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Post by Nonfatman on Sept 10, 2009 16:27:56 GMT -5
Right now, I've been buying up their catalogue on Amazon and truly loving them. I don't know why, but I never became as familiar with them as I did with Fairport, so it's great to be catching up, and I plan on seeing them Sept. 20th at BBKings for their 40th anniversary show. The album that really has a very heavy Tull influence is Now We are Six. No surprise, there, really, since Ian produced it. Check out the song Edwin from that album. Very, very cool song with flute from drummer Nigel Pergrum and eerie whispering at the end by Maddy Prior.
Jeff
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Post by TM on Sept 10, 2009 20:31:20 GMT -5
I think I own one SS album that Eddie the Shit recommended. Didn't really get into it at the time. I see they're on itunes so I'll download some tracks and give them a revisit.
I've been listening to a lot of Ellis Paul lately. "Essentials" is the album to get.
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Post by Nonfatman on Sept 11, 2009 12:11:43 GMT -5
I think I own one SS album that Eddie the Shit recommended. Didn't really get into it at the time. I see they're on itunes so I'll download some tracks and give them a revisit. I've been listening to a lot of Ellis Paul lately. "Essentials" is the album to get. Eddie the Shit, yes I remember him well. Which album did he recommend? I think the must-have for any Tull fan is Now We are Six, because of the heavy Tull influence. There are two throwaways, but the other seven songs are all great, starting off with Thomas the Rhymer, and my favorite, which is Edwin. All of their early stuff is great, Hark the Village Wait, Parcel of Rogues and Below the Salt, in particular. Their most popular album was All Around My Hat, but that one I don't like as much, and the stuff after that is for hardcore fans only, with the exception of a 1996 reunion album called Time. Also, the Maddy Prior solo album, Woman in the Wings, as you probably know, has a lot of contributions from various Tull members, including a Martin guitar solo on Cold Flame and Ian flute solo on Gutter Geese. Jeff |
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Post by TM on Sept 11, 2009 13:00:25 GMT -5
I think I own one SS album that Eddie the Shit recommended. Didn't really get into it at the time. I see they're on itunes so I'll download some tracks and give them a revisit. I've been listening to a lot of Ellis Paul lately. "Essentials" is the album to get. Eddie the Shit, yes I remember him well. Which album did he recommend? I think the must-have for any Tull fan is Now We are Six, because of the heavy Tull influence. There are two throwaways, but the other seven songs are all great, starting off with Thomas the Rhymer, and my favorite, which is Edwin. All of their early stuff is great, Hark the Village Wait, Parcel of Rogues and Below the Salt, in particular. Their most popular album was All Around My Hat, but that one I don't like as much, and the stuff after that is for hardcore fans only, with the exception of a 1996 reunion album called Time. Also, the Maddy Prior solo album, Woman in the Wings, as you probably know, has a lot of contributions from various Tull members, including a Martin guitar solo on Cold Flame and Ian flute solo on Gutter Geese. Jeff That's it, Maddy Prior's Woman in the Wings. Never grew on me. Not that I gave it much of a chance though... Eddie was a character. I don't think he and I ever agreed on anything. He was an animal lover though from what I remember. Probably the head of PETA. Just got back by dogs ashes yesterday...  |
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Post by Nonfatman on Sept 11, 2009 16:29:36 GMT -5
Eddie the Shit, yes I remember him well. Which album did he recommend? I think the must-have for any Tull fan is Now We are Six, because of the heavy Tull influence. There are two throwaways, but the other seven songs are all great, starting off with Thomas the Rhymer, and my favorite, which is Edwin. All of their early stuff is great, Hark the Village Wait, Parcel of Rogues and Below the Salt, in particular. Their most popular album was All Around My Hat, but that one I don't like as much, and the stuff after that is for hardcore fans only, with the exception of a 1996 reunion album called Time. Also, the Maddy Prior solo album, Woman in the Wings, as you probably know, has a lot of contributions from various Tull members, including a Martin guitar solo on Cold Flame and Ian flute solo on Gutter Geese. Jeff That's it, Maddy Prior's Woman in the Wings. Never grew on me. Not that I gave it much of a chance though... Eddie was a character. I don't think he and I ever agreed on anything. He was an animal lover though from what I remember. Probably the head of PETA. Just got back by dogs ashes yesterday... The Maddy Prior solo album is not at all like Steeleye Span. The early Steeleye was more like the later Fairport, but with each succeeding album they became more electric and rock-oriented. Both