Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Jethro Tull
Label: EMI Records
Release: 1991
Rating: 2.5/5
After years of trying out nearly every major genre within the concept of his band (blues, hard rock, prog rock, folk rock, electronica, synth pop, you name it), the indestructible Ian Anderson was by the start of the 90s seriously running out of ideas. After two solid hard-rock-leaning albums that won back the trust of the band’s longtime fans following a failed electronic experiment, Ian scratched his bushy beard a few times and decided it was time for them to return to their musical roots, where they’d started at the end of the 60s – that is, blues rock. For any progressive rock band, a decision to go back to the past is usually a pretty risky move,
since it more or less amounts to a step backward, a regression. But when, after long years of making innovative music, you run out of fresh ideas and drive, and you also know you can no longer count on commercial success (»Crest Of a Knave« (1987) was simply a one-off, unrepeatable paradox), you usually start to feel some nostalgia for your first musical steps, the ones you built everything else on. That’s the only context in which I can understand this rather unwelcome move of Ian’s, whose end result is one of their least inspired and most monotonous albums, though it’s far from bad (that “honor” of being the only bad album in their history goes to the catastrophic »Under Wraps«, 1984).
»Catfish Rising« is definitely their most blues-rock-oriented album since the ancient debut »This Was« (1968). Still, the difference between the two couldn’t be bigger. While the cult debut, which coincided with the then-rising tide of “blue-eyed” blues rock, was bursting with wit and the creative fire of a young band, Jethro Tull mostly sound uninspired and even slightly worn out on this one – and that’s counting the fact that they were never exactly dazzling as a blues band (in fact, they never played plain, basic blues rock either). You’ll need a magnifying glass to find their traditional, much-loved elements on this album; there’s a considerable shortage of Celtic folk elements or symphonic touches, and where they do show up, those are usually the album’s better moments. Acoustic moments aren’t exactly abundant either. Here and there you’ll catch some very good use of mandolin and mandola, but that’s about all you get in the folk rock department. If we leave aside his guest spots on three tracks on the next album, this is the last album for longtime bassist Dave Pegg (also a member of Fairport Convention), and for him it was the closest he ever got to blues rock in his career. Truth be told, his bass is inexplicably limp this time around, so it’s no surprise that his own son Matt had to fill in on three tracks (»while he was washing his hair,« as Ian wittily put it in the liner notes, knowing full well that Dave doesn’t have much hair left to wash). The arrival of the excellent keyboardist Andy Giddings was an important gain, though he only plays keyboards on three tracks here. The ever-excellent Martin Barre, who once again got plenty of room to maneuver, isn’t exactly at home as a blues guitarist, and it shows on the album right away. He mostly sticks to his trademark hard rock riffs and passages. Whenever he does go for a more blues-flavored solo, it comes out fairly restrained. Ian’s lyrics are a special kind of story, since this time they pack an unusual number of sexual innuendos (even by Ian’s standards), most of them aimed at the typical, pathetic American everyday life, which fits nicely with the concept of a British band that was always marked by black humor. With his flute antics (he also played most of the acoustic guitars and in places filled in for various instrumentalists who weren’t available at the moment; the mandolin is finally used as one of the main instruments this time), Ian is once again the main reason the album can’t turn out bad despite its considerable mediocrity. Although his voice is no longer what it used to be, it has noticeably improved and no longer sounds like a Mark Knopfler clone. He’s managed to disguise the loss of his former range rather well in that witty howling and drawling of his, which makes him so different from other rock singers.
For all their sheer number, there are no particularly standout songs on the album that would manage to charm the listener on the spot. Most of them are pretty average and short (with the exception of »White Innocence), set in “down on the road” blues motifs and rhythmically similar to one another (Doane Perry didn’t exactly stretch himself on drums this time). There are no treats, but no disasters either. A kind of gray mediocrity mostly prevails. The opening »This Is Not Love« already tells you what most of the album will be like. A roadside, swaying ZZ Top-style groove, even some Hammond in the background for the first time in ages, and that recognizable sarcastic vocal in the chorus. Ian’s juicy flute passages and Martin’s hard rock moves are what keep it afloat. »Occasional Demons« has a barroom blues motif, some solid acoustic embellishments, and an excellent flute performance. The rhythm is very close to that typical of Dire Straits, which goes for quite a few tracks on the album. The humoresque »Roll Yer Own« is one of the weirdest blues experiments on the album. Again a very simple, rather boring, swaying rhythm and a blues (almost country) motif on acoustic guitar. If it weren’t for Ian’s witty flute playing in the middle, I’d probably have dozed off listening to it. Most likely on purpose, Ian sounds like some old drunk who’s just woken up in a pub in the middle of the desert. The guy has liked making fun of himself plenty of times before, but this is one of the worse cases. The hard blues rocker »Rocks On the Road« is one of the more noticeable pieces on the album, even though it reminds me quite a bit of some stuff from the previous two albums (again a strong resemblance to motifs typical of Dire Straits). If nothing else, its second half has a very solid symphonic arrangement on keyboards and flute that most traditional fans of the band will like. The closing solos on flute and guitar are also well worth admiring. The mood is, for a change, back at a high level.
