Customer Reviews

War Child

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

After making two one-song albums in a row, "Thick As A Brick" and "A Passion Play," and, as brilliant as both of those albums are, it was only inevitable that Jethro Tull would return to the short song format--apparently for good--with their next release, 1974's "Warchild." As Ian Anderson says in the new CD liner notes, the songs on "Warchild" are "whimsical, lighter in subject matter, and, above all, short!". The album contains many Tull favorites, such as "Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day" and "Bungle In The Jungle" (a U.S. top 20 hit), as well as the title song, "Back-Door Angels," "Sealion," and "Two Fingers," a re-recording of an older, obscure Tull song, "Lick Your Fingers Clean." Also, this new remastered version of "Warchild" not only has improved sound quality, but also contains a generous seven bonus tracks, including the excellent "Paradise Steakhouse" and "Glory Row," as well as a pair of charming instrumentals, "Warchild Waltz" (an orchestral piece), and "Quartet." Ian & the boys sound great on this one, the songs are strong, and the band's performances and Ian's vocals very sharp. You can't go wrong getting this disc: "Warchild" is a fine Jethro Tull classic.

"War Child" came on the heels of the album-long epics "Thick as a Brick" and "A Passion Play" and was originally intended to be a film soundtrack. The film never materialized, leaving a solid set of songs. David Palmer's orchestral arrangements shine throughout, and the album even provided a hit single in the US (Bungle in the Jungle, coincidentally the weakest track on the album).

This album also include remnants from earlier Tull albums: "Two Fingers" is a reworking of "Lick Your Fingers Clean", intended to be on Aqualung, and "Only Solitaire" which was part of the aborted Chateau d'Isaster Tapes.

My personal faves are the title track and its semi-reprise "The Third Hurrah". The former smolders, the latter smokes! Other tracks include concert fave "Skating Away" the rollicking "Sea Lion" and "Queen and Country" and the subtle "Ladies" and "Back-Door Angels".

There are 7 bonus tracks added, including "Rainbow Blues" and "Glory Row" (previously available on M.U. and Repeat), "Saturation" (from the 20 Years of JT box)and "Sealion 2", "Paradise Steakhouse" and "Quartet" (from Nightcap).

The highlight of this album, though, is the previously unreleased "Warchild Waltz", an all-orchestral piece reprising the musical themes of "Warchild" and "The Third Hurrah". Those who have Ian Anderson's "Divinities" album know the utter depth of his compositional skills, and "Waltz" shows that in spades. Solid support is given throughout by guitarist Martin Barre, Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond (bass) Barrie Barlow (drums) and John Evans (keyboards and accordian). Ian also plays some mean sax.

I give this album 5 thumbs up--buy it!

War Child is an album that becomes more interesting as the years go on. Jethro Tull was at the end of a dizzying three-year climb to the very top of the progressive rock world -- in a day when progressive rock was just about the only game in town. They were a band in huge demand, having issued four consecutive #1 albums (one a compilation double album) in those three years. They toured incessantly, and were widely known for putting on just about the best live show in existence at the time. The band had to be worn down to a frazzle, in dire need of a break, when along comes the time to produce yet another album.

War Child, to employ a term often used about the great J.S. Bach, is to quite a large extent an album of "borrowed" work. (For those uninitiated in classical music, he wrote what you know of as "Bouree"). Probably having neither the time or energy to produce another album of the magnitude (and length) of those they created in 1971-1973, the band "borrowed" a lot of music and ideas from previous recording sessions (notably the Chateau D'isaster and Aqualung sessions), reworking and adding significantly to pieces of music begun and discarded during the prior three years. And once they also "borrowed" more-than-a-little from the scherzo in Beethoven's Ninth (The Third Hoorah). What they ended up with was a "miniature" album, which was not at all what the fans of the day wanted to see but which has worn incredibly well over the years -- to the point that what now stands out in this "little" album is simply how much fun it is to listen to.

While there are a few meaty servings (Back-Door Angels and the magnificent, acoustic Skating Away...), for the most part this album is light fare. And while War Child isn't as heavy or challenging as their previous efforts, neither does it overstay it's welcome or over-play it's hand. It really doesn't try to be anything other than a good time.

