Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Anderson, Ian
Label: BMG Rights Management
Release: 2017
Running time: 48:03
Rating: 3/5
The title of this album is misleading: Jethro Tull haven’t risen from the dead. This is just the latest in a string of controversial projects from their wily old chieftain, who back in the day revolutionized the use of the flute in rock music, to name just one of his many glorious achievements from a rich musical past. No matter how dubious the moves he’s pulled in the last few years, especially since he unceremoniously disbanded his legendary group in 2011, Ian Anderson will always command respect as one of the most charismatic figures in the story of rock music, and rightly so. But his strange moves after the end of the Jethro Tull story just don’t seem to stop.
After the always good-humored old fox surprised us, for the sake of bad jokes, with two decent but controversial solo records on which he reworked some old ideas in a new guise, in a conceptual way, while needing extra vocal help because his voice was seriously worn out, he has now come up with the idea of rearranging some Tull classics with a string quartet. The result is »Jethro Tull – The String Quartets«, which honestly confused some people on release, since nowhere on it does it say that this is Ian’s new solo project, so some already believed Tull were coming back among the living. No, the masters of prog folk rock remain part of the ‘good old days’, and perhaps that really is the best option, especially after Ian’s split with Martin Barre.
At first glance, »The String Quartets« looks like an interesting project, given that many Tull standards seem tailor-made for an orchestra, and Ian has already released a fairly successful live solo album, »Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull« (2005), on which a rock band was still present. This time his main plan was to ‘throw out’ the guitar, bass and drums and let the violins, viola and cello take center stage, but of course he couldn’t resist his beloved flute. In all honesty, you can’t imagine any version of Tull standards worthy of the name without Ian’s flute, while his acoustic guitars and mandolins wouldn’t be missed all that much, especially since the old Scottish pirate boasted before the release that this would be the first fully string-based project of his so far.
Sadly, Ian ruined the whole thing by adding his shot vocals to about half of the tracks instead of leaving everything instrumental. On that front the project turns out wonderfully, especially the treat that is »Songs and Horses«, a freshly rearranged ‘conglomerate’ of the classics »Songs from the Wood« and »Heavy Horses«, which of course doesn’t feature Ian’s vocal torture. In its new guise it sounds like the soundtrack to one of Peter Jackson’s films set in Tolkien’s ‘Middle-earth’. The version of that Tull classic is also extremely interesting, the one Ian, for inexplicable reasons, always avoided playing live because he supposedly thought it sounded too commercial. I’m talking, of course, about »Bungle in the Jungle«, which was practically made for baroque arrangements.
Of course it’s no surprise that most of the freshly rearranged Tull standards were picked from their golden creative period (the seventies). Ian also couldn’t resist rearranging »A Christmas Song« under the title »Passs the Bottle«. That’s the only one of the rearranged Tull classics with his singing that doesn’t come across as pitiful, thanks to its traditionally slow tempo. From the ‘old guard’, longtime Tull keyboardist John O’Hara stepped in as orchestral arranger, piano player and conductor, while the string arrangements were handled by the Carducci Quartet, who did a superb job, and on the instrumental side there’s really nothing to fault. It’s a real shame that »The String Quartets« didn’t stay fully instrumental.
Most Jethro Tull fans will be asking themselves the same thing this time: Ian, did we really need this album? There’s no real reason for its release other than the ever-sarcastic, cheeky master of flute artistry and clever concept stunts reminding us that he has no plans to retire just yet, even though more and more of his followers just shake their heads at his latest moves, if they’re not rolling their eyes outright. Setting aside the bad taste that this kind of project leaves behind, primarily aimed at squeezing extra cash out of longtime fans, and Ian’s totally unnecessary vocal torture, which spoils the whole thing quite a bit, in terms of performance and arrangement »The String Quartets« doesn’t turn out badly at all, since the chosen Tull standards fit nicely into their new string outfits. Still, longtime fans should think twice before buying it just to complete their Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull collection.
Line-up
Ian Anderson – flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, vocals
GUEST MUSICIANS:
John O’Hara – orchestral arrangements, piano, celesta, conductor
Carducci Quartet:
Matthew Denton – violin
Michelle Fleming – violin
Eoin Schmidt-Martin – viola
Emma Denton – cello
Production
Ian Anderson
Track list
1. In The Past (Living In The Past) (4:10)
2. Sossity Waiting (Sossity: You’re A Woman / Reasons For Waiting) (4:45)
3. Bungle (Bungle In The Jungle) (3:49)
4. We Used To Bach (We Used To Know / Bach Prelude C Maj) (4:54)
5. Farm, The Fourway (Farm On The Freeway) (3:44)
6. Songs And Horses (Songs From The Wood / Heavy Horses) (3:53)
7. Only The Giving (Wond’ring Aloud) (1:58)
8. Loco (Locomotive Breath) (4:33)
9. Pass The Bottle (A Christmas Song) (3:02)
10. Velvet Gold (Velvet Green) (4:06)
11. Ring Out These Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells) (3:56)
12. Aquafugue (Aqualung) (5:13)
