Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2014 21:50:50 GMT -5
Are you a fan of Tull's period from TAAB to Stormwatch? Martin's guitar parts are very much part of an ensemble and only rarely came to the front. True guitar solos were rare in those days. Good grief man. I just listened to Heavy Horses and TOTRR this morning. Martin is represented in a huge way stereophonically. No Lullaby? Taxi Grab? nope, I don't hear any guitar solos there "True guitar solos were rare in those days." True guitar solos were in abundance in those (my) days. True guitar solos are rare, if not nonexistent in these days. I stand by my comment. I said they were rare, not nonexistent. By my count, four of the albums during that period had only 1-2 solos. That is rare in my book. Solos became a lot more common in the 80's and 90's. I am not saying that Martin's guitar wasn't an essential part of the Tull sound. Or that another solo or two wouldn't have been welcome on HE. Also, I have been a fan since 1976. So those are my days, too. This was a quick count, so I might have missed something. Passion Play (1) Warchild (2) Minstrel (4) TOTRR (1) SFTW (2) Heavy Horses (4) Stormwatch (3)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2014 22:11:29 GMT -5
Are you a fan of Tull's period from TAAB to Stormwatch? Martin's guitar parts are very much part of an ensemble and only rarely came to the front. True guitar solos were rare in those days. hey man bizzare comment The reason i got into TULL was way back in 1975 was i heard Sir Martin Barre playing on MITG MITG,Cold Wind ,Black Satin D,Baker St M some of the most up front ripping guitar ive ever heard to this day. Then Taxi Grab,Pibroch,No Lullaby,Journeyman,Orion,Dark Ages,Old Ghosts, Something on move etc etc Before that Back Door angels was a masterpiece for the genius of MB Then onto Crest which Martin earned Tull the grammy,listen to IA's demos they are crap in reality Flo's guitar sounds nasal/weak and thin in comparison to MB's (im sure this is want IA wants mind these days) If you listen to Dark ages around around 5.35 you can actually tell when MB alters the tone pot on his the Hamer guitar Never mind weve all got different ears,just glad ive got mine tho ha ha I am not saying the Martin wasn't a key element of their sound. I am saying the Tull in the 70's era was a progressive rock band, not a guitar-based band. His guitar was one of several voices that shared time with acoustic guitar, flute, and keyboards. Several albums had only 1-2 guitars solos. For a band that many considered "hard rock", that is not a lot soloing. Martin was the perfect guitar player for Tull because he did not demand the spotlight. I like all the songs you mention. The song "Minstrel in the Gallery" (Best of version) initially brought me to Tull. While it has a great guitar riff, it does not have a guitar solo. Also, as far as I remember, Pibroch, Orion and Old Ghosts do not have solos.
|
|
|
Post by TM on Apr 19, 2014 23:05:05 GMT -5
Craig, your original comment mentioned Martin's guitar rarely being featured, and that is where I think your comment is way off.
Martin has enhanced Tull music for decades by "answering" Ian's vocals and flute with his unique style. And it's that style that causes us to hear "Tull" when we listen to Martin's solo work.
|
|
|
Post by Biggles on Apr 19, 2014 23:11:46 GMT -5
hey man bizzare comment The reason i got into TULL was way back in 1975 was i heard Sir Martin Barre playing on MITG MITG,Cold Wind ,Black Satin D,Baker St M some of the most up front ripping guitar ive ever heard to this day. Then Taxi Grab,Pibroch,No Lullaby,Journeyman,Orion,Dark Ages,Old Ghosts, Something on move etc etc Before that Back Door angels was a masterpiece for the genius of MB Then onto Crest which Martin earned Tull the grammy,listen to IA's demos they are crap in reality Flo's guitar sounds nasal/weak and thin in comparison to MB's (im sure this is want IA wants mind these days) If you listen to Dark ages around around 5.35 you can actually tell when MB alters the tone pot on his the Hamer guitar Never mind weve all got different ears,just glad ive got mine tho ha ha I am not saying the Martin wasn't a key element of their sound. I am saying the Tull in the 70's era was a progressive rock band, not a guitar-based band. His guitar was one of several voices that shared time with acoustic guitar, flute, and keyboards. Several albums had only 1-2 guitars solos. For a band that many considered "hard rock", that is not a lot soloing. Martin was the perfect guitar player for Tull because he did not demand the spotlight. I like all the songs you mention. The song "Minstrel in the Gallery" (Best of version) initially brought me to Tull. While it has a great guitar riff, it does not have a guitar solo. Also, as far as I remember, Pibroch, Orion and Old Ghosts do not have solos. Wow! did you not know that the entire song "Minstrel In The Gallery" was built around a solo that Martin performed on the War Child tour. The passage on studio recorded version, from 2:19 thru 3:56 is the actual solo he performed live on the WC tour. And the intro on Pibroch begins (and ends) with the greatest echoplex laden solo for all time.
