JETHRO TULL

Once upon a time, this live recording from Jethro Tull was put out as a bonus for the 2010 reissue of Stand Up. This was an incongruous matchup, truth told - it was captured late in the Benefit tour, just as the group was about to enter the studio and bring forth Aqualung, and given how rapidly Tull's musical style was developing at the time this means that it would make an incongruous pairing with Stand Up.

The more recent deluxe rereleases of Stand Up has resorted to a different live recording to spruce up its offer (a 1969 performance), leaving this orphaned - but never fear, the band put it out as a standalone release for Record Store Day. It's a solid performance from a year when Tull were absolutely on fire onstage - the Nothing Is Easy live release of their Isle of Wight Festival appearance, or the two live appearances from Chicago and Tanglewood which made their way onto the recent deluxe release of Benefit, are proof positive of that. This has some moments of weak sound, but otherwise further documents a rich era for the group. Worth it if you can't get enough of 1970-vintage Tull, and given how fine that year was for them there's probably a good many people that description applies to.

A show from late in the American leg of the Heavy Horses tour in 1978. Tony Williams fills in for John Glascock on bass, Glascock battling the health issues which would become fatal in 1979, and the setlist is adjusted to account for part of the show being broadcast live via satellite. Despite this, the band are in fine form, with an intriguing extended instrumental break between Locomotive Breath and Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll adding spice even for seasoned Tull fanatics (of which I absolutely am one). Most Tull fans will already have Bursting Out, from around the same time period, but if you want even more live fun from this era of the band then this will do wonderfully.

Kicking off with a powerful take on My Sunday Feeling to remind everyone of Jethro Tull's bluesier earliest days before launching into more progressive material (including, in the form of My God, a teaser of Aqualung), this live set is derived from the legendary 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, where Tull shared the stage with the likes of the Moody Blues and Jimi Hendrix. In the early 1970s we'd lose Jimi and the Moody Blues, whilst they'd keep going, would cease to be at the spearhead of progressive rock - it would be the likes of Tull who'd end up on the front line there, and with this set they proved their ability both to be progressive AND to rock - a balance which few bands of the era would strike as effectively as Ian Anderson and company. If some of the lead progressive acts of the 1960s were laying down their crowns around 1970, Tull were in the process of forging their own.

If you have the recent expansive Benefit boxed set with the live sets from Tanglewood and Chicago, you already know how hot the band were live at this point in time - but if that set is too pricey for your pockets, or you already have it but can't get enough of the sound Tull had in 1970, you'll likely want this. And if, for whatever reason, you've been snoozing on live Jethro Tull... wake up! Tull were one of the greatest live acts of the prog age and the only disadvantage this set has over the likes of, say, Bursting Out, is that Bursting Out came later, so the band had a much larger repertoire of absolutely top-notch songs to choose from than when they put this out.

Incredible album! Songs From the Wood showed that, after a period of somewhat unsatisfying output, Jethro Tull could still make quality music. The song combines the extremely progressive elements of Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play with a simpler and more concise style to create a masterpiece of progressive folk. This album in particular was Jethro Tull's first true Progressive Folk album. Though Folk had always been one of Tull's main influences, which showed in their common use of acoustic guitars and flutes, it was on Songs From the Wood that this influence truly began to define the band. The songs on the album vary in direct style, from the short and sweet "Jack-In-The-Green" and "Fire At Midnight" to the longer, heavier, and more technical "Songs From the Wood" and "Pibroch (Cap In Hand)," as well as many other excellent tracks. Overall, though this album is not quite as good as Thick as a Brick, Tull's classic, it definitely tops their other earlier famous albums, such as Aqualung. Whether you are attempting to complete a Jethro Tull collection or you are simply looking for more Progressive Rock and Folk masterpieces, this album definitely fits all of the criteria.

As is often the case, I can take or leave the "associated recordings" in these deluxe sets, but the Steven Wilson tune-up of the original studio album is grand and there's a wonderful live set presented. Here, it doesn't present one single gig, but instead assembles a wonderful setlist out of a clutch of performances in Germany in late April 1982, with the fresh new Broadsword material given a fresh live rendition which overcomes some of the chilliness of the studio versions. The performances of older material are also wonderful - the band by this point had such an expansive and wonderful repertoire that any particular cross-section of their work yields absolute magic, and the song selection here fits the atmospheric vibe of the Broadsword album wonderfully.