The opening title track is a great case in point. Highlighted by some very funky, yet very brief, saxophone solos, War Child contains the seeds of what could have been a much larger and more complex song. Lengthen the sax interludes and you could end up with a "Farm on the Freeway." At the same time, because it is kept short and to the point the song remains fresh 25 years later. Sometimes less works better.

The burlesque tone of the album is enhanced by the choice of instrumentation, the heavy use of accordion and alto saxophone. Even Ian Anderson's sumptuous lead vocals have a mocking, chantey character as he tells us tales that might be serious, if it weren't for all those babes, those strange animals, and all that liquor. Where we end up is with the song that was going to be the ending song on the Aqualung album (Lick Your Fingers Clean), only slightly reworked here to become "Two Fingers." You can even hear the allusion to "Locomotive Breath" in the lyrics -- the song which would have otherwise preceded this one, had "Wind Up" not showed up to take its place. The mocking satire of "Two Fingers" perhaps serves more effectively as an ending to this album -- which is chock-full of just exactly that sort of farce.

Tull would soon enough take on weightier and more serious projects. "Minstrel in the Gallery", the next album, would be a raw, acerbic and autobiographical masterpiece. But for as much of an important masterwork as that later album is, the lighter, humbler, humorous War Child is a more pleasant listen these days.

After the intense albums of the three previous years, including the heavy duty albums "Thick as a Brick," "Passion Play," and "Aqualung," which demanded a huge amount of attention and effort, and constant touring, Jethro Tull was ready for something relatively light. "Warchild" is quite playful and sometimes almost frivolous in comparison to Tull's prior works. The album was also a break before the group plunged back into the depths with "Minstrel in the Gallery" and other weighty works. I imagine "Warchild" as a Mayday celebration after the labors of the previous works, with the costumes shown on the CD enhancing the playful aspects of this album. Unfortunately, the playfulness contrasts a lot with their other albums and makes this album less desirable.

Getting right into a song that was supposed to form a movie soundtrack, "Warchild" delivers war-like sound effects and hints little at the story, which is the afterlife of a little girl killed in an accident. The music is somber underneath, with a lot of strings and musical drama to match the relatively simple lyrics.

Back into a topic more familiar to Tull, "Queen and Country" is a brief political commentary regarding empires and governments. There is a piano accordion in this song that hints at Britain's naval prowess.

The fun begins with "Ladies," a pleasant melody with clever percussion that makes this song stylistically fit with Tull's renaissance music. I think this song is one of the better songs on this CD, with excellent music and simple lyrics. There is a jazzy ending that makes the introduction to "Back-Door Angels" seem a bit bizarre. "Back-Door Angels" has a heavier sound than the previous songs with interesting keyboards and lyrics. There are nice guitar licks in the middle and second third that make this song seem out of place with the surrounding tracks. Listen for the musical tie-in to "A Passion Play."

"Sealion" is a fast-paced bit of lyrical surrealism. There is a circus tone to the music to match the lyrics, but other than the rock instrumentation, this song is all in fun. "Skating away on the Thin Ice of a New Day" has both lighter instruments and lyrics. This song is yet another of the better songs on this CD, although I could have wished for the song to be longer.

The song "Bungle in the Jungle" received a fair amount of radio airplay in the 70s, though the song was a criticism of city life. This type of song became increasingly rare as the 70s progressed, but the combination of the catchy melody and Tull's popularity combined to make this song a winner. Critics also get a shot in the brief acoustical commentary, "Solitaire."

A borrowing from Beethoven enlivens "The Third Hoorah," which is part of the "Warchild" concept. This song is okay, though one of the weaker tracks on this CD. Better a soundtrack song than a Tull album song.

The closing song to the original album was "Two Fingers," a song leftover from "Aqualung," reworked for this album. Keeping with the second half of "Aqualung," the song contains more than a bit of commentary regarding salvation and religion. This song is fast paced, but is otherwise unremarkable.