|
|
|
Post by Biggles on Apr 19, 2014 23:20:17 GMT -5
Good grief man. I just listened to Heavy Horses and TOTRR this morning. Martin is represented in a huge way stereophonically. No Lullaby? Taxi Grab? nope, I don't hear any guitar solos there "True guitar solos were rare in those days." True guitar solos were in abundance in those (my) days. True guitar solos are rare, if not nonexistent in these days. I stand by my comment. I said they were rare, not nonexistent. By my count, four of the albums during that period had only 1-2 solos. That is rare in my book. Solos became a lot more common in the 80's and 90's. I am not saying that Martin's guitar wasn't an essential part of the Tull sound. Or that another solo or two wouldn't have been welcome on HE. Also, I have been a fan since 1976. So those are my days, too. This was a quick count, so I might have missed something. Passion Play (1) Warchild (2) Minstrel (4) TOTRR (1) SFTW (2) Heavy Horses (4) Stormwatch (3) Regarding "if not nonexistent in these days".. Allow me to re-phrase.. If not nonexistent in these current (2014) days.
|
|
|
Post by Mix on Apr 21, 2014 8:36:00 GMT -5
More thoughts than a review.........
My copy of HE turned up on Tuesday but I resisted playing it. Its not everyday you get a new Ian Anderson album. Come Saturday, after a beer, a nice meal and a bottle of Red I ventured to my listening space (Studio) and got stuck in. I have to say I had such a great time, like catching up with an old friend, someone I love to dearly.
Ian's music has thrilled me since my early teens and while I'm still a good bit younger than most Tull fans here his music has been constantly with me for the last 25 years or so. Its certainly a huge gift that that Ian is moving forward. Prior to 2012 most Tull fanatics had been moaning passionately about the never ending best of Tull tours and zero new material. Yet here we are with two new albums in the space of two years.
TAAB2 had some moments but I'll be honest, I've not played it for over a year. I'm glad he did and by all accounts the tour was great but HE is much more up my street. The thing I notice most about HE is the band sounds fucking tight. Ian now has a band that really seems special and isn't it wonderful to arrive at this situation so late in the game when it could have all ended years ago.
Like so many of us, for me the biggest difficulty has been the loss of Martin Barre. I've really not warmed to Florian's playing though I've come to accept that the most important factor is that Ian has the right people and clearly Martin & Ian had ran their course. But on HE I find myself, for the first time appreciating Florian's playing. His rhythm work is really rather good and perhaps, dare I say, more modern than Martin and as a result it gives the band a different colour. HE sounds more forward thinking yet still sounds Tull. However, where Florian fails for me is on the solo's. Martin just has it. Florian's solo on After These Wars, for me almost ruined a beautiful song. At least, that's how I felt Saturday night. Its kinda tacky, cheesy, all that finger tapping show off shite. So 80's, so wank. I hate it. Martin would never so something so classless. But actually, I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, I can put up with a less than Martin solo, but where I'm really digging Florian is in his rhythm playing which cements the band and of course in his collaboration with Ian in the studio. Speaking of which, the recording is fabulous. Its the best thing in decades to come out of Ian's studio in terms of sound. I remember thinking Ian's voice is equally shared between, brilliant vocal performances that have strong elements of his 70's voice and that of an old man, but his focus on lyrics is helping to compensate where the voice is weaker. I know some folks are moaning about the overly wordy lyrics but I really feel Ian is using his talent as a wordsmith to compensate for his limited vocal abilities and its working. The flowery language comes at a time when people, not necessarily Tull fans, are so tired of mundane meaningless dribble that we've all got so use to. Ian's really pushing the envelope here and the whole concept, story, buzz and originality has to have something to do with the fact that HE was at number 6 in the UK album chart the other day. I think Catfish rising was the last album to chart in the low 30's back in 1991. I'm amazed no one has been celebrating this astonishing achievement.
