

When I wrote my review about PINK FLOYD's "Is there anybody out there?" I explained that I rarely enjoy live albums since most of the time I found them very little original when they play the songs almost exactly as the studio versions and this album is not an exception: further than the heavy guitar riff in "Sweet dreams" there is not too much improvisation and jamming in this album. I'd rather listen to the studio albums before this one.

Not a bad album though, just nothing original in it.

This first live album for Jethro Tull is incredibly heavy which surprised me and delighted me as Martin Barre is as dynamic as ever with killer riffing and extended lead breaks. Anderson is hilarious in his stage banter, toilet humour abounds, and he indulges in some incredible flute playing. On top of this Barriemores drums are thunderous including a hyper solo, and there are very powerful keyboards from Evan and Glascocks rumbling bass lines.

This is a high quality live document with a great setlist including Aqualung, Locomotive Breath, Minstrel in the Gallery, Songs from the Wood, No Lullaby, Skating Away, and a lengthy piece from Thick as a Brick. There are some other nice surprises too. Overall this is a wonderful album capturing the band at their very best.