The seven bonus tracks provide a mixed bag of extras. True to the original concept, "Warchild Waltz" sounds as though it could easily have been part of a soundtrack. This music is orchestral, sounding only thematically similar to Jethro Tull. "Quartet" begins innocently enough, with a mild jazz sound. However, about halfway through the song acquires orchestral elements, and then suddenly the keyboards kick in to change the flavor of this song for the second time. The synthesizer ending is charming and enjoyable. There is more than a passing resemblance to Wendy Carlos's work in this song, with elements similar to those in "A Passion Play."

There are portions of "Paradise Steakhouse" that I enjoy, but overall this song is one of my least favorites. I think it has something to do with those annoying "dah dah dah's." Similarly, while there are parts of "Sealion 2" that I find interesting, this song just seems to add little to this CD. This song sounds as though it was an excerpt from "A Passion Play."

I am enthusiastic regarding "Rainbow Blues." This song seems to lean musically in the direction of "Aqualung" and "Minstrel in the Gallery." The song is fast with a good mix of elements, and Jethro Tull's distinctive sound. This bonus track is one of the better songs on this CD. I also like "Glory Row." This song is one of the more dramatic and complex songs on this CD.

This CD wraps up with the final bonus song, "Saturation." There is nothing like a downbeat song to finish off a playful CD. This song is about the hazards of city life, and portrays country life as positively as city life is portrayed negatively. This rock song has heavy guitar tracks and a heavy sound, which makes this song one of the edgier songs on this CD. Even though the tenor of the song does not fit well with the rest of the CD, I enjoy this song. Given that most of the songs on this CD were already a hodgepodge of styles, one more dissimilar song fits right in.

Jethro Tull, consisting at that time of Ian Anderson, Barriemore Barlow, Martin Barre, John Evan and Jeffrey Hammond, was very popular in the early 70s. Their music was unique even in an era when unique music was in vogue. This album was a commercial success, reaching #2 on the charts, and a critical success. Yet, the music seems less filling than some Jethro Tull music. If you are in the process of discovering Tull, try "Stand Up," "Thick as a Brick," or "Aqualung." Save this album when you become a big Tull fan.

It's not that Ian Anderson is _bad_ on the soprano and sopranino saxophone. It's just that everything that makes his flauting style distinctive, all the little tricks and fillips he does with his breath, his tongue, and his voice, simply can't be done on a reed instrument.

Anyway, he seems to have worked it out of his system on _A Passion Play_ and this album.

This _is_ a good album, no matter what some listeners have said about it. Okay, it's not my personal favorite either. But come on -- we've got "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day" back to back with "Bungle in the Jungle". These surely count as classic Tull.

And all right, it's a return to short tunes after the album-length songs of prog-rock masterpieces _Thick as a Brick_ and _A Passion Play_. Was Tull supposed to keep recording album-length songs for the rest of their career?

The remastering job here is nicely done, and the extra tracks are terrific. Some of them will be familiar to _Nightcap_ listeners, but "WarChild Waltz" hasn't been previously released; this is a sort of chamber-music collaboration between Ian Anderson and David Palmer. You'll like it.

Plus there's "Rainbow Blues," first released on the old _M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull_ back in the mid-1970s. I always liked it and it gets a solid remastering job here as well.

Again, not my personal favorite, but a very solid album. And even at Tull's "worst" (i.e. "least favorite of mine"), they're still better than most other bands' best.

This album is great and along with Stormwatch ,Heavy Horses and Benefit the best work from Jethro Tull. The classic lineup of musicians include; Barrie Barlow-drums, Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond-bass, John Evan-piano, David Palmer-keyboards and conductor, and the familar Martin Barre on guitar. Favorite gems are this album are:Queen and Country, Ladies, Back-Door Angels, Skating Away..., Bungle In The Jungle, and Third Hoorah. A breif look at this faze of Tull history with the single song format contrasting Thick As A Brick and Passon Play efforts. But if this is not enough the remaster gives us the previously unreleased Warchild Waltz along with other songs we've heard from the Nightcap compilation and Saturation from the 3 cd 20 yrs box set. Also the superb Rainbow Blues and Glory Row. Ian Anderson's 2002 liner notes sum it up best:"The inclusion in this re-mastered edition of some extra tracks recorded at the same time but left off the original release due to time constraits (ever the problem with vinyl) will please some and irrate others but it is time they joined their brothers and sisters after so many years." Its great to finally have these extra tracks from the same sessions together in context to enjoy. Arguably the best Tull effort.

