Progressive Rock Focus

What, Jethro Tull again? But Harold, you've just done a Jethro Tull review, what are you thinking of? Let's get Ian Anderson's voice out of the way first, because I've already talked about it last time. Yes, the very up-front sound is odd. Yes, there's a lot more spoken word stuff and less singing. Yes, the sound is different. But it's fine, in fact in places it's very rich in tone. Get over it! The album starts with Puppet and the Puppet Master, and you're thinking a bit of piano? That's not very Jethro Tull! And then it's the old bait and switch, because they go straight in to the most Tull sounding thing I've heard since Songs From the Wood. The thing that comes across most is that they sound like they're having fun as a band. This isn't an Ian Anderson solo album, there's a real band in there. This is probably down to the origins of the album as a set of instrumental pieces dating back quite a few years.  Next song is Curious ...

I approach today's Progressive Rock Focus with some trepidation, because I'm talking about Jethro Tull. That needs clarification. If you think Jethro Tull is more than just Ian Anderson, and has to include Martin Barre and Dave Pegg, then this won't be Jethro Tull for you. Maybe you'd also include Barriemore Barlow as drummer. Whatever. Let's call a thing a thing. This is an Ian Anderson project, with some additional musicians. Let's dwell no more on band politics. The music is as interesting as ever. Ian Anderson has reverted to a 'classic' 1970s Tull sound, and put aside the excessive synths of Under Wraps and other aberrations. There's lots of flute, lots of acoustic guitar, lots of bell sounds. Maybe in form and rhythm it's a little less adventurous than say Songs From The Wood, but not much. You could do a lot worse than starting with track 8, Trickster (And the Mistletoe). We're immediately in classic Tull territory, and it's great....