Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Jethro Tull
Label: Roadrunner Records
Released: 1999
Rating: 3.5/5
Jethro Tull are back after a three-year break with a thoroughly solid album, whose downright odd title is actually the address of their brand-new website at the time. “J-Tull Dot Com” is their first album released through Ian’s independent label Papillon (technically under the Roadrunner umbrella), after they ended the long-standing deal with Chrysalis that had lasted since the very start of their career. Musically, it’s the logical sonic follow-up to its excellent predecessor “Roots To Branches” (1995), on which they reinvented their brand of progressive folk rock and added plenty of world music elements, especially oriental ones. “J-Tull Dot Com” goes even further in that direction, packing in all kinds of world music flavors, from the Middle East to South America. Ian, ever the globetrotter, had grown more and more into the ethnic music of various countries, as he’d already proved with his second solo album “Divinities: Twelve Dances with God” (1995), where he blended classical music with assorted ethnic influences that flow through the traditions of all the major world religions. “J-Tull Dot Com” is nicely balanced between lighter moments, dominated by ethnic motifs, and punchier, hard rock passages, which come together as a whole into the unmistakable Tull take on folk rock.
After Steve Bailey did his job as a guest bassist on the previous album, he was replaced on bass by Jonathan Noyce, who lasted longer in the band than any Tull bassist before him except Dave Pegg (Fairport Convention). Jonathan, noticeably younger than the rest of the band, was yet another highly talented musician who, for Ian, was only ever a temporary and by no means indispensable part of the band’s sound. When he and keyboardist Andy Giddings packed their bags eight years after this album came out, even though they’d long since settled into the band’s live lineup, their departure came as no surprise at all. Admiral Ian and his most loyal first mate, guitarist Martin Barre, needed fresh blood again. The only one who has truly earned their trust over the years is drummer Doane “big boy” Perry, and even for him they’ve got a live stand-in lined up for when he’s busy.
“J-Tull Dot Com” is also known for the controversy that the cover, pretty strange by usual Tull standards, stirred up among some fans. Ian drew it himself. It shows a kneeling demon with a ram’s head and a phallus (the latter was, of course, removed for the American market, as befits a kingdom of fake moralists). On an album by, say, Black Sabbath, this motif would look almost too clichéd, but for Tull it’s genuinely quite unusual, especially after the yin-yang motif on the predecessor’s cover. According to Ian, it’s the ancient Egyptian sun god Amun. The sculpture that inspired the cover, the work of sculptor Michael Cooper, reportedly even ended up in his garden that same year. It was probably just a respectful response to a gift from a friend, because I seriously doubt that Ian became a follower of any religion or cult in his mature years, given how he always took such delight in attacking them sarcastically. Personally, what bugs me more than the cover is the extremely goofy album title, which was obviously tied to the then-fresh trends of emerging information technology, from the internet to digital telephony (on the tour for the album, Ian even made a habit of performing a short skit with a mobile phone). I’d have expected more maturity from the “tramp”, who was never known as a trend chaser, but he clearly figured this was how he’d show what a modern band Jethro Tull had become and win over a new generation of listeners. Big illusion.
A full 14 tracks plus a hidden one on top is a generous helping, delivering over an hour of pleasure for every Tull devotee. The punchy, hard rock riff-soaked “Spiral” ushers the listener into the album’s “goings-on” with surprising energy. Everything a fan could wish for is here: a thoroughly classic Barre riff and a great interplay between Hammond organ and guitar passages in the middle section. Even though it will never sound like it used to, Ian’s voice has recovered even further toward its old standards when it comes to charisma and wit. “Dot Com” is one of the album’s best moments and one of the pieces they happily played live for years afterward. It’s an immensely successful experiment with ethnic elements, featuring Ian on bamboo flute and the hypnotic female harmonies of special guest Najma Akhtar. This time it’s almost a pop rock song, with delicate ethnic motifs on the percussion and ambient keyboard arrangements. They hadn’t come up with a chorus this pretty, melodic and seductively hypnotic, with keyboards and guitar and Ian’s vocals backed by female harmonies, in years. Really tasteful stuff. “Awol” is a solid, dynamic prog folk rocker, marked by wonderfully witty flute passages, a punchy riff and a building rhythm, accompanied by one of Ian’s strangest vocal performances on the album. There’s no shortage of unpredictable time changes and tasteful instrumental sections. The excellent flute and guitar solos woven together with the keyboards make for a dream come true for any prog folk rock fanatic. Unfortunately, the impression is slightly spoiled by the all-too-obvious sexual innuendo in the lyrics from the old lecher (you simply won’t escape that with him these days).
