Favorite Jethro Tull album
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=68185
Printed Date: June 22 2025 at 00:25
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Topic: Favorite Jethro Tull album
Posted By: elder08
Subject: Favorite Jethro Tull album
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 14:26
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Okay my fav. is Songs From the Wood....I really wanted to know if anybody else agree's with me on that being they're fav. and if not what's yours? ------------- "There are people who say we [Pink Floyd] should make room for younger bands. That's not the way it works. They can make their own room."- David Gilmour |
Replies:
Posted By: Progist
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 14:29
Not a big fan of Songs From The Wood myself, I mean, It's OK, but doesn't blow me away. My fave is probably Aqualung (rather predictably) followed by Thick As A Brick. 
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Posted By: AbrahamSapien
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 14:34
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The highlights of SFTW are truly epic, but I think, that it has some flaws, that keep bothering me. Gonna give it a few more spins ... My personal favourite is A Passion Play - just love the way that the lyrics about a theatre play turn into the story of the Hare ... Pure brilliance. TAAB can't be compared since the themes there are repeating way too much. Otherwise APP is equal to Stand Up in my book, well, if I think again it would be hard to choose between these two ... Stand Up is funky, folkish (both combined geniously, but really geniuosly!!!), A Passion Play is full of dissonance, it's insane in the best meaning of the word. |
Posted By: friso
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 14:34
| I own a lot of Tull albums but non of them ever became a favorite. Somehow I always miss something in their music, though I can see the quality of it. Technically I find Thick as a Brick very rewarding, but Heavy Horses makes my girlfriend happy which is also nice. |
Posted By: CyberDiablo
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 14:37
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A Passion Play. It may be so underrated, but has awesome solos in the middle of it. (I'm listening it right now!)
------------- Music is some kind of art. -- Anonymous |
Posted By: TheOppenheimer
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 14:52
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My favourite is Aqualung, but I love the acoustic parts of Thick As A Brick, its hard to decide. ------------- //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// A veces es cuestión de esperar, y tomarte en silencio. |
Posted By: Tarquin Underspoon
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 15:06
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I will be predictable and boring and say that Thick as a Brick is leagues above anything else Tull ever did. ------------- "WAAAAAAOOOOOUGH! WAAAAAAAUUUUGGHHHH!! WAAAAAOOOO!!!" -The Great Gig in the Sky |
Posted By: SergiUriah
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 15:06
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THICK AS A BRICK, a masterpiece. ------------- http://img229.imageshack.us/i/bonfirma.jpg/"> 
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Posted By: Takeshi Kovacs
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 15:24
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TAAB. Really like Songs though. -------------  Open the gates of the city wide....
Check out my music taste: http://www.last.fm/user/TakeshiKovacs/ |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 15:36
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probably Benefit. No flute, but still my favorite Tull-track is To Cry You a Song ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: CyberDiablo
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 15:39
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Stand Up is pretty cool too. It's half progressive but it's still so nice.
------------- Music is some kind of art. -- Anonymous |
Posted By: CinemaZebra
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 15:46
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Tarquin Underspoon wrote:Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 15:52
Don't have Song for the Wood (yet), but I doubt it could beat the masterpiece of Thick As A Brick. I need to get some more Jethro Tull at some point. 
------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: CyberDiablo
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 15:56
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If you have listened the first albums and got bored, listen to "Too Old To Rock And Roll Too Young To Die".
------------- Music is some kind of art. -- Anonymous |
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 15:57
| A Passion Play is my favorite Tull album and Thick as a Brick (Pt 1) is my favorite Tull song and probably one of my all-time favorite songs. |
Posted By: CyberDiablo
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 16:06
A Passion Play! I don't like it's intro and outro also I find "The Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" annoying but, in the songs middle parts there are flute, guitar and organ solos. And that because it's my favourite album. (Also the lyrics!) ------------- Music is some kind of art. -- Anonymous |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 16:26
^ I've only listened to A Passion Play a handful of times... nothing about it's really grabbed me. I should probably give it a bit more attention at some point. And yes... The Hare Who Lost His Testicles is very annoying. 
