Record Reviews
29 Reviews Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | BLACKFIELD ~ NYC: BLACKFIELD LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY
K-SCOPE 055 (Barcode: 636551505574) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007
1st DVD release by BlackfieldFind albums by this artist, the cooperation band of Israeli singer / composer Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist and Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist’s leader Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist. Following the release of their 2 first albums (2003 & 2006) the band achieved wide international acclaim and became one of the most successful performing acts in Europe and the US. Geffen’s unique talent as a composer of deeply lyrical songs and Wilson’s skills as guitarist and arranger turned their music into a highly sophisticated Rock with strong ties to Prog and Alternative Rock. As good as their studio work is, Blackfield’s true forte is the power the band displays on stage, as documented here. The early lineup of the live Blackfield included sometimes Porcupine Tree’s players, but in time a steady all Israeli (except Wilson of course) lineup emerged, which is featured here. As Israel is truly blessed with a whole new generation of extremely talented musicians, this is hardly surprising. Just watch the excellent work by keyboards player Eran MitelmanFind albums by this artist, bassist Seffy EfratiFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomer ZFind albums by this artist to confirm this. The music includes mostly a selection of material from the two albums, with Alanis MorisetteFind albums by this artist’s “Thank You” being the only non-Blackfield song included. The performance is overall electrifying and extremely well done, so both hardcore Blackfield fans and all newcomers to the band’s music should enjoy this DVD immensely. Bonus material includes the wonderful 3 clips filmed for the 3 singles from the debut album, directed by Lasse HoileFind albums by this artist. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS, 107 minutes. NTSC
| | | DVD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | CARAVAN ~ IN THE LAND OF GREY AND PINK (40TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION)
DERAM 533316 (Barcode: 600753331613) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene
Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2011
This is the 3rd album by CaravanFind albums by this artist, the ultimate Canterbury Scene band which defined the Prog sub-genre and laid out its musical boundaries. Guitarist Pye HastingsFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist, bassist Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist and drummer Richard CoughlanFind albums by this artist were not only superb players but also revolutionary composers, creating music which was new and completely different from anything else on earth. Aided by flautist / saxophonist Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist, the band recorded this masterpiece, which remains their best effort in a long and illustrious career. The original album is an iconic singularity as far as giant steps in music development are concerned and it still is an absolutely essential listening experience. This new edition expands even further the 2001 expanded edition, including BBC sessions, previously unreleased demos and alternate versions and a DVD with 5.1 Surround Sound mixes of the album by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist (of Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist and BlackfieldFind albums by this artist fame) and TV video material. If any album deserves such a royal treatment, this is it, so enjoy every minute of it as there are certainly many minutes to be enjoyed. Beyond essential!
| | | 2CD+DVD 3 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER ~ EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER (DELUXE EDITION)
SONY 886919379723 (Barcode: 886919379723) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1970 Released: 2012
This is the debut eponymous album by the British supergroup Emerson, Lake & PalmerFind albums by this artist, one of the great pioneering Prog outfits, which achieved wide popularity way beyond the Prog genre, being also one of the most popular Rock bands in the 1970s. Keyboardist Keith EmersonFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Greg LakeFind albums by this artist and drummer Carl PalmerFind albums by this artist were superb musicians and their cooperation created some of the finest Prog moments, which are everlasting.
It would be truly superfluous to write anything more about this album, as it already is a commonly accepted masterpiece and universally acclaimed milestone of Prog in particular and Rock in general. So let´s talk about this specific new edition and its valor or lack of thereof.
This edition comprises of two CDs and a DVD-A. The first CD is the original remastered stereo mix of the album, which was released by SonyFind albums on this label a year earlier. The second CD is a new stereo mix, called the "alternate" album, which is based on the existing master tapes. It lacks three tracks of the original album, (the master tapes of which are missing), but adds several new previously unheard pieces, which are either new tunes or alternate versions of existing tunes. The DVD-A includes the 5.1 surround sound mixes of the original album (less the missing tracks) and a hi-res stereo (what the hell is this?) version of the entire material on the second CD. Confused? I´m not surprised…
All the additional material, i.e. the second CD and the DVD-A were created by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, leader of Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist and in recent years quite a busy "studio wizard", creating new re-mixes of many classic Rock (and Prog) masterpieces, like this one.
So what do we have here?; a superb classic album and two additional pieces of plastic containing very little new material, which should have been added as bonus tracks on the a.m. remastered edition of this album. Seriously, who listens to music in 5.1 surround sound anyway? What was the word we used to have for this kind of releases? Oh yes, rip-off!
Mr. Wilson, please leave those great classic masterpieces alone and go back to you own music, in the audio format of your choice…
| | | 2CD+DVD 3 Digipak DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER ~ TARKUS (DELUXE EDITION)
SONY 886919379624 (Barcode: 886919379624) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1971 Released: 2012
This is the second album by the British supergroup Emerson, Lake & PalmerFind albums by this artist, one of the great pioneering Prog outfits, which achieved wide popularity way beyond the Prog genre, being also one of the most popular Rock bands in the 1970s. Keyboardist Keith EmersonFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Greg LakeFind albums by this artist and drummer Carl PalmerFind albums by this artist were superb musicians and their cooperation created some of the finest Prog moments, which are everlasting.
It would be truly superfluous to write anything more about this album, as it already is a commonly accepted masterpiece and universally acclaimed milestone of Prog in particular and Rock in general. So let´s talk about this specific new edition and its valor or lack of thereof.
This edition comprises of two CDs and a DVD-A. The first CD is the original remastered stereo mix of the album, which was released by SonyFind albums on this label a year earlier. The second CD is a new stereo mix, called the "alternate" album, which is based on the existing master tapes. It adds just three previously unheard pieces, which are two new tunes and one alternate version of an existing tune. The DVD-A includes the 5.1 surround sound mixes of the original album (with just one bonus) and a hi-res stereo (what the hell is this?) version of the entire material on the second CD. Confused? I´m not surprised…
All the additional material, i.e. the second CD and the DVD-A were created by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, leader of Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist and in recent years quite a busy "studio wizard", creating new re-mixes of many classic Rock (and Prog) masterpieces, like this one.
So what do we have here?; a superb classic album and two additional pieces of plastic containing very little new material, which should have been added as bonus tracks on the a.m. remastered edition of this album. Seriously, who listens to music in 5.1 surround sound anyway? What was the word we used to have for this kind of releases? Oh yes, rip-off!
