Joined: Jul 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,139 Location: Down at the end of your road.
TAAB2 review « Thread Started on Apr 6, 2012, 8:47am »
Ah, finally the motherlode is here. A quick review is in order. Here goes : - From a Pebble Thrown - A good way to start a great album. - Pebbles Instrumental - Not bad at all. - Might-have-beens - If there's a weak track this might be it. - Upper Sixth Loan Shark - First time I've heard Ian curse. Still a good song. And oh so true. - Banker Bets, Banker Wins - Another true one. Reality. - Swing it Far - Another true one. Pretty good. - Adrift and Dumbfounded - A stage favorite these last few years. Like it better with the lyrics. - Old School Song - A rah, rah, but I like it. - Wootton Bassett Town - A sad, but true reality of war. - Power and Spirit - Love John O'hara's keyboards on this one. - Give Till it Hurts - A parody of mainstream religion. Mine and Ian's views on religion are similar. Hope the Christ doesn't come now. I'm not a paid up Christian either. - Cosy Corner - Don't forget to call your Mum. Enough said. - Shunt and Shuffle - My favorite song. Shows a forcefull Tull again.... Always a winner. - A Change of Horses - Another favorite. Love the accordion. - Confessional - A real confessional?. Not sure, but I like it. - Kismet in Suburbia - Another favorite that stays in my head. Fresh start for Tull? - What-if's, Maybes and Might-have-beens - A fitting end to a great album.......Thick as a Brick......2.
All in all, a Great Ian / Tull album. No matter what incarnation of Tull we see, Ian always has quality musicians. I've also been a little hard on talented guitarist Florian Opahale. I'm due for my Confessional as well. I'll give it 9/10. I'm afraid of perfection sometimes. -
Nothing I say should be anything but the truth on this review. After receiving the new CD/DVD in the mail on Thursday, the world of Tull has reached a new level.
I first listened to the cd on Thursday night in the Tull Cave and was Blown Away! No other Tull album has hit me this hard so fast. I was sober yet intoxicated by the sound and style. If you can't hear this from start to finish it would be your own decision but a huge mistake. 53 minutes 45 seconds is a must. My respect for Florian Opahle has grown because he did what was asked of him. He KICKED ASS!
Ian does what no one could have predicted, he created a sequel with no equal. This is the best work since APP. No Shit, this is It.
On Friday I played the DVD with interviews and extras which were wonderful. The spoken lyrics are groundbreaking! With the 5.1 audio version I heard even better depth and audio separation which was expected. Emotionally this album will give you Tull Chills up and down your spine.
Now for the good stuff : If you ever fell in love with a song or album before, it had to pass the Cruise Test. This is the most important test of any music which was learned by anyone who drives a car.
Step 1 : Plan to drive for at least 1 full hour to an area away from the city with scenic views. This should be done as I did earlier today although I turned it into a 2 hour cruise. Gas is $3.81 Premium in South Carolina at Wal-Mart with Gas Card.
Step 2 : Go alone, no distractions and no one talks except Ian Anderson on special parts. Try to find a route with minimal traffic too.
Step 3 : Windows up, air conditioner on unless you need cool fresh air by vent. Don't listen with windows down unless you are away from all human contact.
Step 4 : Crank up the volume, unless you don't understand Rock and Roll. This is necessary.
Step 5 : Play TAAB 2 the way it was meant to be played from start to finish. If you like what you hear then play it again. I felt like it was the first time I understood what this was. Don't over analyze the lyrics just feel the flow and texture of this musical Masterpiece. If you can't drive yourself then get a friend that will not speak until the experience is complete. Remember, this is the Old School method for liking music. "On the Road with Rock and Roll."
To say this will be the Greatest Tull Album Ever is yet to be determined. This album should have it's own category at the next Grammy Awards Show. Pure Progressive / Hard Rock I don't care if they ever get into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Shame. On a scale of 1 to 5 : 10 Stars 5 For the CD / 5 For the DVD 5.1 mix Oh yes 5 stars for the interviews and spoken words! That makes 15 Stars In my Humble Opinion.