-------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 16:58
| For me it's Passion Play followed by Thick as a Brick. Passion Play is just amazing stuff. Even with the silly Hare who Lost His Spectacles stuck in the middle, it is just a great album. The mix of heavy and soft, the lyrics, and the playing is just superb. |
Posted By: Lizzy
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 17:56
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All right guess I'm the odd one out here. Sure TAAB and APP are masterpieces of the genre, but my all time favourites are Stormwatch and Heavy Horses. |
Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 18:05
| A Passion Play for me, and while that album is excellent, Tull never made any albums that I would consider masterpieces. |
Posted By: SayYes
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 18:53
| Thick As A Brick |
Posted By: smellyoldbums
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 18:55
| a passion play, one of the best albums ever. |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 19:52
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Hi,
A PASSION PLAY
And it's also the last time that Ian was truly relevant and important. Minstrel in the Gallery, Songs from the Wood and a song here and there, in many ways are no longer as important, valid or creative. In fact, for the most part ... it's just a bunch of pop songs! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 20:01
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There are so many great ones, but Passion Play takes the cake. Best prog album ever. Runner up is Minstrel in the Gallery with honorable mentions for Heavy Horses and Benefit. (I guess I am just tired of Thick as a Brick) Songs From the Wood is not even in my top five, but I guess it has its moments. ------------- 
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Posted By: A Person
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 20:16
Pretty much this, I need to hear waaaay more Tull to be sure though. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 20:27
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Thick As A Brick is really the standout one for me. One of the best prog-rock records ever made. I Like A Passion Play alot as well.
To continue a top five: Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses, Minstreal In The Gallery. Thats perhaps changeable though. I find their debut and Stand Up quite excellent as well, not to mention Stormwatch and Warchild. Of course theres Aqualung as well...
As you can tell, I'm a fan.  ------------- 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: silcir
Date Posted: June 08 2010 at 20:31
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To put it simple, Every album until Stormwatch (included). what can i say, they're the best! |
Posted By: elder08
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 11:17
I really like the fact song from the wood actually sounds like someone playing songs in the woods (excluding the eletric guitar  )------------- "There are people who say we [Pink Floyd] should make room for younger bands. That's not the way it works. They can make their own room."- David Gilmour |
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 11:42
| Thick as a Brick is probably their masterpiece, but Heavy Horses is the one I play most often. |
Posted By: CyberDiablo
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 11:47
Poor castrated hare....   ------------- Music is some kind of art. -- Anonymous |
Posted By: Green Shield Stamp
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 12:06
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Stormwatch is my favourite. ------------- Haiku Writing a poem With seventeen syllables Is very diffic.... |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: June 09 2010 at 12:39
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SFTW has long been my favourite from the band, and I love that whole sequence of folkier albums that ended with Broadsword & The Beast. I really must get round to reviewing them one of these days.
------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Bitterblogger
Date Posted: June 14 2010 at 20:09
There wasn't a qualifier, so I'm going with Bursting Out.
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Posted By: progman2010
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 04:59
| Can't go past the super Living in the Past. But almost equally super are Thick as a brick, Heavy horses and Bursting out. I'm a big fan of the recent versions Stormwatch, Benefit and Warchild too. Warchild improves out of sight with the extra tracks |
Posted By: Geizao
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 07:34
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Thick As A Brick A Passion Play Heavy Horses Songs From The Wood |
Posted By: Ronnie Pilgrim
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 09:38
So many others on this site have said the same thing. I will just have to check it out before I can reply.
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Posted By: MFP
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 15:52
| A Passion Play for me. |
Posted By: Lizzy
Date Posted: June 15 2010 at 15:57
Yes! Do it! So many unreleased gems among those bonus tracks! I particularly like the orchestration on Warchild, as well as on TOTRARTYTD. I have no idea why so many people dislike them. I know they both have the same problem: not solid overall albums; but Ian's vocals and the orchestration are amazing! |
Posted By: progman2010
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 05:28
Here's the tracks. I'll put a star next to the best songs. You'll see the extra tracks are mainly the best tracks
 Movie Soundtrack
War Child *
Queen and Country * Ladies Back-Door Angels Sealion Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day * Bungle in the Jungle Only Solitaire * The Third Hoorah Two Fingers Bonus tracks
Warchild Waltz *
Quartet * Paradise Steakhouse * Sealion 2 * Rainbow Blues * Glory Row * Saturation *  |
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 13:27
I was listening to Side Two of TAAB last night. Odd, disjointed, but respectable. Passion Play was an improvement, and it remains my No. 1.
