WAR CHILD

This is where it started going downhill for Jethro Tull. While I don't really dislike this album, it's a big disappointment, as, apart from a few pretty weak songs, even the good tunes are drenched in over-arrangements and canned production. I like stringed instruments, and I'm very respectful of David Palmer's contributions to Jethro Tull's songs, but, for me, from this album onwards the strings are so overused that the result is cheesy at best. I really wouldn't mind 'Bungle in The Jungle' (even if you can't call it a Tull classic) if it weren't for that string orchestra harassing an entertaining hard rock track like a Hun cavalry unit. The only arrangement novelty I liked is the introduction of the accordion to some tracks, such as 'Skating Away (On The Thin Ice Of A New Day)', which is indeed a Tull classic, and 'Queen And Country' (which is a weakish song, in my opinion). 'Only Solitaire' (although it makes much more sense when listened to in the context of the 'Chateau D'Isaster Tapes', released on the Nightcap compilation), the title track, 'Back Door Angels' and 'Two Fingers' are all fine songs, but not much more (mainly thanks to, you've guessed it, arrangement and production!). This is also the last Jethro Tull album to feature the saxophone (mostly alto this time), since Ian Anderson would give up the instrument for good the following year.

Two stars for this one, as fans will probably give it enough spins to see that there is more worth listening to on this album than it would seem.