Customer Reviews

Jethro Tull A+ (w/ Bonus DVD)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

1980's "A" is a very controversial Jethro Tull album. It started out as a solo album for Tull leader Ian Anderson, who brought in ace keyboardist/violinist Eddie Jobson, drummer Mark Craney and bassist Dave Pegg to help him record it. But Anderson *also* brought in Tull guitarist Martin Barre to play on the album, which was to have a major impact on what would happen next. With his solo album finished, Anderson delivered it to the record company execs at Chrysalis Records. Upon hearing it, the Chrysalis bigwigs *strongly* advised Anderson to release the album under the Jethro Tull name. Before Anderson could make a proper decision about it, Chrysalis went ahead and announced to the press that "A" was the new Jethro Tull album, featuring a new lineup. Thus, Tull veterans Barriemore Barlow, John Evan, and David Palmer were no longer in the band. As Anderson says in the new liner notes, the trio were "understandably and rightfully p----d off."But what of the "A" album itself? Well, to be perfectly honest, "A" (for Anderson, in case you're curious) is my least favorite Jethro Tull album, but it certainly isn't bad. Half of the songs are quite strong: "Crossfire," "Flyingdale Flyer," "Black Sunday," "4.W.D. (Low Ratio)" and the brilliant "Working John Working Joe" (by far the album's best song) are all excellent Tull rockers. The rest of the songs on "A" are decent and listenable, but...well...they just lack something. They don't grab me. In other words, they kinda go in one ear and out the other. Still, at the end of the day, 5 great songs out of 10 ain't bad, and the band's performances are consistently good. "A" isn't a Tull masterpiece, but it's good enough. So, my rating for Jethro Tull's "A" album alone: 3 stars. However....this new re-issue of "A" comes with a very special bonus treat: a DVD of Tull's 1980 concert & music video feature, "Slipstream"! Half of the DVD is Tull captured live in concert on their 1980 tour for "A," with Anderson & the gang in excellent form on such Tull favorites as "Songs From The Wood," "Heavy Horses," "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath," as well as songs from "A" like "Black Sunday." The other half contains some of Jethro Tull's very few forays into music video, including the hilarious clip for "Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll, Too Young To Die," "Sweet Dream" (featuring Anderson as a vampire!), and the simple-but-effective clip for "Dun Ringill." If you're a Tull fan, the "Slipstream" DVD is an absolute must-have. So, 3 stars for the "A" album, and a perfect 5 stars for the "Slipstream" DVD, giving the "A" CD/DVD deluxe package a final rating from yours truly of 4 stars. Granted, the "A" re-issue costs a little more thanks to the inclusion of the DVD, but it's definitely worth getting.

At first blush, you may think that I've sacrificed any credibility I've ever had by giving "A" four stars. This album, by most people's account, is the smelly cheese in the pantry of the entire Tull discography; but please hear me out.
I will admit that this album is not perfect. After all, this was a band in transition. Meant to be a solo Anderson project, the old band mates that had pumped out one amazing album after another for most of a decade had disbanded, leaving only Ian and Martin Barre to carry on the name. Dave Craney had the unenviable task of replacing Barrie(more) Barlow, the most energetic and dexterous of all the JT percussionists. Eddie Jobson was doing the work of both John Evans and David (now Dee) Palmer. The bright spot in the new lineup was the inclusion of our old friend, David Pegg; certainly the most entertaining and personable of all the Tull Bassists, who remained with the band for another 10 or 12 years.

As for the music; there are a few memorable tunes here. Widely acknowledged as the best song on the album, BLACK SUNDAY is a ripping good tune that, if nothing else, demonstrates Ian's ability to string together a whole mess of words without taking a breath (try singing along and you'll see). THE PINE MARTIN'S JIG has long been one of my favorite instrumental pieces. Wickedly complex in it's ever changing time signatures, this had to be a bear to play live. While not much of a song lyrically, I have to admit that PROTECT AND SURVIVE has one of the most infectious flute licks Ian has ever written. I find myself humming or whistling the intro to that song frequently.