Another super remix set. The bonus tracks sound alot better without the reverb. Inverness Sleeper is an excellent new track. The album sounds slightly better too. A great double album worth plus a few more extra tracks. Similar with the Stormwatch, Aqualung, Warchild sets. Heaps of excellent extra songs. No other band matches Tull for amount of quality material. Astounding band and the only band in history to have this expansive book set collection and there's a reason for it. They're the ultimate band always combining prog elements with their music. Ian the genius deserves to relax in his giant mansion while new fans discover this amazing band

OK, so this is the second album from Jethro Tull within the last 15 months, when it had been nearly 20 since their previous album before The Zealot Gene (2022). Overall, this new one is a fair bit better than Zealot Gene, with great flute work and some really nice instrumental sections. But I think it still falls into a similar category, in that it is a good album, but not great. It is fine, and quite pleasant to listen to, but not much more than that. Many quite nice melodies and arrangements, but never quite takes off. Reportedly, this album was originally intended to be an all instrumental album, featuring the flute, but then Ian became fascinated with Norse mythology and wanted to incorporate that into his songs, which resulted in some new songs and vocals added to previously existing ones. However, the vocals are the weakest part of the album, and I think at least some of the songs should have been kept as instrumentals, particularly Cornucopia and Guardian's Watch, as the vocal sections are not really needed and actually detract from the inherent beauty of the songs. And although the backing tracks and arrangements are better here than the last album, I still don't hear a real band, it still seems like another Ian Anderson solo album (which is fine, but it's not fully Tull). Another oddity here is that Anderson's wonderful acoustic guitar work is completely missing from this album, nowhere to be found. Not sure if this is one I will come back to very often, but it is an enjoyable listen and worth checking out. However, it is quite telling that although this album only came out a couple months ago, it already seems to be virtually forgotten, which doesn't bode well for it achieving classic status. Best Tracks: Wolf Unchained, The Perfect One, The Trickster (And the Mistletoe), The Navigators, Cornucopia. Rating: 3 stars.

JETHRO TULL is part of a dinosaur monster inscribed in the musical unconscious. He publishes his 24th album on his folk, world, country, prog rock vein; after his debut in 1967, a hiatus from 2012 to 2016 during which his guitarist Martin BARRE left, the vocalist Ian ANDERSON with his legendary nasal voice and his magic flute quickly had the talent to compose a world, classical, bluesy melting pot more than progressive. A unique sound that differentiates it from others, which influenced the generous OVERHEAD for example. This album is about Nordic paganism and is meant to be a message of cultural and musical beauty.

"Voluspo" intro with breath and Icelandic Birna phrasing, allusion to Ragnarok for a divine appetizer of Ian's flute; phrasing of Ian on a heavy riff; the flute is efficient, airy and dark, mystical, well in place and almost makes you forget Joe's solo which does not make you forget those of Martin. "Ginnungagap" pity that the title is not linked because we are dealing here with a second intro; a track that immediately lays the foundations of the album with Ian's voice poised, his flute forward; you have to like it we agree but it is their musical sign, in short a cozy bucolic folk rock. 'Allfather' follows on a fresh air where the notes unroll easily, a consensual piece not prog, except the rambling of said flute which brings back to CAMEL, OVERHEAD his heavy spiritual son and to themselves. Joe has a nice touch there. "The Feathered Consort" leaves on a medieval tune, folk of yesteryear, madrigal with a keyboard present to keep in mind that we are well in 2023, the flute in the final always. 'Hammer on Hammer' and the bis flute; it looks like JETHRO TULL from before with a nice fight between flute and guitar on a catchy bluesy soft rock tune that may lack heavy energy. 'Wolf Unchained' energy presents here finally with the cry of the wolf raising the dozing heavy bangers; an air with a calm rhythm giving rise to the best flute solo in my opinion; surely the other instruments are also doing everything to put this spirit without a doubt; small melodic progressive slope very singular and recognizable; longest title and almost too much, repetitive.

"The Perfect One" attacks the second side, yes let's regress a bit; do not hesitate there will be the CD, the LP, the collector, the Blu-Ray, the whole panoply; yet another beautiful title which sounds a tad like the previous one; oh no the flute gets carried away, rolls here before Joe's solo which differs well from those of Martin, yes still my weakness for him. Final' flautist eyeing the tubular sounds of OLDFIELD. "Trickster (and the Mistletoe)" for the intermission and the characteristic Irish jig, go take your arms and move even if Ian remains too muffled behind his tone of voice, sparkling piece which finally rises, a little too much late. 'Cornucopia' arrives offering a bucolic, pastoral nursery rhyme, the Lord of the Rings thing when everyone comes home; beautiful, conventional, yet restful; it's beautiful but used, very / too calibrated I would say. 'The Navigators' for the second long track of more than 4 minutes, just to inform about the very relative progressive atmosphere; a foot-stomping tune, a feel-good heavy riff bordering on melodic rock sprinkled with soft folk metal; in 1970 I will have understood the word heavy, there I put a flat; the most nervous and electro synth. "Guardian's Watch" baroque intro worthy of a CANDICE NIGHT. A second fluty madrigal that could pass for a new age dance at the time of royalty; Ian's vocals reminded me of BOWIE's on 'Scary Monsters'; the most progressive piece with flute integrated into the keyboards and mandolin, on an overboosted RONDO VENEZIANO. Bucolic 'Ithavoll', on a serenade; the air goes on a good baroque rock where the Icelandic voice brings back to 'Voluspo' and the final breath confirms, the good side is prog but it's a bit short. A radio edit of 'The Navigators' brings nothing new.

