TOO OLD TO ROCK 'N' ROLL: TOO YOUNG TO DIE!

'Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to die' is a concept record about an aging rock star (suivez mon regard...), who was finally not that old but Anderson was already 10 years in business, time to look back and get nostalgic. The record has a more rootsy down to earth Rock 'n Roll touch , but misses strong songs with good melodic material.

'Quizz Kid' is a good entry, a solid rocker without much surprise so, followed by 'Crazed Institution' a midtempo rocker with typical Tull flute and organ counterpoint and some brass, but again not really breathtaking.

Now, 'Salamander' is the first interesting track,a bluesy folk ballad, reminding Bert Jansch for the guitar work with athmospheric vocals and some flute work, the track misses only a stronger melody line.

'Taxi Grab' again a solid rocker with harmonica, slide guitar and some honky tonk piano., followed by 'From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser' a folk guitar ballad with a nice orchestration, delicate E-piano a jazzy sax solo, but again no hookline and no strong melody and the same thing could be said for 'Bad-Eyed and Loveless' another bluesy folk track, that does not take off.

'Big Dipper' again a solid rocker not unlike 'Locomotive Breath' with far less breath so.

Up to now I would have given only 2 stars, but the last three tracks are excellent :

'Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die' has all ingredients that makes Tull's fame,a slow rocker with a great melody and good arrangements for string and brass! 'Pied Piper' announces already 'Songs From The Wood' a great folk ballad, withe a nice secondary theme introduced by the E-piano and at last 'The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)' another delicate theme arranged for E-piano and strings.

A Tull record with some excellent tracks but unfortunately a majority of unsignificant tracks.