Stylistically, this album resembles Ian's eventual and actual first solo album, INTO THE LIGHT. Lyrically, there's not a whole lot that's going to make you sit down and go "hmmm, why didn't I think of that?" Some of the lyrics are just laughable: "Self appointed guardians of the race, with egg upon their face.." or "I'm equal to the best of you, and I'm better than the rest of you." A far cry from the thought provoking THICK AS A BRICK, MY GOD, BAKER STREET MUSE, or A PASSION PLAY, these lyrics are pretty much just filler for the music.

The sound quality on this remaster is really much better than the original CD release, though the limitations of the analog recording equipment do still tell in places.

As for the DVD re-release of Slipstream, the first Tull video. A treasure, an absolute hoot to watch. It's good that Ian and the boys took up music, cause acting just isn't in the cards for them. Ian wins the award for overdone facial expressions and corny gestures, but it's all fun to watch. You'll see scarey alien balloons, more aliens with eyeballs painted on their eyelids, and yet another alien dominatrix whose clever makeup job consists of a black stocking pulled over her head (oooooohhhh).

Probably just for the real fans, but taken in the right spirit, this release is a pleasure none the less

At first blush, you may think that I've sacrificed any credibility I've ever had by giving "A" four stars. This album, by most people's account, is the smelly cheese in the pantry of the entire Tull discography; but please hear me out.

I will admit that this album is not perfect. After all, this was a band in transisition. Meant to be a solo Anderson project, the old band mates that had pumped out one amazing album after another for most of a decade had disbanded, leaving only Ian and Martin Barre to carry on the name. Dave Craney had the unenviable task of replacing Barrie(more) Barlow, the most energetic and dexterous of all the JT percussionists. Eddie Jobson was doing the work of both John Evans and David (now Dee) Palmer. The bright spot in the new lineup was the inclusion of our old friend, David Pegg; certainly the most entertaining and personable of all the Tull Bassists, who remained with the band for another 10 or 12 years.

As for the music; there are a few memorable tunes here. Widely acknowledged as the best song on the album, BLACK SUNDAY is a ripping good tune that, if nothing else, demonstrates Ian's ability to string together a whole mess of words without taking a breath (try singing along and you'll see). THE PINE MARTIN'S JIG has long been one of my favorite instrumental pieces. Wickedly complex in it's ever changing time signatures, this had to be a bear to play live. While not much of a song lyrically, I have to admit that PROTECT AND SURVIVE has one of the most infectious flute licks Ian has ever written. I find myself humming or whistling the intro to that song frequently.

Stylistically, this album resembles Ian's eventual and actual first solo album, INTO THE LIGHT. Lyrically, there's not a whole lot that's going to make you sit down and go "hmmm, why didn't I think of that?" Some of the lyrics are just laughable: "Self appointed guardians of the race, with egg upon their face.." or "I'm equal to the best of you, and I'm better than the rest of you." A far cry from the thought provoking THICK AS A BRICK, MY GOD, BAKER STREET MUSE, or WE USED TO KNOW, these lyrics are pretty much just filler for the music.

The sound quality on this remaster is really much better than the original CD release, though the limitations of the analog recording equipment do still tell in places.

As for the DVD re-release of Slipstream, the first Tull video. A treasure, an absolute hoot to watch. It's good that Ian and the boys took up music, cause acting just isn't in the cards for them. Ian wins the award for overdone facial expressions and corny gestures, but it's all fun to watch. You'll see scarey alien balloons, more aliens with eyeballs painted on their eyelids, and yet another alien dominatrix whose clever makeup job consists of a black stocking pulled over her head (oooooohhhh).

Probably just for the real fans, but taken in the right spirit, this release is a pleasure none the less.