JETHRO TULL is 'already' releasing a sequel on the same musical concept; short titles that would have deserved to be chained and to see a real progressive current in them; here the compositions are beautiful, effective but remain in a register of deja vu; folklore, flute, some too short passages with keyboards and guitars, too far back. An opus for retirees in need of noise, aggressive rhythm, an album to rest where Ian shows the limit of his voice reached. For hardcore fans. (3.5)

While The Zealot Gene was a decent record in its own right, I'm glad that it also served as a launchpad for Jethro Tull's overall resurgence. After all, prior to that album, we hadn't gotten a new record from them in nearly 20 years - and the handful of records they left off with were' not their greatest, let's say. So it's exciting to see them put their newfound momentum to good use, even if it's clear that their best days are behind them. And folks, let me tell you: R'kFl'te might just be the best Tull record since the early 80s. That's not to say that it doesn't have issues - and I'll address those in due time - but this new offering is the band's most inspired effort in several decades.

Unlike The Zealot Gene, which saw frontman Ian Anderson tackling more modern, relevant sociopolitical issues, R'kFl'te takes us into the realms of Norse paganism and mythology. The album title reflects this as well, as the 'R'k' in R'kFl'te refers to the famous mythological event Ragnar'k. So it's pretty safe to say that the Norse theming and imagery runs through much of the record, and indeed it does - and as if to match the concept itself, the music is much more folk-oriented than its predecessor. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that this is more of a folk rock album than a progressive rock one, though the latter's influence is certainly here as well. Anderson's flute work is all over the album, as are pastoral acoustic guitars and mandolins; this is especially evident on more traditional folk rock numbers such as 'Cornucopia', 'Trickster (and the Mistletoe)', and opener 'Voluspo' - all of which use the strengths of the band's 70s heyday to great effect.

A few of The Zealot Gene's key players return here, and in excellent form. Drummer Scott Hammond is especially praiseworthy here, as he seems to be capable of matching any stylistic shift thrown at him. Straightforward hard rock? Check. Traditional folk passages? Check. Crazy time signatures galore? Check. And, as he's been previously described as predominantly being a jazz drummer, he manages to add a pinch of fusion in the mix as well. 'Allfather' is a great example of his work on R'kFl'te, as he truly runs the gamut on this track: a complex folk-prog intro, simple 4/4 drumming in the middle, some aggressive hard rock touches here and there, and a nice folk-oriented reprise to cap things off. As for our new guitarist, he's quite promising as well. Joe Parrish-James - who was only involved in one song off The Zealot Gene - has taken up all electric guitar duties, and definitely shares former guitarist Martin Barre's penchant for incorporating several jazz and blues licks into his work. 'Wolf Unchained' and 'Hammer on Hammer', in particular, showcase him switching between hard rock riffs and blazing solos - though unfortunately, this does lead to the big issue of the record as a whole.

While R'kFl'te is much more consistent and focused than The Zealot Gene, Anderson hasn't quite reconciled the reunited band's folk and hard rock elements yet. He's getting closer to meshing them together properly, but - as with tracks such as the aforementioned 'Wolf Unchained' - the disconnect between the traditional folk bits and Parrish-James' muscular riffing is just a bit too jarring. Or, at least, it isn't as natural as on the band's best efforts from the 70s. All too often, there are moments of simplistic, faceless hard rock that seem to betray the interesting lyrical content and folk inclinations on offer; if Anderson and co. could somehow bridge those elements together more naturally, I think we could get something on par with the band's best work. In fact, as overambitious as it may seem today, I think Jethro Tull could really benefit from including a few mini-epics in their tracklists these days - songs that are given more time to grow and develop, rather than the lean 3- or 4- minute cuts that have populated their albums recently.

