Jethro Tull "Minstrel in the Gallery" expanded April 2015

Anyone have/heard the vinyl yet? This album is new to me as my Tull experience stopped at TAAB. I've ordered the deluxe edition but would get the vinyl as well if it's worth while. It's cheap enough at Amazon UK.

 

Are these on the surround portion?

 

On the 2 channel, I'm not set up for surround right now.

 

Waiting for this baby to arrive...time can´t pass quickly enough

 

Got two copies in yesterday. . . ordered two by mistake. Haven't opened one yet. . . .

 

I've only been listening to the Amazon AutoRip so far, but I completely agree with you on Summerday Sands. That remix jumped out at me right away.

 

I might hold off on that one. I've tried mightily over the years to like 'Too Old' but I just can't do it. If they do issue deluxe SFTW and 'Heavy Horses' sets, though, I'll grab them up immediately and then probably buy 'Too Old' as well, just to have a matched set.

 

Although my concern is the 5.1 & quad, I'd like to know where the dropouts are specifically in stereo. I can check and see if the dropouts are there before production.

 

I didn't catch any dropouts, so maybe it is player-related like many of these issues?

 

Sure sounds like it - it wasn't subtle, the audio was cutting in and out a couple seconds at a time, but only on the bbc tracks.

 

Agreed. This is an amazing version of Aqualung! Real Lively! Kicks ass!
'Aqualung' is such a deep song. If you listen to the lyrics, it's so spot on. WAY ahead of it's time when you really think about the homeless' way of life.

What a bonus track! Where the heck did they dig this one up?!

 

I listened to the live disc on Spotify (my CD box is still on it's way). Am i the only one who feels that Cross Eyed Mary is a soundcheck recording? There's some hilarious musical mischief going on at the beginning, especially from Barre and Barlow.

 

Agreed. The guitar tone and playing is amazing as well as the overall performance. Recording is also top notch.

 

Thank you. DVD sounds fine to me.

 

How long do they normally take? I am in Atlanta. Thanks.

 

I'm disappointed in the music of this album. The Baker Street suite makes me think of the British phrase, "What is he on about?"

Ian just seems to be singing endlessly without melody during this suite.

Also, Barre's hard rock guitar is not melodic enough on this album; he uses a lot of chromatic moves without targeting chord tones in a viable chord progression.

 

I bought the vinyl yesterday and sounds great is the short answer.
Long answer is that it's probably the biggest difference over the original of the series to date or at least as big as Benefit.
I always found the original somewhat overly warm and muted but still great, very 1970s if you know what I mean? SW's mix addresses this and seems somewhat more powerful.
Here's the thing though, it's very system dependent. Working in a hifi store I have 3 different high end tables into a £9k Naim amp and Shahinian Arc2 speakers. All three decks, two of which have the same cartridge, interpret the album totally differently. Indeed we were shocked yesterday. The Rega RP10/Apheta 2 was hard and relentless where as the Gyrodeck with the same cart was syrupy smooth but with a thin top end and the Well Tempered Versalex/Dynavector XX2 seemed just right, to me at least. My LP12/Aro/Ort Cad Bronze somewhere between the Rega and WT. Such is the difficulty of giving options about sound I guess. The WT version is best on this disc but usually not on others I find.

As to the mix? I'm happy. No obvious gaffs IMO unlike the bizarrely muted piano on My God on Aqualung or the muted guitar on Skating.... It's as if SW has made a conscious decision to level things out more and sound more modern?

Overall I like what he's done, gives the work a new perspective although I mostly prefer the originals as that's what's in my head for the last 40 years.

Anyway sorry to ramble. Buy it, you'll love it, well maybe?

 

I have read this critique about a dearth of melodies on Baker Street Muse before, but I personally hear a bunch of strong melodies strung together for a musically satisfying mix (Nice Little Tune, Baker Street Muse, Crash Barrier Waltzer). I do agree with you concerning the lyrics -they are dense and, like A Passion Play, steeped in allegory that often zooms over my head. Martin's playing is different on this album in both tone and style, but the claim that his work has no viable chord progression seems to be a stretch. I think you have a point that it is not as well integrated as some other efforts (I still love it though).

 

Picked up the 2 CD/2DVD edition yesterday. Have only gotten through the audio portion and am loving it so far. MITG has always been a favorite of mine. A sort of back to the roots affair for the band with some of my their finest songs, ("Requiem, "Minstrel In The Gallery"). The BBC outtake of 'Aqualung' is indeed a stunner as mentioned and the live show is a real treat. Sounds as if it was professionally recorded with multitrack tape. The performance itself kicks ass, too. My one minor complaint is that I almost ripped the live disc in half trying to pry it out of the box! They really wedge them in there.
All things considered, probably the my favorite reissue of any Tull album so far.

 

always in the mail within 24 hours and they provide tracking

 

Even listening on Spotify I can hear the difference. Wow. I cannot wait to get this just for the 5.1.

 

Birthday in 6 days. On my list

 

Well, I can only say just keep listening. I feel the exact opposite is true of everything you posted above.

 

I've been listening to this album since it was first released, and I also have some reservations about the music and lyrics. I wouldn't describe them quite like you do, but I have a sense that my issues are similar to yours. The lyrics don't speak much to me, and I think the "progressive" elements are a bit forced here. This particular edition of the band sounds to me like it was running low on ideas here.

Nevertheless, I have the expanded set on order from Bull Moose and I hope to receive it in a few days. Hey, it's Tull, and even lesser Tull is interesting and entertaining to me, and Wilson's mixes are always excellent.