Jethro Tull *official*

Happy 35th anniversary to Heavy Horses, released April 10, 1978.



Fantastic album.

"Rover"


"Heavy Horses"

An excellent album indeed!!

A great album that I still own on vinyl, I have not been able to play it for years, since I know lack a turntable.

That's my favorite Tull album.

Got me two A's when I was in college. I turned in the title track and "Moths" for a poetry class.

tohostudios wrote:

That's my favorite Tull album.

Got me two A's when I was in college. I turned in the title track and "Moths" for a poetry class.

You big cheater!!

tohostudios wrote:

That's my favorite Tull album.

Got me two A's when I was in college. I turned in the title track and "Moths" for a poetry class.

"That's right, you're a big fat phony!"

And I sure ain't no poet!

tohostudios wrote:

And I sure ain't no poet!

Don'tcha know it

chewie wrote:

tohostudios wrote:

And I sure ain't no poet!

Don'tcha know it

I do. Hence the ruse.

But at least that little experience shows I know decent poetry when I see it; I just can't write it.
For those who aren't familiar with the song, here are the lyrics to "Moths":

Quote :

The leaded window opened
To move the dancing candle flame
And the first Moths of summer
Suicidal came.
And a new breeze chattered
In it's May-bud tenderness ---
Sending water-lillies sailing
As she turned to get undressed.
And the long night awakened
And we soared on powdered wings ---
Circling our tomorrows
In the wary month of Spring.
Chasing shadows slipping
In a magic lantern slide ---
Creatures of the candle
On a night-light-ride.
Dipping and weaving --- flutter
Through the golden needle's eye
In our haystack madness. Butterfly-stroking
On a Spring-tide high.
Life's too long (as the Lemming said)
As the candle burned and the Moths were wed.
And we'll all burn together as the wick grows higher ---
Before the candle's dead.
The leaded window opened
To move the dancing candle flame.
And the first moths of summer
Suicidal came
To join in the worship
Of the light that never dies
In a moment's reflection
Of two moths spinning in her eyes.

Ian Anderson is one of my all-time favorite lyricists. I'm the kind of person that ignore lyrics most of the time, but when they are this exceptionally well-written I most definitely take notice.

One of my favorites is Wond'ring Aloud from Aqualung:

"Wond'ring Aloud"

Wond'ring aloud --
how we feel today.
Last night sipped the sunset --
my hands in her hair.
We are our own saviours
as we start both our hearts beating life
into each other.

Wond'ring aloud --
will the years treat us well?
As she floats in the kitchen,
I'm tasting the smell
of toast as the butter runs,
Then she comes, spilling crumbs on the bed
and I shake my head.
And it's only the giving
that makes you what you are.

S.D. wrote:

Ian Anderson is one of my all-time favorite lyricists. I'm the kind of person that ignore lyrics most of the time, but when they are this exceptionally well-written I most definitely take notice.

That's me to a T!
The only time I notice lyrics is when they are exceptionally good or exceptionally bad.

one of the bands better albums

The only album from the 60s/70s period of Jethro Tull I'm not that crazy about is "Too Old To Rock N Roll, Too Young To Die" and even that record has some good songs on it. All of the others I consider essential.

I'm loving 'Roots to Branches' at the moment. That eastern influence sits beautifully within their sound.

Sutekh wrote:

I'm loving 'Roots to Branches' at the moment. That eastern influence sits beautifully within their sound.

Agreed, that is my favorite latter-day Jethro Tull album. I also saw them on that tour, it was one of the best shows I've ever attended.

My favorite latter-day Tull album is Catfish Rising.

I am a johnny-come-lately to Tull but I enjoy them immensely. I think my latter day favorite would be Catfish as well. It is a really good effort.

All I've heard of Tull is Aqualung, so now is your time to shine and tell me that song does not properly represent the best Ian had to offer. That song is a horrible thing for the ears. I am more than willing to branch out of course.

The only problem I had with Rock Island and Catfish Rising is both albums are so straight-ahead rock that it really doesn't sound enough like Tull to me. They just seem overly-simplified (to me anyway). When they did Roots To Branches they brought back all the disparate elements like folk, classical, raga, jazz and other progressive flourishes which made their music so interesting in the first place. I don't think they are bad albums, they just don't really excite me in the same way.

Quote :

All I've heard of Tull is Aqualung, so now is your time to shine and tell me that song does not properly represent the best Ian had to offer. That song is a horrible thing for the ears. I am more than willing to branch out of course.

Tull confuses a lot of people, I've known many over the years that just absolutely hate their sound and Ian's phrasing. Personally, I think he's a certified genius, but it's really a matter of taste.

You've never heard Locomotive Breath, Living In The Past, Thick As A Brick?

corplhicks wrote:

All I've heard of Tull is Aqualung, so now is your time to shine and tell me that song does not properly represent the best Ian had to offer. That song is a horrible thing for the ears. I am more than willing to branch out of course.

Did you check out the songs posted at the top of this thread?

Try this "song":

It's one of my favorites! Ian Anderson on Saxophone, quite rare!

tohostudios wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

All I've heard of Tull is Aqualung, so now is your time to shine and tell me that song does not properly represent the best Ian had to offer. That song is a horrible thing for the ears. I am more than willing to branch out of course.

Did you check out the songs posted at the top of this thread?

Not yet, but I intend to. Kids sleeping, etc. I really need some headphones for my laptop.

corplhicks wrote:

tohostudios wrote:

corplhicks wrote:

All I've heard of Tull is Aqualung, so now is your time to shine and tell me that song does not properly represent the best Ian had to offer. That song is a horrible thing for the ears. I am more than willing to branch out of course.

Did you check out the songs posted at the top of this thread?

Not yet, but I intend to. Kids sleeping, etc. I really need some headphones for my laptop.

i had not really gotten Tull until last year. Now I am proud owner of their studio albums.

My fave is Crest of a Knave which gets accused of sounding too Dire Strait like but there's nothing wrong with that in my book.

For those keeping up with Jethro Tull reissues:

Steven Wilson is continuing work on their catalog, he did the recent 40th anniversary editions of Aqualung and Thick As A Brick where he did full 5.1 and stereo remixes (the stereo master tapes were so damaged that the only way to do a faithful reissue of the material was to go back to the multi-tracks and remix the entire album...but these match the original mixes very closely, no major changes were made). Both of these reissues were revelations, neither album had ever sounded this good.

Coming soon is a deluxe edition of Benefit (Ian Anderson had always disliked the mix of this album, so he worked together with Steven to capture the sound he always wished it had) which will contain several bonus tracks on a separate disc.

The other deluxe edition is A Passion Play which will also contain newly remixed versions of the Chateau D'isaster Tapes (for those unfamiliar these tapes were an aborted concept album that was shelved and then A Passion Play was recorded instead).