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Posted By: CyberDiablo
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 13:31
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Wow! I thought A Passion Play was always underrated. ------------- Music is some kind of art. -- Anonymous |
Posted By: Klogg
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 19:50
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I go with the ones that no one thinks are masterpieces: Stand up Benefit Heavy Horses Songs from the Woods |
Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: June 16 2010 at 20:12
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^ I think two of those are masterpieces
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Posted By: caretaker
Date Posted: June 18 2010 at 08:06
| Thick as a Brick for me but I love Songs. I'm going to listen to it right now. |
Posted By: Guitarman1
Date Posted: June 22 2010 at 06:37
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What I love about Tull is there mix of genres. They have melodic song-genre, a rock 'n' roll-genre, meaningsfull lyrics-genre, prog-rock-genre, concept albums and diffrent albums represent different side of their talents. What unites all there music is Andersons Voice and famous flute sound.
Early albums blending Ian Andersons acoustic guitar with heavy guitar-riffing from Martin Barre in short songs. These Albums are "Benefit" and- "Aqualung" from 1970+71. Very good songs and most of the songs are seen as classics and is dusted off and played at most concerts since recording.
Then there is 2 "concept-abums" "Thick As A Brick" and "Passion Play" with its more reaccuring themes than songs and in a progg mode. Also very high quality and fans favorites.
After the critique of Passion Play Ian goes back to more song-orientated albums - "War Child" and "Minstrel In The Gallery" - many classic songs with trademark mix of acoustic and electric passages with the famous flute on top.
With "Songs from the Wood" Anderson change the songs to a more acoustic mode in a more english folkmusic-style and les electric music. The next album "Heavy Horses" is in the same mood as "Wood".
After The live-album "Bursting Out" from the "Wood"-Tour, the albums continue the mix of folkie and electric songs and still in high quality to this day, although the last album of new material is J-Tull Dot Com from 1999.
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Posted By: deafmoon
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 07:53
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Favorite Tull is a tough choice. Hmmm. I'll go with Minstrel In The Gallery. Baker Street Muse and Minstrel are freakin' awesome! ------------- Deafmoon |
Posted By: Ronnie Pilgrim
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 09:23
Duh Still
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Posted By: silcir
Date Posted: June 27 2010 at 14:37
| thick as a brick |
Posted By: Drummerboy
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 14:49
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Songs From the Wood wins.
Besides the classics, I really Like Broadsword in some odd way.
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Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 14:51
Always has been my favorite Tull. ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">  
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Posted By: Tengent
Date Posted: June 28 2010 at 15:29
| Stand Up was the first rock CD I bought and I still adore it. Thick As a Brick is pretty good, but that's all the proggy JT I've listened to. I guess I should listen to Songs From The Wood. |
Posted By: cannon
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 11:31
| Tull's first album "This Was" with guitarist Mick Abrahams. More of a blues/jazz rock than thier following releases. Abrahams left after the album and formed Blodwyn Pig and released Ahead Rings Out which is a classic. |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: July 04 2010 at 11:35
Same here. |
Posted By: sgt wilko
Date Posted: July 05 2010 at 04:16
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The first Tull albumn I heard was Minstrel in The Gallery at a mates house about a thousand years ago when we were spotty youths. That has remained my fave Tull albumn ever since.
Stand Up and Aqualung would complete my top 3.
