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Dr Clovenhoof 
Forum Newbie
Joined: April 13 2009
Location: Manchester, UK
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Points: 23
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 Posted: March 10 2010 at 04:47 |
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This has probably been done to death now but hey. If you like the folkier stuff then I agree Heavy horses or possibly Broadsword, but if you are a fan of the earler bluesy album then don't overlook 'Stand Up'
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Existence is no advantage!
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Ronnie Pilgrim
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 09 2010
Location: The South of TX
Status: Offline
Points: 771
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Posted: March 17 2010 at 21:24 |
Edited by Ronnie Pilgrim - March 18 2010 at 06:21
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Ronnie Pilgrim
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 09 2010
Location: The South of TX
Status: Offline
Points: 771
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Posted: March 18 2010 at 06:20 |
 Dr Clovenhoof wrote:
If you like the folkier stuff then I agree Heavy horses or possibly Broadsword, but if you are a fan of the earler bluesy album then don't overlook 'Stand Up' |
But is this not a progressive rock forum?
I'm amending my answer: the three musts are A Passion Play, Thick as a Brick, and Living in the Past.
Here are my reasons.
Living in the Past contains "Life's a Long Song," the first recording by the Anderson/Evans/Hammond/Barlow/Barre line up. It also contains a great sampling of the music that brought them to this point in their evolution.
Thick is a Brick was the first full album with this line up of musicians. I believe that Ian had, not coincidentally, assembled the musicians he was most comfortable with, and the result was pure prog. All of them except Barre cut their musical teeth together in the John Evan Band in the 60's. Ian split with 3 different musicians and became wrapped up in the London Blues scene. He later admitted that when he sang African American music, it was not real (for him). The successive departures of Abrams, Cornick, and Bunker were the final nails in the coffin of that style of music for Tull. Don't get me wrong - it had its moments. But my contention is that what we now know as the "progressive" rock to which Tull contributed finally took off when the "blues" style was abandoned completely.
A Passion Play is arguably the best prog album ever. It does take a bit more effort from the listener at first - even for me, and I saw it live. But Ian had been thumbing his nose at the rock critics for years, and with this album he inadvertently delivered them the knife with which to cut his own nuts off. One listen and they savaged it for what, if they had come to know it better, they might have seen as its innovation and creativity. No band recovers completely from a beating such as this (remember the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour?)
After that, only a few songs are worthy of serious consideration: "Skating Away" (also recorded for A Passion Play but held back for Warchild). "Minstrel in the Gallery" (does anybody else hear Hocus Pocus' "Focus" in Barre's intro?) is a nice "hard-prog" piece (if there is such a thing - maybe that's another forum). But I truly believe Ian was trying to regain his footing after the events of 1973 and, as much as I love some of his output, I speculate that he is a shrewd business man as well, and selling records is his main motivation. Then Hammond put down his bass, never to play again. 
I went a different direction musically, so these are my thoughts and feelings after many years removed from those times. I only now know that much of what I listened to as I was coming of age is called progressive rock. As an amateur musician (keyboards, guitars, harmonicas) I would probably say now that my all time favorite band is Steely Dan. But I have an interest in A Passion Play because, like my little brother when he got picked on by a bully, I want to defend him because I love him dearly.
Edited by Ronnie Pilgrim - March 18 2010 at 19:03
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PROGMONSTER2008
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 09 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 610
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Posted: March 18 2010 at 17:42 |
Ronnie Pilgrim wrote:
Dr Clovenhoof wrote:
If you like the folkier stuff then I agree Heavy horses or possibly Broadsword, but if you are a fan of the earler bluesy album then don't overlook 'Stand Up' |
But is this not a progressive rock forum?
I'm amending my answer: the three musts are A Passion Play, Thick as a Brick, and Living in the Past.
Here are my reasons.
Living in the Past contains "Life's a Long Song," the first recording by the Anderson/Evans/Hammond/Barlow/Barre line up. It also contains a great sampling of the music that brought them to this point in their evolution.
Thick is a Brick was the first full album with this line up of musicians. I believe that Ian had, not coincidentally, assembled the musicians he was most comfortable with, and the result was pure prog. All of them except Barre cut their musical teeth together in the John Evan Band in the 60's. Ian split with 3 different musicians and became wrapped up in the London Blues scene. He later admitted that when he sang African American music, it was not real (for him). The successive departures of Abrams, Cornick, and Bunker were the final nails in the coffin of that style of music for Tull. Don't get me wrong - it had its moments. But my contention is that what we now know as the "progressive" rock to which Tull contributed finally took off when the "blues" style was abandoned completely.
