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49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At long last, a clean copy!, April 13, 2005
Finally, after many years of waiting, my favorite band has released the remastered B&B and I can complete my Jethro Tull collection! Now you might say "wait a tick, Broadsword and the Beast has been out on CD for years." That's true, but the original CD release was nearly unlistenable, and certainly the weakest disc in the collection. It sounded a bit like it was recorded with a hand held microphone inside a wet felt sack - muddy and of inconsistent quality.
This release is much superior to the original! Broadsword & the Beast was a moderate success in the United States, but in Germany and other European countries - this was "THE" Jethro Tull album to have, eclipsing Aqualung, Thick as a Brick and all the rest in sales and chart ranking. With perhaps the best artwork on any album cover, ever - this disc became quite popular and the menacing pixie like image of Ian still adorns concert tee shirts.
While the tone of the album took the guise of Scandinavian or Celtic themes, this album was definitely a stinging commentary of contemporary times. Among the several notable songs on this collection, THE CLASP and FALLEN 0N HARD TIMES both got a respectable amount of radio play in 1982. Both songs referred to the troubled times in which we were living, both economically and politically. An ailing Leonid Brezhnev was the General Secretary of the still thriving Soviet Union, only to be replaced by an equally threatening Yuri Andropov later that year. Reagan and Thatcher had formed a powerful, yet decidedly unsettling alliance in the west. These were scary times folks, and Ian's lyrics reflected the uncertainty we were all feeling!
Other great songs on the disc include BROADSWORD, a song that harkens back to ancient times, and speaks of protecting home and family from external threats. PUSSYWILLOW became a favorite on the touring scene for a while, though I haven't seen it performed in years. The last song on the original release was the peaceful, almost comforting CHEERIO, in which Ian and the lads wished us all "the best of luck till we meet again, mate." This song has been used as the closer for almost every concert appearance since.
I would be remiss not to mention the wonderful stage set used on this concert tour. This was the final bombastic, over the top stage presentation Tull would ever mount, and it was wonderful! The stage was a full blown Viking ship with the dragon masthead shown on the cover painting - complete with smoking nostrils and glowing eyes. Other memorable moments from the show included an actual "BEASTIE" sitting on Ian's shoulders as he sang that song, and a huge BROADSWORD he flailed about that had to be as tall as Ian himself. During WATCHING ME WATCHING YOU, the stage was completely dark while Ian scanned the audience, pointing a powerful hand held spotlight out to look at us watching him! It was a great show!
I will wrap up with a mention of the bonus tracks, all of which have been available on other releases. These are a nice collection of songs all recorded around the time of this album. The most notable of these are JACK FROST AND THE HOODED CROW, a tune that most recently reappeared on the Christmas Album, and JACK A LYNN, a touching and lovely song Ian wrote in tribute to his wife Shona (it's her middle name.) MAYHEM MAYBE is a fun little ditty, and OVERHANG is a riffy, enjoyable piece as well. Enjoy this disc, it is a treasure!
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tull's Mighty Broadsword, May 7, 2005
After their controversial "A" album from 1980, Jethro Tull charged into the year 1982 with their outstanding release, "The Broadsword And The Beast." Truly one of the group's very best works, "Broadsword" saw Jethro Tull acquire two new band members in the forms of keyboardist Peter John Vettese and drummer Gerry Conway. Vettese added a more keyboard-heavy, synthesised gloss to Tull's trademark folk-rock, and the combination works amazingly well. "Broadsword" also features some of the best material Tull frontman Ian Anderson had written since 1977's "Songs From The Wood." Lots of Tull goodies on this one, such as the marching rock of "Beastie," the catchy "Fallen On Hard Times" (which the band appropriately released as a single), the anthemic "Broadsword," the fun of "Watching Me Watching You," and the atmospheric punch of "The Clasp" and "Seal Driver." Also, this new remaster of "Broadsword" comes with a very generous helping of *eight* bonus songs all recorded during the sessions for the album, including the Christmas-themed "Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow," the part-ballad/part-rocker "Jack A Lynn," and the excellent "Overhang" and "I Am Your Gun." The album's early-80's production is top-notch, and Jethro Tull themselves sound truly inspired on this set. All the way around, "The Broadsword And The Beast" is a great Tull classic.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great remastered edition plus bonus tracks make "Broadsword" worthwhile, July 31, 2006
THE BAND: Ian Anderson (vocals, flute, acoustic guitar), Martin Barre (electric & acoustic guitar), Peter-John Vettese (piano/keyboards/synthesizer), David Pegg (bass, mandolin), Gerry Conway (drums & percussion).
THE DISC: (1982) Originally 10 songs clocking in at approximately 39 minutes, this digitally remastered (2005) version features 8 bonus tracks pushing the entire listen to just over 64 minutes. Included with the disc is a 10-page booklet with original album artwork, song titles/credits, song lyrics, a 2-page intro from Ian Anderson, and thank you's. Label - Chrysalis Records.
COMMENTS: This album is an enigma to me. I like "Broadsword", but simply can't and won't put it on the same lofty perch as my favorites "Songs From The Wood", "Aqualung", "Minstrel In The Gallery", "Warchild", or "Thick As A Brick". "Broadsword" pulls you in many different directions. Anderson himself is quoted in the liner notes, "It was our fastest selling and biggest album in Germany, and did well through Europe... (however) the ho-hum response in the U.S. was a mystery." For me, the different line up personnel may have had something to do with it. The 70's were gone - and so was the magic of Tull's best drummer ever Barriemore Barlow, John Evan (keyboards), John Glascock (bass, R.I.P.), or any of those stunning orchestral arrangements from David Palmer. Two things I really found disappointing with this album was the heavy emphasis on keyboards and electronics, and the total lack of Ian's skilled flute playing. I know 'change' is inevitable. Jethro Tull's previous album "A" (1980) was a huge change in direction - a completely different sound... and in my opinion disappointing. While I admire Anderson for taking chances... it doesn't mean I have to enjoy the album. With "Broadsword" I feel Tull took a decent step forward and found a way to return to the more classic Tull style and sound. Great songs include the mellow "Flying Colors", the anthem-esque "Slow Marching Band", the up and down "Pussy Willow" and the story of the title track. However, there are several songs here I'd label as filler - "Beastie", "Watching Me Watching You" and "Fallen On Hard Times". Several of the Tull compilations features songs from this album - "Broadsword", "Jack-A-Lynn" and "Pussy Willow" made it to the 2-disc set "The Best Of Jethro Tull" (1993); while the title track and "Cheerio" made it to "Very Best Of Jethro Tull" (2001). Since I was only an average fan of the album, the remastered sound and bonus tracks made me buy this new edition - "Jack Frost & The Hooded Crow" is a wonderful song (making it to their 2004 "Christmas Album"), the medieval "Mayhem Maybe" (could have been on "Songs From The Wood"), the slow rocker "Overhang", and my favorite here "Jack-A-Lynn". Not quite a Tull 'classic' in my book, but still a good album... especially this remastered edition... also one of my favorite Jethro Tull album covers (4 stars).
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