If the public consensus is to be believed, this is far and away the worst item in the Jethro Tull catalog, rivaled only by Under Wraps in terms of sheer audacious crappiness. Now watch as I intercede on its behalf. Now, let me say that this is no Stand Up or Thick as a Brick. But "Black Sunday", with haunting vocal melody, great guitars, and an excellent piano solo, is a Tull classic! Even if the synthesizers sound out of place. They also merge quite well with the flute on "Crossfire" (and they don't merge at all on either "Batteries are Not Included" or "Uniform", and the car song "4WD" is crap music-hall meets '80s pop) and the synth-folk "Flyingdale Flyer" - not half as bad as you'd think. And I also like the folk-metal "Working John, Working Joe" - sort of an updated "Working Class Hero". Meanwhile, "The Pine Marten's Jig" is a fun folk instrumental that sounds like it came right from the rolling hills of Scotland, off by Loch Lomond. So yes, there are enough good songs on A to warrant a good score, and yes, my review was a rambling mess. What're you gonna do about it? But this has got to be my favorite post-Heavy Horses Tull album.

Many fans think I'm loony but this is one of my three favorite Tull albums. The other two are Stand Up and Minstrel in the Gallery. These are Tull's three great 'fusion' albums - ethnic/folk/blues/rock/jazz on Stand Up; medieval/hard rock on Minstrel; and electronic/'organic' on A.

The rhythm section on A - Mark Craney on drums and Dave Pegg on bass - is outstanding. Craney is a great drummer (my favorite who's played with Tull). He's very musical, dynamic, creative, and precise, but has a lot of feel. The whole album is a lesson on how to use, but not overuse, cymbals with absolutely no sloppiness. Dave Pegg's bass sounds great, and his melodic playing is a highlight. I really enjoy the violin, too (maybe because I'm a fan of the Mahavishnu Orchestra). It fits in well with Tull's music. Martin Barre's electric guitar playing is not lost in the mix. Terrific solos on 4.W.D. (Low Ratio) and The Pine Marten's Jig, excellent rhythm guitar and melodic playing on Black Sunday, one of my all-time favorite Tull songs.

I also enjoyed the 'bonus' dvd, Slipstream, that comes with the cd. On the dvd, the live versions of Black Sunday, Heavy Horses, Aqualung, and Locomotive Breath are the highlights - very tight performances; this Tull lineup is underrated. Eddie Jobson's no John Evans on keys, granted, but his violin (and mandolin) playing are great assets to the band. And I like his synthesizer sounds, too. As on the album, Craney's precision and energetic playing really drive the music.

This was Tull for the 80's, not the 70's; they were moving on along - not alone - although they left some fans behind. But not this fan. And A remains a thoroughly enjoyable album today.

Pleasantly surpised. I was repeatedly told to avoid this title. That it was a synth-heavy departure from 70's Tull, and, as intended as an Anderson solo album, not worthy of the Tull name. Couldn't be farther from the truth. First off, this album is really agressive and progressive for 1980. I thought it was going to be a drab, sterile recording - like the direction most prog-groups were at by '80 (ex. Genesis). This album is more like a re-invention, along the lines of Yes' Drama album. And, like that album, 'A' is also the product of a few personnel changes. Sometimes well-established bands like these need a complete overhaul in order for them to sound fresh and vital again. The tracks 'Flyingdale Flyer' and 'Black Sunday' are the standouts on this one, but pretty much everything here is good. This album is 'nothing' like Anderson's first solo outing - Walk into Light, which sounds like a deliberate departure from the Tull sound and is devoid of all the crazy-meter passages synonymous with Tull. 'A' would be Tull's last venture into the prog-rock genre, as subsequent titles would be more radio-friendly. If you are a Tull-head, it is worth picking up this title, but only after the essentials such as Aqualung, TAAB, Minstrel, SFTW and Benefit are aquired.