A Passion Play is arguably the best prog album ever. It does take a bit more effort from the listener at first - even for me, and I saw it live. But Ian had been thumbing his nose at the rock critics for years, and with this album he inadvertently delivered them the knife with which to cut his own nuts off. One listen and they savaged it for what, if they had come to know it better, they might have seen as its innovation and creativity. No band recovers completely from a beating such as this (remember the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour?)
After that, only a few songs are worthy of serious consideration: "Skating Away" (also recorded for A Passion Play but held back for Warchild). "Minstrel in the Gallery" (does anybody else hear Hocus Pocus' "Focus" in Barre's intro?) is a nice "hard-prog" piece (if there is such a thing - maybe that's another forum). But I truly believe Ian was trying to regain his footing after the events of 1973 and, as much as I love some of his output, I really think he is a shrewd business man as well, and selling records is his main motivation.
Then Hammond put down his bass, never to play again.
I went a different direction musically, so these are my thoughts and feelings after many years removed from those times. I only now know that much of what I listened to as I was coming of age is now called progressive rock. As an amateur musician (keyboards, guitars, harmonicas) I would probably say now that my all time favorite band is Steely Dan. But I have an interest in A Passion Play because, like my little brother when he got picked on by a bully, I want to defend him because I love him dearly. |
Living in the past, Thick as a brick, Bursting out, Heavy horses are my Big 4 Tull releases. Plenty of great folk prog and heavy prog. Can't go wrong with such genius melody. Warchild remaster is probably next in line with almost 2 albums 1. Firstly you have the original soundtrack album which is made to be slightly on the pop side, then you have all the bonus tracks which are the true tull prog related 4 minute tracks. There's about 7 bonus tracks and 3 original tracks which would made a great follow up to A passion play. Plenty of sax in these songs and some accordion too. 
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Ronnie Pilgrim
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 09 2010
Location: The South of TX
Status: Offline
Points: 771
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Posted: March 19 2010 at 20:50 |
PROGMONSTER2008 wrote:
There's about 7 bonus tracks and 3 original tracks which would made a great follow up to A passion play. Plenty of sax in these songs and some accordion too.
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What a curious position for someone to take who does not even list A Passion Play in his top five Jethro Tull albums. So, is the Warchild reissue your number five pick because it carries on the spirit of one of their albums you do not really care for? Or is A Passion Play your number six pick, it's just that the Warchild reissue is better than A Passion Play after you disregard most of the original content of Warchild and replace it with "bonus" content? And what was the point of quoting my whole post and then not even referencing any of the positions I supported?
Edited by Ronnie Pilgrim - March 19 2010 at 21:29
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Progologue
Forum Groupie
Joined: July 14 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 58
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Posted: March 20 2010 at 03:10 |
Ronnie Pilgrim wrote:
PROGMONSTER2008 wrote:
There's about 7 bonus tracks and 3 original tracks which would made a great follow up to A passion play. Plenty of sax in these songs and some accordion too.
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What a curious position for someone to take who does not even list A Passion Play in his top five Jethro Tull albums. So, is the Warchild reissue your number five pick because it carries on the spirit of one of their albums you do not really care for? Or is A Passion Play your number six pick, it's just that the Warchild reissue is better than A Passion Play after you disregard most of the original content of Warchild and replace it with "bonus" content? And what was the point of quoting my whole post and then not even referencing any of the positions I supported? |
I'm just saying that I agree that Living in the past and Thick as a brick up are there with Tulls great releases. A passion play is very good too but Tull have many great releases. I think Heavy horses and Bursting deserve to be up there with the best. As with many I wasn't a huge fan of the original Warchild soundtrack, but I really enjoy the bonus tracks and see the difference between soundtrack songs and non soundtrack songs. The bonus tracks sound like tull songs i'd expect, but the original album is specifically on the more commercial side and made to suit a certain movie, so they aren't quite the usual songs Ian would write. But the remaster is a real bonus and has lots of great stuff. I'm also very fond of Stormwatch, A, Songs from the wood and more 
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Ronnie Pilgrim
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 09 2010
Location: The South of TX
Status: Offline
Points: 771
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Posted: March 20 2010 at 07:49 |
Progologue wrote:
I'm just saying that I agree that Living in the past and Thick as a brick up are there with Tulls great releases. |
That's cool. It's all about the music you enjoy. I wasn't sure which part of my long-winded statement you were referring to. Keep on truckin' 
Edited by Ronnie Pilgrim - March 20 2010 at 07:54
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What Jethro Tull album do I need?
