A by Jethro Tull
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=103167
Printed Date: May 09 2025 at 19:59
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Topic: A by Jethro Tull
Posted By: SteveG
Subject: A by Jethro Tull
Date Posted: July 07 2015 at 16:24
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One of my favorite Tull albums from 1980, A, always seems to get the bum's rush as if the music is as spacy as the album's cover. That is not so. My only complaint is that Ian's vocals are too low in the mix but I love it. And it features the great Eddie Jobson in his one and only album appearance with JT. What's your take on Jethro Tull's A?
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Replies:
Posted By: GKR
Date Posted: July 07 2015 at 16:34
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I like the concept of cold war paranoia (the lyrics of "Flyindale Flyer" are the best) and there are good bass playing of Dave Pegg in the most folk moments. Its not a bad album, but the electronic sound wash it all up and I almost never manage to hear the album from begning to end. ------------- - From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. |
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: July 07 2015 at 17:35
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Fylingdale. Uniform, and further on, pine martens jig are some of tulls best. I think black Sunday is overrated. Has boring bass playing in the verses ------------- All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: July 08 2015 at 00:50
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Love the album. Eddie Jobson's prescence lifts the album, and they had a really good find with drummer Mark Craney. 4WD (Low Ratio) is the weaker track, but such a Progressive album for 1980. Great album from the very first listen. |
Posted By: Daysbetween
Date Posted: July 08 2015 at 09:25
| Bought it on or around dau of release and was very disappointed in the overall sound. It has some good tracks and has grown on me over the years but I still consider it a second rate Tull album. |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: July 08 2015 at 10:00
The beginning of the end for Tull. Even though the end would drag on another 35 years. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: July 08 2015 at 15:37
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A solid album but it never really resonated with me. After Stormwatch I kind of gave up on Tull though I do own them all. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: PrognosticMind
Date Posted: July 08 2015 at 15:39
My thoughts exactly!  ------------- "A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?" |
The Dark Elf wrote:Posted By: TODDLER
Date Posted: July 08 2015 at 23:37
| Originally meant to be an Ian Anderson solo debut, I bought the album the first week it was released in the U.S. and greatly enjoyed it then. It would be difficult for me to appreciate it now. Loved the violin in "Uniform". I have a few good memories of the album, but it didn't stun me like Minstrel In The Gallery. Sorry to go off thread, but seriously..there is a entire disc of a live concert from the Minstrel In The Gallery tour on the new Steve Wilson remix. This would be a rare listen. Something special and unique that I want to hear. |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: July 08 2015 at 23:43
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Love the album. Was kinda bridging the gap before other prog bands at the time. Eddier Jobson on keys I think. Tull were survivors a long long time ago! ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: July 09 2015 at 03:16
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the first of their catastrophic trilogy (continued with TB&TB and UW)... Clealy Tull's previous line-up - sadly terminated by Glascock's death and the very uninspired SW album - was over. The new band (save Anderson & Barre) had no idea what to do to survived soooooo, they tried a bit of this and tad of that, and a pinch of salt & pepper, but it didn't work at all. Only Tull afficionados & fanboys can find some grace in this album, though I dare say they did worse with the next two albums...
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Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: July 09 2015 at 05:06
As I recall, the A release was definitely a WTF? moment for Tull fans, made worse, as you said, by the two dreadful follow-up albums. The loss of Glasscock, Evan, Palmer and Barlow so changed the make up of the band that I never looked at Tull the same again, even though I dearly love Dave Pegg's playing (but more so with Fairport). ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: July 09 2015 at 06:18
| ^ I haven't heard much Fairport, but whilst in that band, I thought Pegg's playing was average, however, on 'A', he really shines - a really elaborate player who understands demanding parts. |
Posted By: Flight123
Date Posted: July 09 2015 at 06:44
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At the time, I thought bringing in Peggy would move Tull back to folk rock, but really A moved things further away! However, with the addition of Jobson as well, it helped to revitalise the band's sound. |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: July 09 2015 at 06:55
Here you go, Pegg on bass with Fairport (during the time he was also playing with Tull). Far more demanding and certainly more exuberant playing than anything he played with Tull, constrained as he was by Ian (which is why he never gave up the Fairport gig): ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: July 09 2015 at 10:49
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^Anderson put Pegg in the most secure financial position of his professional career. I believe that Peggy's regard for his old band Fairport was based on deep friendship and loyalty. Quite simply, Dave Pegg was a rare good guy in the not so nice world of rock music.
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Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: July 09 2015 at 11:59
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It's nice enough. ------------- https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album! http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385 |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: July 10 2015 at 20:17
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@ The Dark Elf - thanks for posting the Fairport clips up there - some of the best I've heard from them. And Peggy does cook !! Rick Sanders is pretty cool. I only heard Leige And Leaf and Gottle O' Gear, and various bits and pieces but was never blown away by them. I may need to look into them further. Still love 'A' a lot, the amount of technical effort crammed into these shorter songs is admirable - Uniform, Pine-Marten's Jig, Batteries Not Included........ |
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: July 11 2015 at 11:45
| In five years Steven Wilson will remix A. Hopefully Wilson will resurrect Ian's buried vocals. |
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: July 11 2015 at 12:07
To my knowledge, Ian never performed my all time favorite JT song- Baker Street Muse off my favorite JTull album.
 Let us know if you feel the SW mixes of Minstrel In the Gallery are worth the purchase price. I already have 3 Minstrels in my collection....  |
Posted By: BarryGlibb
Date Posted: July 22 2015 at 23:35
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Luv it........don't pay attention to the negative reviews. It shines like a beacon in the Tull catalogue. |
Posted By: akaBona
Date Posted: July 23 2015 at 18:32
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I had to admit that A is one of those JT albums I don't listen. Decades ago I didn't like it and never tried again. |
Posted By: Evolver
Date Posted: July 23 2015 at 22:43
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I never liked the album much, but years later a friend gave me some bootleg tapes of a few showd from that tour. The live versions were much better, and gave me an idea of what Anderson was trying to do. I still don't listen to the album more than once every few years. ------------- Trust me. I know what I'm doing. |
Posted By: Intruder
Date Posted: July 24 2015 at 01:56
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Not of fan of A, though I really tried. I thought the presence of Dave Pegg's bass and Eddie Jobson's electric violin would bring a folkier, more organic sound, but that production....and those songs - outside the instrumental jig on side 2....and the fact that the album was really hyped by the press as a return of sorts. I never heard any of these songs on FM radio, and I'm sure that not many have ever shown up on a concert setlist. I still have the LP on the shelf somewhere.....can't bring myself to sell it 'cause I remember the day and why I bought it (ain't it funny how that happens). ------------- I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there..... |
Posted By: gr8dane
Date Posted: July 24 2015 at 06:26
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Like the album.Saw the tour.Like Eddie Jobson (also saw him w/ Roxy Music). ------------- Shake & bake. |
Posted By: Andrea Cortese
Date Posted: July 24 2015 at 06:31
I'm a fan of each and every album by the band! On "A" there are some favs of mine: "Working John, Working Joe", "Black Sunday" and "Uniform".
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