Jethro Tull
Rock Island

THE REVIEW

In 1987, Jethro Tull released what is probably their masterpiece of the '80s: a solid album with excellent songs like "Budapest" and "Farm On The Freeway," which I like to call "the last of the electronic quartet" (A, The Broadsword And The Beast, Under Wraps, and the aforementioned Crest Of A Knave).

Already in 'Crest', indeed, electronics were assuming a lesser role compared to previous albums (suffice it to say that the only electronic drums were found in "Dogs In The Midwinter"), paving the way for a return to a more classic sound; and this is, in fact, what 'Rock Island' is. The return to more classic sounds can already be noticed in the first two songs, the two good hard rock tracks "Kissing Willie" and "The Rattlesnake Trail" (in the latter, Anderson plays the drums), which can boast a good musical foundation and a voice evocative of the golden days. Then there's a bit of emulation of the previous album, represented by "Ears Of Tin," which tends to revive the serenely epic atmospheres of "Mountain Men", albeit at lower levels. The usual songs longer than 5 minutes couldn't be missing, and so we have the title track and "The Waler's Dues," rather solemn songs tending towards hard rock, but with different results: the former does quite well, with rarefied but not annoying atmospheres, a not bad melody line and progression, while the latter proves to be far too monotonous.

Then there are just barely sufficient songs, such as "Heavy Water," hard rock that carries some of the last remnants of electronics, while the masterpiece of the album is, in my rather modest opinion, "Strange Avenues," a rather evocative semi-instrumental, which really brings back memories of the golden age along with the second most beautiful song, "Big Riff And Mando." Unfortunately, in this album, we also find two unworthy downfalls: "Another Christmas Song," an atmospheric slow song with some good insights, but too sugary for my taste, although pleasant to listen to, and "Undressed To Kill," probably the worst song on the album, another repetitive and tired hard rock.

Thus, in the end, 'Rock Island' turns out to be a pleasant album, perhaps inferior to its predecessor, but not bad at all, with a return, finally (but it was in the air of the times, thanks to grunge), to non-electronic sounds. A piece of advice? Borrow it (buying it is a bit too much!).