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Jethro Tull - The Broadsword And The Beast CD (album) cover

THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST

Jethro Tull

 

Prog Folk

3.29 | 752 ratings

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Finnforest
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
1 stars False Advertising

I remember well the disappointment felt by my fellow Tull fans back in the day who thought the delicious artwork here would permeate the slab of vinyl inside. It didn't exactly work out that way. It is not even the period production sensibilities or increased electronics that killed Broadsword, as these same tactics would be doubled down on the following and much better album "Under Wraps." It instead is the lifelessness of the songs, the apathetic performances, and the boring, pedestrian drum tracks that strangle any chance of the songs moving somewhere interesting. Song after song usually begins very promising, an example being the moving intro to "Flying Colours." But almost without exception, wait and listen as the stock rhythms and structural clichés eventually take over until you get to the repetitive choruses which are completely devoid of any surprises or Tullish character. The entire album feels like a contrived, calculated work attempting to appeal to who they figured their market might be at that time---give them some Dungeons and Dragons artwork, some metalish guitar, maybe try to grab that band's fans, etc. It's fine when the music happens to be good, but here, I just can't understand what others find appealing about a single track. Only about 2% of my ratings are one-star so I am not a person who hands them out like candy on Halloween. I give them out to recordings which leave utter disappointment in my craw more than any other resounding feeling. This is an album whose centerpiece, the title inspired "Broadsword," sound more like a Spinal Tap Stonehenge parody than a serious effort by such a talented group of people. What is really sad is that even Stonehenge, a parody by a group of comedians, sounds more believable and is more satisfying than Broadsword. Sorry to drop a one-bomb, but I can find nothing here which I would even recommend "to fans."

Finnforest | 1/5 |

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