Customer Reviews

Minstrels In The Gallery: A History Of Jethro Tull (Music)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm grateful to Dave Rees for writing the first real bio of Jethro Tull; at first I was exhilarated that there was finally (!) a book on Tull, and I read it in one sitting. But, not to be unkind, it could have been better. David, in my opinion, could have made it more interesting and insightful by choosing many of the songs and explaining what makes them so fascinating (for me at any rate)to people who may have picked up the book but are not familiar with Tull. For example: One Brown Mouse was inspired, according to Ian, by Robert Burns. The song North Sea Oil was written about the touch and go oil economy in Aberdeen in the late 70's, Farm on the Freeway about the financial problems of the American farmers, Moths: the clever metaphor of the lovers being consumed by the flame, Fylingdale Flyer: about an incoming nuclear missle,and the multitude of songs based on Anglo-Scots-Celtic subject matter: Kelpie, Pibroch, Solstice Bells, Jack In The Green, Beltane, etc. And also describe the instrumentation of the songs. Unfortunately, most people seem to know Jethro Tull only by their few radio hits Bungle In The Jungle, Aqualung, & Living In The Past. While these songs are great(except for Bungle), they certainly are not the limit of what Tull are capable of. Perhaps by describing the different changes and nuances of the music, for example: the twists and turns of Thick As A Brick, the unexpected dynamics changes in Minstrel In The Gallery and Baker Street Muse, the charm of Moths and One Brown Mouse, would perk up the interest of people reading the book but are not very familiar with the band. Tull has put out a much greater variety of music than just Bungle In The Jungle. It would have been great to read why Ian is particuarly interested in Celtic subjects (I know he's Scottish, but maybe there are more reasons), what spurs his different interests, what are his favorite books, his political opinions, his views on his music. Also, I would love to know more of Martin Barre's background. Why, exactly, is he attracted to Ian's music? Which guitarists influenced him? Has he ever contemplated leaving Tull? Has he and Ian ever disagreed on the direction of the music? His favorite Tull music? In short, stuff that Tull fanatics (such as I) don't already know and that would intrigue budding Tull neophytes. And not to be ultra-cranky, but I disagreed with a lot of David's opinions on Tull's work. Contrary to David's views, I think Heavy Horses is awesome: JT's best, better than anything I've ever heard from them or anyone else; Stormwatch is excellent, certainly not mediocre; Broadsword is overpraised, Tull sounds dated on it; Too Old Too Rock N' Roll, while not their best, isn't, in my opinion, their least creative album, and most of Under Wraps is dire indeed. I hope people don't think that I disliked the book, I just think it could have been a little better. David's writing style is great: it's very laid-back and familiar, and I love his use of British slang; after all, you can't get much more British than Jethro Tull, can you? All in all, a good book that is certainly worth reading.

Congratulations to Dave Rees on putting out very good history of a very good and enigmatic band. This chatty book fills in many details that true Tull fans will have been wondering about. However, it also raises questions. For example, WHY was (is) the management of Chrysalis so inept at marketing Tull? HOW has Martin Barre managed to stay so long? WHY does Ian have to be such a prick? -- All in all this is a very good book. Nobody but Rees could've written such an objective and appreciative history without fawning over the band. Way to go Dave.

This is a basic, thorough review of the career of Jethro Tull that is a must for all fans. I especially enjoyed the Ian Anderson quotes; however, if you are expecting a biography of JT's mastermind, you'll have to wait. Maybe someday, Ian Anderson could be convinced to write an autobiography...The book does succeed in accomplishing its objectives and provides a concise history of the evolution of the band and an opinionated analysis of their music.

Rees has written mostly information that has already been written about Tull. There is little emphasis on the formative years and how this band grew from being a group of teenage friends who played in a garage in Blackpool to major rock stars in the Seventies. In short, the later years are over-empasized. Also, the philisophical nature of the music and the philosophies of the musicians themselves seem to be missing, or at least secondary. I would like to know more about why the music came out the way it did than when and where.