Mr. Wilson, please leave those great classic masterpieces alone and go back to you own music, in the audio format of your choice…
| | | 2CD+DVD 3 Digipak DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | AVIV GEFFEN ~ HOLLOWED
HED ARZI 15942 (Barcode: 7293372594229) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1998 Released: 1998
6th album. Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (son of Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist, who is a prominent figure in Israeli music as well) is the Israeli `rebel` poet, songwriter and singer. His lyrics are provocative and sharp like a knife and he does not aschew any controversy, slaughtering `holy cows` by the herd. He is a gifted composer, able to write both rocky songs and beautiful lyrical ballads. He became an instant star with the Israeli teenagers, but as the years passed by his message sank deeply in the Israeli society, mainly due to the many political issues he touches upon. The music becomes much more refined over the years. As of 2002 Aviv lives part time in London, where he met Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, leading to their common BlackfieldFind albums by this artist project.
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | AVIV GEFFEN ~ JOURNEY
HELICON 8184 (Barcode: 7293627818421) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 2000 Released: 2000
8th album. Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (son of Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist, who is a prominent figure in Israeli music as well) is the Israeli `rebel` poet, songwriter and singer. His lyrics are provocative and sharp like a knife and he does not aschew any controversy, slaughtering `holy cows` by the herd. He is a gifted composer, able to write both rocky songs and beautiful lyrical ballads. He became an instant star with the Israeli teenagers, but as the years passed by his message sank deeply in the Israeli society, mainly due to the many political issues he touches upon. The music becomes much more refined over the years. As of 2002 Aviv lives part time in London, where he met Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, leading to their common BlackfieldFind albums by this artist project.
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | AVIV GEFFEN ~ LIVE
HELICON 8287 (Barcode: 7293627828727) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008
11th album by Israeli Rock legend Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (13th if one counts the two BlackfieldFind albums by this artist albums), and his first edition of live material, which in many respects serves as a summary of his 15 years on the scene. Geffen, much as his father Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist before him, was always at the epicenter of both the Israeli musical and political scenes. His early-days rebel behavior, anti-establishment protest and mannerisms created a huge public debate in Israeli in the early 1990s, but his popularity with the Israeli teens was sky-high. The peak of Geffen’s political involvement was reached when he publicly reconciled with Israeli Priminister Itzhak RabinFind albums by this artist, following Rabin’s dramatic peace efforts, which unfortunately happened shortly before Rabin was assassinated. In time Geffen withdrew from political involvement and public life (other than concerts) and in parallel also became more introvert as musician and lyricist. The themes of his songs changed from protest and rebellion to soul-searching and metaphysical journeys. Since 2003 Geffen lives mostly in London, where he met and befriended Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist (Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist), which led to the creation of their group Blackfield, and where he tries to develop his international career free from the restrictions imposed by the local Israeli scene. This Box Set includes two CDs recorded live during the summer of 2007. The songs – all written and composed by Geffen – span his entire career, with the older material appropriately rearranged and updated musically. Accompanied by a great band, which includes some of Israel’s best rockers, Geffen delivers his songs with passion and great stage presence. Although not a refined singer (some might even say a poor singer), his charisma and musicality transcend his limitations, as it does in many other cases in Rock music. Overall the delivery is very effective and these two disks summarize Geffen’s career to date perfectly. A couple of new songs, previously unrecorded, are also featured. The enclosed DVD is a great treat to Geffen fans, as it includes 21 video clips and live performances filmed between 1992 and 2008, none of which were previously commercially available. A beautiful booklet with the lyrics of all the songs (in Hebrew) and some nice photographs is also included. I can hardly imagine a better tribute to an artist’s career than this Box Set, which should delight all his numerous fans in Israel as well as abroad.
| | Updated: 26/01/2019Posted: | 2CD+DVD 3 Recommend To A Friend |
  | AVIV GEFFEN ~ MEMENTO MORI
HELICON 8213 (Barcode: 7293627821322) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 2001 Released: 2002
9th album. Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (son of Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist, who is a prominent figure in Israeli music as well) is the Israeli `rebel` poet, songwriter and singer. His lyrics are provocative and sharp like a knife and he does not aschew any controversy, slaughtering `holy cows` by the herd. He is a gifted composer, able to write both rocky songs and beautiful lyrical ballads. He became an instant star with the Israeli teenagers, but as the years passed by his message sank deeply in the Israeli society, mainly due to the many political issues he touches upon. The music becomes much more refined over the years. As of 2002 Aviv lives part time in London, where he met Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, leading to their common BlackfieldFind albums by this artist project.
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | AVIV GEFFEN ~ WHITE NIGHTS
HED ARZI 64034 (Barcode: 7293372403408) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1999 Released: 1999
7th album. Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (son of Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist, who is a prominent figure in Israeli music as well) is the Israeli `rebel` poet, songwriter and singer. His lyrics are provocative and sharp like a knife and he does not aschew any controversy, slaughtering `holy cows` by the herd. He is a gifted composer, able to write both rocky songs and beautiful lyrical ballads. He became an instant star with the Israeli teenagers, but as the years passed by his message sank deeply in the Israeli society, mainly due to the many political issues he touches upon. The music becomes much more refined over the years. As of 2002 Aviv lives part time in London, where he met Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, leading to their common BlackfieldFind albums by this artist project.
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | AVIV GEFFEN ~ WITH THE TIME (SPECIAL EDITION)
HELICON 8266 (Barcode: 7293627826624) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 2005 Released: 2006
10th album by Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (son of Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist, who is a prominent figure in Israeli music as well), the Israeli “rebel” poet, songwriter and singer. His lyrics are provocative and sharp like a knife and he does not eschew any controversy, slaughtering “holy cows” by the herd. He is a gifted composer, able to write both rocky songs and beautiful lyrical ballads. He became an instant star with the Israeli teenagers, but as the years passed by his message sank deeply in the Israeli society, mainly due to the many political issues he touches upon. The music becomes much more refined over the years. Since 2003 Aviv co-leads with Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist (Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist) the group BlackfieldFind albums by this artist, which managed to achieve huge international success, following the release of their debut album in 2004. Over four years since his last solo album Aviv finally unveils his new material, which is a direct continuation of his previous work Memento MoriFind albums with this title. Deeply lyrical and rather somber, but with excellent melody lines and a well developed artistic approach. Wilson provides some backing vocals and a strong cast of musicians supports the singer. The Special Edition includes a 10-songs bonus CD assembled especially for this project.
Limited Edition
| | | CD 2 Slipcase Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ A (THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY A LA MODE EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 190295127497 (Barcode: 190295127497) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1980 Released: 2021
This is a 40th Anniversary Edition reissue of the thirteenth album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all early Jethro Tull releases.
