Jethro Tull 'Heavy Horses' - Happy 35th Anniversary!

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/jethro-tull-heavy-horses/

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By 1978, Jethro Tull had been running for 10 years, and though their commercial fortunes and profile had soared with albums like ‘Aqualung’ and ‘Thick as a Brick,’ the band was still at its creative peak, as its 11th album, ‘Heavy Horses,’ proves.

Released in April of 1978, ‘Heavy Horses’ finds Ian Anderson and group taking elements from their glorious past and melding them into a vibrant package, resulting in an album that is unmistakably Tull and exciting. The band had always exhibited a wide range of influences — from blues to jazz to hard rock to folk — but 1977s ‘Songs From the Wood’ pushed the folk influences front and center. ‘Heavy Horses’ continued down a similar path, especially on songs like ‘Moths’ and ‘Acres Wild,’ using a folk template in music and words. It was a perfect fit for the band.

The album kicks off with ‘ … And the Mouse Police Never Sleeps,’ which uses Tull’s trademark flute-and-guitar interplay to dynamic effect, as Anderson’s forceful vocal radiates throughout. ‘No Lullaby,’ one of the album’s more epic tracks, soars thanks to guitarist Martin Barre’s dynamic playing. He also slays on tracks like ‘Weathercock,’ ‘Journeyman’ and one of the album’s best tracks, ‘Rover,’ which leans slightly toward prog. Mandolin, acoustic guitar, violin, percussion and, of course, flute, add to the sonic colors that grace the album.

Punk’s approaching thunderstorm had no effect on Tull, who carry on with what they do best. ‘Heavy Horses’ features lively and energetic performances, as the band retains its identity. But they change things up enough to avoid the rut so many of their peers were falling into at the time. Anderson’s lyrical wit and wisdom hits genuine sentiment throughout the record.

Jethro Tull would go on to make one more folk-influenced album, 1979′s ‘Stormwatch.’ While ‘Songs From the Wood’ gets the most attention from this period, in many ways ‘Heavy Horses’ rides ahead of the pack. The songs, production and performances are all first rate and worth rediscovering, or maybe simply discovering, 35 years later.

 

One of my favourite Tull albums... It's really hard to believe it's 35 years since it was released - time does indeed gallop.

 

Along with the two adjoining it, Songs From The Wood and Stormwatch, hardly well received upon release at the height of punk and new wave. For me sterling examples all of why I never have put any stock in the assessments of the music intelligentsia as regards ANY of their reflexive negative commentaries concerning the 45 year career of Ian Anderson.

 

One of my favorites, too. The last really good album Tull would record, IMO.

 

The middle of a quite marvellous trilogy. Perhaps not quite Bowie in Berlin, they nevertheless offer a remarkably consistent listening experience each offering a different view of the same basic idea, one looking forward the other back.

Also just like Bowie's Berlin trilogy the third part is significantly underrated!

 

Heavy Horses. Excellent! Spin the black circle in honour. I'll spin Capitol Records-EMI of Canada Limited (LP from day one)

Peace

 

I love these three albums, but I do get the feeling that there was a deliberate shift by Ian to the pastoral that had only been hinted at earlier in part because the negative serandipity of releasing Too Old To Rock and Roll just as punk was breaking in the UK.

Of course he was getting involved in Maddy Prior's solo career around the same time, and would consumate Tull's marriage to the Brit-folk scene by bringing Dave Pegg into the band . . . just in time to go all 80s synth prog for the next three albums. Go figure.

 

I agree. Although I do really enjoy albums like "Stormwatch", "Broadsword", & "Crest of a Knave", I think "Heavy Horses" was their last truly brilliant album, and it is criminally under-rated, perhaps due to lack of any "popular" songs.

 

I like those, too. In fact, I like A as well as I think it's unfairly lumped in with Under Wraps as "synth prog" (partly due to the presence of Eddie Jobson). I'm a big Tull fan and try to give the band the widest of margins in terms of condemning their work. That said, I absolutely hated Under Wraps, though I realize there are big fans of that album here.

 

Again, I'm with you. I like all of Tull's albums, but "Under Wraps" is pretty bad, & I've really "tried" to like it, too.