I've avoided listening to HE again, as much as I want to. Maybe I'll allow myself a little listen here and then but I'll be off to catch the tour in less than two weeks and I think i'd prefer to hear the music live before I become too familiar. Perhaps in a few months I'll write another review when its all been digested but for now I think its all fucking wonderful and I pray Ian continues on for another 5-10 years, I certainly want to see what else this band can do.
|
|
|
Post by Bassackwards on Apr 21, 2014 15:08:53 GMT -5
More thoughts than a review......... My copy of HE turned up on Tuesday but I resisted playing it. Its not everyday you get a new Ian Anderson album. Come Saturday, after a beer, a nice meal and a bottle of Red I ventured to my listening space (Studio) and got stuck in. I have to say I had such a great time, like catching up with an old friend, someone I love to dearly. Ian's music has thrilled me since my early teens and while I'm still a good bit younger than most Tull fans here his music has been constantly with me for the last 25 years or so. Its certainly a huge gift that that Ian is moving forward. Prior to 2012 most Tull fanatics had been moaning passionately about the never ending best of Tull tours and zero new material. Yet here we are with two new albums in the space of two years. TAAB2 had some moments but I'll be honest, I've not played it for over a year. I'm glad he did and by all accounts the tour was great but HE is much more up my street. The thing I notice most about HE is the band sounds fucking tight. Ian now has a band that really seems special and isn't it wonderful to arrive at this situation so late in the game when it could have all ended years ago. Like so many of us, for me the biggest difficulty has been the loss of Martin Barre. I've really not warmed to Florian's playing though I've come to accept that the most important factor is that Ian has the right people and clearly Martin & Ian had ran their course. But on HE I find myself, for the first time appreciating Florian's playing. His rhythm work is really rather good and perhaps, dare I say, more modern than Martin and as a result it gives the band a different colour. HE sounds more forward thinking yet still sounds Tull. However, where Florian fails for me is on the solo's. Martin just has it. Florian's solo on After These Wars, for me almost ruined a beautiful song. At least, that's how I felt Saturday night. Its kinda tacky, cheesy, all that finger tapping show off shite. So 80's, so wank. I hate it. Martin would never so something so classless. But actually, I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, I can put up with a less than Martin solo, but where I'm really digging Florian is in his rhythm playing which cements the band and of course in his collaboration with Ian in the studio. Speaking of which, the recording is fabulous. Its the best thing in decades to come out of Ian's studio in terms of sound. I remember thinking Ian's voice is equally shared between, brilliant vocal performances that have strong elements of his 70's voice and that of an old man, but his focus on lyrics is helping to compensate where the voice is weaker. I know some folks are moaning about the overly wordy lyrics but I really feel Ian is using his talent as a wordsmith to compensate for his limited vocal abilities and its working. The flowery language comes at a time when people, not necessarily Tull fans, are so tired of mundane meaningless dribble that we've all got so use to. Ian's really pushing the envelope here and the whole concept, story, buzz and originality has to have something to do with the fact that HE was at number 6 in the UK album chart the other day. I think Catfish rising was the last album to chart in the low 30's back in 1991. I'm amazed no one has been celebrating this astonishing achievement. I've avoided listening to HE again, as much as I want to. Maybe I'll allow myself a little listen here and then but I'll be off to catch the tour in less than two weeks and I think i'd prefer to hear the music live before I become too familiar. Perhaps in a few months I'll write another review when its all been digested but for now I think its all fucking wonderful and I pray Ian continues on for another 5-10 years, I certainly want to see what else this band can do. Nice to hear all your thoughts Mix. Great restraint on your listening ritual and respect you show to the music and it's maker. I couldn't wait for the slow boat for my delux package and had to order a quickie from Amazon. Will give it to my bro when the big package arrives, if ever. Let's hope this sucker rises in the charts and hangs if only for a few weeks, that's awesome! You certainly didn't ask my advice, but personally, I would familiarize myself a bit more with the music, at least the lyrics before the main event. So much to take in and even the best live sound dosent deliver crisp vocals. Actually, I cant' understand half the vocals on the recording.
