Jethro Tull - Broadsword And Beast

Year of Release: 2005
Label: Capitol/EMI
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 00:00:00

As the remastered series of Jethro Tull albums continues with great success, another round is ripe and ready for the picking. They come out three at a time and we are nearly through the entire JT studio albums at this point.

The 1982 release Broadsword And The Beast, as with many of the JT recordings, takes a few listens to settle in and grow on you. This release is loaded with bonus tracks, eight of them, and they are all excellent, actually comprising another album of material. Since these were the pre-CD days, they could not fit all of these songs onto one LP, it would have been a double LP, and obviously, that was not in the contract with the label. Well we are the lucky chaps now, finally hearing all of the sessions recorded in 1982.

Once again, Ian Anderson put together one hell of a band. He managed to persuade drummer Gerry Conway (Cat Stevens) and bassist Dave Pegg (Fairport Convention) to join the proceedings with himself and Mr. Barre in the studio. The ensuing sessions proved to be quite fruitful for the ever-changing Jethro Tull camp. Thank the dear lord that Ian and Martin stayed together through the merry go around of musicians over the last thirty some years. I cannot imagine how JT would have survived without them.

"Broadsword" and "Seal Driver" comes popping out at you as the best tracks, with all of the powerful Barre pinpoint blues-rock influenced riffs and the regal medieval and Celtic influences lurking in the foreground as usual. The music is delightful, very much Jethro Tull in one their finest hours no doubt. The bonus tracks are most certainly a "bonus," and I will not dub them as bogus tracks on this release. All eight are very strong tunes, with a great undertow of bass and drums brought to a steady boil with rock solid keyboards and guitar, finished off with superb vocals from Mr. Anderson. My favorites are "Jack A Lynn," "Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow" and "Mayhem Maybe," which has a wonderful old time Irish toe-tapping atmosphere all around it that puts a smile on your face and in your heart.

Yes indeed folks, yet another wonderful remastered album complete with the witty liner notes we have come to love from Ian. It will be a sad day for this lad when the reissues stop coming to my mailbox, so I intend on relishing every one of them until the entire lot is complete.

Tracklisting:
Beastie / Clasp / Fallen On Hard Times / Flying Colours / Slow Marching Band / Broadsword / Pussy Willow / Watching Me Watching You / Seal Driver / Cheerio / Bonus Tracks: Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow / Jack A Lynn / Mayhem Maybe / Too Many Too / Overhang / Rhythm In Gold / I Am Your Gun / Down At The End Of Your Road

Musicians:
Ian Anderson - vocals, flute, acoustic guitar
Martin Barre - electric and acoustic guitar
Dave Pegg - bass, vocals
Peter - John Vettese - piano, synthesizer, vocals
Gerry Conway - drums and percussion

Discography:
This Was (1968)
Stand Up (1969)
Benefit (1970)
Aqualung (1971)
Thick As A Brick (1972)
Living In The Past (1972)
A Passion Play (1973)
War Child (1974)
Minstrel In The Gallery (1975)
M.U. The Best Of (1976)
Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young To Die (1976)
Songs From The Wood (1977)
Repeat - The Best Of Jethro Tull Vol 2 (1977)
Heavy Horses (1978)
Bursting Out - Live (1978)
Stormwatch (1979/2004)
'A' (1980)
The Broadsword And The Beast (1982/2005)
Under Wraps (1984)
Original Masters (1985)
Crest Of A Knave (1987/2005)
20 Years Of Jethro Tull (1988)
Rock Island (1988)
Catfish Rising (1991)
A Little Light Music (1992)
The Anniversary Collection (1993)
25th Anniversary Box Set (1993)
Nightcap (1995)
Roots To Branches (1995)
J-Tull Dot Com (1999)
The Very Best Of (2001)
Living With The Past (2002)
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003)
Classic Masters (2003)
Stand Up/This Was (2003)
Essential (2003)
Nothing Is Easy: Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970 (2004)
Aqualung Live (2005)
Jethro Tull/Ian Anderson (2005)
Extended Versions (2006)
Live At Montreux 2003 (2007)
The Best Of Acoustic Jethro Tull (2007)
Living With The Past/Nothing Is Easy (2008)
This Was (expanded) (2008)
Nothing Is Easy - Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970 (2004/2008)
The Anniversary Collection/A New Day Yesterday (2008)
Live At Montreux 2003 (2008)
Live At Madison Square Garden (2009)
Christmas Album (2009)
Live In Switzerland 2003 (LP) (2014)
A Passion Play - An Extended Performance (2014)
War Child - 40th Anniversary Theatre Edition (2014)
Minstrel In The Gallery - 40th Anniversary La Grande Edition (2015)

Living With The Past (DVD) (2002)
A New Day Yesterday: 1969-1994 - The 25th Anniversary Collection (VID/DVD) (1994/2003/4)
Nothing Is Easy - Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970 (DVD) (2005) Live At Montreux 2003 (DVD) (2008)
Jack In The Green - Live In Germany (DVD) (2008)
Live In Bethlehem, PA, 2003 (DVD) (2008)
Their Full Authorized Story (DVD) (2009)
Live At AVO Session 2008 (DVD) (2009)
Live At Madison Square Garden (DVD) (rec 1978, rel 2009)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: July 25th 2005
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website: www.jethrotull.com
Hits: 3268
Language: english