The reissue consists of three CDs and three DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album (ten tracks) and six “associated recordings", all of which are previously unreleased. The second and third CDs present the entire live recording at the LA Sports Arena in November 1980, also with new stereo remix, which was previously unreleased. The first DVD contains the album and five of the "associate recordings" remixed in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM). Also included are the original stereo mixes of the album in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM. The second DVD includes the LA Sports Arena concert in High-Resolution formats. The third DVD includes the “SlipstreamFind albums with this title” video with audio tracks in High-Resolution formats. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get the original stereo mix of the album in a CD form, but you get almost two hours of a live concert on CD, remixed versions of the album, and a bunch of bonus tracks, which honestly contribute very little, if anything at all.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
The group´s lineup on this album presents a dramatic change over. Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist as usual handles most of the vocals and plays the flute parts and acoustic guitar / mandolin and the lead guitar is magnificently handled by Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, but the keyboardists are gone and rhythm section is new and features bassist Dave PeggFind albums by this artist and drummer Mark CraneyFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist / violinist Eddie JobsonFind albums by this artist is listed as a special guest.
Musically the album leaves behind the Folk-Rock direction and British Folkloristic references and moves more into Rock mainstream, but of course it still firmly and consistently continues the Progressive Rock elements, which the band masterly develops regardless of the current stylistic aesthetic the specific albums deal with.
With the end of the 1970s decade Progressive Rock was steadily losing its steam and the artistic / aesthetic end of the genre was imminent, and yet Jethro Tull were going ahead as if they were living on a different planet, which in retrospect might have just been right. They were still at their artistic peak, which continued for years, without any signs of getting worn-out. Perhaps they were, after all, a class of their own.
For many Jethro Tull fans this albums marks perhaps the last days of the group´s long and flourishing career, but personally I believe everything the group created over the years was top notch and it was the listeners following fads and fashions who could not always follow the intricacies and complexity of the music Anderson whimsically weaved. A classic by any standard!
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 05/11/2023Posted: 01/10/2021 | 3CD+3DVD 6 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ A PASSION PLAY (AN EXTENDED PERFORMANCE)
CHRYSALIS 825646305674 (Barcode: 825646305674) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2014
This is a reissue of the sixth album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all Jethro Tull albums starting with their third album "BenefitFind albums with this title".
The reissue consists of two CDs and two DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album. The second CD contains a new stereo mix of the abandoned / "lost" Chateau d´Herouville sessions, recorded shortly before the group recorded the "A Passion PlayFind albums with this title" album, which have been partly reissued over the years on different albums, but appear here in their entirety for the first time. The first DVD contains some video material and the high definition transfers and new mixes of the original album. The second DVD contains the high definition transfers and new mixes of the Chateau d´Herouville sessions.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
"A Passion Play" has been the most controversial Jethro Tull album in the band´s history, recorded by a great lineup, which in addition to the leader / flautist / vocalist Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist includes also guitarist Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, keyboardist John EvanFind albums by this artist, bassist Jeffrey Hammond-HammondFind albums by this artist and drummer Barriemore BarlowFind albums by this artist. Slammed by the critics at the time of its release for being boring, over complex and self indulgent, it still sold well and the hordes of the band´s fans supported it without reservations. It aged well and is to this very day a minor masterpiece as are all early albums by the group. Of course we´re unable to hear this music without making allowances for the historic background, the nostalgia and the personal sympathies surrounding the band and its music. The Chateau d´Herouville sessions turn out to be quite excellent, in spite of the initial judgment made at the time they actually happened. They are as good as the album itself and we should be thankful for bringing them back to life.
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 25/05/2018Posted: | 2CD+2DVD 4 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ AQUALUNG (40TH ANNIVERSARY ADAPTED EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 825646487080 (Barcode: 825646487080) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2016
This is a 40th Anniversary Edition (actually a 45th Anniversary Edition as it is almost identical to the "Deluxe Edition" of the album from 2011, in repackaged form) reissue of the fourth album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all (except the debut as of now) early Jethro Tull releases.
The reissue consists of two CDs and two DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album (eleven tracks). The second CD contains the new stereo remix of "Associated 1970 And 1971 Recordings" (ten tracks) and a flat transfer of the "Life Is A Long Song" EP (five tracks) and a radio advert. The first DVD contains the album and seven of the "associated recordings" remixed in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM). Also included are the ten "associated recordings" in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM. The second DVD includes the flat transfer of the original stereo master of the album in 96/24 LPCM stereo and the quad mix as 4.1 on AC3 Dolby Digital Surround, and finally the EP in 96/24 LPCM stereo. Also included is a "Life Is A Long Song" promotional video. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get the original stereo mix of the album in a CD form or any previously unreleased material, but you get remixed versions of the album, and a few bonus tracks, which honestly contribute very little, if anything at all.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
The group´s lineup on this album is similar to the one on its predecessor "BenefitFind albums with this title"; Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist as usual handles the vocals and plays the flute parts and acoustic guitar. The lead guitar is magnificently handled by Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, the keyboards by John EvanFind albums by this artist (now listed as a full member of the group), the bass by Jeffrey Hammond-HammondFind albums by this artist, who replaced Glenn CornickFind albums by this artist, and the drums by Clive BunkerFind albums by this artist. Anderson gets credit for all the music and lyrics, except "Aqualung" lyrics being credited to Jennie AndersonFind albums by this artist.
This album transformed the group and their leader from the status of underground heroes to the status of modern heralds and leaders of what was exploding and emerging as the Art Rock / Progressive Rock phenomenon. Combining incredible talents with complete disregard towards commercialism and slaughtering "holy cows" by the herd, Anderson and his crew of minstrels created a masterpiece, which has never been surpassed by any other Prog outfit and with very few selected albums achieving perhaps the same level of perfection and potency.
A "concept" album, as appropriate for the times, this is a musical journey, which when taken once changes the traveler forever. If it was up to me, this would have been a compulsory listening to any human being at least once during their lifetime (preferably at a young age) and perhaps this world would be a better place to live? Beyond essential!
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 17/06/2018Posted: 17/06/2018 | 2CD+2DVD 4 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ BENEFIT (THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY ENHANCED EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 190295201616 (Barcode: 190295201616) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1969 - 1970 Released: 2021
This is a 50th Anniversary Edition reissue of the third album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all early Jethro Tull releases.
