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Rating: Wow, how difficult it was to classify this album. Here we are facing the culmination of Anderson & co's art, so an album encompassing all the genres that the Tull have always "exploited" in creating their blends of styles. 'Bursting Out' is an anthology in the fullest sense of the term since it embraces blues, rock, prog, folk, and more.
After 10 years of a career that produced 11 albums highly acclaimed in terms of sales and that attracted huge crowds of fans to the point that in the early 70s the band surpassed the Rolling Stones in Billboard polls (the voice of the public is always the most gratifying), Ian decided it was time to finally go to market with a double live album, decidedly "robust" and satisfying for Tull's palates, especially all those who had never had the chance to "test them" live. The group had already made extremely courageous choices in the two previous years by releasing albums decidedly against the current trend of the moment (in the full punk era they churned out two excellent folk works: Songs from the Wood and Heavy Horses). Well, increasingly considered dinosaurs by the knowledgeable critics, Bursting Out will provoke in those gentlemen so much bile poured out in full hands on specialized magazines around the world. The criticism was total (already seen this film at the time of A Passion Play, the Tull's greatest sales success).
The objective analysis tells us instead of one of the most beautiful live albums ever. Recorded in Switzerland, indeed in 1978, and introduced by a dynamic presentation from the tour promoter (there's even a: Welcome Italy), immediately the disc plants us in the chair with an introduction of distorted guitar from the great Martin Barre, on which Ian immediately intervenes with his flute and the immediate entry of the rest of the band spreads into a beautiful strong rock. It is No Lullaby, a track contained in the aforementioned 'Heavy Horses'. The audience is delirious from the start and pure sound is evident, despite the technical means of the time certainly did not shine for effectiveness like today's. We move on to Sweet Dreams, decidedly heavier compared to the studio version which suffered a bit from the orchestra's sugary arrangements. After the first two tracks, there's an opportunity to experience Ian's verve and his sense of humor in introducing the band members. By the way, here is the fantastic line-up: Ian, of course, and then the indestructible Martin Barre on electric guitar, the incredible Barriemore Barlow on drums (he had an impressive set), the crazy (on stage) John Evans on keyboards, John Glascock on bass, and the embroiderer David Palmer on keyboards too.
Ian introduces us after Sweet Dreams to Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day, from 'Minstrel in the Gallery'. Here the six seem to have a lot of fun, in an almost joyful track played with accordions and glockenspiel and Ian's acoustic dominating. This starts the trilogy of folk pieces on the album which continues with Jack in the Green (from Songs from the Wood), performed much better than in the studio, more airy and bright. After another bizarre introduction by Anderson, we're at One Brown Mouse, sweet and pushed to the max. Thus begins the first heart-pounding moment as well as a dive into the past. A New Day Yesterday (Stand Up). Well, let's stand up; it's really the case to say.... the performance is spectacular with Barlow giving a spectacular color behind the skins and a solo by Barre on the distorted and clean guitar simultaneously. The song is heavily retouched compared to the original, but the chills are the same. Sudden stop and cut that preludes a flute solo producing emotions galore. In the solo in question, Ian includes all his repertoire of the mad flutist with breaths, squeaks, and echo effects multiplying the crystalline notes that enchant. He also adds an excerpt from a piece from the ancient English tradition (Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) performed with the rest of the group accompanying with a little march reminiscent of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Intermezzo and Ian first lets us glimpse and then finally "see" the magical Bourrée. Never heard an explosion of the audience like in this case. Endless emotions for those who listen and a damn desire to go back in time to perhaps have been present at that event.
We then move on to a short version of Songs from the Wood. The Scottish minstrel is already about to deliver yet another low blow to the tender-hearted, with a voice halfway between a tempting devil and an old friendly acquaintance asking the audience: "Let's see if you remember this one". The acoustic six-string attacks nothing less than.... Thick as a Brick. Excuse me, but I'm getting emotional even writing about this thing. Here we have an obviously abbreviated version of the masterpiece of '72 that includes the most significant moments of side A, excluding the last wonderful edit. By now the delirium in the hall is total, the performance exudes absolute sentiment and instrumental technique. Martin and Barriemore especially show greatness. The fabulous six have everyone in their hand, and they know it, and they go for it with conviction. We come to one of the most beautiful things from 'Songs from the Wood'. The wild and surreal Hunting Girl. Very fast keyboard start with almost cathedral-like timbre and the assertive entry of the rest of the band into a piece that requires so much technique to perform. Beautiful...
Then we come to Too Old to Rock and Roll.... Too Young to Die! Honestly, this track has never thrilled me too much, but still... it is also one of the most well-known pieces by the Tull. Conundrum is a decidedly particular moment that almost seems to have been put there to demonstrate that even without Ian they are masters (well... well...). Anyway, it's a moment of pure class. Rock given with full hands with supernatural guitar-bass-drums interweaving and then... then the most beautiful and complicated solo my ears have ever heard on drums. Something incredible that shows that there are men who, perhaps as a result of genetic experiments, possess not 4 but maybe 5 or 6 limbs. Spectacular.
The next moment is again spine-tingling with an acoustic and organ-based introduction that unveils the magical Minstrel in the Gallery, executed in a very heavy manner with the bass of the poor Glascock in great evidence (John died shortly after from an absurd cardiac complication following a tooth infection!!!!!). Ian's voice is at its peak, and the emotion is again at its highest. We come to the last section which, except for some intervals, is taken from 'Aqualung'. Is there a better way to celebrate 10 years of activity in honor of pure art? Cross-eyed Mary, Locomotive Breath, and Aqualung itself are executed with power, almost self-celebratory. We reach the final moment with a traditional English march (The Dambusters March), which Ian uses in concerts to throw large balloons onto the audience (something he will do until 1981. From '82 onward, he will continue to throw balloons to the notes of Cheerio).
What more to say about this live monument? Every word of comment risks being rhetorical, and I would feel responsible for it as a frenzied Tull follower.... Only one last thing on the sidelines. A few weeks after this event in Switzerland, Jethro Tull were protagonists of an event still unique today. One of their concerts was broadcast in Intercontinental connection from Madison Square Garden in New York, and was watched by about one billion people worldwide (for the idiotic Little Italy there was only a short connection from Arbore's program L'altra domenica). No concert in history has ever had such a vast audience, and only Ian's brazen face could sustain the gaze of two billion eyes. Absolute greatness? Well, let's admit it.
Long live old pied-piper
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