The ambitiously conceived »Sparrow On the Schoolyard Wall« has a fairly interesting folk rock opening motif, until it falls into excessive rhythmic monotony. Here you can clearly hear how much Ian’s voice has lost of its former flexibility. The acoustic arrangements are traditionally good, and there’s no shortage of a juicy duel between electric guitar and flute, but Jethro Tull are capable of much more than this song offers. »Thinking Round Corners« is, on the other hand, a much wittier and relatively successful experiment between blues and folk. Ian’s grimacing vocal (very much in that “snotty” style he sang in on most of their debut album) fits nicely over an excellent folk motif on flute, which again recalls better moments from the band’s history. If more songs on the album were in this style, it would be a lot better in my opinion. »Still Loving You Tonight« is, on the other hand, one of the most boring blues ballads they’ve ever made (luckily, there are fewer than five of those, fewer than the fingers on one hand). Not even the excellent mandolin, the lovely acoustic guitar motif, or the romantic symphonic arrangement help. The lyrics are laughable for a band like Jethro Tull, and it’s downright grotesque to hear Ian croon some romantic verses in his grimacing voice (if that was meant as a joke, it didn’t work). »Doctor To My Desease« is back more in the territory of what most people expect from (later-era) Jethro Tull – potent energy, a determined, witty hard rock riff, a razor-sharp flute, and the sarcastic vocal of Uncle Anderson. At last they also treat us to some very good transitions and rhythm changes, while Martin’s guitar keeps humming along like a well-oiled machine through the flute and Hammond organ embellishments.
»Like a Tall Thin Girl,« where they again head more clearly into folk rock, is also one of the more inspired moments on the album (never mind the catastrophic lyrics, full of sexual innuendos, though personally I’ve got nothing against girls of the described proportions). This time Ian teamed up with his old folk rock buddy Pegg to create an interesting Celtic motif on mandolin and underpinned it with a very lively rhythm. If it didn’t also have an excellent flute solo, even Pegg’s Fairport Convention wouldn’t be ashamed of this song. At more than seven minutes, »White Innocence« is the longest piece on the album, a rather unsuccessful experiment in the prog rock direction, or an attempt to make something similar to »Budapest«. On the other hand, it contains all the main elements of this album – a hard rock riff, an acoustic blues motif, and hints of ballad – which makes it one of the more interesting pieces here. The resemblance to »Budapest« remains more than obvious. »Sleeping With the Dog« is yet another rather uninteresting blues tune that wouldn’t have suffered from some acoustic guitars. Ian’s excellent flute passages pull it out of the gray mediocrity. »Gold Tipped Boots, Black Jacket and Tie« is a witty folk rocker with a splendid mandolin and acoustic guitar motif and juicy folky solos that make you want to stomp your foot on the floor while sitting at a bar. The closing »When Jesus Came To Play« is yet another rather weird experiment between folk and blues. Overall it sounds pretty repetitive (like most of the tracks on this album), even though it has very good interplay between flute and acoustic guitar. It also features one of the most off-the-wall lyrics in their story.
The two bonus tracks on the reissue bring a pleasant surprise. »Night in the Wilderness«, which came out on the B-side of the »This Is Not Love« single, would certainly have been one of the best pieces on the album. Even though there’s once again more than obvious flirting with Dire Straits, this time they played the individual instrumental sequences with exceptional fire and created an interesting melody and a good chorus. There’s also an interesting, extended live version of »Jump Start« (Crest Of a Knave).
»Catfish Rising« is a solid product, but nothing more than that. Despite not containing a single bad song and having quite a few successful moments, it’s definitely one of their least interesting and least inspired albums. I’d even venture to say it’s their least ambitious effort ever, which is usually the logical consequence of any return to the roots. As already said, the album is far from bad, the band has no reason to be ashamed of it, and longtime fans will know how to appreciate its bright spots and understand its weaker moments. Personally, though, I expect anything but uninspired and repetitive sounds from Jethro Tull, which happens on »Catfsih Rising« quite a few times. To everyone’s great relief, Ian stated that this album was a one-off moment of returning to the roots and that he has no intention of ever messing with the blues again. With the next album, Jethro Tull would roll up their sleeves, fill their imagination with fresh ideas, and create their best album since the end of the 70s.
Lineup
Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic mandolin, electric mandolin, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, harmonica, percussion, drums and keyboards
Martin Barre – electric guitar
Dave Pegg – bass guitar, acoustic bass guitar
Doane Perry – drums, percussion
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Andy Giddings – keyboards on 1, 4 and 8
Foss Paterson – keyboards on 10
John “Rabbit” Bundrick – keyboards on 11
Matt Pegg – bass guitar on 1, 4 and 7
Scott Hunter – drums on 7
Production
Ian Anderson
Track list
1. This Is Not Love (3:57)
2. Occasional Demons (3:50)
3. Roll Yer Own (4:26)
4. Rocks On The Road (5:33)
5. Sparrow On The Schoolyard Wall (5:23)
6. Thinking Round Corners (3:32)
7. Still Loving You Tonight (4:32)
8. Doctor To My Disease (4:35)
9. Like A Tall Thin Girl (3:38)
10. White Innocence (7:54)
11. Sleeping With The Dog (4:26)
12. Gold-Tipped Boots, Black Jacket and Tie (3:42)
13. When Jesus Came To Play (5:03)
Album length: 60:31
Bonus tracks from the 2006 reissue:
14. Night in the Wilderness (4:05)
15. Jump Start (live) (7:48)
