Friday, February 22, 2013

Jethro Tull - "M.U." - The Best Of Jethro Tull

After getting Jethro Tull's Aqualung for Christmas from my dad, I had no clue where to go next. I only ever knew the song that comprised that one album, and the only one of those to ever get any real radio play on Detroit Rock radio was that album's title track. Thick As A Brick had caught my eye several times, but I wasn't ready to commit to an album that contained one fourty plus minute song split into two sections for it's original vinyl release. Eventually I would, but not when I was fifteen or sixteen. So I opted to take the easy, and exploritory track. I picked up "M.U." - The Best Of Jethro Tull. To this day those are the only three albums that I've ever picked up from Jethro Tull, for no reason other than I haven't been a diligent fan.

The "M.U." in the album title stands for "Musician's Union", which many say is due to the fact that pretty much every line up of the band from 1969 until 1975 can be found on this collection. Because of that, I'm not going to get into who performed what on which song. I'm not ready to write that much on a compilation album. For a box set sure, but not a best of package. I will point out that Ian Anderson, vocals, flute, and a slew of other instruments, wrote every song, and is the only one credited on each of them except for Aqualung and Thick As A Brick. The first was co-written with his wife Jennie and the latter with Gerald Bostock.

The album opens with Teacher, which has a great riff. I find it a little odd sounding, because the overall sound seems like the band was recorded in a sound controlled room, but the vocals were done in a big open hall. It doesn't sound like an effect either. Either way this is a great way to open the album. It's a strong song, and will draw any listener right in.

After that it's on to Aqualung. This has been remixed from the original. I'm not sure why, but there's a lot more echo on this song than on the original. There are some other small changes as well, but either way it's still one of my favourite songs of all time. Some of my happiest memories are singing this song in the car with my dad. Also rocking this bitch out on Guitar Hero, and karaokeing it as well. If I were to ever have song lyrics tattooed upon my body, these are the ones. If you want to read the lyrics, go check up my review for the original album recording.

Next up is Thick As A Brick Edit #1. This is the first three minutes of the epic song I mentioned earlier. This is a nice introduction to an album that's almost like a drug for those that are truly into prog. This is the first line of coke, before you find yourself doing eight balls and wondering how you got there. It's because of the lyrics that you really get sucked in to this song. "Really don't mind if you sit this one out. / My words but a whisper -- your deafness a shout! / I may make you feel but I can't make you think. / Your sperm's in the gutter -- your love's in the sink. / So you ride yourselves over the fields / and you make all your animal deals / and your wise men don't know how it feels / to be thick as a brick. / And the sand-castle virtues are all swept away / in the tidal destruction / the moral melee. / The elastic retreat rings the close of play / as the last wave uncovers the newfangled way. / But your new shoes are worn at the heels / and your suntan does rapidly peel / and your wise men don't know how it feels -- / to be thick as a brick. / And the love that I feel is so far away. / I'm a bad dream that I just had today -- / and you shake your head and say it's a shame. / Spin me back down the years and the days of my youth. / Draw the lace and black curtains and shut out the whole truth. / Spin me down the long ages". But, do not under any circumstances overlook the music either. It will change your whole perspective on instrumental extacy.

I remember my dad singing the chorus to Bungle In the Jungle all the time as a kid, but I never heard the actual song until I picked up this album. This is one of the more straight ahead rock songs I've ever heard from this band, and that's including all the string section work, which accents this song in amazing ways. It's really a cool tune.

The next song is from the classic Aqualung album, and the last review I wrote still covers how I feel about this song, so I'm just going to reprint it here. First up is Locomotive Breath, which if it had been released in 1988, would have deserved to kick Metallica's ass for the first Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Grammy, flute or not. This song is heavy, mean, and reeks of so much bad assery that Ian Anderson shows that his tights wearing, Shakespeare wannabe look could still kick James Hetfield's ass, while playing a flute solo. It's like Black Sabbath's The Wizard, instead there's a flute instead of a harmonica. I should mention, that this too is an alternate mix from the original, but nothing that really changes the song.

I love Fat Man. Musically it's fantastic. Nothing contemporary about it at all. Very Middle Eastern sounding. However, it's the lyrics that really grab me. "Don't want to be a fat man, / People would think that I was / Just good fun. / Would rather be a thin man, / I am so glad to go on being one. / Too much to carry around with you, / No chance of finding a woman who / Will love you in the morning and all the night time too. / Don't want to be a fat man, / Have not the patience to ignore all that. / Hate to admit to myself half of my problems / Came from being fat. / Won't waste my time feeling sorry for him, / I seen the other side to being thin. / Roll us both down a mountain / And I'm sure the fat man would win."

Living In The Past has a similar flavour to the last track, but I find it a little Beatles-esque during the quicker parts of the song. Of the eleven songs that make up this album it's one of the lesser tracks in my point view.

A Passion Play (Edit #8), follows that up. The track is 3:28 and is more specifically the "Overseer Overture", which occurs about eleven minutes into A Passion Play, Part Two. The original song is just like Thick As A Brick, one really long song, and I'm honestly ashamed of myself for not buying this album. This edit is amazing, and a lot more powerful sounding musically than the other epic track. As I listen to this track I've decided that this will be next on my list of albums to pick up, unless I opt for more Zappa instead.

Skating Away (On The Thin Ice Of A New Day) has been a favourite of mine since I first heard this album. Musically it's fantastic and reminds me of the just mentioned Frank Zappa. If you like Zappa, I think you should like Jethro Tull. They aren't the same, but they are both very equally experimental and use a lot of instrumentation not often found in Rock music.

There is one track on this album that had been previously unreleased prior to this album, and that's Rainbow Blues. It's the only other song on this album, after Bungle, that's pretty much a straight ahead Rock track, but I love it. I especially love the lyrics, and the chorus like parts are very singable. "Through northern lights on back streets / I told the coachman, "Just drive me on, / It's the same old destination / but a different world to sing upon." / So he threw back his head and he counted. / I jumped out about five to nine. / And I waved at the stage door-keeper / said, "Mister, get me to the stage on time." / Oh, but the rain wasn't made of water / and the snow didn't have a place in the sun / so I slipped behind a rainbow / and waited till the show had done. / I packed my ammunition. / Inside the crowd was shouting, "Encore", / But I had a most funny feeling / it wasn't me they were shouting for. / So when the tall dark lady smiled at me / I said, "Oh, baby let us go for a ride." / And we came upon two drinks or four / and popped them oh so neatly inside. / Oh, but the rain wasn't made of water / and the snow didn't have a place in the sun / so we slipped behind a rainbow / and lay there until we had done. / Let me pack you deep in my suitcase. / Oh, there's sure to be room for two / or you can drive me to the airplane / but don't let me catch those rainbow blues."

The album finishes with Nothing Is Easy, which is a decent song, but I would have switched it with the previous track. This isn't as good of a closer as that would have been. This is great song, and you can really hear a strong Jazz influence, but compared to most of the songs that make up this collection I find it a bit boring. In some cases it almost seems like a rip off, at least in part, of Black Sabbath's Rat Salad, but since this song actually came out first, I guess the Sabbath song would be the rip off.

If you want to discover Jethro Tull, this is a great place to start. With the exception of Living In The Past and Nothing Is Easy it would be easy to rate this album close to a perfect ten. If it were digitally remastered, that would also have helped make it a perfect ten. Instead I'll say that this album is still highly suggestable. So, go and pick it up for yourself and enjoy amazing music, and inspiring lyrics.

9/10 - content

7/10 - production

9/10 - personal bias

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