|
|
|
Post by Nonfatman on Apr 21, 2014 16:41:14 GMT -5
More thoughts than a review......... My copy of HE turned up on Tuesday but I resisted playing it. Its not everyday you get a new Ian Anderson album. Come Saturday, after a beer, a nice meal and a bottle of Red I ventured to my listening space (Studio) and got stuck in. I have to say I had such a great time, like catching up with an old friend, someone I love to dearly. Ian's music has thrilled me since my early teens and while I'm still a good bit younger than most Tull fans here his music has been constantly with me for the last 25 years or so. Its certainly a huge gift that that Ian is moving forward. Prior to 2012 most Tull fanatics had been moaning passionately about the never ending best of Tull tours and zero new material. Yet here we are with two new albums in the space of two years. TAAB2 had some moments but I'll be honest, I've not played it for over a year. I'm glad he did and by all accounts the tour was great but HE is much more up my street. The thing I notice most about HE is the band sounds fucking tight. Ian now has a band that really seems special and isn't it wonderful to arrive at this situation so late in the game when it could have all ended years ago. Like so many of us, for me the biggest difficulty has been the loss of Martin Barre. I've really not warmed to Florian's playing though I've come to accept that the most important factor is that Ian has the right people and clearly Martin & Ian had ran their course. But on HE I find myself, for the first time appreciating Florian's playing. His rhythm work is really rather good and perhaps, dare I say, more modern than Martin and as a result it gives the band a different colour. HE sounds more forward thinking yet still sounds Tull. However, where Florian fails for me is on the solo's. Martin just has it. Florian's solo on After These Wars, for me almost ruined a beautiful song. At least, that's how I felt Saturday night. Its kinda tacky, cheesy, all that finger tapping show off shite. So 80's, so wank. I hate it. Martin would never so something so classless. But actually, I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, I can put up with a less than Martin solo, but where I'm really digging Florian is in his rhythm playing which cements the band and of course in his collaboration with Ian in the studio. Speaking of which, the recording is fabulous. Its the best thing in decades to come out of Ian's studio in terms of sound. I remember thinking Ian's voice is equally shared between, brilliant vocal performances that have strong elements of his 70's voice and that of an old man, but his focus on lyrics is helping to compensate where the voice is weaker. I know some folks are moaning about the overly wordy lyrics but I really feel Ian is using his talent as a wordsmith to compensate for his limited vocal abilities and its working. The flowery language comes at a time when people, not necessarily Tull fans, are so tired of mundane meaningless dribble that we've all got so use to. Ian's really pushing the envelope here and the whole concept, story, buzz and originality has to have something to do with the fact that HE was at number 6 in the UK album chart the other day. I think Catfish rising was the last album to chart in the low 30's back in 1991. I'm amazed no one has been celebrating this astonishing achievement. I've avoided listening to HE again, as much as I want to. Maybe I'll allow myself a little listen here and then but I'll be off to catch the tour in less than two weeks and I think i'd prefer to hear the music live before I become too familiar. Perhaps in a few months I'll write another review when its all been digested but for now I think its all fucking wonderful and I pray Ian continues on for another 5-10 years, I certainly want to see what else this band can do. I agree with a lot of what you wrote here, Mix. For me, the biggest difference between TAAB2 and HE is that TAAB2 was very often tedious, and weighed down by too many poetry readings, whereas this new album is for the most part fresh and energetic. I have problems with some of the lyrics, and there are some really awful rhymes, but three quarters of the album is very good, and even the three or four songs that I am not crazy about (Enter the Uninvited, Meliora Sequamur and Pax Brittanica) are still listenable. There are quite a few nods to Dot Com, RTB and TAAB2, but the songs in which those echoes can be heard are, with the exception of Pax Brittanica, sufficiently different from the older songs. I would give this album a solid B+. Jeff
|
|
|
Post by Nonfatman on Apr 21, 2014 19:11:29 GMT -5
Wait....aren't we going to get a full-length review from the Curmudgeonly One? Jeff
|
|
|
Post by Nonfatman on Apr 21, 2014 19:14:02 GMT -5
Just palyed it again in the car. Top tip for the more staid senior members. Turn it up to just below the pain threshold, then you will get a grip on the lively sections. I agree, it does sound good loud. Maybe a bit heavy on the fuzz, but I guess that's what Ian meant by "metal." Jeff
|
|
|
Post by TM on Apr 21, 2014 20:44:40 GMT -5
Is anyone else hearing a reverb effect on Ian's vocals much of the time?
