Five Must-hear Jethro Tull Albums

Jethro Tull are one of the few groups to have thus far recorded at least one studio album in each decade since the sixties. Even in the realms of prog rock, where numerous bands have made the oft embarrassing mistake of outstaying their welcome, that’s quite an achievement.

But even if Jethro Tull stretch it out to the sixth decade, releasing their 5000^th or so studio album, sorting through what has gone before can be like pogoing through a minefield of earache. Pretty much anything studio-bound beyond 1978′s Heavy Horses should be approached with the utmost of caution, and the albums that came to light during that darkest decade of them all, the 1980s, can probably be dismissed outright, dependent upon the individual listener’s pain threshold.

But for a time, namely the ten years following 1968′s debut, This Was, Jethro Tull were nigh on untouchable, laying low all that dared to stand before them.

So with no further ado, here’s five must-hears from the considerable Tull canon:

Stand Up

Following a patchy debut, Stand Up, the 1969 follow up saw Ian Anderson eject the instrumentals, the over-reliance on the Blues, and Mick Abrahams, in favour of a more pastoral prog-folk sound and long-serving guitarist, Martin Barre. The result is one of the Tull’s best, a near-perfect collection of songs that signals the future path down which they were headed. What isn’t there to like about an album that’s home to such sonic sensations as ‘Back to the Family’, ‘We Used to Know’ and ‘Reasons for Waiting’?

‘Living in the Past’ – Bonus track on Stand Up

Aqualung

It’s inevitable that any best-of list regarding the mighty Tull is going to look somewhat incomplete without the all-conquering Aqualung. 1971 was the year of the Jethro Tull breakthrough, as it was Aqualung that elevated them to the world stage. Quite often mislabelled as a concept album, Aqualung is, instead, a collection of songs that mix the acoustic pastoral elegance of the folk sound with the more full on, electric energy of prog. The title track alone is worth the admission fee, but when there’s not a dud track to be heard between that and the majestic closer, ‘Wind Up’, you know you’re onto a good thing. To say that Aqualung isn’t even the Tull’s crowning glory, only demonstrates the unstoppable power of Anderson and co. during those halcyon days of the 1970s.

‘Locomotive Breath’ from Aqualung

Thick as a Brick

Jethro Tull’s 1972 experiment in the ultimate concept album is a joy to behold. Essentially one song carved into two twenty minute slices, Thick as a Brick runs the full gamut of prog, even throwing in self-indulgent drum solos for good measure. Ian Anderson’s lyrics and vocals ensure the tongue remains firmly in the cheek throughout.

Minstrel in the Gallery

1975′s Minstrel in the Gallery played upon the allusions to the Elizabethan travelling player image that Ian Anderson had built around himself, with the one-legged, flute playing stage act. Framing the album as a performance in the court of a Renaissance-era Lord, it also signalled a return to a more folkish and acoustic sound, following the previous year’s Warchild. That’s not to say that there aren’t moments of stirring heavy rock and searing guitar riffs to keep the more dyed-in-the-wool prog fans happy. The rousing opener ‘Minstrel in the Gallery’, the soothingly gentle lilt of ‘Requiem’ and the 17 minute epic ‘Baker St. Muse’, rank among the strongest material the Tull ever recorded.

‘Requiem’ from Minstrel in the Gallery

Heavy Horses

Not only the Tull’s last hurrah before the rot set in, but also, quite possibly, their finest studio moment. Controversial as it may be to isolate one title from such an extensive body of work, 1978′s Heavy Horses nudges ahead of the rest for its seamless interweaving of folk and prog rock (but not progressive folk, a la Comus), creating an enticingly bucolic brew that serves as a portrait of rustic England and a demonstration of progressive rock at its evocative best. Who would’ve thought a song regarding the demise of the Shire horse as a working breed – as in the case of the title track – could not only be nine minutes of defining prog unsurpassed by the band, but one that’s rarely bettered by anybody else? The rest of the songs aren’t too bad either, and when you take into account the CD remaster sports the wonderfully pastoral ‘Broadford Bazaar’ as a bonus, where exactly does the “finest studio moment” moniker fall short?

‘Heavy Horses’ from Heavy Horses

Stand Up, Aqualung, Thick As a Brick, Minstrel in the Gallery and Heavy Horses are all available to buy from Amazon.co.uk

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album reviews, feature, prog rock