Listened to the new HH box a few days ago, enjoying the SW mix and it feels a little less knotted with a new shine on it.
It is still pretty chewy in places however, I had forgotten this, SftW seems much more upbeat and light by comparison.
Then there's just Stormwatch to go then we're out of the imperial phase, I'm looking forward to hearing that with a better mix, especially Orion, the Stormwatch tour was pretty strong too and a proper live recording would be ace.
A and Under Wraps are gonna be a tough sell.
― MaresNest, Saturday, 10 February 2018 01:14 (six years ago) link
Don't know how far they'll take this box/book series, I'm surprised how far it's already went. How many bands ever got this kind of treatment for so many albums? I think it's a bit much, a lot of this stuff probably should have been in compilations but I have to admit the booklets are good enough you almost could have sold them by themselves.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 10 February 2018 01:38 (six years ago) link
I can ask, my wife used to work on them and I know who does now, I imagine they'll go all the way, some of those later records could do with being mixed in a more sympathetic way, taking out the brash 80s/90s reverbs and production tricks.
― MaresNest, Saturday, 10 February 2018 01:40 (six years ago) link
I actually suggested they make a nice coffee table book of all the liner notes when they're done. :)
― MaresNest, Saturday, 10 February 2018 01:41 (six years ago) link
But they didn't give This Was a book edition, only a cd shaped double disc edition. Not sure about Benefit.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 10 February 2018 01:53 (six years ago) link
I love "Broadford Bazaar" from the single-disc remaster of Heavy Horses, although I have no idea if it's from the same recording sessions or just tacked on as a good bonus track.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Saturday, 10 February 2018 02:02 (six years ago) link
Yeah, I was wondering if they'd go back and rerelease This Was and Benefit in the book format, Benefit has a CD sized, thick fold-y in on itself case.
― MaresNest, Saturday, 10 February 2018 11:17 (six years ago) link
Stormwatch seems like the logical place to end the deluxe versions, but I'd also like to see a rerelease of that Ian Anderson solo album that had all the computers and stuff on it.
― henry s, Saturday, 10 February 2018 14:29 (six years ago) link
Another favorite Passion Play lyric
"Here's the everlasting rub: neither am I good or bad. I'd give up my halo for a horn and the horn for the hat I once had."
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 10 February 2018 21:22 (six years ago) link
I'm gonna have to hear the Wilson mix and see if it changes my mind!
― Full of bile and Blue Nile denial (Turrican), Saturday, 10 February 2018 21:27 (six years ago) link
Really fallen in love with this band. I liked them a decade ago but now I really love them. Scooped up 4 reissues this week (This Was has the best artwork ever) and listened to the Chateau sessions a lot, a lot of which got reused as Passion Play and War Child, but since I haven't heard War Child, I'm hoping that the best unfamiliar tracks are on it in some form. The way Anderson just talks about the theatre being bombed then sings out the same sentences afterwards is hilarious.
"Look at the animals in the zoo, how would you like to be one?[...]Look at the animals look at you, how would you like to free one?"
Their first album since 2003 is coming out next year!
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 23 February 2018 22:20 (six years ago) link
"thick as a brick" (all 40+ odd minutes) is top shelf symphonic rock and a killer concept besides
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 23 February 2018 22:27 (six years ago) link
Xpost with Martin barre on board?
― Lockhorn. Lockhorn breed-uh (Jon not Jon), Friday, 23 February 2018 23:16 (six years ago) link
Cant see anything about Barre but I'm not sure. I know next to nothing about Tull after the 70s (apart from actress Lucia Micarelli being in the band, wow) but there must be a reason this isn't just another solo album.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 23 February 2018 23:25 (six years ago) link
Barre and Anderson are on pretty bad terms right now it seems, also IA's voice is really quite shot so it'll be interesting to see what comes up with this new record.
― MaresNest, Saturday, 24 February 2018 00:02 (six years ago) link
That sucks about this voice, he was always one of rock's great enunciators.
― henry s, Saturday, 24 February 2018 00:27 (six years ago) link
On one of those solo albums I thought he made good use of his ravaged voice. Not really trying to sing
― Lockhorn. Lockhorn breed-uh (Jon not Jon), Saturday, 24 February 2018 00:55 (six years ago) link
I would love for there to be a Steven Wilson remix of "Walk Into Light".
― Acid Hose (Capitaine Jay Vee), Saturday, 24 February 2018 01:13 (six years ago) link
Re: Chateau sessions. I cant believe they never used "Left Right", such an awesome song, I think it did appear on other compilations but I'd urge anyone to grab the Passion Play: Extended Performance before it's gone, because the sessions are remastered too.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 10 March 2018 04:41 (six years ago) link
it was only $21 on Amazon the other week, so I picked it up. Heavy Horses too!
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Saturday, 10 March 2018 05:03 (six years ago) link
Cool, I think I'll jump into town to get Heavy Horses this week.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 10 March 2018 11:22 (six years ago) link
On a Tull kick myself (see other thread).
Also, Ian Anderson's vaguely synth pop / occasionally baeleric album Walk Into Light is...not bad?
― Paul Ponzi, Saturday, 10 March 2018 13:15 (six years ago) link
I have found my way into some of the early 80s stuff but haven’t tried that one yet
― when worlds collide I'll see you again (Jon not Jon), Saturday, 10 March 2018 13:43 (six years ago) link
I'm not an expert on his solo career by any means, but this one seems like an anomaly
Title track is my jam right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs6V91LgdKs
― Paul Ponzi, Saturday, 10 March 2018 14:09 (six years ago) link
Had a look over my Heavy Horses book. Never knew they had so much work with Maddy Prior, she's interviewed.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 16 March 2018 21:47 (six years ago) link
that walk into light title track deserves resuscitation on some resident advisor mix imo, it's really good
― she carries a torch. two torches, actually (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Friday, 16 March 2018 23:15 (six years ago) link
definitely own like 6 or 7 albums by these guys and never quite decided if I am a fan or not
― The Desus & Mero Chain (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 16 March 2018 23:26 (six years ago) link
Other favorite Chateau moments
"The editor lies screaming, baking in his waking dream,QUESTIONING "WHO IS GOD'S FAVOURITE ROCK BAND THIS WEEK?"And will the front page take him?The deadline for the headline is the breadline"
"Who the hell can he be when he's never had V.D. and he doesn't even sit on toilet seats?"
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 16 March 2018 23:47 (six years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 24 April 2018 03:51 (five years ago) link
Also, “Inside” from Benefit is an absolute jam. Glen Cornick’s bass on this is just incredible.
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 24 April 2018 04:48 (five years ago) link
hmm... the Nightcap liner notes say Broadford Bazaar was "recorded 1978 at Maison Rouge Mobile Studio, Fulham London" so maybe it's from the Stormwatch recording sessions?
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Tuesday, 24 April 2018 05:37 (five years ago) link
the song is like a Heavy Horses sound with a definite Stormwatch vibe
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Tuesday, 24 April 2018 05:40 (five years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 24 April 2018 10:45 (five years ago) link
—>singing
― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 24 April 2018 10:46 (five years ago) link
The Horses in those Heavy Horses photos are fucking massive.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 27 April 2018 18:44 (five years ago) link
The horses were much smaller than intended, so they got a midget to pose for the photoshoot. That's why "Ian's" head is tilted down.
― Mungolian Jerryset (bendy), Friday, 27 April 2018 20:26 (five years ago) link
He said he regrets the cover because it's too close and you don't really get a proper look at their size. The book has lots of better photos from that shoot.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 27 April 2018 20:40 (five years ago) link
Loving "Acres Wild", a beauty. Loving the Heavy Horses tracks which Anderson noted as going in a Scottish direction. I wouldn't know where to begin with traditional Scottish dance music, the stuff I used to hear my gran listening on the radio was a bit too leisurely so anyone could keep up with it. But of course I want it fast and complex and only professionals could dance to properly.Writer Jack Vance once recommended Jimmy Shand but I doubt he ever goes nuts with it.
In the notes Anderson is quite ashamed of some of the bonus tracks, like "Botanic Man" (an unused tv theme tune), and the start of a track which he said he wouldn't subject the biggest Tull nerds to (it's not listed on the back tracklist for some reason).