The reissue consists of four CDs and two DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo remix of the original album (ten tracks) and seven “associated recordings", also newly remixed. The second CD contains another twenty-one “associated recordings", original mono and stereo singles mixes and new remixes of four tracks later included on the “Living In The PastFind albums with this title” compilation album and finally two radio spots. The third CD contains the “Live At Tanglewood” concert from 1970. The fourth CD contains the “Live In Chicago” concert, also from 1970. The first DVD contains the album and eight of the "associate recordings" remixed in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM). Also included are the original stereo mixes of the album in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM. The second DVD includes the “Live At Tanglewood” video with audio tracks in High-Resolution formats. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get the original stereo mix of the album in a CD form, but you get almost two hours of a live concert on CD, remixed versions of the album, and a bunch of bonus tracks, which honestly contribute very little, if anything at all.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach. It arrives ten years too late, as it should have been done already in sequence with the other reissues, but better late than never? It’s worth to mention that Wilson already produced a remix of this album in 2013, released as “Collector’s Edition”, which includes almost all the audio material included here, but not the concert audio and video material, and was released in normal digipak format and not in the new digibook format.
The group´s lineup on this album adds a keyboardist for the first time, namely John EvanFind albums by this artist, although he is not yet considered formally as a member of the group, and is the last one to include bassist Glenn CornickFind albums by this artist. Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist as usual handles the vocals and plays the flute parts and acoustic guitar and the lead guitar is magnificently handled by Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, with drummer Clive BunkerFind albums by this artist steadily in charge of the rhythmic pulse.
Musically the album offers a natural development of the group’s style, moving even more away from the early Blues influences into Rock riffs and Prog complexity, with a somewhat darker sound, and remains a classic of the early period of the group.
For many Jethro Tull fans this album marks the end of the early phase of the group standing on the verge of becoming a Prog icon. I believe everything the group created over the years was top notch and it was the listeners following fads and fashions who could not always follow the intricacies and complexity of the music Anderson whimsically weaved. A classic by any standard!
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 24/01/2022Posted: 24/01/2022 | 4CD+2DVD 6 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ HEAVY HORSES (NEW SHOES EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 190295757915 (Barcode: 190295757915) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1977 - 1978 Released: 2018
This is a 40th Anniversary Edition reissue of the eleventh album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all (except the debut as of now) early Jethro Tull releases.
The reissue consists of three CDs and two DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album (nine tracks) and nine "associate recordings", seven of which are previously unreleased. The second and third CDs include live performances recorded in Berne, Switzerland in May 1978 (twenty two tracks), some of which were used for the "Bursting OutFind albums with this title" double LP released in September 1978. These tracks were remixed to stereo by Jakko JakszykFind albums by this artist. The first DVD contains the album and eight of the "associate recordings" remixed in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM). Also included are the original stereo mixes of the album and four additional "associate recordings" in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM. The second DVD includes the tracks of the live Berne concert remixed by Jakko Jakszyk in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM) and promotional short videos. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get the original stereo mix of the album in a CD form, but you get almost two hours of a live concert on DVD, remixed versions of the album, and a few bonus tracks, which honestly contribute very little, if anything at all.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
The group´s lineup on this album is the same as on its predecessor "Songs From The WoodFind albums with this title"; Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist as usual handles most of the vocals and plays the flute parts and acoustic guitar / mandolin. The lead guitar is magnificently handled by Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, the keyboards by John EvanFind albums by this artist and David PalmerFind albums by this artist, the bass by John GlascockFind albums by this artist and the drums by Barriemore BarlowFind albums by this artist. Anderson gets credit for all the music and lyrics, but Palmer and Barre get credit for contributing some of the instrumental themes.
Musically the album continues the new stylistic approach, emphasizing the Folk-Rock direction and British Folkloristic references. It is also considered as the second album in the trinity of albums formed by "Songs From The Wood" this album and the forthcoming album "StormwatchFind albums with this title". Of course the album still firmly and consistently continues the Progressive Rock elements, which the band masterly develops regardless of the current stylistic aesthetic the specific albums deal with.
For many Jethro Tull fans this albums marks one the definitive highlights of the group´s long and flourishing career, but personally I believe everything the group created over the years was top notch and it was the listeners following fads and fashions who could not always follow the intricacies and complexity of the music Anderson whimsically weaved. A classic by any standard!
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 15/03/2020Posted: 25/05/2018 | 3CD+2DVD 5 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ LIVE - BURSTING OUT (THE INFLATED EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 5054197723971 (Barcode: 5054197723971) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1978 Released: 2024
This is a reissue of the 1st live album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist, recorded during the 1978 European tour supporting the “Heavy HorsesFind albums with this title” album, and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all early Jethro Tull releases. The reissue consists of three CDs and three DVDs.
CD1 and CD2 contain the new stereo remix of the original album: eleven tracks, three of which are restored to their full version and five bonus tracks (soundcheck recordings, which are previously unreleased) on CD1 and ten tracks and three bonus tracks (soundcheck recordings, which are previously unreleased). The third CD contains new stereo remix of the audio tracks of the “Live At Madison Square GardenFind albums with this title” broadcast / video, captured later that year, edited to CD (sixteen tracks).
DVD1 and DVD2 contain the same material as CD1 and CD2, remixed in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM). They also include the flat transfer 96/24 PCM stereo of the original “Live - Bursting OutFind albums with this title” double LP. The third DVD includes the full 93 minutes Madison Square Garden broadcast and some original TV adverts. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get the original stereo mix of the original album in a CD form, but you get a bunch of bonus tracks, which honestly contribute very little, if anything at all. A classic rip-off playing on the sentiments of aging fans and collectors.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
The group´s lineup on this album consists of Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist, who as usual handles most of the vocals and plays the flute parts and acoustic guitar / mandolin and the lead guitar is magnificently handled by Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, the keyboards are handled by John EvanFind albums by this artist and David PalmerFind albums by this artist and rhythm section features bassist John GlascockFind albums by this artist and drummer Barriemore BarlowFind albums by this artist. On the Madison Square Garden broadcast Glascock is replaced by Tony WilliamsFind albums by this artist.
Musically, the album presents the group as brilliant live performers, superb instrumentalists and extraordinary entertainers, with very few equals. With the end of the 1970s decade Progressive Rock was steadily losing its steam and the artistic / aesthetic end of the genre was imminent, and yet Jethro Tull were going ahead as if they were living on a different planet, which in retrospect might have just been right. They were still at their artistic peak, which continued for years, without any signs of getting worn-out. Perhaps they were, after all, a class of their own.
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 24/07/2024Posted: 24/07/2024 | 3CD+3DVD 6 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ MINSTREL IN THE GALLERY (40TH ANNIVERSARY: LA GRANDE EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 825646157204 (Barcode: 825646157204) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1975 Released: 2015
This is a reissue of the eighth album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all Jethro Tull albums starting with their third album "BenefitFind albums with this title".
