TOO OLD TO ROCK 'N' ROLL: TOO YOUNG TO DIE!

The second of a pair of albums recorded with the band's mobile studio in the Mediterranean principality of Monaco, this album was recorded a few months after "Minstrel In The Gallery". Musically, the previous album is much stronger than this one as it contains compositions that sound bit flat as compared to its predecessor. Written and rehearsed in Montreux, Switzerland in a ballroom adjoining the Montreux Palace Hotel, it is destined originally to be the soundtrack to a stage musical based on a late fifties motor cycle rocker and his living-in-the past nostalgia for youthful years.

The music offered by this album resembles the Tull sounds but each song does not show a solid composition as previous albums. But it does not mean that this is a bad album. No, not at all! To replace recently departed bassist Jeffrey Hammond Hammond, John Glasscock ex-Carmen Flamenco rocker, made his debut here with Tull, providing backing vocals in addition to picking the four string. The first three tracks "Quiz Kid", "Crazed Institution", and "Salamander" demonstrate the band's sound with great acoustic guitar work. "From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser" is a mellow track with ballad style. The real killer of this album is the album title track "Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll, Too Young To Die" which blends bluesy guitar touch and some orchestration with nice vocal melody.

My CD is a remastered edition without "Copy Controlled" label with two bonus tracks: "A Small Cigar" and "Strip Cartoon". Sadly, John Glasscock was to die all too soon from complications following an operation for a congenital heart disease. I remember John at his best in those early days of his brief time with us, full of enthusiasm and zest for music and life, so it is to him that we shall dedicate this re-mastered edition of the recording. IA 2002. [CD sleeve notes]. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW