Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Jethro Tull
Label: EMI Records
Release: 1977
Rating: 5/5
Ian Anderson, the undisputed chieftain and personification of Jethro Tull, was a born Scottish country boy who has always loved living in close contact with nature and animals (besides sprawling farms, fish hatcheries and greenhouses, he currently also owns a whole bunch of different big-cat critters). Before this album came out, he retreated to the countryside, into the tight embrace of the forest edge, where he found rich inspiration for this excellent record, which is soaked through and through with authentic Celtic folklore, but in an exceptionally relaxed and cheeky way that, for a change, is almost free of any of Ian’s cynicism and social criticism (apart from his veiled mockery of the urban way of life). That folk spirit had been with them from the very beginning, so it was only a matter of time before their folk-rock side would come through in a bigger, juicier way. After gradually building their sound in that direction on earlier albums, on “Songs From The Wood”, their most folk-rock-oriented album up to that point, they brilliantly managed to blend folk-rock-seeded acoustic melodies with harder, hard-rock-charged passages, which are by no means in short supply despite the album’s acoustic nature. Ian, long recognized as a modern troubadour, mad piper and Robin Hood (all in one), together with his forest brotherhood of merry revelers, created a dreamlike blend of progressive folk rock on “Songs From The Wood”, with a strong emphasis on poetry steeped in all kinds of woodland fairy tales and stories that idealize life in nature. Few Tull albums carry an atmosphere so authentically steeped in his poetry, and whenever I listen to it, it calls me out for a walk along the forest paths. In that sense, it may even be their most expressive album ever.
The genius multi-instrumentalist would have had a hard time pulling off his evergreen visions, though, if the rest of the band hadn’t helped him more than effectively. In my opinion it was the best lineup in their history at the time, and it even seemed indestructible more than once. The old guard of cunning troubadour foxes consisted of the quiet and modest, yet untamed and unique master Martin “Lancelot” Barre on guitar and lute, the eternal entertainer John Evans on keyboards, the sturdy “fisherman” Barriemore Barlow on drums and percussion, and the youthfully driven John Glascock on bass and backing vocals. They were joined as a new, this time official member by longtime “outside” collaborator David Palmer on additional keyboards, who traded his role as writer of orchestral arrangements for one more pair of nimble hands on the keys and added his own measure of symphonic spice.
The album opens in a wonderful and witty way with the superb title track “Songs From The Wood”, an authentic Tull classic, soaked in witty, rich, multilayered acoustic textures. The song also features excellent vocal harmonies that give it a whiff of both a Scottish country pub and green meadows. It’s charged with exceptional energy the whole way through, courtesy of the playful acoustic guitar, a determined bass line, artful use of keyboards and Ian’s flute, as always recognizable from miles away, layered and impish. His intelligent poetry is steeped in the personal expression of his poetic views on life in nature.
“Jack-In-The-Green”, about a mischievous little green imp with a long tail who never sleeps and laughs at forest wanderers from the treetops, is another evergreen acoustic masterpiece, where the multi-talented Mr. Anderson plays absolutely every instrument himself, including guitar, bass and percussion. It’s the perfect expression of a great genius who turns an initial impression of simplicity into timeless art. Over the years, this wonderful folk piece has established itself as one of their most beloved acoustic works.
The playfully bouncy “Cup of Wonder”, about the idyll of gathering around a forest fire and carousing with your comrades late into the night, is full of excellent passages on acoustic guitar and keyboards, but above all we get to enjoy superb vocal harmonies and layered, wonderfully witty flute. The end result is yet another classic of witty, progressively spiced folk rock, with all the band’s recognizable trademarks.
The hard-rock-spiced “Hunting Girl”, another classic, is the first of the heavier pieces on the album. It’s packed with Martin’s trademark sawing riffing, a bouncing rhythm and baroque arrangements that easily conjure up the image of a forest Amazon out on the hunt. Fans of their heavier side will also enjoy the poetry, which tells of an encounter between a high-born lady and a simple local farmer.
“Ring Out Solstice Bells” is steeped in an authentic festive (or, if you like, Christmassy) atmosphere (they later released a slightly altered version of it on “The Jethro Tull Christmas Album”, 2003). A mellow, acoustic-leaning little number that doesn’t lack energy and is stuffed with plenty of flute, acoustic guitar, hand claps and the sound of bells, which, through both music and lyrics, nicely conjures up the arrival of winter idylls, when the days grow shorter and darker, shorter, but also more magical times appear on the horizon. A song that is more than an excellent pick for celebrating various family holidays and anniversaries.
“Velvet Green” is another of the album’s energetic highlights, a real treat for all lovers of Celtic as well as medieval melodies. It’s a sonically and lyrically exceptionally juicy creation, where the standout is the excellent drumming and percussion of old Barrie Barlow, the witty use of organs and flute, the branching organ rhythms and the superb interplay between Evans’s keyboards and Barre’s guitar. Not to mention the excellent acoustic guitar passages. An exceptionally layered piece, steeped in a medieval, troubadour spirit as well as a Celtic, folk-tinged, “evergreen” spirit. Pure Tull classic, finger-lickin’ good.
“The Whistler” is another layered and exceptionally bouncy creation, which, when it came out as a single, earned the band some more-than-deserved radio play. A song that nicely combines Celtic folk elements with hard rock through witty and intelligent use of flute and guitar, gorgeously backed by keyboard arrangements in the background. Of all the songs on the album, this one (already by its title) best personifies the mad piper dancing on one leg. After the classic acoustic intro, we’re treated above all to numerous wonderfully witty embellishments on flute.
“Pibroch (Cap in Hand)” is the most mysterious and dark creation on the album, though it by no means dampens the album’s high spirits. It’s a somewhat heavier piece with a series of rhythm changes and excellent guitar passages, the standout being Martin’s opening riff and a few of his superb solos. The song is full of stylistic turns, from hard-rock and slower rhythms to the acoustic, Celtic folk passages that arrive in its second part, where flute, hand claps and organ dictate the central tempo. After the triumphant, epic section come a few more witty passages on flute and keyboards.
“Fire at Midnight” is an excellent, solemn, serene and triumphant close to a superb album. Ian and his gang would have been hard pressed to create a more fitting finale to one of their best albums, which, through extensive use of acoustic passages and symphonic arrangements and Ian’s serene vocals, conjures up the authentic feeling of sitting on the couch by a crackling fireplace after a hard day’s work (in Ian’s case, after backbreaking work on the farm).
The reissue, which noticeably upgraded and enriched the sound of the original so that it sounds much more “alive” than before, contains two treats for all true fans of untamed forest troubadours. The first is “Beltane”, a more than solid piece inspired by the ancient Celtic festival. Thanks to extensive hard-rock passages on Martin’s guitar and Ian’s ruffled vocals, it’s even heavier than all the songs on the official release. The second is an excellent live rendition of the classic “Velvet Green”, played just a touch faster.
“Songs From The Wood” is a timeless masterpiece of progressive folk rock, which the current reissue has only widened in sonic scope. That extra breadth has further refined the sound of what was already one of the best progressive rock albums of the second half of the ’70s. “Songs From The Wood” is without a doubt one of the most dazzling jewels in the band’s history, which filled their sails with a new creative wind, resulting in a series of three excellent folk-rock-flavored albums. This album is the first of them and represents a period when everything went like clockwork for them and they were not likely to run out of artistic inspiration while they burned with the desire to progressively upgrade traditional folk rock, which they more than managed to do. Don’t hesitate and don’t be afraid the next time you set off for a walk in the forest, because the whole way, among the tree trunks, you’ll be accompanied and entertained by the genius mad piper, the mischievous evergreen imp, the proud huntress and the merry company of forest troubadours.
Lineup
Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, whistles, all instruments on “Jack-In-The-Green”
Martin Barre – electric guitar, lute
John Glascock – bass guitar, backing vocals
Barriemore Barlow – drums, marimba, glockenspiel, bells, percussion
John Evans – piano, organ, synthesizer
David Palmer – piano, organ, synthesizer
Production
Ian Anderson
Track list
1. Songs From The Wood (4:55)
2. Jack-In-The-Green (2:32)
3. Cup Of Wonder (4:34)
4. Hunting Girl (5:13)
5. Ring Out, Solstice Bells (3:47)
6. Velvet Green (6:05)
7. The Whistler (3:31)
8. Pibroch (Cap In Hand) (8:38)
9. Fire At Midnight (2:27)
Album length: 41:42
Bonus tracks from the reissue (2003):
10. Beltane (5:19)
11. Velvet Green (live) (5:56)