|
|
|
Post by Michael Crowe on Apr 22, 2014 0:11:59 GMT -5
Is anyone else hearing a reverb effect on Ian's vocals much of the time? Yeah, sounds like a slap or gate on a some of the words and phrases. I've noticed there is a fair amound of reverb overall, and even some of the "trails" are left ringing. Sort of like the olden days when prog records were deep and wet with ambient effects. No accident IMO. I like it. Best overall production of a IA/Tull album in many a year. I've grown tired of these modern Production techniques with everything dry and in your face. This is a welcome change, but even so, digital is so hard on my ears. I can't take a whole album with the volume up where I normally like it anymore. Analog is so much easier to listen to these days.
|
|
|
Post by Michael Crowe on Apr 22, 2014 0:20:03 GMT -5
I am not saying the Martin wasn't a key element of their sound. I am saying the Tull in the 70's era was a progressive rock band, not a guitar-based band. His guitar was one of several voices that shared time with acoustic guitar, flute, and keyboards. Several albums had only 1-2 guitars solos. For a band that many considered "hard rock", that is not a lot soloing. Martin was the perfect guitar player for Tull because he did not demand the spotlight. I like all the songs you mention. The song "Minstrel in the Gallery" (Best of version) initially brought me to Tull. While it has a great guitar riff, it does not have a guitar solo. Also, as far as I remember, Pibroch, Orion and Old Ghosts do not have solos. Wow! did you not know that the entire song "Minstrel In The Gallery" was built around a solo that Martin performed on the War Child tour. The passage on studio recorded version, from 2:19 thru 3:56 is the actual solo he performed live on the WC tour. And the intro on Pibroch begins (and ends) with the greatest echoplex laden solo for all time. When I saw the Warchild concert they opened up the show with the Minstrel bit before going into Wind Up. When I first heard the Minstrel album I recognized it right away.
|
|
|
Post by TM on Apr 22, 2014 0:28:50 GMT -5
Is anyone else hearing a reverb effect on Ian's vocals much of the time? Yeah, sounds like a slap or gate on a some of the words and phrases. I've noticed there is a fair amound of reverb overall, and even some of the "trails" are left ringing. Sort of like the olden days when prog records were deep and wet with ambient effects. No accident IMO. I like it. Best overall production of a IA/Tull album in many a year. I've grown tired of these modern Production techniques with everything dry and in your face. This is a welcome change, but even so, digital is so hard on my ears. I can't take a whole album with the volume up where I normally like it anymore. Analog is so much easier to listen to these days. I listened to the album last night on some pretty good Shure sound-canceling earphones and noticed it for the first time - I'm hearing a gate-like sound after Ian stops singing but I don't hear much reverb on the vocals themselves.
|
|
|
Post by Michael Crowe on Apr 22, 2014 0:38:24 GMT -5
Yeah, sounds like a slap or gate on a some of the words and phrases. I've noticed there is a fair amound of reverb overall, and even some of the "trails" are left ringing. Sort of like the olden days when prog records were deep and wet with ambient effects. No accident IMO. I like it. Best overall production of a IA/Tull album in many a year. I've grown tired of these modern Production techniques with everything dry and in your face. This is a welcome change, but even so, digital is so hard on my ears. I can't take a whole album with the volume up where I normally like it anymore. Analog is so much easier to listen to these days. I listened to the album last night on some pretty good Shure sound-canceling earphones and noticed it for the first time - I'm hearing a gate-like sound after Ian stops singing but I don't hear much reverb on the vocals themselves. There is some effect on the voice, of the kind you would only notice if it wasn't there - perhaps a bit of doubling or exciter, in addition to the slapback and delay. I do wish the drums were to the fore a bit more at times though. Shure sound canceling earphones? You must have been on a plane.
|
|
|
Post by housebrick on Apr 22, 2014 7:06:41 GMT -5
Ian's even ripped Martin off
1st chord of these 2 tracks IDENTICAL
Mart
Ian
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2014 9:31:35 GMT -5
Ian's even ripped Martin off 1st chord of these 2 tracks IDENTICAL Mart Ian Ian **even** ripped Martin off. What the hell does that mean? Name one rock and roll artist that has been active for 45 years that has not repeated himself. P.S. Martin just released an album full of reinterpretations of old Tull songs. Is he ripping Ian off?