If you can afford to listen to their recordings do so. I was fortunate to witness, way back in 1974, a live WarChild tour concert. An unusually talented group of musicians, whose performance, has dramatic arts written all over it. Theosophy spirited notes, chords, and drum beats, of individuality while an alluring theme is ever present. The "WarChild" recording depicts, melodic bass guitar and string bass notes, subtle and accenting electric guitar, syncopating acoustic and spanish guitar, stylish presence of organ, piano, synthesisers, and piano accordian, strong baritone vocals and embellishing flute, alto, soprano, and sopranino saxophones, marvelous drums, glockenspiel, marimba and sundry percussion add the fine orchestration utilizing the members of the Philamusica of London. The inspired musical score, and poetic lyrics are as one, so typical of Ian Anderson's signature song writing. Brilliant and colorful expression of human circumstance, performed by the great classic rock group, Jethro Tull.

Actually 4- 1/2 stars. I took off 1/2 a star for the somewhat overbearing orchestrations. Other than that, another Tull extravaganza full of lyrical and musical twists and turns, obscure intrumental usage and great guitar by Martin Barre (as always.) The reason for the title of this review... on the first listen I was kind- of "unh." But then I turned up the volume, gave it another spin and discovered a rich tapestry of sounds that is what makes Tull's music so very endearing. By the way, I have a great stereo, so if I don't have the volume set at least at 10, I don't believe all the speakers are activated! Once that occurs, with a mega- talented bunch like Jethro Tull on the changer, it's pure bliss! Every player on this disc contributes to the utmost (I don't believe Ian Anderson is capable of anything less!) One of the most talented songwriters of our time, even on these shorter, more commercial tunes. "Skating Away..." is one of my fave Tull tunes in history, so what have you got to lose? Just listen more than once and with the volume up (and pump- out that bass!)

THE BAND: Ian Anderson (vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, sax), Martin Barre (electric & spanish guitars), Jeffrey Hammond (bass), John Evan (piano, organ, synth), Barriemore Barlow (drums & percussion).

THE DISC: (1974) 10 tracks clocking in at approximately 39 minutes. This (2002) digital remaster adds 7 bonus tracks coming in at just under 65 minutes. This is Tull's 8th album. Included with the disc is a booklet containing assorted pictures, song lyrics and thank you's. All songs written by Anderson - and his first producing an entire album himself. The back side of the album cover contains images of people (pertaining to the song titles) featuring band members & crew, girlfriends, and/or current wives, including Anderson's future wife (the circus ring leader near the sealion). Label - Chrysalis Records.

COMMENTS: This album is oddly sandwiched between two very heavy albums, "A Passion Play" (1973) and "Minstrel In The Gallery" (1975). "Warchild" is a much lighter release... almost whimsical... covering topics on society, religion and the music critics themselves ("Only Solitaire" allegedly aimed at L.A. Times rock music critic Robert Hilburn, who was one of Anderson's harsher critics). Songs take on a short and light (almost comical) approach; as compared to the deep and lengthy songs the listening public is used to hearing. "Warchild" was an album originally slated to be a movie soundtrack - it went onto reach #2 on the Billboard charts. "Bungle In The Jungle" would become Tull's biggest U.S. single. The longest song is "Back Door Angels" at a mere five-and-a-half minutes - a far cry from past albums containing only 1-2-3 songs on the entire album. The album starts off in great fashion with the title track... sound effects of a husband and wife talking and sipping tea, the husband walking outside only to be blasted by bombs and screaming sirens. The title track starts out slow, but rocks through a majority of it - my favorite on the disc. My 2nd favorite tune is the acoustic "Ladies", complete with hand claps, flute and orchestra arrangements. The prettiest song is the other acoustic track," Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day" (arguably one of the longer song titles in rock/progressive music). "The Third Hoorah" is an almost danceable melody and halfway through becomes a reprise of the title track. The only forgettable track in my opinion is "Sealion". Jethro Tull has been master of the long song; with "Warchild", Anderson & Co. put their best short songs together for a classic album (4.5 stars).

