I will defend it in saying that it has some excellent material, some of which is almost like old-style Tull, for instance, Lost in Crowds and Hand of Thumbs resemble old Tull. The other truly great songs are Raft of Penguins and Not Ralitsa Vassileva, both of which I love, and I would say that these 4 songs are as good, if not better, than anything on Secret Language with the exception perhaps of the sublime Circular Breathing.
But, overall, Secret Language is the more consistenly great album, because everything on that album is great, it's an amazing piece of work, which one critic described as "height of powers" stuff by Ian, and I agree.
In addition to the four great songs on Rupi, you've got some very good ones, like Two Short Planks, which has got arguably the most catchy melody that Ian has ever written, and it's just a fun, happy song, with splendid guitar and a great flute solo during the musical bridge. The lyrics are fluff, but in this case it's okay, because the song just works.
A Week of Moments, I like a lot, it's got some very nice piano, but I think the song is flawed, primarily because of the detour it takes back to the Roots to Branches sound. I just don't care for that part of the song.
Old Black Cat is not a bad song, but in my opinion, it's a little too mournful for a cat.
I like Eurology, I think it's also a catchy and fresh instrumental with a clever idea behind it.
The Pigeon song is very good musically, but I am turned off to the song by the constant repetition of the word pigeon, and also the subject matter of the song is something that Ian has already done, more effectively, in One Brown Mouse. Plus, I freakin' hate pigeons. They are the roaches of the bird world.
Rupi's Dance is the opposite of Old Black Cat. Whereas OBC is too lachrymose over the loss of a cat, Rupi's Dance is a little bit too "loving" almost to the point of weirdness, especially one line in particular. I don't like this song at all.
Photo Shop is another one I don't care for. Something about the voyeuristic nature of the lyrics is a bit creepy, plus the song is another Fatman re-make.
The Capuccino Song is a bit repetitive and the lyrics do not comfortably fit with the music, because they have too many syllables and it sounds like he is rushing the singing to fit with the music.
Overall, I think the album is a mixed bag, it's very good, but not great, with some uncharateristic weak material to go along with the excellent material. Secret Language of Birds is a lot better, and is one of Ian's greatest works.
Very good, Jeff. "lyrics do not comfortably fit with the music"stands out for me. That is most certainly the uncomfortable part for me.
Cheers!
No, I don't like it all, nor do I agree with his comments as they pertain to Secret Language of Birds. Many of the songs on the album are love songs, they are not frivolous "nothings" at all. There are also some more serious songs like Set-Aside, Sanctuary and Monteserrat, as well as songs about works of art.
I think, though, that his comments might apply to ditties like Calliandra Shade and Rupi's Dance, and Hare in the Wine Cup too. But there are no such "ditties" on Secret Language of Birds. The love songs on SLOB display a lot of insight into human psychology, much like the lyrics to A Hand of Thumbs, which I like.
If only CD's were the size of albums and had all the cover artwork at a decent size with liner notes in a font size you could read
"While new records are pristine and static-stuck to their sleeves, old records have a very particular smell. I can be transported back to the Eighties in an instant by having a good sniff of Jethro Tull's Aqualung. Likewise, there's a sensory aspect to the opening of a tasty gatefold sleeve in full artistic splendour."
Jethro Tull - Aqualung "The aforementioned record featured the grizzled form of the titular character of the album and title track. He's a vagrant of questionable habit. The sleeve was heavy, grainy and dirty - so appropriate to the themes of the album."
If only CD's were the size of albums and had all the cover artwork at a decent size with liner notes in a font size you could read
"While new records are pristine and static-stuck to their sleeves, old records have a very particular smell. I can be transported back to the Eighties in an instant by having a good sniff of Jethro Tull's Aqualung. Likewise, there's a sensory aspect to the opening of a tasty gatefold sleeve in full artistic splendour."
Jethro Tull - Aqualung "The aforementioned record featured the grizzled form of the titular character of the album and title track. He's a vagrant of questionable habit. The sleeve was heavy, grainy and dirty - so appropriate to the themes of the album."
