Customer Reviews

Heavy Horses

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

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!

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!

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.

I lost my vinyl version of this one a long time ago -- glad to see I can replace it on CD. This is one of Tull's most underrated releases; it followed the all-but-unfollowable _Songs From The Wood_ and just never had the impact its predecessor had.

Too bad. There's great stuff on here.

The title track is some of the band's best musicianship ever -- John Glascock's bass actually _sounds_ like the clomp of horses' hooves and the thunder of the gathering storm. (By the way, this album was Glascock's last recording with the band before his untimely death. He's always been my favorite among their bassists.)

There's also "One Brown Mouse," an old favorite of mine -- Ian Anderson sounds great, growling along and harmonizing with himself in fifths.

And there's "Weathercock" -- featuring Anderson's soaring flutes over a thumping backbeat in what may be _the_ quintessential Jethro Tull instrumental break.

I could go on, but enough from me. I'm going to order this CD as soon as possible, and any Tull fans who don't already have it should probably do likewise. This is some of their best work.

This album deserves to be far better known and beloved than (in my experience at least) it is. It's a wonderfully arranged, cohesive set of compositions performed with tight musicianship. 'No Lullaby' is a slightly jarring inclusion - it's much 'heavier' than the other songs - but otherwise every song is both perfect in itself and blends into a seamless whole, transcending genres to create a pleasing, wistful, contemplative mood. I particularly like 'Journeyman''s bass line, the flute in 'One Brown Mouse,' and everything about 'Weathercock.'

Until recently, I had never thought much of Jethro Tull's 1978 effort, "Heavy Horses." Only the 9-minute title track had ever really stuck in my head; the rest of the album pretty much went in one ear and out the other. I now confess that I was very wrong. Listening to this wonderful new remastered version, which brings out a new richness to the songs that I hadn't heard before, I now stand *highly* corrected. "Heavy Horses" is an excellent Tull album. Even more earthier-sounding than it's predecessor, "Songs From The Wood," and continuing the band's musical exploration of living in the English countryside, Ian Anderson & the boys work more musical magic with such fine Tull songs as "The Mouse Police Never Sleeps," "Acres Wild," "Moths," "Journeyman," "Rover," and the aforementioned title suite. The band sound great, the production is sparkling, and Anderson's vocals are strong. Sometimes an album just doesn't hit you over the head on the first listen, but you can still warm up to it over time, and hear something special in it that you hadn't heard before. That was certainly the case with me and Jethro Tull's "Heavy Horses." It's a great Tull disc--it just took me a while to realize it. Better late than never!

The only piece I've heard on the radio is the title track - and that's a crime. While not my favorite Tull collection, this CD may represent their best musicianship. Not the best party or background music, you'll want to sit quietly and listen to these numbers to fully appreciate them. These rich and complex riffs coupled with Anderson's colorful metaphors light up this bleak motif. It is the one Tull album that consistently surprises me and leaves me whispering, "Wow, these guys are GOOD!"

The one-star reviews of this album are simply baffling. This album answered the brainless critical accusations that Tull was "pretentious" with an album of unassuming, yet technically proficient, songs. Yes, SONGS -- not epics, not experiments, just finely crafted tunes with poignant, touching lyrics, all in the distinctive Tull style. That style is often imitated, but never quite matched by anyone else.

Anderson's voice is not appreciably different from the way it sounds on earlier offerings; his voice did fall off (much) later, but not here. In fact, I challenge anybody to hit every note of "No Lullaby" without bruising vocal chords. And the harmonies on the title track are stunning.

There's a lot more to this album if you're willing to listen closely. It weaves in and out of an astonishing array of diverse musical sources. In the process, it ranges from the sublimely silly ("The Mouse Police Never Sleeps"), the movingly nostalgic (title cut), the brilliantly simple ("One Brown Mouse," "Moths"), and the stunningly intense ("Weathercock").

Jethro Tull was ubiquitous to 1970s AOR radio and the album Aqualung got as much play as the classic Dark Side of the Moon. There are many fans who swear by the earlier blues oriented recordings. My first Jethro Tull album was Songs from the Wood so I am partial to this period of Ian Anderson's writing. Heavy Horses is the follow up and captures the rustic pagan spirit of its predecessor. While Songs from the Wood is one of my favorite albums, I will admit that it does not have the cohesion of Heavy Horses. Yes, Songs from the Wood features some great tracks including the title track, The Whistler and my favorite, Hunting Girl. But overall it is a mixed bag that does not seem to flow smoothly. Heavy Horses is much more uniform from song to song while offering some great tracks, The Rover in particular. The lyric writing is still somewhat satirical but now more romantic and descriptive. Anderson tells less a story then paints a picture on the title track and Journey Men. This album is a nostalgic look back to an earlier time when man was in touch and relied on his relationship with nature. Though it got no substantial airplay, it features the classic Tull line up at their best and some of Ian Anderson's best writing.

of all the huge body of work that JETHRO TULL have released HEAVY HORSES must rank as perhaps their finest moment.The whole album reeks of the british countryside and its lost values and traditions.Highlights here are the stirring and moving title track,ONE BROWN MOUSE and ROVER.Exceptional.