bands were founded by the same guy, Ashley Hutchings, who also founded The Albion Band. Early Fairport started off as west-coast American rock, Dylanesque, not at all English until Sandy Denny joined on the second album, Liege & Lief, which introduced traditional English folk, but even that was more rock-oriented than folk. They then progressively became much more folky with each album after Sandy Denny left. Steeleye on the other hand started from a folk perspective and progressively became "rockier" especially on Now we are Six, which I highly recommend, and trust me, you will love that album. I, too, remember Eddie as a colorful character on the old official board. I wonder if he ever joined "that other board" as well. I wouldn't mind having him back here. Sad about your dog's remains, but it would be nice to bury him in your backyard, with a little marker and small photo. That's what we did with our Old English Sheepdog, Phoebe, when she died. And then we quickly got another dog, Shana, a very friendly Golden. That's sometimes the best way to get over the loss of a pet, just by getting a new puppy who is full of life. Jeff |
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Post by TM on Sept 11, 2009 16:39:09 GMT -5
That's it, Maddy Prior's Woman in the Wings. Never grew on me. Not that I gave it much of a chance though... Eddie was a character. I don't think he and I ever agreed on anything. He was an animal lover though from what I remember. Probably the head of PETA. Just got back by dogs ashes yesterday... The Maddy Prior solo album is not at all like Steeleye Span. The early Steeleye was more like the later Fairport, but with each succeeding album they became more electric and rock-oriented. Both bands were founded by the same guy, Ashley Hutchings, who also founded The Albion Band. Early Fairport started off as west-coast American rock, Dylanesque, not at all English until Sandy Denny joined on the second album, Liege & Lief, which introduced traditional English folk, but even that was more rock-oriented than folk. They then progressively became much more folky with each album after Sandy Denny left. Steeleye on the other hand started from a folk perspective and progressively became "rockier" especially on Now we are Six, which I highly recommend, and trust me, you will love that album. I, too, remember Eddie as a colorful character on the old official board. I wonder if he ever joined "that other board" as well. I wouldn't mind having him back here. Sad about your dog's remains, but it would be nice to bury him in your backyard, with a little marker and small photo. That's what we did with our Old English Sheepdog, Phoebe, when she died. And then we quickly got another dog, Shana, a very friendly Golden. That's sometimes the best way to get over the loss of a pet, just by getting a new puppy who is full of life. Jeff I'll pick it up. Thanks. I'm always looking for something "new." Yeah, I'll probably bury Quincy this weekend. My wife and I have have discussed getting another dog (or possibly two). Our home seems a bit too lonely now. |
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Post by King Heath on Nov 20, 2009 15:27:45 GMT -5
The Maddy Prior solo album is not at all like Steeleye Span. The early Steeleye was more like the later Fairport, but with each succeeding album they became more electric and rock-oriented. Both bands were founded by the same guy, Ashley Hutchings, who also founded The Albion Band. Early Fairport started off as west-coast American rock, Dylanesque, not at all English until Sandy Denny joined on the second album, Liege & Lief, which introduced traditional English folk, but even that was more rock-oriented than folk. They then progressively became much more folky with each album after Sandy Denny left. Steeleye on the other hand started from a folk perspective and progressively became "rockier" especially on Now we are Six, which I highly recommend, and trust me, you will love that album. Hi Jeff, Being the quite unsufferable know-it-all that I am I'll have to correct you on a few points here. Liege & Lief is actually Fairport's fourth album. Sandy Denny and Dave Swarbrick joined Fairport for Unhalfbricking, their third LP, which produced the magnificent "A Sailors Life". This in return sparked off Ashley "The Guv'nor" Hutching's interest in English folk music, which he pursued at Cecil Sharpe House, home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. He actually left Fairport in 1969, after Liege & Lief, to form Steeleye Span because he wanted to follow a more folk orientated route - Fairport was not folky enough, it seems. When Steeley Span ventured into slightly more commercial waters Hutchings left Steeleye to form various Albion Bands. My favourite Steeleye Span album (and one of my all-time top ten albums) is Live At Last, released in 1978 and re-released on CD in 1997 by BGO Records. Unfortunately, it seems to be out of print and is only available at ridiculous prices. It is a fantastic album. Especially Martin Carthy's electric guitar (a rare thing) blows me away every time I listen to it. That man could have been one of the great rockers of this planet, but he chose to be the more subtle accoustic player that he is. Believe me, though, even when he plays his accoustic guitar, IT ROCKS!!! And it is the perfect complementary album to Tull's Heavy Horses of the same year. I might have a back up copy lying around somewhere, which I could trade in for an interesting historical recording of Tull. Just send a message. KH P.S.: Paul Simon learned Scarborough Fair from Martin Carthy while Simon was in England in the early 60's. |