I remember going into the A1 Stores in Walworth to buy Aqualung when it was first released; holding the album and just looking at it taking in everything on the cover, the canvas feel of the cover didn't escape me either. Reading the back and not quite getting it.
I took it up to the counter where the guy behind the counter asked if I wanted to listen to it first. Not on headphones, but in a booth, how old is that!
A few seconds into Martin's opening and that was it, I was going home with this album.
« Last Edit: Sept 24, 2010, 11:34am by Quizz Kid »
Old Black Cat is not a bad song, but in my opinion, it's a little too mournful for a cat.
Rupi's Dance is the opposite of Old Black Cat. Whereas OBC is too lachrymose over the loss of a cat, Rupi's Dance is a little bit too "loving" almost to the point of weirdness, especially one line in particular. I don't like this song at all.
Jeff
Hey Jeff, you're obviously not a cat man
Ian is a cat man and I am too and I think it takes one to know where he's coming from.
I have a female cat who I got as a kitten around the time Rupi came out. She's the same age as Rupi. She's simply beautiful and I love her dearly. I can totally relate to Ian's lyrics in the song.
Regarding old black cat. You said "it's a little too mournful for a cat."
I think that's quite a sad comment. My cat is one of my best friends. I value her life over many humans. She's intelligent and quite capable of melting my heart. I'm not saying this is you Jeff but I've come across many people who just can't understand that and I find it quite sad that these people have not experienced such special friendship with an animal. So I totally relate to old black cat, the passing of a friend is always mournful.
I've been listening to the album a bit the last few days. Its got some lovely moments. If I'm critical its regarding some of the arrangments. For example, Lost in crowds is a great song but there was really no need to repeat the intro at the end, it just drags it out IMO. The Flute also fills every possible space and I think that's the case from most of Ian's output since the 90's. I love the Flute but its a bit like Chocolate, too much can be sickly. But that's a minor criticism really. Ian has some great vocal moments on Rupi that harks back to his 70's voice which is quite a treat
Rupi's Dance is my FAVORITE Ian Anderson solo....no question.
There are 1 or 2 songs I don't love--"Old Black Cat" is a little too maudlin for me--but I listen to it all the time. I like it even better than SLOB.
At this stage of Ian's career, I prefer his mellower style. I think it fits his voice better.
The real question is: When is he going to release a new CD!!??!? I want some new material! It's been too long.
Welcome, "blackacedoghandler", and thanks for your initial post! Is your first name Rick?
One thing I will say is that the instrumentation on Rupi is better and more varied than SLOB, and unlike SLOB, it's got real strings rather than synthesizers which gives a warmer sound to the violins, etc. There are some great songs on Rupi, probably about half of the album, I would say. I still give SLOB the edge in terms of songwriting and lyrics though.
I think Old Black Cat is a good song, but like you said, a little too maudlin, and Rupi's Dance (the song) is just a little too weird. The Pigeon Song annoys me because he repeats the word pigeon so many times, and the lyrical concept is exactly the same as One Brown Mouse, in much the same way as Hunt By Numbers is the same concept as The Mouse Police Never Sleeps. (In both cases the Heavy Horses songs are far superior.) I don't like Photo Shop either, because it's voyeuristic, and a little too obvious a concept, plus it's kind of a re-make of Fatman (like The Water Carrier, or Tall Thin Girl, for instance.) But comparing the two albums is a matter of personal opinion, and almost akin to Brick v. Play, or SFTW v. HH.
I think we are about to be pleasantly surprised about new material. Ian has publicly announced that a new album will be released in April of 2012, and I think he means it this time. He even told Dave Rees that the album is going to be 47 minutes long.
I think that this is not the whole story, and what Ian is actually planning for 2012, is the release of two new albums, one Tull, one solo. We shall see soon enough, because the "big surprise" is only a little over two weeks away at this point.
[I think we are about to be pleasantly surprised about new material. Ian has publicly announced that a new album will be released in April of 2012, and I think he means it this time. He even told Dave Rees that the album is going to be 47 minutes long.