The reissue consists of two CDs and two DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album and seven bonus tracks. The second CD contains a new stereo mix by Jakko JakszykFind albums by this artist of the group´s live performance at the Palais Des Sports, 5th July 1975. The first DVD contains the original album and two bonus tracks remixed in High-Resolution 96/24 LPCM stereo and 5.1 surround sound in High-Resolution DTS 96/24 format and AC3 Dolby Digital format, a flat transfer of the original mix with one bonus track in High-Resolution 96/24 LPCM stereo and a flat transfer of the original Quadraphonic version with one bonus track in two High-Resolution formats. The second DVD contains the live performance at the Palais Des Sports in two surround sound and one stereo High-Resolution formats and a promotional video clip of the album, filmed at this concert, again remixed into two surround sound and one stereo format. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get a copy of the original album, which you can listen to on conventional hi-fi equipment, but you get seven bonus tracks and a whole live concert.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
This album carries the orchestration aspect of its predecessor, scaled down to a string quartet. It returns to the earlier format of mixing English Folk motifs and almost acoustic instrumentation with heavier parts dominated by the guitar. As usually this album was savagely criticized by the critics at the time of its release. In retrospect it defeats short-sighted critics and proves to be definitely as good as all other Jethro Tull albums and perhaps even one of their most coherent, elegant and aesthetically pleasing ventures. In Rock / Prog history Jethro Tull definitely remains as a group that managed to produce consistently excellent output, mainly of course due to the charismatic leadership of Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist. The other members of the group on this album were guitarist Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, keyboardist John EvanFind albums by this artist, bassist Jeffrey Hammond-HammondFind albums by this artist and drummer Barriemore BarlowFind albums by this artist.
Incidentally the Paris concert has almost nothing to do with this album, as it was at the time still in the recording stage. Only the title song is performed during the concert and the rest is the usual "best off" collection of the band´s favorites. But of course, Jethro Tull always was a superb live band, so this is a great addition to their recording legacy. Jakszyk´s mix is perfect.
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 25/05/2018Posted: 16/01/2016 | 2CD+2DVD 4 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ SONGS FROM THE WOOD (THE COUNTRY SET)
CHRYSALIS 190295847876 (Barcode: 190295847876) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1976 - 1977 Released: 2017
This is a 40th Anniversary Edition reissue of the tenth album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all (except the debut as of now) early Jethro Tull releases.
The reissue consists of three CDs and two DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album (nine tracks) and seven "associate recordings", two of which are previously unreleased. Also included is a stereo version of the A side of a US single, which is left untouched. The second and third CDs include live performances recorded in the US, with four tracks originating from the Boston concert in December 1977 and the rest (eighteen tracks) from the Landover, MD concert in November 1977. These tracks were reconstructed and remixed to stereo by Jakko JakszykFind albums by this artist. The first DVD contains the album and five of the "associate recordings" remixed in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM). Also included are the two additional "associate recordings" in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM and quad mixes of four tracks in DTS 4.0 and Dolby Digital AC3 4.0 surround sound. The second DVD includes the audio and video of the Landover, MD concert. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get the original stereo mix of the album in a CD form, but you get almost two hours of a live concert on DVD, remixed versions of the album, and a few bonus tracks, which honestly contribute very little, if anything at all.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
The group´s lineup on this album is expanded with the addition of the second keyboardist David PalmerFind albums by this artist, which turns Jethro Tull into a sextet. Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist as usual handles most of the vocals and plays the flute parts and acoustic guitar / mandolin. The lead guitar is magnificently handled by Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, the keyboards by John EvanFind albums by this artist, the bass by John GlascockFind albums by this artist and the drums by Barriemore BarlowFind albums by this artist. Anderson gets credit for all the music and lyrics, but Palmer and Barre get credit for contributing some of the instrumental themes.
Musically the album marks a significant change in the overall stylistic approach, emphasizing the Folk-Rock direction and British Folkloristic references. It is also considered the first album in the trinity of albums formed by this and the two forthcoming albums: "Heavy HorsesFind albums with this title" and "StormwatchFind albums with this title". Of course the album still firmly and consistently continues the Progressive Rock elements, which the band masterly develops regardless of the current stylistic aesthetic the specific albums deal with.
For many Jethro Tull fans this albums marks one the definitive highlights of the group´s long and flourishing career, but personally I believe everything the group created over the years was top notch and it was the listeners following fads and fashions who could not always follow the intricacies and complexity of the music Anderson whimsically weaved. A classic by any standard!
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 15/03/2020Posted: 25/05/2018 | 3CD+2DVD 5 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ STAND UP (THE ELEVATED EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 190295932862 (Barcode: 190295932862) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1969 Released: 2016
This is a reissue of the second album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of early Jethro Tull releases up to their ninth album "Too Old To Rock`N`Roll: Too Young To Die!Find albums with this title", except for the debut album (as of now).
The reissue consists of two CDs and one DVD. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album and a bunch of "associate recordings", three of which were also given the new remix treatment, including the only previously unreleased track in this set, which is an alternate version of "Bouree". A stereo version of A/B sides of a single and four tracks recorded by the BBC are left untouched. The second CD includes nine tracks originating from a live concert recording by Swedish Radio (eight from the second show and one from the first show), all recorded in mono, a mono version of the A/B sides of a single and a couple of promotional radio spots. The DVD contains the video of two of the tracks from the concert recorded by the Swedish Radio, the album and the "associate recordings" remixed in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound) and in High Resolution stereo format (96/24 LPCM), and a flat transfer of the original stereo mix of the album and stereo and mono mixes of the single. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you get the original album, a live concert, remixed versions of the album, a short video from a live concert and a few bonus tracks, which honestly contribute very little, if anything at all, especially since they were all already available on the 2010 "Stand Up (Collector`s Edition)Find albums with this title" reissue of the album.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
This album marks the first lineup change for Jethro Tull since their inception. It features the new guitarist Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, who replaced Mick AbrahamsFind albums by this artist. The change allowed Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist to establish the complete leadership of the group and allow some significant stylistic changes, which included the addition of British Folk and Classical elements replacing almost completely the dominance of the Blues elements, which was the trademark of the debut album. The other members of the group on this album were bassist Glenn CornickFind albums by this artist and drummer Clive BunkerFind albums by this artist.
For most Jethro Tull fans, this is still one of the best albums the group ever recorded, basically pointing out the direction and forging the mold, which all subsequent albums by the group were about to follow.
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 25/05/2018Posted: 22/01/2017 | 2CD+DVD 3 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ STORMWATCH (THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY FORCE 10 EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 190295471804 (Barcode: 190295471804) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1978 - 1980 Released: 2019
This is a 40th Anniversary Edition reissue of the twelfth album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all early Jethro Tull releases. This leaves only "BenefitFind albums with this title", which was already reissued in a Wilson remix form in 2013, to be released in the matching digibook format to complete the series. Hopefully this will happen in 2020 to mark the 50th Anniversary of that album.