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Post by Nonfatman on Nov 20, 2009 22:46:11 GMT -5
The Maddy Prior solo album is not at all like Steeleye Span. The early Steeleye was more like the later Fairport, but with each succeeding album they became more electric and rock-oriented. Both bands were founded by the same guy, Ashley Hutchings, who also founded The Albion Band. Early Fairport started off as west-coast American rock, Dylanesque, not at all English until Sandy Denny joined on the second album, Liege & Lief, which introduced traditional English folk, but even that was more rock-oriented than folk. They then progressively became much more folky with each album after Sandy Denny left. Steeleye on the other hand started from a folk perspective and progressively became "rockier" especially on Now we are Six, which I highly recommend, and trust me, you will love that album. Hi Jeff, Being the quite unsufferable know-it-all that I am I'll have to correct you on a few points here. Liege & Lief is actually Fairport's fourth album. Sandy Denny and Dave Swarbrick joined Fairport for Unhalfbricking, their third LP, which produced the magnificent "A Sailors Life". This in return sparked off Ashley "The Guv'nor" Hutching's interest in English folk music, which he pursued at Cecil Sharpe House, home of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. He actually left Fairport in 1969, after Liege & Lief, to form Steeleye Span because he wanted to follow a more folk orientated route - Fairport was not folky enough, it seems. When Steeley Span ventured into slightly more commercial waters Hutchings left Steeleye to form various Albion Bands. My favourite Steeleye Span album (and one of my all-time top ten albums) is Live At Last, released in 1978 and re-released on CD in 1997 by BGO Records. Unfortunately, it seems to be out of print and is only available at ridiculous prices. It is a fantastic album. Especially Martin Carthy's electric guitar (a rare thing) blows me away every time I listen to it. That man could have been one of the great rockers of this planet, but he chose to be the more subtle accoustic player that he is. Believe me, though, even when he plays his accoustic guitar, IT ROCKS!!! And it is the perfect complementary album to Tull's Heavy Horses of the same year. I might have a back up copy lying around somewhere, which I could trade in for an interesting historical recording of Tull. Just send a message. KH P.S.: Paul Simon learned Scarborough Fair from Martin Carthy while Simon was in England in the early 60's. Hi, King Heath... Please feel free to correct me at anytime. It's not the first time I've been corrected here about Steeleye Span. In another thread I mistakenly wrote that Tim Hart was the male singer on Edwin. John Tetrad corrected me...it is of course Rick Kemp. Surprisingly, I came to Steeleye very late. Aside from having vinyl copies of Parcel of Rogues and Woman in the Wings, and a rarely-listened-to CD of Tempted and Tried, I was unfamiliar with most of their stuff until about a year ago, when I said...let me look into their cataloge a bit more, and that's when I discovered how many albums they've done, and how many distinct line-ups they have had. Since then, I was able to get Lark in the Morning, which contains the full remastered Hark the Village Wait, Please to See the King and Ten Man Mop on two discs. Great deal, because I paid only $7.99 for a brand new factory sealed double CD of three albums worth of Span from an Amazon vendor. I loved that so much, I continued with Below the Salt, Parcel on CD, Now We are Six and All Around My Hat, with the latter being the only one I did not love so much. I've also been getting into the nineties Steeleye, where Gay Woods rejoined the band for three albums. I thought Time was excellent (apart from the production, which was very cold) and I got Horkstow Grange (which I liked about half the material) and Bedlam Born, which was pretty good, probably their hardest rock album to date. I also got Tonight the Night, which was very good, but have not yet bought They Called Her Babylon or Bloody Men, which both feature Ken Nicol from The Albion Band, replacing Bob Johnson. But, as you say, a lot of stuff is out of print, and only available at ridiculous prices. I really, really want Commoner's Crown, Rocket Cottage and Storm Force One, which I think is the one where Marty Carthy returned, correct? I love the Youtube stuff I've heard from Crown but I don't think