WAR CHILD

Truth be told, this is the best album spanning the gap between Thick as a Brick and Songs from the Wood. Not all the songs may be incredibly progressive, the folk aspect might be downplayed a bit, the flute a little low in the mix, and the vocal melodies sometimes a bit uncreative, but if you want to pick up an interesting and entertaining Jethro Tull album from the mid 70s, there truly is nowhere else to look. The songs might be a bit unimaginative, honestly; however, what they lack in raw originality they make up for in quality hooks and wonderful band interplay. Also of note are the clever keyboard arrangements throughout, which in conjunction with Ian's flute prove that this is not remotely a normal rock album.

Tracks of note come pretty thick. The title track is a high quality rocker in the vein of Living in the Past. I enjoy listening to the next three tracks quite a bit, though as far as reviewing goes, suffice to say they are good tracks but nothing terribly inspiring or creatively remarkable. Sealion has a wonderful vocal melody and band sound, with a wry sense of humor pouring out of Ian's voice. Skating Away is an odder song, but it nevertheless is one of those you'll get stuck in your head for a long time. The album's major single, Bungle in the Jungle, features some intense flute and keyboard sounds, providing a lot of depth and power to what might just be an average track otherwise. The Third Hoorah is built on some terrific instrumentation, including bagpipes. The folk is very strong for this song in particular.

Overall, a fairly average release, but on the high side nevertheless. This one is wavering on the edge of four stars by way of recommendation. Do not get the impression that this is a terrible transition album by Jethro Tull. It may not be a prog rock masterpiece, but it certainly is a great album by a bunch of prog rock masters. Any fan of Tull needs to own this.

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