Regardless, I highly recommend R'kFl'te to anyone who's been waiting for a return to the more traditional folk- oriented side of Jethro Tull. Anderson seems to be getting closer and closer to the qualities that made the band's 70s output so special, while keeping the group relevant to modern prog audiences; I just hope that he keeps this momentum going for the next project. It's comforting to know that we still have a band carrying the torch for the original progressive rock scene, and that they're still willing to be vital and interesting in the 2020s. The result may not be perfect, but it remains an enjoyable and entertaining romp through old cultures and mythologies - all with a fun prog-rock twist. Mr. Anderson, I salute you.

Two years after their unimpressive return on The Zealot Gene, Jethro Tull is back with another record, RökFlöte. For this record, Ian Anderson stated he drew inspiration from Norse mythology, and the word "Ragnarök" is where he got the idea for this album's title. Each of the twelve songs on this album is based off a character or concept from Norse mythology.

Going into this, I did my best to keep an open mind. Yes, I'd found The Zealot Gene unnecessary, disappointing, and soulless; but Tull has bounced back from bad records before! Minstrel in the Gallery followed the unfocused hodgepodge of WarChild, and Roots to Branches came after the tepid blues rock of Catfish Rising (and their middling '80s hard rock). Martin Barre continues to be absent from the band, so I tried to calibrate my expectations for the guitarwork accordingly.

"Voluspo" opens with heavy breathing and a female voice narrating something in Old Norse. After about a minute of that, the music is rather pleasant and folky. The synth tone is dated, and the guitar playing is generic, but the underlying composition isn't bad. Eventually, it shifts to a hard-rocking, plodding riff that suits the lyrical topic of ice giants.

The flute and electric piano intro of "Ginnungagap" is quite enjoyable, despite the heavy-handed and dull guitar. Anderson's flute playing is on-point, though his voice is somewhat weak. It's more narration than singing, but it's not bad. Following this pair of heavier songs, "Allfather" has a lighter, sprightly feel. It's actually somewhat fun, and it sounds like something off Dot Com.

"The Feathered Consort" has a promising intro, but the verse is weak. The synth tone isn't terrible for once, but the melody is unnatural, and there's nothing to grab onto.

Hints of the blues are evident in the verses of "Hammer on Hammer". It's a slow-moving, tense piece that gradually builds in intensity. It sounds like the band actually feels something here, which makes it one of the strongest cuts on RökFlöte. 

"Wolf Unchained" tries to be menacing, but like many other cuts, it's hamstrung by regrettable synth tones, nondescript guitar playing, and iffy mixing. There are some good ideas here, and I think the band could have pulled this off in many of their prior incarnations with a bit of workshopping. But the fact that this is just Ian Anderson's solo band rebranded as Jethro Tull gives me the sense that this may not be the most collaborative effort. (That, and Anderson is?by his own admission?difficult to work with with a bit of an egoistic streak. I don't think it's a coincidence that the Tull album with the most prominent bass (Stormwatch) is the one where he played most of the bass.)

Acoustic guitar, chimes, and flute give "The Perfect One" an idyllic opening, and the verse reminds me of some of the better moments off The Broadsword and the Beast. It's passable hard rock sorta-balladry, but there are better examples of this out there. 

"Trickster (And the Mistletoe)" is the best synthesis of folk and hard rock on this album. I could easily imagine the main riff on Songs from the Wood or in a toned-down form on their Christmas album. The verse is spotty, but it's still strong enough to make this my favorite song on the album. After that great cut, "Cornucopia" is a sleepy, folky instrumental that doesn't do much for me.

The tense opening flute line of "The Navigators" is robbed of any artfulness by the unsubtle guitar line. Maybe a better tone or better mixing could have fixed it, but I'm not sure. Just something about it strikes me as so bland. It really makes me miss Barre's unconventional style. That issue aside, this is one of the stronger compositions on the album. It's decent, kinda-proggy hard rock that keeps things interesting.

"Guardian's Watch" has a jaunty air to its opening, and the verse isn't bad, either. It's lush hard rock that's on the decent side of middling, but don't go out of your way to hear it. RökFlöte ends with "Ithavoll". The narrator from "Voluspo" returns, and it's a decent bookend.

RökFlöte is an improvement over The Zealot Gene. It's passable hard rock with some prog and folk influences, but this wouldn't be getting any attention if it weren't for the Jethro Tull name attached to it. And I suppose that's what I find so frustrating about all this. This is a band well past their prime putting out just-okay music, and I'm reasonably confident this review will wind up getting far more traffic than most other albums I cover, many of which I think deserve more attention than this unimpressive output. (My Zealot Gene review is the second-most-read album review on this site at time of writing, behind my Ummon review.)

This album is fine. It's not bad. It's on the left end of the bell curve of Tull albums, but it's still in the fat part of the curve.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2023/04/24/album-review-jethro-tull-rokflote/