Jethro Tull is a very prolific band. Therefore, they have
\ncreated much fodder for record companies. Record companies like
\ncompilations and greatest hits packages. Since they are typically
\npreviously recorded material, they often completely bypass any
\nstudio costs, and often, the responsibility of paying royalties to
\nthe artists. So, they have become a big cash cow for record
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
\nOriginal Masters<\/i> is a fine compilation, and is a good choice
\nfor a fan that wants to have a respectable set of Tull music
\nwithout buying 10 different albums. It would also be an excellent
\nintroduction for a new fan. However, it’s also a double-edged
\nsword. On one hand, every song on the disc deserves its place here
\n— on the other hand, it completely ignores the bands first three
\nalbums. Perhaps their intent was to capitalize on the latter part
\nof the bands career to date, as much of their earlier material is
\nincluded in their first compilation,
\nLiving In The Past<\/i>. Odder still, two of the songs on this
\ndisc were unreleased tracks that originally appeared on, oddly
\nenough,
\nLiving In The Past<\/i>. The logic of this escapes me, but then,
\nthe wankers that run record companies generally don’t know Shinola
\nabout good music, and often even less about their stable of
\nartists. One saving grace, they are both excellent songs, so the
\nmore exposure they get the better.<\/p>\n
The material they do present here is among the best of Tull’s
\ncareer. The ubiquitous “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath” are here
\nof course. Along with “Songs From The Wood,” that trio probably
\nrepresents the most popular songs in the Tull catalog. At least,
\nthose are the ones that are staples on classic rock radio.
\nAlongside those tracks (which are all great songs, and anything I
\nsay about them would be pointless hyperbole), there are some
\nlesser-known gems, and some other well-known classics.<\/p>\n
Staring off the disc is “Living In The Past.” This track is a
\ngreat showpiece of the band’s early style. The combination of
\nsubtle blues and jazz elements, a distinctly Tull-ish rhythm, and
\nAnderson’s flute weaving in and out of the melody perfectly display
\nthe disparate elements that come together in stellar synchronicity.
\nListening to this track for the unknown-thosandth time, it’s no
\nmystery why Tull got as big as they are. This song alone can appeal
\nto many different tastes on many different levels.<\/p>\n
Two pseudo-semi-autobiographical songs make nice additions to
\nthis set. “Minstrel In The Gallery” stars off with a
\nmedieval-flavored acoustic treatment, and by the time end of the
\ntrack is a blistering shred-fest feast featuring Martin Barre’s
\nmasterful guitar work. “Too Old Too Rock ‘N’ Roll: Too Young To
\nDie” is another overlooked classic. The story of the aging rocker
\ntrying to make a graceful transition between his greaser roots and
\nhis country-club future, and be at peace with both facets of
\nhimself, is both humorous and rather touching as his aging biker
\nhero sets off for one last ride.<\/p>\n
The creepiness of “Sweet Dream,” an early track also culled from
\nLiving In The Past, has always been a personal favorite, and it’s
\ninclusion here is well deserved. The lyrics of Anderson’s tale of
\nclandestine seduction has just the right quality of dark romance
\nand menace, as Anderson entices his lover away from her watchful
\nfamily: “You’ll hear me calling in your sweet dream \/ Can’t hear
\nyour daddy’s warning cry.” Like every parents worst nightmare,
\nAnderson coaxes “Get out and get what you can \/ While your mummy’s
\nat home a-sleeping \/ No time to understand \/ ’cause they’ve lost
\nwhat they thought they were keeping.” Perfectly paired with
\nmenacing instrumentation, this lost classic has been sadly
\noverlooked.<\/p>\n
Another lost gem, and one of my favorite Tull tracks ever, is
\nthe clever “Witches Promise.” The dreamy acoustic arrangement and
\nAndersons’ cryptic lyrics combine to make another showpiece of
\nTulls style. Perfectly combining folk and rock elements like only
\nthey can. This song would have slipped perfectly into Songs From
\nthe Wood, even though it was written a decade earlier.<\/p>\n
Two songs from
\nWar Child<\/i> make an appearance. “Bungle In The Jungle” is
\noften overlooked as a novelty song, but a careful listen will
\nreveal a subtle Orwellian lyrical twist, and a surprisingly complex
\ninstrumentation. The beautifully arranged “Skating Away On The Thin
\nIce Of A New Day” is a staple of the Tull live catalog, and one of
\ntheir most charming songs.<\/p>\n
An excerpt from “Thick As A Brick” is a great intro to this
\nlengthy masterpiece, and should give the casual listener an
\nenticement to investigate the rest of the album. “Life’s A Long
\nSong” is another excellent acoustic number that showcases the
\nlighter side of the band, and their knack for creating a softer
\nsong that still has power.<\/p>\n
The exclusion of most of their earlier works is a shame. The
\naddition of some of early tracks like “Nothing Is Easy,” “Teacher”
\nor “Song For Jeffrey” would make this a much better, more rounded
\ncollection. However, in combination with the earlier compilation
\nLiving In The Past<\/i>, the two together make an excellent
\nrecord of the first two decades of the bands career. It’s still a
\ngreat set, and if you’re looking to add some classic Tull to your
\ncollection, this is a fine choice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":26763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[5643],"rating":[5617],"class_list":["post-38033","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-jethro-tull","rating-rating-b-plus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/38033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/38033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=38033"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=38033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}