I think that this is not the whole story, and what Ian is actually planning for 2012, is the release of two new albums, one Tull, one solo. We shall see soon enough, because the "big surprise" is only a little over two weeks away at this point.
Great to have you on The Jethro Tull Board!
Jeff
Jeff,
Your reference to the running time of a new cd of 47 minutes long seemed rather short and made me go back and look at running times for all the other studio albums/cds (excluding remasters with bonus tracks and Living In The Past). I was surprised about the total running times of Tull classics but limitations to vinyl made some of that necessary. This would be the shortest running album since Broadsword and ironically, the much maligned Underwraps, has the longest running time clocking in @ 60:33.
This Was - 38:21 Stand Up - 37:48 Benefit - 42:49 Aqualung - 42:55 Thick/Brick - 43:46 Passion Play - 45:05 Warchild - 39:21 Minstrel- 44:50 Too Old.... 42:26 Songs/Wood 41:22 Heavy Horses-43:05 Stormwatch- 45:42 A - 42:48 Broadsword - 38:49 Underwraps - 60:33 Crest/Knave - 48:50 Rock Island - 50:21 Catfish Rising- 60:24 Roots To B. -60:00 DotCom - 54:20 Christmas - 62:16
I hope your instinct is correct and we get a Tull and a solo recording.
Solo recordings Running Times: Walk Into Light- 38:29 Divinities - 47:03 Secret Language-59:03 Rupi's Dance -55:50
Re: Rupi's Dance redux « Reply #30 on Aug 19, 2011, 8:50am »
I have no problem with a 47-minute album. Often, the albums with shorter running times are stronger than the hour-long ones because they contain less "filler".
I have no problem with a 47-minute album. Often, the albums with shorter running times are stronger than the hour-long ones because they contain less "filler".
I've found myself repeatedly listening to SLOB recently... time to revisit Rupi...
I love SLOB, still one of my favourite albums, irrespective of whether it Tull related or not.
I still have problems getting into 'Rupi's Dance' though. I now find it a little more accessible then when it was first released, but I still find it a difficult album to sit and listen to all the way through.
The parts of IA's solo stuff I love is the stuff that sounds least like Tull, bizarrely. I like the idea of artists growing and developing past the template that made them great (a very complex template in Tull's case, granted). See also - Robert Plant.
IMO, at this stage of his career, Ian shouldn't let an electric guitar anywhere near his gigs, or his records. His voice just doesn't fit with it. To my ears, Hand of Thumbs is an absolute dad-rock shocker, while the reflective, whimsical Rupi's Dance is exactly what I want from Anderson these days; an old chap singing about his cat, staying within his vocal limits, showing off some lovely acoustic playing, not washed over with powerchords that belong in the 80s.
I'd say that musically, texturally and as credible statements of work, Rupi's Dance and SLOB as albums knock spots off anything Tull have done since Crest.
Martin you are the best guitarist of all time. You made Tull, no matter what Ian might say. Your rifts are always awesome.
Living in these hard times.
Im not Martin Barre i just loved the hat martin wore in my avator.
Welcome, to The Jethro Tull Board "martin barre's hat"! Thanks for your interest in joining us and your initial flurry of posts, which I have been reading with interest.
I look forward to chatting with you here on the board.
Re: Rupi's Dance redux « Reply #39 on Oct 22, 2011, 7:27pm »
It's puzzling to me that so many don't enjoy Rupi's Dance. Granted it's not quite as consistently solid an effort as SLOB, but there are some amazing, dare I say classic, moments.
"Lost in Crowds" is a real get up out of your seat rocker, and it's always a pleasure to hear Anderson harmonize with himself. That's a unique timbre found also in the "Jack-a-Lynn" demo and in "Rare and Precious Chain", etc.
"A Raft of Penguins" is in an odd lopsided time signature (may 11/8? since 11 is mentioned in the lyrics) with some insightful lyrics. I have referred to this song to good effect in a classical music forum in a thread discussing the elitist attitude of classical musicians and aficionados. "Tenuous but clinging, the missing link Joins us, closer than we might think." Well said!
"Two Short Planks" is simply a joy. It's a celebration of life, not of ignorance.
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