4.5 would be a more accurate rating, but since you can't do that I give Tull the benefit of the doubt. I'm a tremendous fan of the band, and I feel that history has been very undeservedly unkind to this album in particular. A is a well written and extremely well played collection of songs that represents Tull's entry into that dark period in pop music known as the 1980's. A has a reputation for being a "cold" and "clinical" sounding album filled with bad synthesizers and scattershot songwriting. This is not true. At all. It IS true of 1984's Under Wraps, but not of A. The basic sound of the band is not a lot different from the previous album, Stormwatch. The biggest differences from 70's Tull are Dave Pegg's much more modern sounding bass guitar and the prominent synth parts. Other than that, this is just another classic Tull album in my opinion. One noteworthy fact about it is that it's the only Tull album to feature the playing of American drummer Mark Craney, who recently died. His contributions to the music are invaluable all throughout.

The first half of A is very strong. The first song, "Crossfire," is a catchy, quick-to-the-point rock ditty with some good hooks and interesting rhythmic curveballs. "Fylingdale Flyer" is a very rhythmically complex piece, and it has some nice vocal work too. The band is tight as a drum, which really shows when they get into all the tricky stuff. Next is "Working John-Working Joe." Although poorly named, the song itself is quite catchy, and some of the grooves during the middle and end are positively tasty. After this comes the clear high point of the album, "Black Sunday." This epic song is excellent in every way, with a killer guitar solo from Martin Barre. Then things get a little strange with "Protect and Survive," which was obviously not intended for mainstream radio play. However, there is some impressive playing contained on this song, and a great meandering middle segment. The next two songs are, admittedly, bad. They are not worth listening to more than once. Oh well. Another poorly named song follows, called "4.W.D. (Low Ratio)." I like this song a lot because of the way the flute and guitar work so well together. "Pine Martin's Jig" is probably one of the most musically difficult recordings the band ever cut, which, for Tull, is really saying something. Then to close the album, "And Further On," is a great but slightly strange ballad with an epic finish. I would recommend this album to any Tull fan who has been on the fence about whether to buy it or not. Also the awesome DVD that comes with it is a must-have for fans.

This is the remaster we've been waiting for (not the dubious release from the Netherlands). The remaster boys at Abbey Road did an excellent job. The highs are crisp, yet smooth, more so than I dreamed possible. The mids are sharp and clear, and reflect the good punchy compression of the original recording; I'm pleased to find that this album was recorded and mixed wonderfully in the first place, something that earlier releases did not convey.
This album is woefully underrated, and actually showcases very strong (and memorable) songwriting, arrangements, and performances. Don't shun this one just because of the heavy emphasis on analog keyboards, or because so much of the subject matter concerns technology - it does not sound dated (if you must shun a Jethro Tull album for these reasons, 1983's "Under Wraps" deserves that treatment). This one, rather, is a great example of the changing face of 1970's progressive rock under the formidable influence of the 1980's.
Oh, and the "Slipstream" DVD is certainly a lot of fun - this still seems to be the only way to obtain it in DVD form, and the package is well worth the price.

I am a big fan of early 1980s Jethro Tull. A, Broadsword & the Beast, Under Wraps, and Ian Anderson's first solo album Walking Into Light are not only among my favorite Tull albums but are some of my favorite albums of all-time. I know a lot of Tull fans were not happy with this period but, to me, these albums represent Tull's most interesting and innovative output. Normally, I would give 'A' 4 stars as it is not quite as solid as the other early 80s albums, but this edition includes the very cool Slimstream DVD, so I am compelled to add the extra star.

