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Joined: April 11 2014
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Topic: A by Jethro Tull Posted: July 07 2015 at 16:24
One of my favorite Tull albums from 1980, A, always seems to get the bum's rush as if the music is as spacy as the album's cover. That is not so. My only complaint is that Ian's vocals are too low in the mix but I love it. And it features the great Eddie Jobson in his one and only album appearance with JT.
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Posted: July 07 2015 at 16:34
I like the concept of cold war paranoia (the lyrics of "Flyindale Flyer" are the best) and there are good bass playing of Dave Pegg in the most folk moments.
Its not a bad album, but the electronic sound wash it all up and I almost never manage to hear the album from begning to end.
Edited by GKR - July 07 2015 at 16:35
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Posted: July 07 2015 at 17:35
Fylingdale. Uniform, and further on, pine martens jig are some of tulls best. I think black Sunday is overrated. Has boring bass playing in the verses
All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock.
Joined: September 03 2005
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Posted: July 08 2015 at 00:50
Love the album. Eddie Jobson's prescence lifts the album, and they had a really good find with drummer Mark Craney. 4WD (Low Ratio) is the weaker track, but such a Progressive album for 1980. Great album from the very first listen.
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Posted: July 08 2015 at 09:25
Bought it on or around dau of release and was very disappointed in the overall sound. It has some good tracks and has grown on me over the years but I still consider it a second rate Tull album.
Originally meant to be an Ian Anderson solo debut, I bought the album the first week it was released in the U.S. and greatly enjoyed it then. It would be difficult for me to appreciate it now. Loved the violin in "Uniform". I have a few good memories of the album, but it didn't stun me like Minstrel In The Gallery. Sorry to go off thread, but seriously..there is a entire disc of a live concert from the Minstrel In The Gallery tour on the new Steve Wilson remix. This would be a rare listen. Something special and unique that I want to hear.
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Posted: July 08 2015 at 23:43
Love the album. Was kinda bridging the gap before other prog bands at the time. Eddier Jobson on keys I think. Tull were survivors a long long time ago!
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Joined: April 29 2004
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Posted: July 09 2015 at 03:16
the first of their catastrophic trilogy (continued with TB&TB and UW)...
Clealy Tull's previous line-up - sadly terminated by Glascock's death and the very uninspired SW album - was over.
The new band (save Anderson & Barre) had no idea what to do to survived soooooo, they tried a bit of this and tad of that, and a pinch of salt & pepper, but it didn't work at all.
Only Tull afficionados & fanboys can find some grace in this album, though I dare say they did worse with the next two albums...
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Posted: July 09 2015 at 05:06
Sean Trane wrote:
the first of their catastrophic trilogy (continued with TB&TB and UW)...
Clealy Tull's previous line-up - sadly terminated by Glascock's death and the very uninspired SW album - was over.
The new band (save Anderson & Barre) had no idea what to do to survived soooooo, they tried a bit of this and tad of that, and a pinch of salt & pepper, but it didn't work at all.
Only Tull afficionados & fanboys can find some grace in this album, though I dare say they did worse with the next two albums...
As I recall, the A release was definitely a WTF? moment for Tull fans, made worse, as you said, by the two dreadful follow-up albums. The loss of Glasscock, Evan, Palmer and Barlow so changed the make up of the band that I never looked at Tull the same again, even though I dearly love Dave Pegg's playing (but more so with Fairport).
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Posted: July 09 2015 at 06:18
^ I haven't heard much Fairport, but whilst in that band, I thought Pegg's playing was average, however, on 'A', he really shines - a really elaborate player who understands demanding parts.
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Posted: July 09 2015 at 06:44
At the time, I thought bringing in Peggy would move Tull back to folk rock, but really A moved things further away! However, with the addition of Jobson as well, it helped to revitalise the band's sound.
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Posted: July 09 2015 at 06:55
Tom Ozric wrote:
^ I haven't heard much Fairport, but whilst in that band, I thought Pegg's playing was average, however, on 'A', he really shines - a really elaborate player who understands demanding parts.
Here you go, Pegg on bass with Fairport (during the time he was also playing with Tull). Far more demanding and certainly more exuberant playing than anything he played with Tull, constrained as he was by Ian (which is why he never gave up the Fairport gig):
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Joined: April 11 2014
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Posted: July 09 2015 at 10:49
^Anderson put Pegg in the most secure financial position of his professional career. I believe that Peggy's regard for his old band Fairport was based on deep friendship and loyalty.
Quite simply, Dave Pegg was a rare good guy in the not so nice world of rock music.
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Posted: July 10 2015 at 20:17
@ The Dark Elf - thanks for posting the Fairport clips up there - some of the best I've heard from them. And Peggy does cook !! Rick Sanders is pretty cool. I only heard Leige And Leaf and Gottle O' Gear, and various bits and pieces but was never blown away by them. I may need to look into them further. Still love 'A' a lot, the amount of technical effort crammed into these shorter songs is admirable - Uniform, Pine-Marten's Jig, Batteries Not Included........
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Posted: July 11 2015 at 12:07
TODDLER wrote:
Originally meant to be an Ian Anderson solo debut, I bought the album the first week it was released in the U.S. and greatly enjoyed it then. It would be difficult for me to appreciate it now. Loved the violin in "Uniform". I have a few good memories of the album, but it didn't stun me like Minstrel In The Gallery. Sorry to go off thread, but seriously..there is a entire disc of a live concert from the Minstrel In The Gallery tour on the new Steve Wilson remix. This would be a rare listen. Something special and unique that I want to hear.
To my knowledge, Ian never performed my all time favorite JT song- Baker Street Muse off my favorite JTull album. Let us know if you feel the SW mixes of Minstrel In the Gallery are worth the purchase price. I already have 3 Minstrels in my collection....
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A by Jethro Tull
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The Dark Elf wrote:
Let us know if you feel the SW mixes of Minstrel In the Gallery are worth the purchase price. I already have 3 Minstrels in my collection.... 