Jethro Tull – Bursting Out

546

5 Stars

By November 1978, Jethro Tull had been on the road for eleven years. Only Ian Anderson (mad looking bloke who always led the band with flute at his lips, hair like giant haystacks on a bad hair day, the dress sense of a tramp, with a long raincoat, tights, and a codpiece, standing on one leg, but for all of that probably had more talent in his little finger than most of his contemporaries) was left from the original line-up, but what did that matter?

The eleven years had sprouted the equivalent of eleven classic rock albums. With an awesome reputation live, it was decided that it was time for the essential live double album. Tull had had some live tracks released on compilation album “Living In The Past” but nothing like an actual concert setting. So, during their European concert tour to support the latest release, Heavy Horses (1978), all of their concerts were recorded, and the best bits, in Ian Anderson’s opinion, put together for this release.

Then it was with great distress that I remember, with trembling hand putting the needle to the vinyl (nod your head sagely if you can remember back that long) to hear the first track on side one.

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After a rather feeble announcer hailed the band onto the stage, they started out quite weakly with “No Lullaby.” Now, it is not exactly bad, in fact Martin Barre’s guitar playing is magnificent, but nor is it inspiring.

The band stutters through a couple more songs before putting aside their electrically charged instruments to entertain us acoustically – very ho-hum. After this we get the ridiculous situation where all the musicians give up their specialist instruments to pick up something else, to give us a rendition of “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day.” After Barre has a bit of an axe workout, we are treated to nearly fifteen minutes of Ian Anderson’s flute solo, including little snippets from all sorts of things, but mostly Christmas carols. Now live in concert, had you been there around Christmas time, this might have been highly entertaining, but on record, it just drags itself out.

But then with a sudden change (maybe it was another band? You can never tell with these Jethro’s, one member of the band pictured in the sleeve notes here with a full beard and smoking a pipe Mr. David Palmer has now changed himself into a lady, goes by the name of Dee, and doesn’t have anything to do with the music business, instead working as a librarian), the band slips several gears and “come out” (sic) playing brilliantly.

Starting with “Songs from the Wood,” everything jells perfectly. Next up, completing the first CD from this double set is a condensed version of the “Thick as a Brick” epic. Clocking in at nearly forty minutes upon its first release but cut back to twelve minutes after six years in the set, it still remains a monumental piece of music, with Anderson’s unique vocals and the interplay between Barre’s guitar and Anderson’s flute is remarkable, reminding one of the magical duelling of Lord and Blackmore in Deep Purple.

When you put on Disc Two, the power does not stop, in fact it increases. John Glasock’s jazzy bass playing on “Hunting Girl” is a joy to the ears. The lyrics, followed by the jitterbug section of “Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll; Too Young to Die,” will have you laughing yourself into the ground as you boogie away. Even the drum solo keeps your interest levels up. John Evan and David Palmer keep up a sparkling barrage of keyboard wizardry whist Barriemore Barlow lives up to his marvellous moniker on the drums.

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(Click links to listen to songs on the album) “Minstrel in the Gallery” is spot on, the trio of songs from Tull’s classic album “Aqualung”. The title track, along with “Crossed Eyed Mary” and “Locomotive Breath” combined with more instrumental duelling on the improvisational “Quatrain” bring the set to a very satisfying, and rousing conclusion. But the Metro’s are not done yet as they come back one more time for their rendition of the “Damn Busters March,” by which time the stiff British upper lip is fair aquiver.

What happened with the first seven songs I have no idea (or for that matter what happened to Dee), but take my word for it, when the Tull are allowed to build up a fair head of steam, live they are an awesome beast.

According to reports the Tull are still worth your dollar at the door, and usually drag themselves out for a round of stadium concerts every year. Of course only Ian Anderson and Martin Barre remain from this recording, with very much a revolving door policy being used for the other positions in the band, and Ian Anderson himself spends most of his time on his salmon farm.

But stick on the second CD of this collection and you have the power of Jethro Tull at your beck and call.