Slimstream was not just a stage performance video from their `A' tour, it included all sorts of visual images. It starts with Anderson in his Aqualung persona, casting his cart over a cliff and being chased by giant balloons as he heads towards the concert hall. "Black Sunday" is a stage performance and it is followed by one of my all-time Tull songs "Dun Ringill which is done completely on location with references to the `A' album (on a message in a bottle and on a life preserver). Next is the music video for "Flyingdale Flyer" which uses the cool images from the `A' album (one of my favorite album covers). "Songs From the Wood" (actually, just the last half of it) and "Heavy Horses" are stage performances with special effects (they don't quite fit well with the futuristic stage show). "Sweet Dream" is very cool and shows Aqualung being tormented by all sorts of ghoulish things including Anderson in Dracula persona. The music video "Too Old to Rock `N' Roll" is included. "Skating Away..." intersperses stage performance with images of poor Aqualung being cast away again to walk alone in the streets. It ends with stage performances (w/ special effects) of two classic Tull songs: Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath" and the video runs full circle with the giant balloons going out into the audience. This video shows the young phenom Eddie Jobson on keyboards and electric violin during his brief guest stint with Tull. My only complaint is that it does not have more songs off the album `A,' speaking of which...

Granted, this album is very different from previous Tull releases. It was supposed to be Ian Anderson's first solo effort. While working on it, he called in Tull mate Martin Barre along with others to help and, when it was completed, decided it was more accurately a Jethro Tull album than an Anderson solo album. The tape boxes used in the studio were marked "A" for Anderson, hence the name. There are a lot of keyboards here (it was 1980) but it still has the characteristic flute. In my opinion, this album is different in a very positive way. The lyrical content is very interesting. Reading the concert program for the 1980 tour, I found out that "Crossfire" is about Constable Trevor Locke being trapped in the Iranian Embassy in London as it was being besieged (an event Ian Anderson heard about while rehearsing a rough draft of the track). "Fylingdale Flyer" is about a news story on the last time an American nuclear warning system detected a possible Russian attack. "Protect and Survive" is a take on the misinformation found in British Government pamphlets on nuclear preparedness. "Working John, Working Joe" flips the usual union song to look at the hardships of the white collar worker.

From the opening track through the first four songs, this album is amazing. "Black Sunday" is the most innovative track on `A' with very rich keyboards, some fancy piano playing and, yes, a flute solo. It is the longest song at 6:33. "Protect and Survive" and "Batteries Not Included" I do not like as well as some of the instruments play in unison with Anderson's vocals, which I find a little annoying. The former does have some fancy flute playing (how does he play it so fast?). "Uniform," along with "Crossfire," is a very accessible track and is one of my favorites. The electric violin on "Uniform" is very cool. "4.W.D. [4 wheel drive] (Low Ratio)" is the only track I have to skip. It is too "trucker" sounding for lack of a better description. "Pine Martin's Jig" is an instrumental. `A' ends on one of the best Jethro Tull closing tracks, "And Further On." It is a beautiful and will leave you feeling happy you bought this album.

I was harsh on this album in another review on www.amazon.co.uk and I apologise. I said it was my least favourite Tull album... and that is true. I still think of this as ok, but it is a higher ok. The first ok being a one star, this one being a three. It was initially intended as an Ian Anderson solo album but all the tull members were dragged in and it was released under the name Jethro Tull.
For me this album stands out in my Tull collection. Firstly because it is there only album that has near to no folk influences. Perhaps this was because of what it started out as? I don't know... really I don't.
Another interesting thing about this album (or perhaps the first interesting, I don't know that either) is that it features Eddie Jobson as 'special guest.' Now, as much as I admire hit talents (he's very talented) I can't help but resent him for taking the jolly John Evan's place in the band. This is also true for drummer Barrie Barlow. Their presence's are greatly missed, no mre so is this evident than on the DVD.
The DVD makes this my best album buy full stop.. (I put two in so that you get the point) It is Slipstream the part concert part music vidio extravaganza that was released at the time of A. I wont go on but a Tull fan should not pass up this buy. You will love it. For someone interested in Tull, due to the DVD I suggest you also buy this as it contains songs past and present.
I hope I have given valid advice.
Toodle Pipskie. (Is that how you spell it?)