anything from Rocket Cottage or Storm Force 10 is on You Tube, so I am totally unfamiliar with those. Same goes for Sails of Silver and Back in Line. I really don't know those at all. I will have to check for a good Tull boot to exchange with you for your extra Live at Last album, because from your description, it sounds great. Apart from Liege and Lief, I really don't know the early Fairport all that well. I mistakenly thought Unhalfbricking came after Liege and Lief, but you're right, it was before. I think I actually like Sandy Denny's solo material even better than her stuff with Fairport. I have posted some of my favorite Sandy Denny and Steeleye songs in the Youtube secion of the board. It wasn't until the mid to late 80's that I started regularly buying Fairport albums, though, and I still occasionally do. I really liked them a lot with Maart and Mattacks, but I'm not that keen on the current lineup with Chris Leslie. Thanks for the info, KH. I still have a long ways to go with both Steeleye and Fairport, in terms of learning their catalogue and history. But I was aware of Paul Simon having met Martin Carthy and I think also Maddy and Tim in England, and that it was Carthy who taught him Scarborough Fair. Jeff |
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Icecreamman
One of the Youngest of the Family
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Post by Icecreamman on Nov 27, 2009 23:11:58 GMT -5
Right now, I've been buying up their catalogue on Amazon and truly loving them. I don't know why, but I never became as familiar with them as I did with Fairport, so it's great to be catching up, and I plan on seeing them Sept. 20th at BBKings for their 40th anniversary show. The album that really has a very heavy Tull influence is Now We are Six. No surprise, there, really, since Ian produced it. Check out the song Edwin from that album. Very, very cool song with flute from drummer Nigel Pergrum and eerie whispering at the end by Maddy Prior. Jeff It was a great concert at B.B.King's.....I think I might have seen you there! |
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Post by Nonfatman on Nov 30, 2009 1:06:44 GMT -5
Right now, I've been buying up their catalogue on Amazon and truly loving them. I don't know why, but I never became as familiar with them as I did with Fairport, so it's great to be catching up, and I plan on seeing them Sept. 20th at BBKings for their 40th anniversary show. The album that really has a very heavy Tull influence is Now We are Six. No surprise, there, really, since Ian produced it. Check out the song Edwin from that album. Very, very cool song with flute from drummer Nigel Pergrum and eerie whispering at the end by Maddy Prior. Jeff It was a great concert at B.B.King's.....I think I might have seen you there! Weren't you that guy that was sitting right next to me?  That was a great show, Mike, but like Tull they have so much material, you always want to hear them do more of it in concert! Jeff |
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Ulla
One of the Youngest of the Family
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Post by Ulla on Dec 1, 2009 4:13:34 GMT -5
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Post by Max Quad on Dec 6, 2009 20:15:23 GMT -5
I only own Below the Salt which contains a great version of John Barleycorn. Definitely a band I should own more of AND see in concert.
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Post by Nonfatman on Dec 6, 2009 22:24:08 GMT -5
I only own Below the Salt which contains a great version of John Barleycorn. Definitely a band I should own more of AND see in concert. They don't come to the U.S. very often so it's not easy catching them live. The albums I would recommend are their first one, 'Hark The Village Wait', featuring both Dave Mattacks and Gerry Conway on drums. Then 'Now We are Six' which is really a must have for any Tull fan, as it was produced by Ian and has the most Tullish sound, including some flute by drummer Nigel Pegrum in the song Edwin. After that would be Parcel of Rogues. If all you owned were those three plus Below the Salt, I would say you have their best stuff. (Although they do have many other good albums besides those, it's just that several are out of print.) Jeff |
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kaibailey
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Post by kaibailey on Dec 11, 2009 17:58:13 GMT -5
When I was in High School (which wasn't too long ago) I bought their first album "Hark! The Village Wait" and it was SUCH a good album. Every individual song was a gem I thought. About a year later when I looked up the reviews online, I found that not everyone agreed, but that album to me will always be one of my all time favorites.
I also had their second album "Please to see the king" which had Martin Carthy on it. I'm interested in purchasing some of their other stuff in the future (when I have considerably more money) such as Rogues of a Nation or All Around My Hat. Forgive me if my memory of the titles are a bit hazy.