Having been a fan of the music of Jethro Tull for as long as David Rees, I was thrilled to read this book. Just as he has always done in his "A New Day" magazine, Rees doesn't stint on either praise or criticism where either is warranted. Since I have always been most interested in the music (as opposed to the personal lives) of Jethro Tull, I found this book to be the perfect history of my favorite band. There was just enough personal information that I was pleased to learn some new facts (for instance, I never knew that Ian Anderson had a brother!) but with none of the trashy dishing that is usually found in rock biographies. If you want a biography of Jethro Tull, one of the treasures of our age, this is the book to read.

David Rees is, for more than a dacade, The Authority on all things Tull, being very close to the band and to all Tull-related subjects. But, a far cry from some books on rock super-egos, this is not the book Ian Anderson would wish for - Rees has done an immaculate job of stating things as they were, without glossing over some of the rough edges. Jethro's history is a complex and, at times, a bizzare story to tell, spanning over 30 years of ups and downs, but, as all readers of the one-and-only Tullzine "A New Day", edited and written by David Rees know - this author has the ability to make any Tull tale an intresting and sometimes pure hillarious read. A great book for everyone, and a must for the 50 millions or so who ever bought an album by Jethro Tull.

David Rees has done what no one had previously; which was write a credible book on the band known as Jethro Tull. I like the warm, laid back style of the narrative. Also, another bonus is that Rees is impartial for the most part in relation to the songs and the band's history. However, Rees could have provided more insight into the songwriting and the nasty fallout that led to the dismissal of the classic lineup that lasted from 1972-1979. Overall a good read and a must for anyone wanting to know more about the genius of Tull

I was a bit disappointed by this book. I would recommend it only to the hard-core Tull fan, rather than to a casual listener looking for a good read. The book is a historical account of the group by what amounts to the president of the group's fan club (David Rees has been the long-time editor of the Tull fanzine, A New Day). As such it is not bad - the writing is decent, and though he clearly has found his interactions with the group thrilling, he stops short of adulation and presents some of the less flattering aspects of the group's history. Some criticisms, however:

1) The writing is full of British slang. While this may give it a friendly feel for British readers, at times it is incomprehensible to an American. With so many of Tull's English-speaking fans being outside the British Isles, this seems like a poor editing decision.

2) Rees uses lots of exclamation points! Frequently! Especially in quotes! He could have gotten rid of 3/4 of them and it would have read better!

3) One of the best books I have read about a rock group is A Day In The Life, about the Beatles. That book did an admirable job of combining serious music scholarship with fascinating and non-sensationalistic exploration of the musicians' personalities and the times they lived in. By comparison, Minstrels is an extremely narrow and scholarly account of the group's history (personnel changes, relationship with the press, major public events) and musical output. Towards the end it becomes a tedious cataloging of tours, conventions, tribute albums, etc. One is left to read between the lines to get any sense of who the group members are as people. More focus on the human history of the group would have made for a much better read, but perhaps this was beyond Rees in his current relationship with the group. Or maybe this was a conscious choice on his part, in deference to group members' wishes for privacy. Whatever the reason, the book left me feeling frustrated and like I hadn't learned much more than I could have by reading old magazine and newspaper articles.

David Rees does an excellent job walking the reader through the history of the band, the band members personalities and the relationships between the band's leader, Ian Anderson, and his band mates. Mr. Rees takes an impartial view of Jethro Tull and does not fall into the trap of perpetual compliments or kudos. Mr. Rees, who is a great fan of Jethro Tull's music, writes about all the sides of the band; the good, the bad and the ugly. This book is fine reading for all Tull fans, progressive rock fans or anyone interested in the 30 year survival of a Rock music icon.

I'm probably one of the biggest Jethro Tull fans there is in America, and my thoughts on this book is that it could have gone on for another 100 pages with some insight on how or why certain Tull songs were written. EXAMPLE: I had once read in a magazine, that someone asked Ian Anderson about "Wondering Aloud" and why it was so short of a song. Ian's reply, "I wrote it at a train station and my train pulled in." Ian is a great guy and very inventive - but this book does nothing for any Tull fan that he/she doesn't already know. It's not a bad book by any means. It's entertaining and informative at times, but any Tull fan will want more.