Anyone interested in the name "Jethro Tull"? Read on --

JETHRO TULL: An agriculturalist - Born in 1674 at Basilson, Berkshire; Died: 1741 at Hungerford, Berkshire. "Jethro Tull was a major pioneer in the modernization of agriculture. The son of a Berkshire farmer, he trained for a legal career, but financial problems compelled him to opt instead for farming. Determined to improve agricultural methods and increase yields, Tull experimented at Howberry farm, Crowmarsh, near Wallingford with a seed-drill which could sew three rows of seeds simultaneously. Later, he devised a horse-drawn hoe to clear away weeds. In 1731, Tull published his ideas about farming and plant nutrition in The New Horse Houghing Husbandry: or, an Essay on the Principles of Tillage and Vegetation'. Despite initial resistance to Tull's revolutionary ideas, they were eventually adopted by large landowners, and in time formed the basis of modern agriculture. Tull died at Prosperous Farm, near Hungerford on 21 February 1741." - source: Britannia Records

This album divides fans as surely as A Passion Play, the album that preceded it. The fans that felt Tull had gone too far with another long-song album, APP, are probably the same ones who embraced the return to the more conventional short song format, and vice versa. However, this remastered/extended version gives us a fresh chance to reevaluate the material and its place in the Tull canon almost 30 years later.

I'm too young to have bought it orginally, but after getting into Tull in the late 80's, I eventually picked it up. At the time I felt the title track and Ladies were the weakest tracks and Two Fingers, while enjoyable, paled to the original Aqualung outtake version. I couldn't understand why a great track like Rainbow Blues and a solid number like Glory Row had been relegated to outtake status when Third Hoorah took up precious space as a souped up reprise of the title track. Since Ian wisely went back to the '72 Chateau tapes for Skating Away and Only Solitaire, and revisted the man as animal theme for Sea Lion and Bungle, I was also stunned that Scenario/Audition/No Rehearsal, IMO the best part of those sessions, was not considered (it could have worked as a mini song suite the same way Baker St. Muse worked on Minstrel). Imagine how impressive the album would have been with a reworked song line-up containing this material. Of course it cannot be forgotten that this album originally stemmed from an aborted film project that swirled around the thematic ideas of APP, with more musings on the afterlife (the orginal film outline can be now be viewed on Tull's site...).

Given the fate of the film, the resulting album does come across as a bit disjointed. Material written for the film now sat alongside newer compositions that just didn't fit thematically, with stronger material remaining on the sidelines. Maybe Ian had grown so tired of the events of the last 2 years, the scrapped '72 Chateau sessions, the critical back lash that followed APP, and now an abadoned film project, that he somewhat threw this album together in an effort to get everything behind him and make a fresh start. But that's where this remaster shines, by incorporating most of the unused material, the album now offers a more cohesive listening experience than it ever did before (I still think Scenario, etc would've fit perfectly, oh well).

For those who dislike the inclusion of bonus tracks, I think you're nuts. If you are buying an album for remastered sound, which blows away the older CD version by the way, isn't it a plus to also get extra material at the same time? Of the bonus tracks on War Child, only Rainbow Blues and Glory Row date from the original Spring '74 sessions. The remaining songs, along w/March the Mad Scientist and Pan Dance, which wound up as bonus tracks on Minstrel, were recorded later in '74 prior to the War Child tour. Techincally they are outtakes, but since some pieces were intended for use on the tour, and given the fact that they couldn't have been included in the original album anyway, I'm not sure that label is entirely accurate. War Child Waltz is as beautiful a piece as Quartet is quirky. Saturation rocks and Paradise Steakhouse is just bizarre lyrically. Of the original cuts, Back Door Angels is the most complex piece and comparable to material on APP, Bungle gets the most scorn from hard-core fans for being too commercial, but its still a great tune, and Skating Away is classic Tull. All things considered, this new version of War Child is an album that now ranks as one of Tull's best efforts from the classic period of '68-'79.