Jethro Tull Christmas Album (Bonus Dvd) [Limited Edition]

Jethro Tull | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 5, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Limited Edition
• Label: Fuel 2000
• ASIN: B0002ZMJ5M
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,932 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Birthday Card at Christmas

2. Holly Herald: The Holly and the Ivy/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

3. A Christmas Song

4. Another Christmas Song

5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

6. Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow

7. Last Man at the Party

8. Weathercock

9. Pavane

10. First Snow on Brooklyn

11. Greensleeved

12. Fire at Midnight

13. We Five Kings

14. Ring Out Solstice Bells

15. Bourée

16. A Winter Snowscape

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Christmas Album with a Best Of Blend too!!, December 22, 2004

By 

Graboidz (Westminster, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Jethro Tull Christmas Album (Bonus Dvd) (Audio CD)

If you are a fan of Tull's 70's albums, specifically the more acoustic leaning "Songs From the Wood", then you will LOVE this disk. It's almost as if Ian Anderson and company travelled back three decades and tapped into a sound all but lost with today's over-produced, and under-performed music. Songs like "Jack Frost", "Pavane" and "Last Man" could all have easily been inserted into earlier Tull disks like "Benefit" or "Minstrel In the Gallery". The forgotten classics included here; "Weathercock" and "Another Christmas Song" have been slightly updated, and are nice to re-visit. If you are tired of being beaten over the head with an Ashlee Simpson-Clay Aiken Christmas, then treat yourself to a group of real musicians, real songwriters doing what they do best. This is one Christmas album you won't want to put away after the holidays, and one that sounds just as good in July.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flute-led Christmas folk-rock album, November 15, 2005

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jethro Tull Christmas Album (Bonus Dvd) (Audio CD)

It is rare for rock artists to record a whole album of Christmas music although they like to record singles or tracks for compilation projects, especially where a worthy cause is involved such as the Special Olympics (A very special Christmas series). Thus, I was surprised to find a Christmas album by Jethro Tull, especially as I thought that they had long since faded into obscurity. In fact, although the seventies were their decade of fame, they have continued performing and recording through the intervening years. I am not especially familiar with Jethro Tull's other music (although this album has aroused my curiosity so I will remedy that situation some day) so I'll review this purely on its merits as a Christmas album.

The group's leader, Ian Anderson, has a pleasant if unexceptional baritone voice who plays flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, piccolo and percussion as well as writing songs for the group. Clearly a man of many talents, it is his flute-playing that is the dominant feature of this album. When this album was recorded, the other members of Jethro Tull were Martin Barre (electric and acoustic guitars), Doane Perry (drums and percussion), Andrew Giddings (keyboards, accordion and keyboards bass) and Jonathan Noyce (bass guitar). Guest musicians were James Duncan (drums and percussion), Dave Pegg (bass guitar and mandolin) and the Sturcz string quartet.

Some of the tracks are instrumentals while others feature vocals. As the flute is ideally suited to Christmas music, the results are very enjoyable. There are a few familiar tunes here but they are very distinctive. Quite apart from the sound of the flute, the arrangements are sometimes different from the standard.

This album works well as background music when it comes across as a very upbeat album, but if you make the effort to listen to the lyrics, you'll find that they are not always upbeat as there a hint of cynicism. If you enjoy the sound of the flute and you're looking for a Christmas album unlike any other, this is for you.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great christmas album, November 13, 2005

By 

BJ (Western PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jethro Tull Christmas Album (Bonus Dvd) (Audio CD)

I came across this album and decided to purchase because it was "something different". I could not have been more pleased!! Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull take some old favorites and give them a creative and memorable twist. The new tracks are also fantastic. This has become my family's favorite album of the season. My college age son took it to the dorm, and it was a favorite there also. My recommendation is to BUY THIS ALBUM RIGHT NOW if you don't already own it! You won't regret your decision!!