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Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: August 21 2010 at 18:36
Probably true, not even Thick as a brick is without it´s "flaws" I think I´ll go with A passion play, but Songs from the woods is a second ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: August 21 2010 at 20:49
| My favourite is Thick As A Brick, with Aqualung a close second |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 01:25
| TAAB remains my favourite. It used to be a shoo in for my favourite prog albums. Now, I find that part 2 takes a long time to take off and even after it does, the momentum of part 1 never returns. It's still a lot better than Devil Doll or Green Carnation, speaking of nearly hour long excursions. But this then puts them in fourth place behind KC, Genesis and Gentle Giant for me in the prog table. |
Posted By: resurrection
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 01:56
| The two best Tull albums are Benefit and Stand up; yet the best Tull band was the band on This Was |
Posted By: ZowieZiggy
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 05:00
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My trilogy is "Aqualung", "TAAB" and "Minstrel". All have received five stars in my reviews. ------------- ZowieZiggy |
Posted By: O666
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 05:30
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1- Warchild (specially for Back-Door Angles)
2- Thick as a Brick
3- Passion Play
4- Aqualang
5- Living In The Past
I love "Black sunday" in "A" album but I cant say "A" is masterpiece and some songs in "J TULL.COM " is briliant.
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Posted By: sydbarrett2010
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 06:22
| aqualung |
Posted By: dtd350
Date Posted: August 22 2010 at 09:38
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I only own Aqualung but I want to get more. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/dtd350 |
Posted By: KingCrInuYasha
Date Posted: September 26 2010 at 22:29
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Thick As A Brick. Honorable mentions: Stand Up, Aqualung, Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses ------------- He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball! |
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: September 27 2010 at 04:43
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Best band of all time no doubt.
What other band has quality songs like these in the 70s?
1970-teacher, witches promise, just trying to be, sossity, to cry you a song
1971-aqualung, cross eyed mary, life is a long song, up the pool, wondring again
1972-thick as a brick
1973-a passion play
1974-warchild, saturation, glory row, queen and country, skating away, sealion part 2
1975-summerday sands, one white duck, baker st muse
1976-strip cartoon, salamander, pied piper, chequered flag
1977-whistler, fire at midnight, jack in the green, cup of wonder
1978-acres wild, mouse police, rover, one brown mouse, moths
1979-north sea oil, drun ringill, cross word, elegy, dark ages
1980-fylingdale flyer, uniform, and further on, pine martens jig
Thick as a brick is my fave
 |
Posted By: Ruby900
Date Posted: September 27 2010 at 04:48
------------- "I always say that it’s about breaking the rules. But the secret of breaking rules in a way that works is understanding what the rules are in the first place". Rick Wakeman |
Posted By: Progatron
Date Posted: September 27 2010 at 08:21
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"A Passion Play", but I love them all with the exception of most of "Too Old To RNR". ------------- Genesis/Yes/Rush/Marillion/VDGG&PH/The Flower Kings/Zappa/Änglagård/Wobbler/PFM/Banco/Le Orme/Jethro Tull/Spock's Beard/Transatlantic/Ayreon/Beardfish/IQ/Dream Theater/Opeth/P.Tree/Arena/Camel/Kaipa! |
Posted By: Lozlan
Date Posted: September 27 2010 at 11:01
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Oh, lord. Too many favorites. Let's just go by decade: 70's: Thick as a Brick. I know it's the standby masterpiece, but I just can't conceive of a more cohesive, imaginative 45-minute song. Prog perfection. HM to every other album released this decade. 80's: A. I really, really enjoy this album, actually. Wonderful mesh of 70's and 80's sensibility, with some of Ian's best and most memorable vocal lines. 90's: I'm a huge J-Tull.com fan, and Roots to Branches is lovely, but I really have to go with Catfish Rising. I love the laid-back blues jamming, and Ian just sounded swell on this release. Sparrow On the Schoolyard Wall is an absolute fav. ------------- Certified Obscure Prog Fart. http://scottjcouturier.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow - The Loose Palace of Exile - My first novel, The Mask of Tamrel, now available on Amazon and Kindle |
Posted By: GY!BE
Date Posted: September 27 2010 at 17:49
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I own TAAB in vinyl and it's truly a mesterpiece but Aqualung is not far from it.
