Benefit by Jethro Tull.
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=125636
Printed Date: June 03 2024 at 23:04
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Topic: Benefit by Jethro Tull.
Posted By: SteveG
Subject: Benefit by Jethro Tull.
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 14:10
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An album I find transitional and workmanlike, but with impressive lyrics, while some find it a near masterpiece. What's your opinion on Benefit? ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Replies:
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 14:14
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3rd or 4th fave Tull album, after Thick, Heavy Horses, maybe Songs from the Wood or Aqualung. I LOVE about half the songs. As I say every time I talk about it, it has a great singer/songwriter vibe to me, especially the wonderful "Inside", which, with a different arrangement, could have been a Gordon Lightfoot song
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Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 14:22
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Hmmm. I just popped in "Inside" to ponder your thesis. ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 14:24
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By cracky, it does have that bucolic 60s folk vibe. ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 14:28
now imagine Lightfoot singing it with mostly acoustic guitar backing
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SteveG wrote:Posted By: JD
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 14:28
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Maybe in my top 5 favourite Tull albums, maybe just missed out, it's tough to say. Cry Me A Song is definitely my favourite track. ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 14:31
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Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 14:46
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'Benefit' is one of my all time favorite lp's by Tull. Also love 'Stand Up' and 'Aqulaung'. Like all the early stuff ....would keep the frist 4 over anything else they did...though I do like TAAB, Minstrel, Songs, Horses and Stormwatch. Also a fan of 'Living In The Past'. At one time 'Benefit' was my favorite ..might still be though 'Aqualung' is right there also. I prefer Tull when Anderson is writing shorter witty rock songs. I don't think his forte was TAAB and PP though some think so. Not to say those were bad lps...they were good ,,just not what Tull represented for me. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 15:09
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Is it safe to say that you would put it the masterpiece or near masterpiece class? ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 15:16
Mmm YES ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 15:19
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Average at best. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 15:25
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Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 15:58
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A very good Tull album sandwiched between two great albums, Stand Up and Aqualung. Some of the songs from that era are even better than what was on the album, like Witch's Promise and Sweet Dream. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: questionsneverknown
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 16:10
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Slate me amongst those who rate Benefit quite low. Probably my least favourite of the 1960s-1970s albums. I actually choose to listen to This Was more often than Benefit, and Stand Up seems like the much better realisation of that version of the band. Not sure why it doesn't grab me, but it just doesn't. I'll have to go and give it another listen. ------------- The damage that we do is just so powerfully strong we call it love The damage that we do just goes on and on and on but not long enough. --Robyn Hitchcock |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 17:31
| I've never thought much of it. It's not bad but always stuck me as kind of ho hum. Maybe I should revisit? |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 17:48
Well...I don't really rate many lp's as masterpieces no matter what the band is; people throw that word around too easily imho. I think 'Benefit' deserves over 4 stars here but it is only rated at 3.91. Imho it's better than 'Stand Up' regarding 'musical ideas' (though Stand Up has good songs they are basically blues rock) Benefit moves forward and some of it 'bleeds into' Aqualung if you listen to it. I have always thought TAAB is one of those overrated (there's that word again) albums. It's only two songs fleshed out into enough material to cover two sides and as many have pointed out was an inside joke by Anderson. It would be very interesting to see what lp's he likes by his own band and what he truly thinks of TAAB compared to the other well liked lp's.
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 18:44
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Let me cut to the chase, "Benefit" is my favorite Tull album. Whenever I hear a song from this album I think of high school. This is the album that brought me to Jethro Tull and has remained my favorite all of these years. |
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 19:00
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Posted By: BarryGlibb
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 19:59
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For those who think Benefit is not that great...well, I was in that camp as a 16 year-old (in 1974) listening to it for the first half a dozen times. I kept listening to it and really, it to me is a masterpiece and actually like it much better than Aqualung and to me it's just as good as Stand Up and even slightly better. With You There To Help Me 10/10 Nothing To Say 10/10 (The greatest unheralded track in Tull's entire catalogue) Alive And Well And Living In (UK album) 9/10 Teacher (US album) 10/10 Son 10/10 For Michael Collins; Jeffrey and Me 10/10 To Cry You A Song 9/10 A Time For Everything 8/10 Inside 9/10 Play In Time 8/10 Sossity; You're A Woman 10/10 Hmmm, this makes it my 2nd favourite Tull album with those ratings. Pete Pardo from Sea of Tranquillity actually has Benefit as his favourite Tull album...and I almost agree with him. Can't believe it is only rated 3.91 currently on PA. |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 20:08
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Tancos
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 22:39
| Stand Up is my favorite Tull, but I've listened to Benefit a lot over the years as well. After Cornick and Bunker were gone, I lost interest in the band. |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 28 2021 at 23:25
------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: March 01 2021 at 00:07
 Mmm mmm YES!------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: March 01 2021 at 04:33
Ok, after pondering all that was posted here by the Tull heads who love Benefit (and even Father Don Pardo from SOT), I gave Benefit another close listen and determined that it's a good album but it's still no Aqualung. 
------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: March 01 2021 at 09:44
Agreed...'Aqualung' is better, ... now that we have settled that......can we agree that TAAB and PP are self-indulgent overated albums...? ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: March 01 2021 at 09:46
| PP for sure, but TAAB is just too good |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: March 01 2021 at 11:17
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Posted By: Easy Money
Date Posted: March 01 2021 at 12:06
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Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: March 01 2021 at 12:19
------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: March 03 2021 at 15:00
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Teacher and Witches promise are two 1970 classics ------------- 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. |
Posted By: Cosmiclawnmower
Date Posted: March 03 2021 at 15:18
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I love Benefit; They were a very different band making that lp from the band that made Aqualung; not just line-up.. Aqualung is a much more sophisticated lp but Benefit is not a lesser album for that.. it has a simpler, rougher edged, more direct vibe and is a natural staging point between Stand up and Aqualung and feels similar to Family's 'Song for me' lp which came out the same year, a real rough diamond. ------------- |