I'm listening to "Heavy Horses" right now, due to this thread. "Moths" is playing as I write this .......... what a great tune!

 

Colour me one of them. I understand all the issues with production etc but the songs, God they're good. Under Wraps is for me (in answer to another comment in this thread) last classic Tull album!

 

Sandwiched in between the brilliant Songs From The Wood and Stormwatch is this precious gem. 35 years?!? Wow. Great album...

 

Wonderful album! I remember being in college the time of its release and hearing "Rover" on the radio, and picking up the album right away. The last prior release I had at the time was Minstrel in the Gallery, and I was surprised how different it was than that album. It wasn't until years later I bought Songs from the Wood, which is closer in style to Heavy Horses. Ian's vocal style really seemed to change around this time, at least on some songs.

 

That gives me an excuse to put this on the old record player once again.

 

Oddly, this was the first Tull album I ever owned. I was never that crazy about Tull based on the songs that were commonly played on the radio, but became interested in them for reasons I no longer recall. I picked out Heavy Horses to buy because it had no songs I knew and I liked the cover. Loved it right away and became a big Tull fan much to my wife's chagrin

 

I believe that Ian Anderson's most consistent, if not best output, has been from 1995 until now be it "solo" or with Tull. I think often people dismiss it because so and so said something, or they are unwilling to give it the 5 serious listens that Tull product normally requires, 7 to 8 if I recall through the 40 years for the likes of Thick as a Brick or A Passion Play, and to some extent also true of the recent Thick as a Brick 2, some absolutely wonderful Ian Anderson material in there, but as of yore, may not leave you spellbound on initial impression. A particular for instance is 1995's Roots to Branches, which, as to its quality on the whole, bests some of their 70's output, in particular Passion Play, War Child and Minstrel in the Gallery. Even the Christmas album, taking it as what it is, would be toward the top of their output, a mission cleanly accomplished.

 

I would agree that Roots to Branches is a pretty good album, but that's as far as I'd go.

 

Heavy Horses is one of my favorite Tull recordings. I would love a high def copy DVD-A or SACD. I've followed Tull a long time, but after Storm watch, I started to fade. I bought A...was ok. Broadsword, it never gripped me, I like Crest of a Nave, and Roots to Branches, but it was Thick As A Brick 2 where he found his stride again with me. 35 years ago...wow. Still have the LP in my collection. Played the heck out of that album! Thanks for the heads up ponkine!

 

I probably should not stray too far from the premise of this thread but you have given the likes of Dot Com some serious listens? I would place Gift of Roses, Dog Ear Years and Bends Like A Willow among the finest 25 songs Ian Anderson has written. maybe, lol, but very very good. And for the slamming side of his pallette, another cat song, Hunt By Numbers, also stands nicely with other harder edged Tull material from down the decades.

 

Yeah, dot.com had some good moments as well.

 

I was thinking the same thing as I came across your post, so thanks for the summation of my thoughts!

 

I was in high school when this album came out, and I bought it within it's first week of release. A couple of L.A. rock radio stations were running an ad for the album, and 'Heavy Horses' was the song being used in the ad. I liked what I had heard of the song 'Heavy Horses', so I ran out and bought the album on 8-Track tape. I pretty much wore that sucker out.

I think I should pull out my vinyl LP, and give it a spin. 'Heavy Horses' is the one Tull album I have searched for years trying to find an original UK pressing locally, but have never been able to find, even to this day. I just have a U.S. original vinyl pressing.

 

I loved Songs from the Wood (still do in fact) but was a little disappointed in Heavy Horses when I first heard it - to me it was like they tried to make Wood over again. Once I gave it a few more spins and got to know the songs a little more I ended up liking it a lot - still not as much as SftWood but not far behind either. I'd be in for a good Steven Wilson 5.1 mix for both albums without question.

 

One of my favorite JT albums.

 

I must have flipped over at least 100 copies until I finally found a UK pressing:


LABEL: White Morphs Into Blue CHRYSALIS

STAMPERS:
A: (handwritten) A-1
B: (handwritten) B-2


Is this the best-sounding pressing of this album anywhere?

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