Yesterday, by a cold but quite bright Loch Lomond, ipod listening to the tolling bell on Wooton Bassett Town draws a tear from IcyLucifer's eye. A rare occurrence indeed. How does Ian Anderson do that?
Later, home safe and warm listening to the final track - verse 2 - "Suppose bold woman..." extraordinary lyric and driving guitar track.
Extraordinary.
It will take quite a time to assimillate this album - possibly the best work Ian has ever produced. Already to me TAAB2 is easily on a par with Tommy and a distance in front of Quadraphenia. Thesis anyone?
The gig is one week today. Could be an emotional evening.
Yesterday, by a cold but quite bright Loch Lomond, ipod listening to the tolling bell on Wooton Bassett Town draws a tear from IcyLucifer's eye. A rare occurrence indeed. How does Ian Anderson do that?
Later, home safe and warm listening to the final track - verse 2 - "Suppose bold woman..." extraordinary lyric and driving guitar track.
Extraordinary.
It will take quite a time to assimillate this album - possibly the best work Ian has ever produced. Already to me TAAB2 is easily on a par with Tommy and a distance in front of Quadraphenia. Thesis anyone?
The gig is one week today. Could be an emotional evening. icyL
I believe your Icy Heart is warming up. Just like the Grinch.
Yesterday, by a cold but quite bright Loch Lomond, ipod listening to the tolling bell on Wooton Bassett Town draws a tear from IcyLucifer's eye. A rare occurrence indeed. How does Ian Anderson do that?
Later, home safe and warm listening to the final track - verse 2 - "Suppose bold woman..." extraordinary lyric and driving guitar track.
Extraordinary.
It will take quite a time to assimillate this album - possibly the best work Ian has ever produced. Already to me TAAB2 is easily on a par with Tommy and a distance in front of Quadraphenia. Thesis anyone?
The gig is one week today. Could be an emotional evening.
icyL
Men rushing toward their 70th year should not aspire to writing music that compares favorably with Quadraphenia. One would think that at his age Anderson would be aiming at Vaughn Williams, Villiers Stanford, or Ennio Morricone-- not at peter Townsend. Its all sp puerile. I just can't bring myself to warm to the whole idea of this album-- I think its a combination of the theme, the rough treatment of Doane and Martin, or the immaturity of wanting us all to pretend we're 14 again as though that were some golden age. i'm saddned by the whole thing.
Men rushing toward their 70th year should not aspire to writing music that compares favorably with Quadrophenia. One would think that at his age Anderson would be aiming at Vaughn Williams, Villiers Stanford, or Ennio Morricone-- not at Peter Townshend. Its all sp puerile. I just can't bring myself to warm to the whole idea of this album-- I think its a combination of the theme, the rough treatment of Doane and Martin, or the immaturity of wanting us all to pretend we're 14 again as though that were some golden age. i'm saddened by the whole thing.
Ralph Vaughan Williams (12 October 1872 – 26 August 1958) was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many folk song arrangements set as hymn tunes, and also influenced several of his own original compositions.
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Irish composer, teacher and conductor. Born to a well-off and highly musical family in Dublin, Stanford was educated at the University of Cambridge before studying music in Leipzig and Berlin. He was instrumental in raising the status of the Cambridge University Musical Society, attracting international stars to perform with it.
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, (born November 10, 1928) is an Italian composer and conductor, who has written music for more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces. Morricone is most famous for his work in the Spaghetti Westerns directed by his friend Sergio Leone, including A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), and Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) but his career includes a wide range of composition genres making him one of the film world's most versatile artists. He is considered as one of the most influential film music composers of the 20th century.
As for the rough treatment of Doane Perry: Doane played with Jethro Tull from 1984 till 2011.
As for the rough treatment of Martin Barre: Martin played with Jethro Tull from 1969 till 2011.
"i'm saddened by the whole thing." To be Sad is a Mad way to be.