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Post by Max Quad on Jan 1, 2010 14:21:00 GMT -5
Well, my first post of 2010 is a sad one. Yesterday's New York Times reported that Tim Hart died on Dec. 24 of lung cancer. There is a mention of Tull in the obit, saying that Steeleye Span gained many US fans after a mid-70's tour opening for Tull.
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Post by Nonfatman on Jan 1, 2010 20:37:33 GMT -5
Well, my first post of 2010 is a sad one. Yesterday's New York Times reported that Tim Hart died on Dec. 24 of lung cancer. There is a mention of Tull in the obit, saying that Steeleye Span gained many US fans after a mid-70's tour opening for Tull. Very sad. I love the early Steeleye where he and Maddy are often harmonizing. None of the subsequent Steeleye male vocalists were as good, although Rick Kemp came close. I had read that Tim was sick but did not realize his condition was so serious. Jeff |
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Post by Nonfatman on Feb 17, 2010 19:47:44 GMT -5
Just got the new Steeleye Span album, Cogs, Wheels and Lovers, in the mail. Started listening this morning, but only had time for the first few. Not the hard rock Steeleye of the mid seventies, and not an album of original songs written by the band, like several recent releases, but rather a return to interpretations of traditional folk songs. I'll post a review soon.  Jeff |
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Post by Coolraven on Apr 24, 2010 16:50:01 GMT -5
I came to Tull through Steeleye Span via Horslips !!
Again rather late in the day too, about five years ago actually.
Horslips were in the process of being wooed with the intention of forcing them together again, and an exhibition of their memorabilia was organised for Dundalk. I spotted a poster where they supported Steleye, got the story from them of the gig (The Albert Hall in London)and asked my son to research Steeleye's music online.
Loved it of course.
Said to my son 'see can you find the same or similar music for me from that era' he hands me this download with a vaguely familiar name Jethro Tull.
It was Songs from the Wood.
From the first song, nay from the first note I was theirs.
Hook, line and sinker.
How could I have missed this extraordinary music for all those years?
In 1969 I lived just two steets from where they were playing the National Stadium, Dublin, but at the time was into The Dubliners, The Chieftains, and the showbands that toured Ireland at the time.
John Fean of Horslips told me he was at that famous concert in the Stadium where Ian's coat was ripped, taking with it his flute and harmonica. The audince went wild with excitement and got carried away, the stuff was returned within a few weeks though.
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Post by Nonfatman on Aug 26, 2012 13:10:28 GMT -5
It's been awhile since we've done a new video, so I thought I'd upload one for Steeleye's 1999 song, Horkstow Grange, which tells the story of the band's namesake character, and was not otherwise on youtube. (see my description which I posted on youtube following the clip, for more information about this beautiful , but not very well-known, Steeleye song)
English folk-rock band Steeleye Span took their name from J.S. Span (nicknamed "Steeleye"), a character in an old folk ballad, but it wasn't until 1999, thirty years after the band was founded, that the character was mentioned in any Steeleye Span song. That year, the band (which at that point did not include Maddy Prior), recorded their 'Horkstow Grange' album, with original member Gay Woods supplying lead vocals. Woods had previously left the band in 1970, but returned for three albums with the group form 1996-2001 (Time, Horkstow Grange and Bedlam Born).
The title track from Horkstow Grange is the song which tells the story of Steeleye Span. It seems that Mr. Span was a waggoner on a farm, working under a tyrannical farm foreman, John Bowlin. One day, Span couldn't take Bowlin's harassment any longer, and struck the foreman with his walking stick. Bowlin retaliated, knocking Span to the ground, and Span swore vengence. It's a little unclear who dies at the end -- someone almost always dies in a Steeleye song -- because the lyrics suggest that Steeleye Span got the worst of it, but the band's website says it was Bowlin who lost the fight.