|
|
|
Post by Mix on Apr 22, 2014 9:33:37 GMT -5
More thoughts than a review......... My copy of HE turned up on Tuesday but I resisted playing it. Its not everyday you get a new Ian Anderson album. Come Saturday, after a beer, a nice meal and a bottle of Red I ventured to my listening space (Studio) and got stuck in. I have to say I had such a great time, like catching up with an old friend, someone I love to dearly. Ian's music has thrilled me since my early teens and while I'm still a good bit younger than most Tull fans here his music has been constantly with me for the last 25 years or so. Its certainly a huge gift that that Ian is moving forward. Prior to 2012 most Tull fanatics had been moaning passionately about the never ending best of Tull tours and zero new material. Yet here we are with two new albums in the space of two years. TAAB2 had some moments but I'll be honest, I've not played it for over a year. I'm glad he did and by all accounts the tour was great but HE is much more up my street. The thing I notice most about HE is the band sounds fucking tight. Ian now has a band that really seems special and isn't it wonderful to arrive at this situation so late in the game when it could have all ended years ago. Like so many of us, for me the biggest difficulty has been the loss of Martin Barre. I've really not warmed to Florian's playing though I've come to accept that the most important factor is that Ian has the right people and clearly Martin & Ian had ran their course. But on HE I find myself, for the first time appreciating Florian's playing. His rhythm work is really rather good and perhaps, dare I say, more modern than Martin and as a result it gives the band a different colour. HE sounds more forward thinking yet still sounds Tull. However, where Florian fails for me is on the solo's. Martin just has it. Florian's solo on After These Wars, for me almost ruined a beautiful song. At least, that's how I felt Saturday night. Its kinda tacky, cheesy, all that finger tapping show off shite. So 80's, so wank. I hate it. Martin would never so something so classless. But actually, I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, I can put up with a less than Martin solo, but where I'm really digging Florian is in his rhythm playing which cements the band and of course in his collaboration with Ian in the studio. Speaking of which, the recording is fabulous. Its the best thing in decades to come out of Ian's studio in terms of sound. I remember thinking Ian's voice is equally shared between, brilliant vocal performances that have strong elements of his 70's voice and that of an old man, but his focus on lyrics is helping to compensate where the voice is weaker. I know some folks are moaning about the overly wordy lyrics but I really feel Ian is using his talent as a wordsmith to compensate for his limited vocal abilities and its working. The flowery language comes at a time when people, not necessarily Tull fans, are so tired of mundane meaningless dribble that we've all got so use to. Ian's really pushing the envelope here and the whole concept, story, buzz and originality has to have something to do with the fact that HE was at number 6 in the UK album chart the other day. I think Catfish rising was the last album to chart in the low 30's back in 1991. I'm amazed no one has been celebrating this astonishing achievement. I've avoided listening to HE again, as much as I want to. Maybe I'll allow myself a little listen here and then but I'll be off to catch the tour in less than two weeks and I think i'd prefer to hear the music live before I become too familiar. Perhaps in a few months I'll write another review when its all been digested but for now I think its all fucking wonderful and I pray Ian continues on for another 5-10 years, I certainly want to see what else this band can do. Nice to hear all your thoughts Mix. Great restraint on your listening ritual and respect you show to the music and it's maker. I couldn't wait for the slow boat for my delux package and had to order a quickie from Amazon. Will give it to my bro when the big package arrives, if ever. Let's hope this sucker rises in the charts and hangs if only for a few weeks, that's awesome! You certainly didn't ask my advice, but personally, I would familiarize myself a bit more with the music, at least the lyrics before the main event. So much to take in and even the best live sound dosent deliver crisp vocals. Actually, I cant' understand half the vocals on the recording. I couldn't resist and I did have another listen last night. But last gig I saw was 2011 and prior to that was 2001 so I hadn't heard Change Of Horses. When they played it live in 2011 which was the same band as now but with Martin on Guitar, that song was for me the highlight, even though I had never heard it before. I was blown away, way better than the TAAB2 version. So I'm quite up for not being overly familiar with the material at the gig.
