Dragonstar

"Milk and Honey," "Blues Run The Game," "I Want to be Alone" (the first two have been covered by many): at least these three songs are enough to sublimely capture his tragic life. A wonderful record by a truly one-of-a-kind singer-songwriter...

Yes, I agree. I prefer "Songs from the Wood" from the year before, but this one is definitely worthy; perhaps (according to my tastes) it is the last great work of Anderson and the others, the closing of the folk trilogy from the late '70s. The contemporary live album "Burstin' Out" is beautiful, which I’m sure you know, Fede. After this, I’m not that interested anymore; in my opinion, the best has already been done.

I still like "Stormwatch" and for the rest, I completely agree with hellraiser. Great album, although it doesn't reach the levels of excellence of the previous album.

I just want to compliment Hj: Stormwatch is a beautiful album.

I agree that Stormwatch is the band's last great work. A more hard rock album, in which the first electronic inserts start to appear (still not too intrusive). Then, in 1980, it will be A's turn, and the Tull's sound will undergo a bitter sonic upheaval. Yes, I know the live album, I have it in double CD remastered. Very nice, it's just a shame about some songs, played in a shorter version, like Minstrel in the Gallery. But there are other pieces that appear in even better form: Skating Away... above all!

A wonder, at least for me, and I'm glad you think the same as I do. It effectively alternates tough pieces with "complex" arrangements to stunning ballads, acoustic, exceptional melodies. I rank it among the best albums of the band, alongside Aqualung, Stand Up, Thick, and Songs From The Wood...

Look, it has some really beautiful parts, but overall it bores me a bit. Just my taste, you know, but it's one of the few from the '70s group that doesn't drive me crazy. The lyrics are very ambitious, really nice though, I have to say that.

ambitious, the texts...

That sax is fantastic and really makes a difference. Anderson surprised everyone by using it. About 20 years after the release of this album, I found myself in a very similar situation as a musician, and that's the reason that made me love this much-controversial work even more.

I find it a bit too heavy, an experiment that's half successful for my tastes. However, every now and then I give it a listen, especially when I’m with a good friend of mine, who is a fan of this album.

I can enjoy them up to "Heavy Horses," but after that, I can't stand them, even though I'm a big fan of their music. This might still be acceptable; I share your opinion.

I don't know this one, I’ve listened to a few of the post "Stormwatch" (which I consider a great album) and I didn't like them, so I stopped there; what you say about this doesn't encourage me to explore it further. They definitely gave enough from '68 to '79, a ton of stuff.

British folk electro-acoustic (more acoustic than electric) without flaws. Masterpiece :)

They've already said everything above.

And the texts are awesome, great satirist Ian.

Very beautiful, although for me their masterpiece remains A Passion Play.

Well, that was another amazing album. Personally, I can't make up my mind. This one is easier to digest, the other is elaborate and cerebral; even the sound has changed quite a bit: less folk and more jazz, less flute and more saxophone, less light-heartedness and more sobriety. Practically the other side of the coin. Then comes Warchild, which blends all these influences together but creates its own identity. Finally, with Minstrels in the Gallery, the band's most prog period comes to a close. Another masterpiece dominated by hard rock outbursts and enticing acoustic compositions.

Damn, Aqualung was the only thing missing. Forgive me, I took off with a screech and allowed myself a quick analysis of these works just to say that the period 71-75 is, for me, the most prolific (artistically speaking) of the entire discography of the group.

(And why didn’t you say so right away, Dragon! You would have saved yourself a lot of lines*)

*Voice of Dragonestella's conscience.

I'm sorry, but for me "Songs From the Wood" (a flawless masterpiece of electro-acoustic British folk) outshines all the Tull albums from '73-'76, including "Minstrel in the Gallery," which is nonetheless a beautiful album, and I emphasize BEAUTIFUL. "A Passion Play" has its great moments but it just doesn't grab me compared to their other work. Even "War Child" I like just a little.

De gustibus. For me, Songs from the Wood is also a masterpiece. Unlike its predecessor, which has its highs and lows in the tracklist. The Whistler, for example, is one of the most beautiful songs ever composed by Ian, and the rest is excellent as well; indeed, it’s an album with no weak points. However, it clearly reveals just one part of the overall nature of JT, who on this occasion delved into their folk soul. Certainly, Velvet Green, Pibroch, and the title track are still heavily influenced by prog, yet the shift in direction is felt nonetheless, and the period I mentioned most effectively represents (for me) the extraordinary variety of their music, and of course, we are talking about their most purely prog phase. Well, everyone prefers what reveals the heart, the mind, and the instinct. If you say that SFTW is their masterpiece for you, I respect your opinion. You made a great choice!

No no no I’m not saying that "Songs From the Wood" is their masterpiece, even though I would probably put it on the podium. What I’m saying is that it goes against the grain of the period 1973-1976, so from "A Passion Play" up to Too Old, etc. For me, their golden age starts right from their debut, and by "Stand Up," that unique style began to evolve, blending elements of British folk, blues, hard blues, hard rock, progressive, etc., so well together. And I adore the "Tull" style. It’s true that "Songs From the Wood" heavily ventures into the folk side of the band, but such a shift was necessary to revive Anderson's inspiration and his music. Moreover, I hear very little progressive in that album; it’s really weighted towards British folk inspired by traditional style and melodies, with a bit of electric verve and some vague prog reminiscence, especially in "Pibroch." It's no longer the hybrid and unique style of the '69-'72 period but a more purely folk renaissance of absolute beauty, and to be fair, the Tull style is clearly perceivable from the very first note—after all, you can’t really mistake them for Fairport Convention anyway :-) "Velvet Green" is a masterpiece, with an incredible central section. The arrangements throughout the album are perhaps the best of their career, for instance, the use of percussion always on "Velvet Green."

I agree. Anyway, Stand Up is an amazing album that I definitely prefer over both the debut and Benefit. In this regard, I dedicate my favorite song from the album to you: Reasons For Waiting-Jethro Tull

Beautiful. "Stand Up," "Aqualung," "Thick As A Brick," and the folk hangover of "Songs From the Wood" are the masterpiece albums of the Tull for me, with "This Was" a close second. Right after are Minstrel and Benefit, two fantastic albums, just a hair behind "Heavy Horses" and "Stormwatch." These are the albums that lead me to say that the Tull are among the greats of the '70s; from '68 to '79, there are only a couple of albums that don’t entirely convince me, and just one that I don’t like at all.

I’ve gorged on them, and when that happens, usually what you used to like ends up making you feel sick. That’s what happens now if I listen to Anderson’s voice for a while. The two prog drags, this and passion, drive me crazy. Up to Aqualung, I still like them quite a bit.

I have always considered Tull a genre of their own, like Pink Floyd, transcending rock, prog, folk... this is a work of art, History of music.

The expanded version of the album includes a demo of My God that literally strips bare the one that made it onto the album. It really impressed me. Try it and see for yourself.

Your enthusiasm is fully understandable. A legendary record like few others; and I'm on your side regarding the Black Me(r)dal as well...

It's hilarious, I enjoy it a lot and I like them ("Sad Wings of Destiny" I liked a few years ago and I still think it's great) but of course I definitely like this album a lot less than you do XD

I don't know how many years it's been since I last listened to it, but when I used to listen to Giudas Prist, this album was perfection.

The peak of the band without a doubt, a milestone of heavy metal made in England...