Regardless, this is a beautiful and soulful piece, sung for the most part in acapella fashion, except for some mournful piano at the end. Here are the lyrics:
In Horkstow Grange there lived an old miser
You all do know him as I have heard say
It's him on his man that was named John Bowlin
They fell out one market day
With a blackthorn stick old Steeleye struck him
As of times he had threatened before
John Bowlin turned round all in a passion
And knocked old Steeleye into the floor
Old Steeleye Span he was filled with John Bowlin
It happened to be on a market day
Old Steeleye swore with all his vengeance
He would swear his life away
Pity them who see him suffer
Pity poor old Steeleye Span
John Bowlin's deeds they will be remembered
Pity poor old Steeleye Span
Pity poor old Steeleye Span
Jeff
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Post by Morthoron on Aug 26, 2012 17:28:14 GMT -5
The title track from Horkstow Grange is the song which tells the story of Steeleye Span...someone almost always dies in a Steeleye song... It's the old source material, Jeff. Rather like Fairport Convention's use of Child's Ballads (in "Matty Grove", for instance, little Matty and Lady Darnell are both murdered by the jealous Lord Darnell), "Horkstow Grange" is a an old Lincolnshire folk song originally recorded way back in 1908 by Percy Grainger on a wax disc or cylinder recording (I am going off the top of my head here). Most old English folk songs are inherently violent, just as many Mother Goose rhymes are (Jack and Jill, Ring Arounf the Rosie, Rock-a-bye Baby, etc.). |
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Post by Nonfatman on Aug 27, 2012 16:39:57 GMT -5
The title track from Horkstow Grange is the song which tells the story of Steeleye Span...someone almost always dies in a Steeleye song... It's the old source material, Jeff. Rather like Fairport Convention's use of Child's Ballads (in "Matty Grove", for instance, little Matty and Lady Darnell are both murdered by the jealous Lord Darnell), "Horkstow Grange" is a an old Lincolnshire folk song originally recorded way back in 1908 by Percy Grainger on a wax disc or cylinder recording (I am going off the top of my head here). Most old English folk songs are inherently violent, just as many Mother Goose rhymes are (Jack and Jill, Ring Arounf the Rosie, Rock-a-bye Baby, etc.). Yes, and speaking of nursery rhymes, Steeleye has done that also, with One Misty Moisty Morning (and probably others), although nobody dies in this one: I like that live version a lot, but the studio version from Parcel of Rogues better illustrates the heavy Steeleye influence on Tull. The mandolin on the studio take is very similar to what you hear on Acres Wild and Velvet Green: Jeff |
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wembley
One of the Youngest of the Family
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Post by wembley on Oct 15, 2012 14:48:32 GMT -5
It's cool that Ian Anderson produced "Now We Are Six" by Steeleye.
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kaibailey
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Post by kaibailey on Mar 11, 2013 12:02:49 GMT -5
You know, Jeff, I am certain that Steeleye Span and Maddy Prior in particular had an influence on Tull to produce their late-70s greats like Songs from the Wood and Heavy Horses, but the sound of both of these albums far exceeded (in my opinion) what the folk-rock bands like Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, the Trees, etc. were accomplishing.
Tull's late-70s albums were completely unique in themselves, almost establishing a new sort of folk-rock seperate from the previous master-pieces of the genre. How could one compare "Matty Groves" and "Hunting Girl", or "All Around my Hat" and "Acres Wild". Similar sentimentalities, but completely differente approaches and accomplishments.
Personally I think Tull deserves much more credit for their folk-rock expiditions than they have been given. They sounded nothing like punk, disco, or the Boston-type rock and roll of the era they were releasing the stuff in, but they had established a fusion of folk and rock that was never heard of before, and has been never heard of since.
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darincody
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Post by darincody on Mar 11, 2013 13:29:01 GMT -5
You know, Jeff, I am certain that Steeleye Span and Maddy Prior in particular had an influence on Tull to produce their late-70s greats like Songs from the Wood and Heavy Horses, but the sound of both of these albums far exceeded (in my opinion) what the folk-rock bands like Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, the Trees, etc. were accomplishing. Tull's late-70s albums were completely unique in themselves, almost establishing a new sort of folk-rock seperate from the previous master-pieces of the genre. How could one compare "Matty Groves" and "Hunting Girl", or "All Around my Hat" and "Acres Wild". Similar sentimentalities, but completely differente approaches and accomplishments. Personally I think Tull deserves much more credit for their folk-rock expiditions than they have been given. They sounded nothing like punk, disco, or the Boston-type rock and roll of the era they were releasing the stuff in, but they had established a fusion of folk and rock that was never heard of before, and has been never heard of since. Hi Kai I know your addressing Jeff, but I thought i'd venture a comment here. At the time (mid 70s) Both Ian and Martin professed a distain at being classed as a "Folk Rock" band. They didn't dislike Folkies but they (Tull) were