The reissue consists of four CDs and two DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album (ten tracks). The second CD contains fifteen "associate recordings", seven of which are previously unreleased, all in new stereo mix by Wilson. The third and fourth CDs include live performances recorded in Haag, Netherlands in March 1980 (twenty five tracks all together), all previously unreleased, restored and mixed by Nick Watson. The first DVD contains the album remixed in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM). Also included are the original stereo mixes of the album in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM. The second DVD includes thirteen "associate recordings" in 5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, fifteen "associate recordings" in stereo format 96/24 LPCM and finally five original mixes of "associate recordings" in stereo format 96/24 LPCM. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get the original stereo mix of the album in a CD form, but you get almost two hours of a live concert on CD, remixed versions of the album, and a bunch of bonus tracks, which honestly contribute very little, if anything at all.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
The group´s lineup on this album is the same as on its predecessors: "Songs From The WoodFind albums with this title" and "Heavy HorsesFind albums with this title"; Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist as usual handles most of the vocals and plays the flute parts and acoustic guitar / mandolin. The lead guitar is magnificently handled by Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, the keyboards by John EvanFind albums by this artist and David PalmerFind albums by this artist, the bass by John GlascockFind albums by this artist and the drums by Barriemore BarlowFind albums by this artist. Anderson gets credit for all the music and lyrics, except one track credited to Palmer.
Musically the album continues the new stylistic approach, emphasizing the Folk-Rock direction and British Folkloristic references. It is also considered as the third album in the trinity of albums formed by "Songs From The Wood", "Heavy Horses" and this album. Of course the album still firmly and consistently continues the Progressive Rock elements, which the band masterly develops regardless of the current stylistic aesthetic the specific albums deal with.
With the approaching end of the 1970s decade Progressive Rock was steadily losing its steam and the artistic / aesthetic end of the genre was imminent, and yet Jethro Tull were going ahead as if they were living on a different plant, which in retrospect might have just been right. They were still at their artistic peak, which continued for years, without any signs of getting worn-out. Perhaps they were, after all, a class of their own.
For many Jethro Tull fans this albums marks one the definitive highlights of the group´s long and flourishing career, but personally I believe everything the group created over the years was top notch and it was the listeners following fads and fashions who could not always follow the intricacies and complexity of the music Anderson whimsically weaved. A classic by any standard!
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 15/03/2020Posted: 15/03/2020 | 4CD+2DVD 6 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST (THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY MONSTER EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 190296436079 (Barcode: 190296436079) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1981 - 1982 Released: 2023
This is a 40th Anniversary Edition reissue of the 14th studio album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all early Jethro Tull releases.
The reissue consists of five CDs and three DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo remix of the original album (ten tracks) and seven “associated recordings", all of which are previously unreleased. The second CD contains new stereo remix of further twenty-one “associated recordings", party previously unreleased. The third CD contains new stereo remix of yet further nineteen “associated recordings", party previously unreleased. The fourth and fifth CDs present live recordings in Germany in April 1982, also with new stereo remix, all previously unreleased. The first DVD contains the album remixed in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM). Also included are the original stereo mixes of the album in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM. The second DVD includes the further "associate recordings" in High-Resolution formats. The third DVD includes the audio only of the live recordings in Germany in High-Resolution formats. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get the original stereo mix of the album in a CD form, but you get over two hours of live concerts on CD, remixed versions of the album, and a bunch of bonus tracks, which honestly contribute very little, if anything at all.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
The group´s lineup on this album consists of Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist, who as usual handles most of the vocals and plays the flute parts and acoustic guitar / mandolin and the lead guitar is magnificently handled by Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, the keyboards are handled by Peter-John VetteseFind albums by this artist and rhythm section features bassist Dave PeggFind albums by this artist and new drummer Gerry ConwayFind albums by this artist.
Musically the album leaves behind the Folk-Rock direction and British Folkloristic references and moves more into Rock mainstream, but of course it still firmly and consistently continues the Progressive Rock elements, which the band masterly develops regardless of the current stylistic aesthetic the specific albums deal with.
With the end of the 1970s decade Progressive Rock was steadily losing its steam and the artistic / aesthetic end of the genre was imminent, and yet Jethro Tull were going ahead as if they were living on a different planet, which in retrospect might have just been right. They were still at their artistic peak, which continued for years, without any signs of getting worn-out. Perhaps they were, after all, a class of their own.
For many Jethro Tull fans this albums marks perhaps the last days of the group´s long and flourishing career, but personally I believe everything the group created over the years was top notch and it was the listeners following fads and fashions who could not always follow the intricacies and complexity of the music Anderson whimsically weaved. A classic by any standard!
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 05/11/2023Posted: 05/11/2023 | 5CD+3DVD 8 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ THICK AS A BRICK (40TH ANNIVERSARY SET)
CHRYSALIS 5099970461923 (Barcode: 5099970461923) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1971 Released: 2012
This is a reissue of the fifth album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all Jethro Tull albums starting with their third album "BenefitFind albums with this title".
The reissue consists of a CD and a DVD. The CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album with no bonus tracks. The DVD contains the album in 5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital surround sound formats, the new stereo mix in High-Resolution 96/24 PCM format and a flat transfer of the original stereo mix with one bonus track in High-Resolution 96/24 PCM format. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get a copy of the original album, which you can listen to on conventional hi-fi equipment and the only bonus track is a radio ad.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
Of course the album itself is a timeless masterpiece and in many respects is the epitome of the Progressive Rock genre, both musically and conceptually. Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist takes the concept album idiom to its furthermost boundaries, creating an album which contains just one piece of music, spread over the two sides of the LP, which was at the time only familiar on albums with Classical Music recordings. The boldest Rock and Prog creations before "Thick As A BrickFind albums with this title" proposed extended songs stretching to one side of an LP, but both sides was definitely a new summit.
In Rock / Prog history Jethro Tull definitely remains as a group that managed to produce consistently excellent output, mainly of course due to the charismatic leadership of Ian Anderson and his abilities as a songwriter. The other members of the group on this album were guitarist Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, keyboardist John EvanFind albums by this artist, bassist Jeffrey Hammond-HammondFind albums by this artist and drummer Barriemore BarlowFind albums by this artist, a lineup that was about to produce a series of albums, which in retrospect are amongst the most cherished and astute albums in Prog history. This stable lineup lasted for four years, between 1972 and 1975, and produced four albums, starting with this album and ending with "Minstrel In The GalleryFind albums with this title". The string arrangements, which are very modest on this album but which were to become increasingly more significant on the forthcoming albums, were arranged by David PalmerFind albums by this artist, who was the band´s loyal collaborator for years.
