I visited the iTunes music store to check if I had all the tracks for Jethro Tull's "A" and found it was victim of some pretty hateful reviews. Well feeling that the record didn't deserve that much spite, I decided to pen my own review. Here it is saved for all time in case it gets dropped off iTunes for people rating it unhelpful.
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Not So Fast...
Take another look folks. People afraid of change have been bashing this record for decades but I think it has a lot to offer in the lexicon of Jethro Tull. Several songs influenced me as a young man. "Uniform" weaves a wonderful dark texture that owes a lot to the fantastic playing of Eddie Jobson; what a wonderful counterpoint to everyone's favorite rock flutist. My main issue with the track is that they fade out the stunning riffing at the end too soon.
"Batteries Not Included", "Crossfire", and "Protect And Survive" touched on something in me as a young person and helped cement my love for JT as I was really too young to have appreciated previous records when they came out. "A" was not my introduction to the band as my father was a rock DJ and brought home records for us all the time. But "A" was the first Tull album that I bought with my own money and it sealed the deal. I often wonder if people that don't like this record have really given it a chance. "And Further On", "The Pine Marten's Jig", and "Fylingdale Flyer" all strike me as tracks that are very much in line with the traditional sound of the more classic version of the band. Is it "Thick As A Brick"? no... But these are talented people. Even if they just pass wind into a mic it would likely sound better than 80% of popular music.
I agree that the record company made a mistake releasing it as a Jethro Tull record; chances are that if they had stuck to the original plan, more people would have been able to accept the record for what it is and there may not have been such a backlash.
Synthesizers don't kill albums... closed-minded people that hate them do. heh.
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Seems I am obsessing on music a lot recently, maybe that means I need to get back to writing some of my own. : )
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2 comments:
Yay! Yes!! More Doc music, please!!
I share your view completely. It was also my first Jethro Tull album and it blew my mind and it still does. The arrangements are incredible, the playing is unbelievable. I'm from a remote city in Argentina and I had heard a few of Jethro Tull songs on the radio--Aqualung, etc.--, but I didn't know the band well. I looked for more music like this but I never found it. This was IT. I guess I was able to appreciate it for what it was, I didn't have any baggage or prejudice. Anyway, I'm glad to find someone who liked it (almost a year after you posted your comment!). Thanks!
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