first a rock band that had over the years learned how to integrate Ian's acoustic guitar into the electric side of Tull. From the time of 1970 Ian and the band were consciously trying to make the "sound" of Tull, British. I think drawing on celtic and classical roots while still using blues scales was one of there "secrets" of success in my opinion. (and doing it at high volume.) I you follow the albums one after the other you can see that Ian was trying for years to integrate his singer- songwriter type of songs into the band sound. His live acoustic playing was, in the early 70s very separated from the electric side and bit by bit was becoming more and more integrated as the years went by. By the time SFTW came along they were pretty mixed i.e.. The Whistler, Songs From The Wood. I remember at the SFTW show being amazed that the acoustic guitar was so on par, volume wise with the electric band. Stylistically I think he was probably drawing on elizabethan and edwardian themes and instrumentation because it was truer to his british roots than the US blues. Ian has referred to Folk Rock as "that other F word". I think they ran a parallel to english folk in the end result but Ian wouldn't cop to it. People forget that Tull were a loud ass rock band (with some very unusual features!) that became more and more refined over time. They were pretty much unto themselves. Darin |
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kaibailey
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Post by kaibailey on Mar 11, 2013 14:32:58 GMT -5
You know, Jeff, I am certain that Steeleye Span and Maddy Prior in particular had an influence on Tull to produce their late-70s greats like Songs from the Wood and Heavy Horses, but the sound of both of these albums far exceeded (in my opinion) what the folk-rock bands like Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, the Trees, etc. were accomplishing. Tull's late-70s albums were completely unique in themselves, almost establishing a new sort of folk-rock seperate from the previous master-pieces of the genre. How could one compare "Matty Groves" and "Hunting Girl", or "All Around my Hat" and "Acres Wild". Similar sentimentalities, but completely differente approaches and accomplishments. Personally I think Tull deserves much more credit for their folk-rock expiditions than they have been given. They sounded nothing like punk, disco, or the Boston-type rock and roll of the era they were releasing the stuff in, but they had established a fusion of folk and rock that was never heard of before, and has been never heard of since. Hi Kai I know your addressing Jeff, but I thought i'd venture a comment here. At the time (mid 70s) Both Ian and Martin professed a distain at being classed as a "Folk Rock" band. They didn't dislike Folkies but they (Tull) were first a rock band that had over the years learned how to integrate Ian's acoustic guitar into the electric side of Tull. From the time of 1970 Ian and the band were consciously trying to make the "sound" of Tull, British. I think drawing on celtic and classical roots while still using blues scales was one of there "secrets" of success in my opinion. (and doing it at high volume.) I you follow the albums one after the other you can see that Ian was trying for years to integrate his singer- songwriter type of songs into the band sound. His live acoustic playing was, in the early 70s very separated from the electric side and bit by bit was becoming more and more integrated as the years went by. By the time SFTW came along they were pretty mixed i.e.. The Whistler, Songs From The Wood. I remember at the SFTW show being amazed that the acoustic guitar was so on par, volume wise with the electric band. Stylistically I think he was probably drawing on elizabethan and edwardian themes and instrumentation because it was truer to his british roots than the US blues. Ian has referred to Folk Rock as "that other F word". I think they ran a parallel to english folk in the end result but Ian wouldn't cop to it. People forget that Tull were a loud ass rock band (with some very unusual features!) that became more and more refined over time. They were pretty much unto themselves. Darin I agree with what you say, but despite Ian's denial of being a folk artist, I can't help but hear undeniable influence of Bert Jansch/John Renourne and the like (Roy Harper in particular). I've read interviews where he denies being a "student of folk music" and interviews where he says he is really a folk musician singing in a hard rock band. Either way there are no doubt influences of the Davy Graham/Bert Jansch/Pentangle/whatever vein of british folk in almost all of Jethro Tull's albums. What I'm trying to say is that he took this to a new level (along with the 77/78 line up). Whereas bands like Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention were interpreting old english folk songs in new and exciting ways, Ian and the boys expanded on their studied, making new sounds that were undeniably folk, and undeniably rock. "Acres Wild" for example is a song undeniably folk rock, but is in essence a disco song, which sounds horrible in theory, but in practice it is incredibly effective and complete. "Rover", "Mouse Police" or "Songs from the Wood" are examples of this. Distinctly different from any "Folk Rock" that precedes it, but distinctly folk rock, and distinctly unique from anything else. The same could be said about Hunting Girl, Heavy Horses, Cup of Wonder, etc. it was different, it was folk, it was rock, but anything before or since was unlike it. |
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enjoy.