|
|
|
Post by Mix on Apr 22, 2014 9:45:30 GMT -5
More thoughts than a review......... My copy of HE turned up on Tuesday but I resisted playing it. Its not everyday you get a new Ian Anderson album. Come Saturday, after a beer, a nice meal and a bottle of Red I ventured to my listening space (Studio) and got stuck in. I have to say I had such a great time, like catching up with an old friend, someone I love to dearly. Ian's music has thrilled me since my early teens and while I'm still a good bit younger than most Tull fans here his music has been constantly with me for the last 25 years or so. Its certainly a huge gift that that Ian is moving forward. Prior to 2012 most Tull fanatics had been moaning passionately about the never ending best of Tull tours and zero new material. Yet here we are with two new albums in the space of two years. TAAB2 had some moments but I'll be honest, I've not played it for over a year. I'm glad he did and by all accounts the tour was great but HE is much more up my street. The thing I notice most about HE is the band sounds fucking tight. Ian now has a band that really seems special and isn't it wonderful to arrive at this situation so late in the game when it could have all ended years ago. Like so many of us, for me the biggest difficulty has been the loss of Martin Barre. I've really not warmed to Florian's playing though I've come to accept that the most important factor is that Ian has the right people and clearly Martin & Ian had ran their course. But on HE I find myself, for the first time appreciating Florian's playing. His rhythm work is really rather good and perhaps, dare I say, more modern than Martin and as a result it gives the band a different colour. HE sounds more forward thinking yet still sounds Tull. However, where Florian fails for me is on the solo's. Martin just has it. Florian's solo on After These Wars, for me almost ruined a beautiful song. At least, that's how I felt Saturday night. Its kinda tacky, cheesy, all that finger tapping show off shite. So 80's, so wank. I hate it. Martin would never so something so classless. But actually, I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, I can put up with a less than Martin solo, but where I'm really digging Florian is in his rhythm playing which cements the band and of course in his collaboration with Ian in the studio. Speaking of which, the recording is fabulous. Its the best thing in decades to come out of Ian's studio in terms of sound. I remember thinking Ian's voice is equally shared between, brilliant vocal performances that have strong elements of his 70's voice and that of an old man, but his focus on lyrics is helping to compensate where the voice is weaker. I know some folks are moaning about the overly wordy lyrics but I really feel Ian is using his talent as a wordsmith to compensate for his limited vocal abilities and its working. The flowery language comes at a time when people, not necessarily Tull fans, are so tired of mundane meaningless dribble that we've all got so use to. Ian's really pushing the envelope here and the whole concept, story, buzz and originality has to have something to do with the fact that HE was at number 6 in the UK album chart the other day. I think Catfish rising was the last album to chart in the low 30's back in 1991. I'm amazed no one has been celebrating this astonishing achievement. I've avoided listening to HE again, as much as I want to. Maybe I'll allow myself a little listen here and then but I'll be off to catch the tour in less than two weeks and I think i'd prefer to hear the music live before I become too familiar. Perhaps in a few months I'll write another review when its all been digested but for now I think its all fucking wonderful and I pray Ian continues on for another 5-10 years, I certainly want to see what else this band can do. and even the three or four songs that I am not crazy about (Enter the Uninvited, Meliora Sequamur and Pax Brittanica) are still listenable. Jeff Have to say I love Enter The Uninvited and that chorus on Puer Forx Adventus sounds like it comes straight out of the hey day 70's band. Awesome! One other observation, I really like the way Ian's voice has been doubled up with Ryan's in parts. Ian's voice is still dominant and his unuque charector comes through but Ryan's helps pad it out, filling in where Ian's voice is weaker these days. It really works well. But I suspect a conspiracy......... Apparently Ryan was on holiday when they recorded the album. I don't buy that. This is probably the best job Ryan has ever had and the recording was planned a year in advance. Something fishy going on there!
|
|
Heavy Horse
One of the Youngest of the Family
Posts: 92
|
Post by Heavy Horse on Apr 22, 2014 11:00:54 GMT -5
Ian's even ripped Martin off 1st chord of these 2 tracks IDENTICAL Mart Ian I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're joking! They won't be the only songs ever recorded to start like that! The chords, while they are both comprised of the same two notes (G and D) are not even identical (The bass note in one at the start of "Misère" is an octave lower than in the one that opens "Enter the Uninvited"). If you could claim that something as basic as a G "power chord" was copywriteable, there wouldn't be many metal bands who remained un-sued!