“Nothing @ All” (as far as the “cyber” title goes – just one more “tramp” eccentricity, even though the song was written by Andy Giddings) is a short, serene instrumental on Giddings’ piano that adds a bit more symphonic subtlety to the album. “Wicked Windows”, which lyrically reflects Ian’s interest in the most dominant software around, is a fairly dynamic piece that opens on a slow rhythm, symphonic arrangement and sound samples before shifting into a more energetic rock section with flute and guitar weaving around each other. Then comes a folk rock, Celtic chorus where Ian dips his voice as low as it’ll go and sings the line “Christmas was my favourite holiday” (we’ve known for ages, of course, that on holidays he likes to sit on the couch in front of a crackling fireplace, roasting chestnuts and puffing on his pipe), followed by a baroque motif on the Hammond and a punchy riff. The result is an exceptionally solemn, magical atmosphere. The punchy “Hunt By Numbers” sits on a dirty hard rock guitar riff and a massive rhythm, accompanied by grimacing, sarcastic vocals and occasional bursts of Hammond organ and flute in the background. I’d call it an almost classic Tull piece, though the ethnic elements, brought in mostly by the bamboo flute, are a surprise. The jokey “Hot Mango Flush”, with its Caribbean funky groove, mostly through the percussion and bass, successfully proves through its lyrics and chorus that the “tramp” still hasn’t run out of black humor. Ian’s bouzouki, the lovely acoustic guitar passages and the Caribbean percussion transport the listener to some island in the middle of the Atlantic. “El Nino”, inspired by the devastating hurricane that was in the news at the time, features plenty of Latin ethnic elements through the acoustic guitar and rhythm. The chorus, with its sawing riff and ominous vocals, hits extremely hard and creates a huge contrast with the otherwise rather serene flow of the song, which is down to Martin’s Latin licks on acoustic guitar, subtle percussion and soft flute sounds.
“Black Mamba”, which uses the metaphor of a venomous tropical snake for a thinly veiled sexual innuendo from Ian about a two-faced woman, opens with a classic folk rock motif on flute and piano before a great transition kicks in with a symphonic arrangement, punchy riff and sassy flute. It’s an extremely effective blend of symphonic, folk and hard rock, and another one of the album’s standout pieces. “Mango Surprise” is yet another pretty witty moment, packed with African ethnic elements and almost shamanic percussion. The addition of a trumpet is a real surprise too. “Bends Like a Willow” has a classic guitar riff, decisive flute and a dramatic symphonic arrangement, which together create a rather sinister mood. It’s a mid-tempo folk hard rocker with plenty of good flute passages and keyboard textures. The lyrics contain one of Ian’s most tasteless sexual innuendos ever (“she bends like a willow”). It seems the older the guy gets, the more his carnal urges toss him around and the more nonsense swarms through his head. “Far Alaska” would have been a perfect hard rocker with a wound-up riff, if it didn’t have so many symphonic and acoustic touches, brought in mainly by the sassy flute and Giddings’ layered keyboards. Noyce unexpectedly delights this time with a short bass solo and confirms he was a very good pick. “The Dog-Ear Years” is a proper prog folk rock treat, with excellent symphonic keyboard textures, assorted percussion and an almost epic chorus. The time changes are unpredictable, there are plenty of complex sections with ethnic elements, and the melodic side is there the whole way through. “A Gift Of Roses” is likewise a superb folk rocker with a good melody on flute and acoustic guitar and really tasteful passages on Giddings’ accordion. Now and then an electrified electric guitar deliberately breaks through. For a short while, even that folk rock magic of past masterpieces “Songs From The Wood” (1977) and “Heavy Horses” (1978) comes back to life. A great way to close out the album.
But is it really the end? After a long pause, when it seems the album is over, Ian’s voice suddenly pipes up and, like a very skilled and cunning businessman, first thanks the listener for buying the album and then gets straight to the point, plugging the title track of his third solo album, then still to come, “Secret Language Of Birds” (2000). It’s an excellent acoustic-leaning folk rocker, worth the attention of every Tull fanatic, and it can hold its own against anything on the regular part of “J-Tull Dot Com”. That Ian album is excellent, in my view even his best so far, so I highly recommend it to every fan of the band as well as to all lovers of eclectic folk rock with ethnic elements.
With the passing of the years, I think “J-Tull Dot Com” is a much better album than it seemed on release, when it disappointed many a fan who expected Jethro Tull to go one step further after “Roots To Branches” in making innovative prog folk rock (I too needed quite a while before I discovered all the hidden qualities of this album). Even though it lacks the intensity and drama of its oriental-leaning predecessor, I think it’s yet another very good record, one that confirmed they hadn’t lost the urge to explore and could still offer a string of interesting, untapped ideas while holding on to that folk rock backbone they’re recognizable from a mile away. I also want to stress that, despite the shared ethnic thread, this is a completely different album again. Given all the ups and downs and experimenting they’ve been through since the end of the 70s, I’d say hats off that they can still make music this good, even if the album is nowhere near masterpiece status. If Tull ever manage to make another album at least as solid as “J-Tull Dot Com”, that’ll be quite a nice surprise. Sadly, though, in recent years Ian has preferred to devote himself to his solo career, chili peppers, salmon and cats rather than finally releasing a new studio album under the Jethro Tull name. Some fans have even come to terms over the years with the idea that his solo career is basically a continuation of Jethro Tull without Martin Barre. Time will tell whether “J-Tull Dot Com” really was their last studio album.
Lineup
Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, bamboo flute, acoustic guitar, bouzouki
Martin Barre – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Jonathan Noyce – bass guitar
Andy Giddings – Hammond organ, piano, accordion, keyboards
Doane Perry – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Najma Akhtar – backing vocals on 2
Production
Ian Anderson
Track List
1. Spiral (3:53)
2. Dot Com (4:26)
3. Awol (5:21)
4. Nothing @ All (0:57)
5. Wicked Windows (4:43)
6. Hunt By Numbers (4:03)
7. Hot Mango Flush (3:52)
8. El Nino (4:43)
9. Black Mamba (4:59)
10. Mango Surprise (1:17)
11. Bends Like A Willow (4:54)
12. Far Alaska (4:08)
13. The Dog-Ear Years (3:35)
14. A Gift Of Roses (3:54)
Silence (0:59)
BONUS: The Secret Language Of Birds (4:37)
Album length: 60:21
