Broadsword and the Beast by Jethro Tull

This is a very good album, the last of the "medieval rock" that Ian had mined beginning with SFTW. "The Clasp" is one of my favorite Tulltunes.

Unfortunately, the best songs from the BatB session were not on the album. "Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow", "Jack A Lynn", "Mayhem Maybe", "Lights Out", etc., were inexplicably left off the album. Strangely enough, given the amount of songs from that session, one could have a stronger album with what was left off, rather than what was left on.In any case, not a big fan of the glitzy new wave synth crap that permeates most of the songs. 

Edited by The Dark Elf - July 21 2015 at 19:22

The Dark Elf wrote: Unfortunately, the best songs from the BatB session were not on the album. "Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow", "Jack A Lynn", "Mayhem Maybe", "Lights Out", etc., were inexplicably left off the album. Strangely enough, given the amount of songs from that session, one could have a stronger album with what was left off, rather than what was left on.   In any case, not a big fan of the glitzy new wave synth crap that permeates most of the songs.

Even Tull bassist and Fairport Convention linchpin Dave Pegg couldn't understand why those songs were left off the album or not used for another one. But he didn't say anything at the time because Anderson had just given him a Porsche. Now, that's diplomacy.

Edited by SteveG - July 22 2015 at 10:38

My most-hated Tull album ever. A real backward step, over produced, over commercialized..... a sell-out.

Watching Me, Watching You is the only track I care for.

2 stars

Certainly higher up on the ladder than A too, while we're at it.

Another good one, 'Elf. Then there's Too Old to Rock N Roll, Too Young to Die, Heavy Horses, and I could never really get through Minstrel in the Gallery either (even though it seems to be respected in this forum).

Edited by Rednight - July 24 2015 at 15:07