Heavy Horses

Wow! So I listened to the entirety of Heavy Horses on headphones the other night, having never heard it before.

I have many things to say about it and I dont know where to start so excuse me if I ramble (on).

Sound: The album as a whole sounds amazing. The acoustics are superb. Clear, crisp, chunky, eveything acoustic instruments should be. The production/mix is stellar. I think this will become one of my sound testing cds. "....The Mouse Police" is just an amazing piece of playing, production, sound, texture, everything. Theres so much going on in there and Barries drums are astounding. Heavy indeed. This album has the full, richness that I crave. Very pleasing to the ears. I played it for my wife and she to commented on how clean it sounded. Technically perfect.

Songs: Heres where I have a few problems. Well not really problems...more, um, indifference. (i think thats the word i want to use). All the songs are well crafted, and sound amazing. Even the songs I skip past at least SOUND amazing. I wont comment on every song but:

Mouse Police kicks things off to a great Tullian start. Its now one of my fav Tull songs. Acres Wild is great, very strange but great. No Lullaby prods on a little long but does the job. Now Moths...Moths I almost cant bear. Im hoping it grows on me. Its just a little too...I dont know. The intro is great but the rest just falls apart.

Same with Heavy Horses, the intro is AMAZING and it sounds like its going to be THE epic rock song of 1978 but then it just seems to not know what it wants to do. The little piano lick doesnt help. Again, it SOUNDS superb.

As a whole I think the whole album is amazing, however what really turns me off is when it starts sounding like the soundtrack to Braveheart. Mostly the bonus tracks, but elsewhere too. Perhaps if I was a son of the Irish highlands Id like it more. And heck, Braveheart is a great movie, I just dont want my Tull involved in it. You know?

All in all though, an AMAZING piece of work!

 

I love Heavy Horses. It's among my 4 or 5 favorite Tull albums. To me there's not a weak song on the album. I agree with you on the sound.

 

Yeah I re-read what I wrote.....I dont want to sound like I dislike the album. Because I love it and I cant seem to stop playing it. Its truly amazing. The lyrics, the music, the sound. Genious. I think that a few songs just need some time to grow....man, I LOVE Tull!

 

I'm also a Heavy Horses fan.

I think both Heavy Horses and Moths are great. Give them a few more spins.

What are you listening to? The LP or CD?

 

The new remaster. Ive been amassing all the new Tull remasters (well, at least the important ones!). I never heard the LP or the old Chryslis although from my history with those old cds it was probably less than stellar. But regardless THIS CD sounds amazing. Its got everything I like soundwise. THanks Tull!

 

IMO you're right about the old cd's - they sound terrible. The remasters are definitely the way to go. If you can get your hands on any of the MOFI's (Stand Up, Living in the Past, Thick as a Brick, Passion Play, Warchild, Songs From the Wood), they sound even better than the re-masters. Also the DCC Aqualung is excellent.

 

Heavy Horses is a fave and at one point I ranked it as their best until I got fixated on Minstrel.

The title track does a ramble a bit, but the rest is very nice.

 

Yeah, Stand Up was my fav until I heard Minstrel just a few months ago. I think Minstrel has everything that makes Tull great. Stand Up will always hold a special place in my heart and memory as it was MY album in college....but man, Minstrel is just amazing.

 

I have to find a copy on LP. I've never heard the LP/CD. There's another Tull title Steve could do! Was Heavy Horses on the Reprise label?

 

I had the CD for weeks before I opened it. I was waiting for just the right time, when I had some alone time, to put on my Senn headphones and sink into the album. IM glad my first listen to HH was in headphones cus the production is glorius!

 

I bought my copy of Heavy Horses used at a bookstore -- it sounds stellar. I've found that it's a pretty easy album to find used.

 

Nope. Chrysallis, I believe.

 

I've heard this from the jethro tull site forums, but I've never had it confirmed. Is the remaster missing some string parts from "Rover" that were on the original album? And is it on the original CD too?

 

I'll have to try HH on headphones.

 

Doesn't anyone else detect a midrange peak as well as treble emphasis on HH?

 

I just figured it was trebely because of all the acoustics instruments. Personally I would call it "shimmering" and thats not a bad thing at all!



By the way....I can NOT seem to stop playing this album. Theres something about it that keeps sucking me in. My wife called me obsessed....which is cool cus she is too with our current Tull fascination!

 

In my house, my wife is the big fan. And Heavy Horses is her absolute favorite. And tonight we're going to see Jethro Tull !! But we don't expect to hear something from that album (?)...

Martin

 

How do you tell if the LP is an original pressing? Or more importantly should I say is that the best LP version to get?

 

also to add to Steve's request, does the vinyl LP or original have have string parts that were later missing from "Rover" on the remaster?

 

Listened once and sold.

 

Was the original pressing the green or blue label???

 

Jethro Tull is my favorite band.
Heavy Horses is my favorite Tull album.
"Moths" is one of my favorite songs.

The remaster is a little bright, but I think it is ok for me! As a whole the remasters could be a little better, but I prefer most of them to the original cds.

 

I remember seeing the video for the title track on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert back in the late '70s. It was the first time I'd ever seen or heard of Tull. Thought the singer was a little weird looking. But the chorus stuck in my head.

 

Man....its been quite a few months but I cannot get over this album! It is just continually amazing. In headphones, in the car, on the stereo....man, amazing.


Almost 6 months later and I'm still speechless....

 

I detect that an album that always sounded veiled now sounds really good.