IAN ANDERSON

Ian's solo albums have always been a little hit and miss, with 'Walk Into Light' a fine example of how to ruin songs with arrangements which never worked: take "Fly By Night", which is absolute masterpiece, but only on David Palmer's 1985 'A Classic Case'. So to say I came into this album with more than a little trepidation is something of an understatement, so to come across an album which is the finest Jethro Tull release since 1987's 'Crest of a Knave' (for which they won a Grammy remember) was somewhat surprising. This has everything one expects from Tull, Ian is full mastery of every song, complex lyrics, bringing in folk and styles which sweep throughout the band's career, and never for once sounding if there are any issues. There may not be any Martin or Peggy, but Florian Opahle has a nice edge on guitar, becoming a member of Tull when Ian started using that name again in 2017, while bassist David Goodier had already been in Tull since 2007, as had keyboard player John O'Hara while drummer Scott Hammond had worked with Ian since 2010 and is also now a member of the reformed Tull. Singer Ryan O'Donnell does a very nice Anderson vocal style, and he had already been involved since 'TAAB2', so everyone involved knew what they were doing, and one feels this is very much a full band as opposed to a group of session musicians.

"The Engineer" could have come from either 'Songs From The Wood' or 'Heavy Horses' with its strong use of both accordion and piano and does not sound like a new song at all, while "The Pax Brittanica" is another which is classic Tull. I know the melody is from an old Tull song, but I can't for the life of me place it, but feels very familiar. It is an album which stunned me the very first time I played it, and I have fallen deeply in love with it ever since, and I have been revisiting many of their older albums to see just where I think it fits in their canon, and for sheer listening pleasure it is very close indeed to 'Knave' and one which everyone who thought their best days were long behind them need to discover for themselves.

I wasn't aware of his solo releases back in the 80s, and I have attempted it only now and just by coincidence. Now let's see what's inside:

Fly By Night gave me a sense of "already listened", and "quite disgusting". Thinkig better, the theme has been copie/reused in the 20s by one of the worst Italian pop groups. Casual? Who knows. The album's worst.

The album is full of sounds and passages that I relate to the lowligths of the Genesis of the same years. But let's just speak of what can be saved:

"The train", even if using the same 80s "plastic" sounds has a non-trivial structure and is quite enjoyable. The following track "End Game" gives the illusion of things going better, but we have to wait for the only really good song of the album: the closer "Different Germany". Here's a bit of Jethro Tull behind the electronics and Ian's voice is not dispersed into the Yamaha like dynamics as in the rest of the album.

These three tracks are the reason why I can't just say "avoid it", but it's nothing more than a collector's item.

"Ian Anderson Plays The Orchestral Jethro Tull" is the debut DVD of Ian Anderson, as a solo artist, and was released in 2005. It features the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt Orchestra, conducted by John O'Hara. Joining Ian and the orchestra we have the drummer James Duncan, the bassist David Goodier, the keyboard & accordion player John O'Hara, who also is the conductor of the orchestra, and the guitarist Florian Opahle. They form a very fine unit, and while they may not be Jethro Tull, these musicians certainly have a handle on these songs and work very well with the orchestra. It has also the participation of three members of the orchestra as soloists, Kathrin Troester on flute, Sibylle Wähnert on bassoon and Astrid Cienia on oboe, on some tracks. It was recorded from a live show at the Rosengarten in Mannheim, Germany, in 2004. This concert was part of a series of concerts with the same name. Anderson and the orchestra toured Europe and USA throughout 2004 and 2006. It was also released as a double live album, with the same name which contains the same tracks in the same order. In addition to the concert, the DVD has also an interview with Ian Anderson.

As you can see by the track list, there are plenty of classic songs here, as well as some of the holiday tunes that Jethro Tull has recorded. From the Jethro Tull's tracks, we have: "Bourée" of "Stand Up"; "Wondr'ing Aloud", "Cheap Day Return", "Mother Goose", "Aqualung", "My God" and "Locomotive Breath" of "Aqualung"; "Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day" of "War Child"; "Up The Pool", "Life Is A Long Song" and "Living In The Past" of "Living In The Past"; "Budapest" of "Crest Of A Knave"; "We Five Kings", "Pavane" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" of "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album". From the Anderson's solo tracks, we have: "In The Grip Of Stronger Stuff" of "Divinities: Twelve Dances With God"; "Boris Dancing" of "The Secret Language Of Birds"; "Eurology", "Calliandra Shade (The Cappuccino Song)" and "Griminelli's Lament" of "Rupi's Dance".

