Warchild

Jethro Tull | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 26, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Alliance
• ASIN: B000005JEM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,041 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. War Child

2. Queen and Country

3. Ladies

4. Back-Door Angels

5. Sealion

6. Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day

7. Bungle in the Jungle

8. Only Solitaire

9. The Third Hoorah

10. Two Fingers

Editorial Reviews

24-bit digitally remastered reissue of 1974 album with 7 added bonus tracks 'Warchild Waltz', 'Quartet', 'Paradise Steakhouse', 'Sealion 2', 'Rainbow Blues', 'Glory Row' & 'Saturation'. Capitol. 2002. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tull's Return To The Short Song Format, December 15, 2003

By 

Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Warchild (Audio CD)

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.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Often overlooked, but still a classic, November 12, 2002

By 

"barny280" (Lompoc, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Warchild (Audio CD)

"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!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Lighter Side of Tull, January 6, 2000

By 

Bellagio "Bellagio" (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: War Child (Audio CD)

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.