|
|
|
Post by housebrick on Apr 22, 2014 11:07:55 GMT -5
Ian's even ripped Martin off 1st chord of these 2 tracks IDENTICAL Mart Ian Ian **even** ripped Martin off. What the hell does that mean? Name one rock and roll artist that has been active for 45 years that has not repeated himself. P.S. Martin just released an album full of reinterpretations of old Tull songs. Is he ripping Ian off? Ian's deffo sampled Martin track its same tone,key,chord - only a snippet but very obvious - Mart credits IA as songwriter on his album for the Tull tracks hes reworked -different scenario altogether
|
|
|
Post by Mix on Apr 22, 2014 11:14:13 GMT -5
Its just a generic synth pad, common as muck. Just happens to be the same chord and a very similar pad.
|
|
|
Post by housebrick on Apr 22, 2014 11:31:01 GMT -5
Possibly
|
|
Heavy Horse
One of the Youngest of the Family
Posts: 92
|
Post by Heavy Horse on Apr 22, 2014 11:41:56 GMT -5
Ian's deffo sampled Martin track its same tone,key,chord - only a snippet but very obvious Wash your ears out, Mr. Brick! It's only the same key! If you are joking, I'm aware that I may be making a fool of myself here!
|
|
|
Post by Willie on Apr 22, 2014 20:42:42 GMT -5
Tull/Anderson really are a polarizing musical force aren't they? I'm amazed at the faint praise HE has gotten on the fan forums. I agree with the previously expressed opinion that if this was a Tull record it would be considered the best since Broadsword. After the (in my opinion) embarrassing TAAB2, I was rolling my eyes at the web reviews coming in about how great this solo album was. To state my biases up front, "Jethro Tull" ended in 79. The albums from A to Underwraps are great, but all have an element of cheese to them that the 70's albums do not have. The albums after Underwraps are strictly a guilty pleasure… though more guilty than pleasure.
I've only heard HE a few times but here's my initial impressions:
Thank God Ian has returned to England's musical heritage. After a couple decades of abysmal 80's American rock, blues , and world music, we're back on fertile ground. England. Some people seem to not like the "church music" on the album. Really? I think it's it's great. Reminds me of Gentle Giant's "In A Glass House"
This is the best produced album from Ian or Tull in many years. Ian's vocals are (to my ears) produced to Hell and back. A very good thing in my opinion. Every trick in the book has been played to make Ian's typically poor vocals sound good and at times great. I hear, double tracking, tasteful "megaphone" effects, and lots of sly blend with Ryan's vocals, and possibly David's as well… I think it's Ryan whose doing some of the falsetto notes mentioned in a previous post. Not Ian.
Ian has given this band a far longer leash with which to flex their musical creativity than I had hoped for. The sound of the last Tull albums showed Ian to be a control freak who put himself way upfront in the mix/creative process, and the band way in the back. Ian in this regard is his own worst enemy. Less is more. (Remember the recent past where Ian learned to "play the flute properly" and then proceeded to over play it's shrillness 4x louder than every other instrument in the mix. Ugh.) This record is a few steps in the right direction. A good album that could have been great with more risk taking and a longer leash given to the players.
Florian's playing… wow, I like it. Love the rthym parts, and the hair-metal solos are really starting to grow on me. Very Iron Maiden. (Who not coincidentally are big Tull fans) I expect Ian's next album to have some pronounced 80's new-wave influences give that Mark Almond (of "Tainted Love" Soft Cell fame) has replaced Maiden's Bruce Dickenson has Ian Anderson's most public rock star admirer.
I really like the keyboard tones. The nasty hammond on the Doggerland solo, the tasteful moog-y synth on Browning of the Green
I like the lyrical concept. The fact that it's rooted in Britain, let's the music be English centered. For example, the accordion in "Turnpike Inn" now has a purpose, rather than being just an arbitrary instrument choice. I don't understand complaints about the lyrics being bad or overly wordy at all. Conceptually I'm totally on board with the album. Probably helps that I'm on board with the caustic environmental message of it all. Taking place mostly(?) in England, the album compares fairly favorably with the Kinks' masterpiece "Arthur, the Decline and Fall of the British Empire"
On the downside, the music does seem a bit too repetitive. One or two more really unique song compositions might have made this good album great. TAAB2 had the same problem, though much, much worse.
Favorite tracks at the moment: Tripudium Ad Bellum (almost good enough to sound like a "Living In The Past" outtake) New Blood Old Veins (love the unexpected rythmic structure and the joyful quality of it) Enter the Uninvited (for a bunch of reasons)
Good days indeed! Just one fan's opinions... Hopefully after another 10 listens the album will sound as good. Fingers crossed.
|
|