As usually this album was savagely criticized by music critics at the time of its release, using terms that are still affronting today. But the hordes of Jethro Tull fans loved the idea, the music and the unique novel packaging. In retrospect it defeats short-sighted critics and proves to be definitely one of their most coherent, elegant and aesthetically pleasing ventures.
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 25/05/2018Posted: 08/04/2016 | CD+DVD 2 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ THIS WAS (50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 190295611484 (Barcode: 190295611484) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock
Recorded: 1968 Released: 2018
This is a 50th Anniversary Edition reissue of the debut album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of the eleven early Jethro Tull releases, which is now completed by the inclusion of the debut album, the last to be given the new treatment and reissued in the digibook format.
The reissue consists of three CDs and one DVD-A. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album (ten tracks) and six "associated recordings", four of which are previously unreleased. The second CD includes "further associated recordings", which are mostly BBC sessions, original mixes of singles and radio adverts and one outtake, altogether twenty tracks of which just one is previously unreleased. The third CD includes the original 1968 UK stereo and mono (remastered in 2008) mixes of the album. The DVD-A contains the album remixed in two High-Resolution formats (4.1 DTS and AC3 Dolby Digital Surround Sound), two "associated recordings" in two High-Resolution formats (5.1 DTS and in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM). Also included is the original 1969 US stereo mix of the album in High Resolution stereo format 96/24 LPCM. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype!
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
The group´s lineup on this album includes Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist, who handles most of the vocals and plays the flute parts and some piano, with the lead guitar magnificently handled by Mick AbrahamsFind albums by this artist, the bass by Glenn CornickFind albums by this artist and the drums by Clive BunkerFind albums by this artist. Anderson gets credit for most of the music and lyrics, except for the tracks written by Abrahams or co-written by the band´s members and one Jazz and two Blues standards.
Musically the album is completely different from the rest of the group´s later output, being deeply rooted in Blues and Blues Rock, one of the leading idioms on the British scene at the time of its recording. The group was not yet dominated by Anderson and Abrahams was definitely the most accomplished musician at hand. Of course the personality conflict between Anderson and Abrahams led to the latter leaving the group after the album was recorded and the musical direction of the group gradually changing towards Progressive Rock and Folk Rock, with Anderson firmly at the helm.
Although definitely one of the best white blues guitarists of all time, Abraham´s career did not take off as spectacularly as one might have expected at the time. Today, five decades later, he still plays superbly and releases new albums from time to time, remaining one my favorite guitar players, despite his almost complete anonymity.
For many Jethro Tull fans this album, not surprisingly, is often considered as an odd incident, which in many respects it is indeed. Personally it is one of my favorite British Blues Revival recordings and I revisit it from time to time, repeatedly being surprised by its freshness and originality, despite the passing time. The rest of Jethro Tull´s story is of course a completely different chapter in British Rock history. An everlasting gem by any standard!
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 26/01/2019Posted: 26/01/2019 | 3CD+DVD 4 Digibook Box Set DVD-A Audiophile Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ TOO OLD TO ROCK`N`ROLL: TOO YOUNG TO DIE! (THE TV SPECIAL EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 825646035519 (Barcode: 825646035519) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1975 - 1976 Released: 2015
This is a reissue of the ninth album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all Jethro Tull albums starting with their third album "BenefitFind albums with this title".
The reissue consists of two CDs and two DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the previously unreleased version of the album that was re-recorded for a TV special and a bunch of outtakes and alternate versions. The second CD contains a new stereo mix of a bunch of "associated recordings" and the flat transfer of the original album mix. The first DVD contains the video of the TV special with DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Digital stereo. The TV special audio is also present in High-Resolution 96/24 stereo PCM in addition to the outtakes also in High Resolution formats. The second DVD contains the "associated recordings" in two High-Resolution formats, a flat transfer of the original Quadraphonic version and the stereo version of the album, both in High-Resolution formats. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you get the original album, a remixed version of a second version of the album, a video of a TV appearance and a few bonus tracks, which honestly contribute very little, if anything at all.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
This album marks the first lineup change for Jethro Tull in four years, which for many other bands was more than a lifetime. It features the new bassist John GlascockFind albums by this artist, who replaced Jeffrey Hammond-HammondFind albums by this artist, and who already earned quite a reputation on the Prog scene before joining the group. It was also the group´s last concept album, although the very "concept" behind it was pretty vague. The album was quite savagely criticized at the time of its release, but in retrospect is defeats short-sighted critics and proves to be definitely as good as all other Jethro Tull albums. In Rock / Prog history Jethro Tull definitely remains as a group that managed to produce consistently excellent output, mainly of course due to the charismatic leadership of Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist. The other members of the group on this album were guitarist Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, keyboardist John EvanFind albums by this artist and drummer Barriemore BarlowFind albums by this artist.
As to Anderson´s concept of music travelling on the time scale in circles, with fashions and fads returning after a while, sadly his prophesy turned out to be a false one, since music has been constantly going down the drain since this album was recorded.
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 25/05/2018Posted: 15/01/2016 | 2CD+2DVD 4 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | JETHRO TULL ~ WAR CHILD (THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY THEATRE EDITION)
CHRYSALIS 825646216277 (Barcode: 825646216277) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1972 - 1974 Released: 2014
This is a reissue of the seventh album by the British Prog Masters Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and another chapter in the series of reissues of their seminal albums which are being remixed to new stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, who is doing similar projects with classic Rock / Prog albums by other artists as well. It follows a similar treatment that Wilson applied to the reissues of all Jethro Tull albums starting with their third album "BenefitFind albums with this title".
The reissue consists of two CDs and two DVDs. The first CD contains the new stereo mix of the original album. The second CD contains a bunch of "associated recordings", i.e. outtakes, alternate versions and orchestral "War ChildFind albums with this title" recordings, partly in new stereo mix and partly in original version. The first DVD contains the original album remixed in High-Resolution 96/24 LPCM stereo and 5.1 surround sound in High-Resolution DTS 96/24 format and AC3 Dolby Digital format, a flat transfer of the original mix in High-Resolution 96/24 LPCM stereo and a flat transfer of the original Quadraphonic version in two High-Resolution formats. Also a few video clips are present. The second DVD contains the "associated recordings" in three High-Resolution formats. If you are confused by all these technical terms, don´t be – it is all complete bullshit piece of hype! Basically you don´t even get a copy of the original album, which you can listen to on conventional hi-fi equipment and you do get a bunch of bonus tracks which add very little value to the original album and a bunch of video clips, which are completely worthless.