------------- It is all a dream, a dream in death... |
Posted By: The_Jester
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 18:19
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The best of all Jethro Tull album seems to be A Passion Play for me. It's rich in prog rock and darkness. |
Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 08 2010 at 00:35
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Just dropping by to plug my HILARIOUS Jethro Tull parody Songs From The Wood over in here:
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts/.asp?TID=72022 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts/.asp?TID=72022
Yes that's right! It's HILARIOUS!
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Posted By: Slothz
Date Posted: October 09 2010 at 11:00
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Catfish Rising but I have only listened to 2 or so albums. =/ ------------- Where's your will to be weird? |
Posted By: Agentorange
Date Posted: October 09 2010 at 16:33
| For me it's the folk rock trio: Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses and Stormwatch. I also am very fond of ( takes deep breath and ducks for cover ) Crest of a Knave |
Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 11 2010 at 05:49
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I believe I already threw my hat into the ring with A Passion Play but now relistening to my Tull discog, I think I'll change my answer to A Minstrel In The Gallery.
Thing is, as good as APP is, it has The Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles and you can talk about its thematic significance all day long but the fact is, musically speaking, it stops the album in its tracks and I find myself waiting for it to be over.
AMITG on the other hand is totally good, front to back, even more so than Aqualung.
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Posted By: finjuanican
Date Posted: October 15 2010 at 13:17
| Thick As A Brick followed by passion play (and those followed by songs from the wood and heavy horses :D) |
Posted By: michellemjk
Date Posted: October 15 2010 at 14:08
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../album.asp?id=8800 - A Classic Case...I thought the band is symphonic band because of this album. |
Posted By: himtroy
Date Posted: October 15 2010 at 16:00
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For the longest time I couldn't get past Thick as a Brick being my favorite, though I'd always loved Songs From the Wood, Heavy Horses, Benefit, A Passion Play, and Storm Watch. However I am proud to announce that Benefit has recently become my favorite. And it will probably stay there for quite a while. I love the flow of the album, and Nothing to Say and To Cry You a Song might be my favorite Tull songs. For some reason I've never cared much for Aqualung. It's good, but not up to their standards, and it mystifies me why it's so popular rather than much of their other great albums/songs. What the hell is wrong with me, I have the most recent post in the top three topics in this area....
------------- Which of you to gain me, tell, will risk uncertain pains of hell? I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance. |
Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: October 15 2010 at 20:41
| I've always thought AMITG is much more folky than Stormwatch. To me, the "folk trilogy" is AMITG, Songs From The Wood and Heavy Horses. |
Posted By: Intruder
Date Posted: October 15 2010 at 23:27
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My faves are the first two albums....love that bluesy fuzz-toned guitar and Anderson was never more in the Roland Kirk mode.
I dig the Tull and everything they put out from the beginning until around Heavy Horses....that's where I get off the boat. ------------- I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there..... |
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: October 15 2010 at 23:57
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But your new shoes are worn at the heels... ------------- |
Posted By: Varon
Date Posted: October 16 2010 at 14:19
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IMO Jethro Tull is one of two progbands (+ELP with Brain salad) that created 1 Great MASTERPICE and other albums are veryvery good but far from Thick as a Brick . ------------- Would you catch the final words of mine? Would you catch my words??? |
Posted By: Drummerboy
Date Posted: October 18 2010 at 10:56
The albums before Aqualung and then Brick kind of remind me of the Who pre-Tommy: they were looking for their voice, and found it in massive hits that moved them in other directions. Stand Up and Benefit are both charming. Songs From the Wood represents the best of their middle period, and dare it say it, Crest of a Knave appeals too; it is called variously "Eurpoean" and "symphonic", by IA himself if I'm not mistaken.
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Posted By: Green Shield Stamp
Date Posted: October 18 2010 at 11:51
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Stormwatch is my favourite. Not sure if I can construct an argument to validate my opinion other than saying.......I really like the tunes! ------------- Haiku Writing a poem With seventeen syllables Is very diffic.... |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: October 18 2010 at 12:00
| Hard to choose. Stand up, for very personal reasons, but unlike most people in this forum, I like them all. Each album has a different appeal, mood, and place in Tull's history. I tried not to be a fanatic, but their music really appeals to me, and there's not much I can do about it. |