Joined by the orchestra, Ian and his solo band run through many Jethro Tull and Anderson's hits. When joined by the orchestra the sound is magic. The material here like "Up The Pool", sounds sophisticated in this setting with the aging and respectful audience politely applauding. I particularly loved the version of "Aqualung". Its orchestral version is dramatic and exciting, as we could expect. "Mother Goose", completed with bassoon, oboe, and accordion, has a wonderful flavour. Anderson's fans are now as old as the "Aqualung" figure he has projected for the past four decades. It's fascinating to hear the music of their youth presented in such old world ambiance. He is quite chatty on the show, talking about the reinvention of "We Three Kings", now titled "We Five Kings", for the rock/folk quintet employed on this gig. With Ian Anderson pretty much unplugged, the music of Jethro Tull works wonderfully in this special scenario.

As I wrote before, the live concert exists in CD and DVD formats. If you have the 2 CD set, then you have basically everything on it. Anyway, the DVD is a great companion to the CD. On the DVD you have the explanations of the story and the lyrics of the tracks, always with the excellent humour of Anderson. On it, you can see the perfect harmony and communion between all musicians and how Anderson is deeply respected by them. You can also see a 48 minute interview with Ian in the studio where he talks about his decision to record these classic songs with the orchestra and the other musicians. Hearing his thoughts on how much perfectionist he has been all over the years, yet admitting that he made numerous mistakes on stage every nights. It's also great to include his comments about the limitations of his voice and his decision to concentrate on the flute in the early years. He brings up the opinion that when Peter Gabriel stopped playing flute in Genesis, it was good for him because then he couldn't be compared to him, which is funny to hear, and may be true. This is Ian being very personal for the camera and I'm sure that you'll love this part of the DVD.

So, in addition to the concert, the DVD has also three interviews, with Ian Anderson, Fritz Rau and Mitwirkende.

Conclusion: This is a great companion DVD to the CD. Joined by the orchestra, Ian Anderson and his solo band run through many Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson's hits, and when joined by the orchestra the sound seems to be magic. As always, Ian Anderson is a great showman, and while he may not race around the stage like he did 20 or 30 years ago, he still brings what would be a fairly calm orchestra evening to great heights thanks to his energetic stage presence and with his humoristic commentaries. When we see the DVD we can see the ease with which Ian Anderson moves on stage the way he commands the show and how he is admired and respected by these group of much younger musicians, and by the orchestra too. This is Anderson being very personal for the cameras and long time fans will love this live show.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

"Ian Anderson Plays The Orchestral Jethro Tull" is the debut live album of the Jethro Tull's frontman Ian Anderson, as a solo artist, and was released in 2005. It features the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt Orchestra, conducted by John O'Hara. It was recorded from a live show at the Rosengarten in Manheim, Germany in 2004. This concert was part of a series of concerts with the same name. Anderson and the orchestra toured Europe and USA throughout 2004 and 2006. It was also released a DVD that contains the same songs, precisely in the same order, and also released in the same year.

The line up on "Ian Anderson Plays The Orchestral Jethro Tull" is Ian Anderson (vocals, flute, bamboo flute and acoustic guitar), Florian Opahle (acoustic and electric guitar), John O'Hara (keyboards and accordion), David Goodier (bass guitar and glockenspiel) and James Duncan (drums and percussion). The album had also the participation of the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt Orchestra. The album has also the participation of three of the members of the orchestra, as soloists, Kathrin Troester (flute), Sibylle Wähnert (basson) and Astrid Cienia (oboe), in some songs on the album.

The Anderson's debut live album leads the charge through 2 CD's of past and present of many Jethro Tull's classics, as well as a few solo favourites from his career, once again following a popular trend of mixing rock with the classical music. Of course, there's no doubt that the music of Jethro Tull would be a perfect fit for this format, and the resulting set is a lot of fun, offering up varying versions of the songs that almost all of us know very well and that we love too.

As you can see by the track list, there are plenty of classic songs here, as well as some of the holiday tunes that Jethro Tull has recorded. From the Jethro Tull's tracks, we have: "Bourée" of "Stand Up"; "Wondr'ing Aloud", "Cheap Day Return", "Mother Goose", "Aqualung", "My God" and "Locomotive Breath" of "Aqualung"; "Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day" of "War Child"; "Up The Pool", "Life Is A Long Song" and "Living In The Past" of "Living In The Past"; "Budapest" of "Crest Of A Knave"; "We Five Kings", "Pavane" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" of "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album". From the Anderson's solo tracks, we have: "In The Grip Of Stronger Stuff" of "Divinities: Twelve Dances With God"; "Boris Dancing" of "The Secret Language Of Birds"; "Eurology", "Calliandra Shade (The Cappuccino Song)" and "Griminelli's Lament" of "Rupi's Dance".

Anderson is a great showman, and while he may not have the great voice he had 20 or 30 years ago, he still brings what would be a fairly calm orchestral evening to greater heights thanks to his very energetic stage presence and with witty commentaries. I love the version of the classic "Mother Goose", completed with bassoon, oboe, and accordion, as it gave a wonderful flavour to the piece. Of the orchestral tracks, there's a ton of highlights, namely "Budapest", "Living In The Past", "Life Is A Long Song", "My God", "Locomotive Breath", and the holiday's pieces "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "We Five Kings", are especially timely. In short, this is really an excellent live show with great fun too.