The entire set is lavishly packaged in a digibook format, with great photos of the band, background material, the song lyrics and other goodies, which are all beyond reproach.
This album marks the return to the song format after extended concept album releases. It also introduces orchestral arrangements by David PalmerFind albums by this artist, for which this album was savagely criticized by the critics at the time of its release. In retrospect it defeats short-sighted critics and proves to be definitely as good as all other Jethro Tull albums. In Rock / Prog history Jethro Tull definitely remains as a group that managed to produce consistently excellent output, mainly of course due to the charismatic leadership of Ian AndersonFind albums by this artist. The other members of the group on this album were guitarist Martin BarreFind albums by this artist, keyboardist John EvanFind albums by this artist, bassist Jeffrey Hammond-HammondFind albums by this artist and drummer Barriemore BarlowFind albums by this artist.
Although, as already mentioned, not a concept album per se, this album definitely has a central theme of War and violence. Some of the music on this album was actually written and even recorded during earlier recording sessions and included here. The whole story about this album and its relation to the film of the same name, which Anderson intended to produce, is described in detail in the splendid book accompanying the music.
Side Note
As for the Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist contributions, I´m perplexed time after time why anybody being of sound mind would allow him to butcher the original material and then hype the results as spectacular. These original mixes are untouchable and anybody trying to change them is more or less re-painting Van Gogh, re-sculpturing Michelangelo or re-writing the Bible, all truly barbaric acts of disrespect.
Additionally I find his stereo mixes to be dry, artificial and deviant, badly damaging the original ambience of the recordings. Perhaps for people who are not familiar with the original sound this sounds fine, but for me it´s unbearable and sacrilegious.
In addition I find the surround sound completely redundant, hoping for years that it will go away as did quad and other industry inventions meant to earn some more money from the suckers following the trends. The whole high resolution hype is so ridiculous; in reality most people are deaf anyway and can´t tell one note from another even if it bites them in the ass and use ridiculously lo-fi equipment. In short Emperor´s new clothes, as usual, and no shame whatsoever.
| | Updated: 25/05/2018Posted: 15/01/2016 | 2CD+2DVD 4 Digibook Box Set Oversampling DVD-A Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | TUSMORKE ~ FORT BAK LYSET
SVART 401 (Barcode: 6430050666088) ~ NORWAY ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2014 - 2015 Released: 2016
This is the third album by Norwegian Prog group TusmorkeFind albums by this artist, which consists of twin brothers: vocalist / bassist Benedikt MomrakFind albums by this artist and vocalist / flautist Kristoffer MomrakFind albums by this artist (both playing a plethora of other instruments between them), keyboardist Lars Fredrik FroislieFind albums by this artist and drummer Martin Nordrum KneppenFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original songs, all written by the Momrak brothers.
From the very first moment the music starts playing it is pretty obvious that the band decided to go back to the glorious tradition of the original Progressive Rock from the late 1960s / early 1970s, and skip the tedious Neo-Prog idiom completely. Musically Tusmorke is heavily influenced by Jethro TullFind albums by this artist, but combines in their music many other motifs, including Nordic Folklore, Medieval Music, and some Heavy / Dark Rock, creating a wonderful amalgam that can justly be called Prog, despite the fact that the idiom has been gone for almost five decades. The subject matter involves Norwegian mythology, which apparently is as rich and mysterious as any other existing mythology.
Although the music is pretty complex and offers several themes within each song, the songs are more condensed this time, ranging between four and eight minutes, and as such more coherent, but still allow the creation of atmospheric buildup and structural dynamics. The prevailing ambience of Medieval troubadours and Gregorian chanting is absolutely magical.
The music is deeply soaked in the keyboards sound (as the band does not feature a lead guitar), but those sound (or are) authentic like the keyboards of the original period, rather than the synthesizer imitating the past, which adds considerably to the authenticity and overall atmosphere of the music. The vocals, which in most cases are sung unisono, are not necessarily at the epicenter of the music and are skillfully integrated in the overall aural experience.
The sound quality of the album is rather murky, which adds to the retro effect, but the music suffers to some extent, but charmingly so. Hopefully this music will never fall into Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist’s claws. The album is now out of print and is pretty difficult to find, but it is definitely worth the effort of finding a copy.
Overall it is quite obvious that Tusmorke is one of the few true Prog bands active today and their albums belong to the finest achievements of the idiom in 2010s. This is an absolute must for all Prog lovers, as are all other albums released by the band so far. Brilliant stuff!
| | Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 10/09/2021 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | TUSMORKE ~ RISET BAK SPEILET
SVART 270 (Barcode: 6430050661762) ~ NORWAY ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014
This is the second album by Norwegian Prog group TusmorkeFind albums by this artist, which consists of twin brothers: vocalist / bassist Benedikt MomrakFind albums by this artist and vocalist / flautist Kristoffer MomrakFind albums by this artist (both playing a plethora of other instruments between them), keyboardist Lars Fredrik FroislieFind albums by this artist and drummer Martin Nordrum KneppenFind albums by this artist. Five guest musicians contribute on selected tracks. The album presents eight original songs (the LP version of the album includes only five songs and the additional three appear only on the CD version as bonuses), all written by the Momrak brothers.
From the very first moment the music starts playing it is pretty obvious that the band decided to go back to the glorious tradition of the original Progressive Rock from the late 1960s / early 1970s, and skip the tedious Neo-Prog idiom completely. Musically Tusmorke (at least on this album) is heavily influenced by Jethro TullFind albums by this artist, but combines in their music many other motifs, including Nordic Folklore, Medieval Music, and some Heavy / Dark Rock, creating a wonderful amalgam that can justly be called Prog, despite the fact that the idiom has been gone for almost five decades.
The music is pretty complex and offers extended pieces lasting close to ten minutes in duration and in one case even fifteen minutes, which allows the creation of atmospheric buildup and structural dynamics.
The music is deeply soaked in the keyboards sound (as the band does not feature a lead guitar), but those sound (or are) authentic like the keyboards of the original period, rather than the synthesizer imitating the past, which adds considerably to the authenticity and overall atmosphere of the music. The vocals, which in most cases are sung unisono, are not necessarily in the focus of the music and are skillfully integrated in the overall aural experience.
The sound quality of the album is rather murky, which adds to the retro effect, but the music suffers to some extent, but charmingly so. Hopefully this music will never fall into Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist’s claws.
Overall it is quite obvious that Tusmorke is one of the few true Prog bands active today and their albums belong to the finest achievements of the idiom in 2010s. This is an absolute must for all Prog lovers, as are all other albums released by the band so far. Brilliant stuff!
| | Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 26/02/2021 | CD 1 Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
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