Minstrel in The Gallery - last really great Jethro Tull album ?

Shirley You Jester!





TT writ:

"mrbillswildride has had too much cough medicine once again."





Oh contreire mon frier... t'was lack of sufficient cough syrup what unleashed the beastie...

 

Knave - An unprincipled, crafty fellow.

Crest of a wave.

 

Fight In The Wilderness...

While I'd be the first to admit that Crest suffers from a tad too much riding of the Dire Straits sound bandwagon (in search of radio play?) and Steel Monkey is one of my least fave Tull singles and videos, I like much of the rest of the record, and the odd tracks found here and there, whereas...


Under Wraps whould have remained so, with only the title track #2 being anything remotely Tullish and tasteful, the rest pure rubbish, dare I repeat the NADIR of their career... How one could not admit this seems preposterous and maybe even a tull eliteist being difficult, all humor intented...


As for Walk Into Light, never gave it half a chance, not sure why I even keep the vinyl except as a completeist....


YMMV, and obviously it does, but I think, for most fans, this era, 1983-4 represents the low point in a long, storied carreer, with Broadsword and Crest propping up both sides commendably...


And tis a shame nothing really decent had come out since the fun, interesting, rocking Roots To Branches...

 

Who would of thought mrbillswildride would have such average/ordinary thinking about Jethro Tull.

 

I agree with you about Under Wear. Walk Into Light is somewhat better, IMO, and, of course, isn't a Tull album anyway.

Actually, I play Dot Com more than Roots to Branches, though that may have more to do with the portability of CDs and the fact that I've yet to do a needledrop of R2B than an actual preferance for one over the other. I probably should have held onto the R2B CD after I scored the quite rare lp, but at the time I tried to minimize duplication.

Speaking of Dot Com, that has to be one of the biggest missteps for a title anyone's done since Too Old To Rock and Roll, Too Young To Die

 

tootulltakethingtootartanteathered...

We agree across the bored...

I think I finally scored that elusive R2B vinyl too, in a trade a long while back, but so long ago I cannot remember for sure...

My memory, like my tastes in tull, is also moslty very average...

But then I prefer Queen and Steely Dan's greatest hits collections as well, excpet for...

 

Living with the past

QUOTE
We will be geared to the average rather than the exceptional
God is an overwhelming responsibility...let's keep God under wraps.

Everyone knows that the last really great Jethro Tull album is This Was
Nothing the group has done since can equal the energy...this according to Rolling Stone Record Guide 1979...

 

I remember reading this when first published and thought I could feel the bile come off the page. Worthless as criticism.

 

Agreed. It's the only Tull album I've heard - and don't I wish I hadn't - that I would describe as diabolically awful.

 

My take

Great Jethro Tull songs found on albums since 1989:
Rock Island
Ears of Tin
Rock Island
Another Christmas Song
The Whaler's Dues
Strange Avenues

Catfish Rising
Occasional Demons
Rocks On The Road
Sparrow On The Schoolyard Wall
Thinking Round Corners
Doctor My Disease
Like A Tall Thin Girl
When Jesus Came To Play

Root to Branches
Roots to Branches
Rare And Precious Chain
This Free Will
Dangerous Veils
Beside Myself
At Last, Forever
Stuck In the August Rain

j-tull DOT COM
Spiral
Dot Com
Hunt By Numbers
El Niño
Bends Like A Willow
The Dog-ear Years
A Gift Of Roses
Bonus track: Ian Anderson / The Secret Language Of Birds



From this list Rocks On The Road & El Niño are my favourite Tull songs since release. Thinking Round Corners & Doctor My Disease are small miracles to me.

 

I have to give this album the nod over Aqualung as my favorite Tull.

Last great album though? I'm not sure, I'll have to meditate some more on that one.

 

A couple of replies above mention the R2B LP set. Is it agood version, I mean compared to the CD? I may have missed a NM one a little while ago...

 

Alan Niester is a dildo.

 

Under Wraps on "A Little Light Music" is excellent Maybe because it's played as an instrumental also, and Anderson plays a really nice flute piece on it.

 

I'm also a fan of "Under Wraps". Some of Ian's finest vocals and lyrics. The futuristic music is fitting of the subject matter. The songs have incredible hooks. My vote for worst goes to "Rock Island" which to me is "Crest Of A Knave" light.

 

It's great to read positive posts about Under Wraps.

These Crest Of A Knave & Rock Island tunes combined make a really great Jethro Tull album:
Farm On The Freeway
Jump Start
Said She Was A Dancer
Dogs In The Midwinter
Budapest
Part Of the Machine
The Waking Edge
Ears of Tin
Rock Island
Another Christmas Song
The Whaler's Dues
Strange Avenues

So there!

 

I am also a fan and agree with the whole of this post!

 

I wander why nobody here mentions the JT DVDs - a great source of material to those who love the band, like myself?

 

wander over to this thread:
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?p=4689053#post4689053

 

At the time of its release, I found MITG to be slightly distasteful. The lyrics scanned and were sung in an overly declamatory manner, and they didn't speak to me very meaningfully. Some of the songs, (Baker Street Muse, especially) seemed fragmented, scattered, awkward. And I thought the rhythm section had become extremely stiff, square, and fiddly-busy. They make a lot of noise, but they don't really rock. The best think about the album was that they finally captured Martin Barre's guitar sound in all its glory.

Last time I listened to it, many years ago, it still struck me in a similar way. However I'm going to pull out my LP and give it another shot.

I did see them live on that tour, and the show was magnificent, as always.

Otherwise, my favorites Tull albums are "A Passion Play", "Thick as a Brick", "Benefit", "Stand-Up", "Songs from the Wood", and pretty much all of their many live recordings.

 

Is it me the only one to find this remaster a little on the bright side? Or maybe is it my system?... Just asking

Rafael

 

Bright? Yes!

 

Thank you tootull, i think i must seek the original uk chrysalys cd (or wait for our host to do a remaster¡¡¡)

Great album though.

Rafael

 

I've always found this recording to be transferred bright, no matter the medium.
Minstrel in the Gallery on the DCC Original Masters is the tamest I've heard of this title song.