So, here we have "Aqualung", "Locomotive Breath", "My God", and many other Jethro Tull's favorites that received the orchestral treatment, as do J. S. Bach's "Bourée" and the European Christmas carol "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen". The arrangements are all tasteful and great. They sound perfectly natural given the classical influence that has been a part of Anderson's work for so long. Of course, these performances aren't classical music in the strict sense of the word, but practically all of them are now great progressive rock classic pieces. Joining Ian and the Orchestra we have James Duncan, David Goodier, John O'Hara, who also is the conductor, and Florian Opahle. They form a fine unit, and while they may not be Jethro Tull, they certainly have a handle on the songs and work perfectly well with the Orchestra.

Conclusion: "Ian Anderson Plays The Orchestral Jethro Tull" is mainly focused on three studio albums of Jethro Tull "Aqualung", "Living In The Past" and "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album", plus several songs that belong to his solo career. All songs are great and magnificently performed. Some songs are only performed by the band's members but most of all are also performed by the orchestra. I must confess that I was deeply surprised by the brilliant production, the excellent sound quality, and most of all, by the incredible re-workings of the old songs, which would be a perfect fit for this format. I also must confess my surprise by the familiarity that we can feel between Ian Anderson, the band members and the orchestra. We can see a huge respect for him. This is highly recommended for all Jethro Tull's fans and as Ian Anderson's recent forays into the classical music. Unfortunately, we can't see some new Jethro Tull's musics, but at least here we have some live, alternate re-editions of some Jethro Tull's classics done up by the leader Ian Anderson, to keep us busy. Here, we are in presence of one of the better "rock meets orchestra" projects available.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

What doesn't work at all are the solo acoustic and full band hybrid songs such as "I Get Lost In Crowds", with it's jarring electric guitar riffing choruses, and "A Raft Of Penguins", with it's forced orchestral string embellishments. The two instrumentals, "Eurorolgy" and "Griminelli's Lament" are trite and come off as album filler, even though Anderson may been enamored with them.

This is not a terrible album by any means, but Rupi's Dance falls short of the excellence displayed by it's predecessor. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Folky in nature, each song has different world music motifs, be they Celtic, Indian, Russian folk, Spanish or even neo classical. There's certainly no rockers here. which results in a relaxing close listen to some of Anderson's best lyrics as a solo artist. Standout tracks are "The Secret Language of Birds", "The Little Flower Girl", "Postcard Day", "The Water Carrier", "A Better Moon" and "Sanctuary". But in truth, all are worth a listen in this very consistent solo effort from old Ian. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

After everything I said praising "Thick As A Brick", what is here to be said about this second part that appeared after forty years ?

First of all, it pales in a musical comparison, it doesn´t get close in this criteria. Is it a reason for despair ? Absolutely, NOT. "Thick As A Brick" is a six star masterpiece, even a "common" masterpiece would pale at its side. The music in TAAB2 represents a kind of challenge in order to be appreciated; in the same way I consider the album "Minstrel In The Gallery". It takes a very long time for you to get use with and for it to really grow on you. Not obvious melodies; everything is subtle, but variety throughout the songs are assured, and Mr, Anderson´s skills hardly fails us.

But I am giving it five star; and what are the reasons for it ? Ok, I could say "Thick As A Brick" is a six stars album, so its not so extraordinary follow up TAAB2 could deserve five; but this is good for a joke, not for justifying a masterpiece status. What must be said in this moment is that the concept in TAAB2 matches and is as good as its older brother. When Mr. Anderson took the decision of composing a story regarding what could have happened to Gerald Bostock after forty years after the events reported by the "St. Cleves Cronicles"; and performed it in the way he performed, the music started to matter less.

This is a way for things to go. TAAB2 has also a masterpiece status. Hardly someone would conceive a better follow up for "Thick As A Brick" concept. And, if you do not consider its musical content up to this status, just subtract some from its older brother. Even with this lost TAAB1 will continue to be a masterpiece?

Unfortunately, Ian Anderson's venture of combining his flute with orchestral music misses that mark. As the sole lead instrument, a flute is very one dimensional when compared to other instruments, be they acoustic or electric. And only most the profound songs can shine in that configuration. "In the Grip of Stronger Stuff" and "In The Moneylender's Temple" fall into that category. The rest of the songs fall into the category of musak, with pleasant melodies sprinkled with vague world music motifs, that boringly dominate the rest of the album. The lack of rock instrumentation on these songs is definitely a problem, but that is probably a band aid cure. Looking at an all instrumental album like Peter Gabriel's Passion soundtrack, the quality of those songs totally dispenses with the need for rock instrumentation. So, it's the song compositions on Divinities that are really the problem.

Anderson's compositions do better in a conventional rock song format, with lyrics, and that's where he should stay. Charlie may have stolen the handle, but at least we know that he didn't fall off the train.

My rating 2.5stars