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Proglover View Drop Down
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Points: 416 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Minstrel In The Gallery
    Posted: December 13 2005 at 17:58

What a fantastic album... not many people mention this album, instead they go on an on about Thick As a Brick and A Passion Play, and to some extent, Aqualung.....all those albums are fine albums.....but perhaps the TRUE jewel in the Tull pot is Minstrel In The Gallery. It is what I would call a perfect album, or near perfect in any respect. Marvelous writing, beautiful arrangments, cleverly written lyrics with thought provoking attributes, wonderful acoustic guitar playing (I assume from Mr. Anderson), and fantastic singing.

 Ian Anderson, along with Peter Hammill, Peter Gabriel, and Jon Anderson are among my favorite lyricists. However, Ian Anderson, along with Peter Hammill is one of my favorite vocalists. I love his voice, and much like Hammill, it is the way he sings which strikes me. His sense of time is remarkable, he's always right in the pocket.

In any case...the MITG, is a fabulous album. Perhaps, I dare say, even more effective than TAAB, and APP.

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horza View Drop Down
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Points: 2530 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2005 at 18:19
tHEY HAVE NOT YET THIS ALBUM IN MY bALKAN VILLAGE
Originally posted by darkshade:

Calling Mike Portnoy a bad drummer is like calling Stephen Hawking an idiot.
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Points: 518 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2005 at 18:27

Yea I love that album.

It's in my top three Tull with Thick as a Brick and Songs from the Wood.
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Points: 28427 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2005 at 18:28
Great album I like it even more than TAAB and Passion Play
last.fm
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Points: 3047 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2005 at 18:39
Excellent album, but it doesnt come close to TAAB, a lot more padded.
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Points: 6336 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2005 at 20:00
My first Tull album, so its kinda special. Minstrel is one of my favorite Tull songs, if not my favorite. Its right in my top 3, along with Thick and a passion!!!
"You want me to play what, Robert?"
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Points: 6336 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2005 at 20:07

Also, I forgot to write this, I see Minstrel as the album to make everyone happy. After Thick as a brick many fans (and Tull itself) wanted to go further with their prog style, so they did A passion play, which didnt get such a good response, which made them do a more simple album, and they did Warchild, which is kinda weak as an album. But there where also the fans who wanted to see or hear more of Ian´s acoustic guitars and folish style. So...they made Minstrel, which has a long epic (Baker St muse), some good shorter songs (Cold wind to Valhalla) and the folk (Requiem). Im not saying they did this album in order to sell more...but I do think they had this in mind while making it!

Still an excellente album...and this thread made me want to hear it, which Im doing!!!
"You want me to play what, Robert?"
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Points: 31157 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2005 at 20:53
Great album, though I linke Passion Play a bit better
RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on!
EXERIOR Experimental tech/death/progmetal from Norway!
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Points: 7341 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2005 at 21:14
Ya, Great album. Baker St. muse is one of my favorite songs. Great electric guitar all throughout.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2005 at 21:24
being such a big tull fan. It might surprise that I rank minstrel about 15th on my album session ratings on my site. I think the album recording lacks power in the vocals, drums and bass. They don't have enough depth in the sound. As for the songs, there are some strong moments and great guitar work, but I find the acoustic bits to be mainly less interesting than tulls acoustics before and after this album, because there is too much strumming and less fingerwork on minstrel. The heavy bits are good but I just don't hear enough exciting tunes. Valhalla is a bit repetitive and baker st muse could have been shorter. I really like summerday sands the outtake though. I find this and Too old top be tulls quiet period of the 70s. The original Warchild album was a part of that quiet period, but the 8 outtakes saved it and actually elevate the session to about 6th. Some ripper outtakes :D
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Points: 416 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2005 at 22:12

Originally posted by NetsNJFan NetsNJFan wrote:

Excellent album, but it doesnt come close to TAAB, a lot more padded.

Actually I would describe TAAB as the album with the MOST padding. There is no padding in Minstrel In The Gallery.

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Points: 248 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 14 2005 at 03:44

My favourite Tull album!!! Baker St. Muse, One white duck,Black satin dancer or Requiem are jewels. And What about the extra tracks? Summerday sands,March the mad scientist and Pan dance are wonderful acoustic songs. Great Barlow on drums and Evan on keyboards.
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Points: 8548 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 14 2005 at 03:55

Minstrel is their best album

                                          WAR CHILD



Edited by Velvetclown
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Points: 19943 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 14 2005 at 07:52
I agree - I think it's a great album. I've got into it a lot quicker than Thick and Passion. I recently bought the remaster and there are some good extra tracks on it (not counting the bizarre truncated live ones).
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Points: 7003 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 14 2005 at 10:16
Minstrel is probably the Tull album I listen to most frequently, although it's always difficult for me to name one as my all time favourite. I think it's one of their most rounded albums (as another poster said, there's something to please everyone) and the combination of acoustic and electric is the best they ever did.  As good as they are, I've always felt that Aqualung and TAAB are a bit over rated (although TAAB side 1 is as close to perfection as prog ever got), and I've never really got on with A Passion Play.
'Like so many of you
I've got my doubts about how much to contribute
to the already rich among us...'

Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom


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Points: 478 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 14 2005 at 11:20
It's my third fav Tull album after APP and Heavy Horses.  Baker St. Muse is my favorite Tull track!
My recent purchases:
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Points: 317 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 14 2005 at 11:48
Probably my favorite after thick as a brick, aqualung and equal to a Passion play. Requiem is a jewel ! a love that ballad, prbably the best of Anderson.
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Points: 355 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 28 2006 at 23:53

Minstrel in the Gallery is my favorite behind Thick

As a Brick. It is a real gem and it has a medieval

Feel to it like most Tull albums. The Title song is

One of favorite prog- songs. Baker St. Muse is

A good epic too.

"I can't see through my eye lids"
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Points: 4411 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 29 2006 at 04:50

Minstrel In The Gallery is one of the most classic Tull albums. More introvert and sad sounds than the previous one. It shows the band in a transitional period but, as always, in good form.

Lesser work for John Evan than the War Child album. More for David Palmer and his orchestra. 



Edited by Andrea Cortese
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Points: 153 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 29 2006 at 05:20

It's good but not one of my favourites.

I like Baker Stret Muse and the title track very much. Cold Wind and Black Satin Dancer are good. I don't like the others.

I would give 3 stars. 
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