I had "Beltane" on an earlier Songs From The Woods CD as a bonus track and I wasn't too fond of it, but I'm quite impressed by it now. Oddly Anderson said the references were maybe too obscure (what kind of reasoning is that? Especially for this sort of music?) and he was a bit embarrassed by the accent he put on (sounds much the way he does on most of Heavy Horses to me) and that it's a bit too "let's get in touch with our pagan roots", I see where he's coming from but I find it quite evocative nonetheless.
"There's a snap in the grass behind your feetand a tap upon your shoulder.And the thin wind crawls along your neck ---it's just the old gods getting older"
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 4 May 2018 20:08 (five years ago) link
I don’t see how that’s any less atavistic than jack-in-the-green. Maybe he thought both those on one album would be too much
― when worlds collide I'll see you again (Jon not Jon), Friday, 4 May 2018 22:48 (five years ago) link
Sorry any MORE atavistic
It's a Heavy Horses reject though. I guess it ended up as a bonus on some versions of Songs From The Woods because it fit more thematically.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 4 May 2018 23:27 (five years ago) link
"No Lullaby" lyrics he wrote for his children when they were small but they didn't hear until decades later.
"So come out fighting with your rattle in hand, thrust and parry. LightA match to catch the devil's eye, bring a cross of fire to the fight.And let no sleep bring false relief from the tension of the fray.Come wake the dead with the scream of life, do battle with ghosts at play.And gather your toys at the call-to-arms and swing your big bear downUpon our necks when we come to set you sleeping safe and sound.It's as well we tell no lie to chase the face that cries.And little birds can't fly so keep an open eye.It's as well we tell no lie, so I'll sing you no lullaby."
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 12 May 2018 03:47 (five years ago) link
Any of you got a good feel for Tull's whole lifetime? Their ups and downs, solo albums etc?
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 12 May 2018 13:46 (five years ago) link
Kinda do. Couple of years ago I dug in and listened to everything I hadn’t ever heard. I’d have to look over the discography to refresh my memory now. It didn’t change my top tier favorites but I discovered some really nice 2nd tier stuff (Broadsword, Crest, one of the recent growly ones but I can’t remember which). Tried hard for the umpteenth time with War Child, incl the Wilson edition and the outtakes/alternates, bc skating away is possibly my favorite song he ever wrote, but it’s overall a dud.
― cheese is the teacher, ham is the preacher (Jon not Jon), Wednesday, 16 May 2018 01:43 (five years ago) link
For me, it's hard to push past 'A', I like Broadsword well enough but apart from the odd track everything after that has felt like a bit of a snooze, if somebody was to compile a later period album list of worthwhile tunes I'd be interested though.
But the run from the beginning up to Stormwatch is fabulous, agree with Jon about most of War Child and I'm not as fussed about To Old... but hell, that leaves a pretty big chunk of greatness.
― MaresNest, Wednesday, 16 May 2018 10:07 (five years ago) link
Thanks.
I'm kind of worried that the backlash against A Passion Play distorted their opinions of the material. It's now one of my favorite albums by any band and I've been daydreaming about wishing I was an expert dancer so I could invent dances to go with the album. It's just so much fun.
Heavy Horses is pretty good, the bonus tracks I could have mostly lived without but there's maybe three really good ones (("Jack A Lynn" (early version), "Quatrain" (studio version) and "Beltane"))
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 18 May 2018 18:08 (five years ago) link
title track of HH just made me cry (i'm having a bad week)
― cheese is the teacher, ham is the preacher (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 31 May 2018 17:34 (five years ago) link
It's a good one. Anderson says it's a favorite to perform.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 1 June 2018 19:06 (five years ago) link
https://www.last.fm/music/Jethro+Tull/+images/6e079bed45eb40fdc0d9c733acece474
There's a great Minstrel In The Gallery era photo of them that's completely in the "photos of people who've figured out to live" vein.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 11 August 2018 15:29 (five years ago) link
http://www.tullpress.com/images/tull803.jpg
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Saturday, 11 August 2018 16:46 (five years ago) link