LIVE - BURSTING OUT

Jethro Tull's 1978 live album Bursting Out is one of those rare and fantastic live albums where the sound and energy are so fantastic that many the tracks eclipse their studio counterparts, where the guitars are louder and heavier and the drums are harder and more forceful.

Bursting Out finds the band on tour supporting their Heavy Horses album and as such contains an absolute wealth of material that fans of the band's work from the 1970s will love, representing most of their albums up to that point with at least one track and delivering a lot of the classics side by side.

Highlights include an astounding twelve minute rendition of 'Thick As A Brick,' as well as the louder and heavier versions of 'Sweet Dream,' 'No Lullaby,' and 'A New Day Yesterday,' however the whole record is absolutely essential listening.

In addition to the harder rock moments, like 'Cross Eyed Mary,' and 'Hunting Girl,' there are acoustic favourites like 'Jack In The Green,' 'One Brown Mouse,' and 'Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day,' that work brilliantly along side the heavier tracks and also both a big Flute solo and Drum solo to display the member's immense talents? not that everyone wasn't doing that anyway adding great flourishes of exemplary musicianship throughout the proceedings.

The performance is absolutely phenomenal with big exciting drum fills, creative guitar solos and Ian's usual astounding Flute and Vocal work on a particularly high standard here.

Overall, Bursting Out is a fantastic live record, a great representation of the band's 1970s progressive period and would serve as a fine introduction to the band indeed for potential fans. It is one of the best Jethro Tull albums period. If you like Jethro Tull at all then get yourself a copy.