Heavy Horses [Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Jethro Tull | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1978
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00008G9JO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,458 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Like 1977's Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses is often unfairly posited as the thematic follow-up to its aforementioned studio predecessor. While Songs from the Wood evokes a magical atmosphere, Heavy Horses is far more earthly. Indeed, on the nine-minute-long title-track--a most poetic ode to the England's plough horses--Ian Anderson sings with the sorrow of a farmhand witnessing modern harvesting equipment coming over the horizon for the first time. One can even forgive him the rather randy line, "Let me find you a filly for your proud stallion seed, to keep the old line going." Sure, there's plenty of prattle about drinking afternoon tea with mice, but tracks like "Moths" and "Acres Wild" mark Heavy Horses as a must-own title in the Jethro Tull canon. --Kevin Maidment

Product Description

German reissue of the prog-rock band's 1978 album for Chrysalis includes two bonus tracks, 'Living In These Hard Times' & 'Broadford Bazaar'. CCCD. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

90 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Horse Power!, June 1, 2003

By 

Joseph Kimsey "Fareastnibelung" (Pac NW) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heavy Horses (Audio CD)

Hmm...who would have thought it? So many people slapping around one of the truly great rock albums of all time, and yet I still have the heart to listen. Actually, Jethro Tull's critical nadir was reached during A Passion Play (one of their greatest works, by the way), so I guess I can scratch off that criticism of Heavy Horses. Rolling Stone, a most anti-Tull publication, gave HH a great review. Mojo also included it among the top-ten greatest folk albums of all time.

Oh, and being a Tull fan, you can probably guess that I'm not too concerned with the top ten. Actually, considering that bands like Boston and Fleetwood Mac were at their commercial peaks during this era, I consider Heavy Horses NOT reaching the top ten to be a ringing endorsement! As far as any perceived artistic fall is concerned, that is a purely subjective call. I believe that the Songs From The Wood-to-A era to be this band's greatest.

To call these songs "verbose" and "banal" betrays the taste of the person who uttered these comments. Apparently, this person dislikes artfully crafted lyrics (an utterly rare phenomenon in rock music), or this person believes that rock music should forever confine itself to boy-meets-girl cliches or emerging male sexuality.

Actually, I must admit that I found the accusation of HH being "pseudo-literary" to be hilarious. To attack admirers of Heavy Horses as "puerile" is quite harsh, but one is entitled to his or her opinion. But the analysis of the "Acres Wild" lyrics is incredibly pedantic. Anyone who bases their appreciation of poetry or prose on the literary bean-counting of an English comp class will probably end up teaching it. Have you ever read Langston Hughs or Robert Burns?

Some have remarked about Ian Anderson's growl. Well, Heavy Horses describes the harshness of nature; it's not about making it seem mystical or gentle. That growl aptly conveys the message of the album.

Anyway. Heavy Horses is truly an awesome artistic statement. This batch of latest remastered Tull classics represents the band's best work. I think it's fair to say that Heavy Horses represents Tull at their very best; Songs From The Wood & A Passion Play both tie for second.

"...And The Mouse Police..." has incredible charm. Ian whispers a warning to the mice of the encroaching feline gestapo. Musically, the song is impossible to fault. A tightly coiled arrangement and a paranoid ending compliment it perfectly.

"Acres Wild" has some incredible drumming from percussion maestro Barrie Barlow. The song itself is very sensual (despite what some may tell you). The mandolin and fiddle instrumentation accent the pronounced Scottish flavor of the piece. In fact, the whole of the Heavy Horses disc sounds very Scots-Irish.

"No Lullaby" is an endorsement of twitching paranoia. More incredible drumming from Barlow, and some less-than-comforting words addressed to a child remove any of the cheerful feelings fostered by Songs From The Wood. This is one of the most powerful Tull performances!

"Moths" describes the suicidal possibility of True Love, as the moths hover ever closer to the flaming candle. The music is so engaging, and the analogy so clever, that "Moths" is compulsively listenable. I love that song.

"Journeyman" features the melodic bass playing of the late John Glascock. God, what an incredible player! Ian Anderson's description of life on the go is realistic, not banal or self-indulgent (in my opinion).

"Rover" can either apply to a dog or a man on the run. Musically, this piece is closest to the progressive rock of an earlier Tull era. The bucolic guitar part adds a bewitching quality, though.

"One Brown Mouse" is probably Tull's prettiest song. Again, this lyric can apply to a mouse or a man; and incredibly charming it is, too! Musically, it reaches into the furthest reaches of Scottish folk. David Palmer's lovely pipe organ duet with the flute is incredibly appealing.

"Heavy Horses" is a multifaceted epic that encompasses some incredible guitar playing, hymn-like calm, a fiddled wild romp, and (yes) some great lyrics.

"Weathercock" is a tough little rocker, with a blistering guitar coda by Martin Barre, excellent drumming by Barlow, and some effective singing by Anderson. A great closer!

The bonus tracks only add to the grandeur of Heavy Horses. "Living In These Hard Times" is, once again, about the realities of life. The tune is infectious and rollicking, the lyrics dark, like so many other Tull tunes. A very appealing (and schizoid) combination! "Broadford Bazaar" is almost overwhelmingly beautiful. Why it had to wait for release until Nightcap is beyond me. Heavy Horses is, perhaps, the greatest rock album ever. Idiosyncratic it certainly is, but that is exactly what endears it to so many. Hey, give it a try. Thanks to Ian, Martin, John E, Barrie, John G and David!

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Tull Masterpiece!, May 20, 2003

By 

Brooks Smith "brxsmith" (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heavy Horses (Audio CD)

This album was the one that made me realize, when I was twelve, that I would be spending a lot of money completing my Jethro Tull collection. After War Child got my attention and Benefit bewitched me, Heavy Horses drove home the undeniable fact that this band was a force to be reckoned with.
I have been looking forward to the remaster, for the drum mix and the warmth and presence of the acoustic guitars made this one of the most well-recorded and realized albums of the Seventies. Tull hit upon an exact sound for this album that perfectly suits Ian's earthy songwriting here. And the songs are fantastic.
To those reviewers who think they know a little about music because they learned the word "diatonic," and the term "key changes" - remember that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. A good understanding of harmonic vocabulary and, above all, an appreciation of form, reveal the hidden power of every song on this masterful work.

The lyrics are among the best Ian has had to offer - like good poetry, the songs are full of concrete images, and not just visual imagery, but snapshots that can convincingly put you in the moment. Mind you, the experiences conveyed in this album are from real life, not the kind of overblown fantasy world pretention that some may expect from "progressive rock," but they certainly are not "banal," just non-pretentious.
If you "avoid this recording," the loss is entirely yours. You and this album deserve a fresh opinion, so don't miss out because you read someone's unfortunately off-base review. Listen to it yourself - and remember that, as with all great songwriting, its strengths reveal themselves gradually, with repetition. This is no instant-gratification album, but those who give it the depth of listenings that it deserves will reap very satisfying results.
Great stuff!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tull at its best!!!, November 25, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Heavy Horses (Audio CD)

This is my all time favorite Jethro Tull album. Every song on this album, from "the mouse police never sleeps" to the incredible title track, is spectacular. The lyrics are excellent, the tunes catchy, the vocals good, and all of the instrumentals display incredible virtuosity. If you are a fan of Jethro Tull you owe it to yourself to get this CD. Any fan of folk rock, good guitar, drums, or flute should also consider this purchase.