STAND UP

I knew this album after I got the "War Child" album sometime in mid 70s. Imagine how late I was to know the band. But STAND UP is really an excellent classic album. I just got the remastered CD (plus 4 bonus tracks, released in 2001 by Chrysalis) that's why I need to post this review to commemarate one of albums that coloured my childhood.

Listening to this CD reminds me to all the memories and glories of classic rock music in 70's. Rock music was accessible to vast majority of people at that time, even in my hometown at east Java, Indonesia. JT was less popular than Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin at that time but for sure some people knew the band really well. My all-time favorite track of this album since then untill now and later is track 8 "We Used To Know". It's a beautifully crafted track with a heavy influence of blues. Well, Tull was basically a blues band - especially their debut album "This Was" (1968). By that time I got only cassette format (boy, how could I afford an LP at that time - I was not from a rich family. I knew that my colleague in the capital city, Jakarta, was at that time collected the LP version of 70s rock groups.) . I had a habit to repeat this track many times and that's enough to cause my cassette rotten especially in the area of this track.

Other tracks are excellent as well. "Bouree" is an interesting instrumental piece with solo flute and great bass line. "Nothing is Easy" is another interesting track with stunning guitar and flute coupled with dynamic bass line. It's a rocking track! Other short cuts: "New Day Yesterday", "Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square" (with a great touch on trad music), "Fat Man", "Back To The Family", "Look Into The Sun".

The bonus tracks are: "Living In The Past", "Driving Songs", "Sweet Dreams", and "17". All are excellent. It's an excellent album and highly recommended! The album has been around us for decades and I am still amazed with it. GW, Indonesia.