TAAB 2 - Gerald Bostock : age 50 Campion born 01/01/1900 age 112
sp puerile : Sarah Palin's continuous antics are sp puerile and embarrassing. She sounds like a crazed school committee member or cheerleader's mother who didn't get her way, and is now out for revenge.
Yesterday, by a cold but quite bright Loch Lomond, ipod listening to the tolling bell on Wooton Bassett Town draws a tear from IcyLucifer's eye. A rare occurrence indeed. How does Ian Anderson do that?
Later, home safe and warm listening to the final track - verse 2 - "Suppose bold woman..." extraordinary lyric and driving guitar track.
Extraordinary.
It will take quite a time to assimillate this album - possibly the best work Ian has ever produced. Already to me TAAB2 is easily on a par with Tommy and a distance in front of Quadraphenia. Thesis anyone?
The gig is one week today. Could be an emotional evening.
icyL
Men rushing toward their 70th year should not aspire to writing music that compares favorably with Quadraphenia. One would think that at his age Anderson would be aiming at Vaughn Williams, Villiers Stanford, or Ennio Morricone-- not at peter Townsend. Its all sp puerile. I just can't bring myself to warm to the whole idea of this album-- I think its a combination of the theme, the rough treatment of Doane and Martin, or the immaturity of wanting us all to pretend we're 14 again as though that were some golden age. i'm saddned by the whole thing.
Blimey! It's a while since I wrote the original post. Having seen the show and listened many times to the album and a few bootlegs, I think my original thoughts when I wrote them of a potential comparison with Tommy or Quadraphenia were quite valid opinions and I still hold those. It was my opinion though. I didn't say or imply that Ian was aiming at, or aspiring to write like, PT (or anyone else) or any particular works in any way. I think he left Townsend in his wake a long time ago.
To my ears Ian can write melodically to a standard at least as good as much of the classical music that I listen to, and didn't Divinities do rather well in the Classical charts? (Must play it again soon!)
Ian, though, writes for Ian I think, and his music and lyrics so often seem to hit me on a personal level in some way (hence my reference to Wooton).
You think it's 'all' so puerile? Good news! Listening to TAAB2 is NOT compulsory.
Rough treatment of Doanne? Wel, isn't the Big Boy's health an issue for the strains of recording and touring? (Keep well Doanne!)
And would Martin really want to record it the way it was recorded and then tour it outwith Jethro Tull? Ian was never gonna tour it as Jethro Tull, and all members and former members of Tull have done better (some MUCH better) in career and financial terms than if they hadn't been involved with Tull. Martin looks neither devastated nor distraught to me.
Do you imply that Ian wants us to pretend we're 14 again? I don't see that as a theme wihin the album at all. There's plently food for thought and reflection there whether you are 14 or 56 (that's me!) that's for sure! Or even if you're 'crashing' towards 70 as you say Ian is. (Crashing? 5 years to go? Isn't that a bit, er...ageist?)
I find the album and live show refreshing and in some ways inspiring.
Joined: Mar 2012 Gender: Male Posts: 35 Location: Just a normal local so-and-so
Re: TAAB2 review « Reply #12 on Aug 4, 2012, 5:55am »
@Campion: "Men rushing toward their 70th year should not aspire to writing music that compares favorably with Quadraphenia." Why? Who are you to decide? "One would think that at his age Anderson would be aiming at Vaughn Williams, Villiers Stanford, or Ennio Morricone-- not at peter Townsend." Nice name dropping! Again, I ask WHY should he? "It's all so puerile." Are you sure that's the right word? "I just can't bring myself to warm to the whole idea of this album--" Obviously your prerogative "I think its a combination of the theme, the rough treatment of Doane and Martin, or the immaturity of wanting us all to pretend we're 14 again as though that were some golden age." I have no idea if Doane and Martin were treated roughly - and neither do you - but, by treating their absence as a reason not to like TAAB2, YOU'RE the one wallowing in nostalgia... Who wants you to pretend you're 14 again? No-one's asked me! "I'm saddened by the whole thing." Well, quite.
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