Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Jethro Tull
Label: EMI Records
Released: 1976
Rating: 4/5
One question Ian Anderson still gets asked in interviews all the time is: are Jethro Tull really too old to rock ‘n’ roll? A pretty tasteless, almost grotesque question, even today, when their age barely shows, at least musically, and thankfully every member of the band is still hale and hearty. Back in 1976, though, when they were at the peak of their musical and every other kind of power, they threw down the gauntlet once more to the music critics of the day, who, despite the band’s relative youth, had already started seeing them as some kind of musical dinosaurs. They did it with this witty title and an album that was no less rowdy in mood, and lyrically most of all, was completely in their sarcastic style. The critics, of course, weren’t exactly thrilled with it. In fact, with punk about to arrive, they tore it apart with glee. One consequence is that even most of the band’s fans still see it as one of the weaker albums of their “golden” era, when they were putting out one excellent record after another.
It took me quite a while too before this album settled into my heart as one of my favorite Tull albums (though not the best!). What bugs most fans, I think, is mainly that this time around, despite plenty of orchestral arrangements and acoustic bits (which are not in short supply here either), they went back to a shorter, more blues/hard rock-oriented sound that dominated their earlier work. They dropped the progressive, complexly structured compositions in the style of epics like “Thick As a Brick” (1972), “A Passion Play” (1973) or “Baker St. Muse” (Minstrel In The Gallery, 1975), and also every last speck of pop, whose influence you could find on “Warchild” (1974). Most of the songs sound a lot lighter this time. Thanks to their often cheerful and cheeky mood, they’re a huge contrast to the relatively gloomy predecessor “Minstrel in The Gallery”. Even though only a few months separate the two releases, the difference between the albums could hardly be more obvious.
“Too Old To Rock’n’Roll” features the closest collaboration between Ian and David Palmer on the orchestral arrangements. Despite how many there are, though, they’re still subordinate to the band’s hard rock side, which is emphasized again this time because the other big ace in the band’s deck, Martin Barre, doesn’t hold back with his electrified guitar masterpieces. Some of the credit for the change in sound surely goes to American bassist John Glascock (formerly of the flamenco rockers Carmen), who replaced the unforgettable clown Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond. With his fairly original playing style, Glascock proved to be an excellent replacement. What’s more, in my opinion he was the best bassist in their entire history. That makes it all the sadder that the poor guy died just three years after this album came out, from complications during heart surgery, taking his leave right in the middle of his most creative years. Hats off to Ian for the lovely gesture of dedicating the reissue of the album to him.
It’s also worth mentioning that “Too Old To Rock’n’Roll” was originally conceived as a musical, or rock opera, portraying the life of an aging rocker/biker from the late ’50s who, 20 years later, lives in nostalgia for “the good old days” when he was still “the big man”. It all ended up as a conceptual satirical self-parody, with which they once again took a jab at the music critics, who once again missed the message. After all, what other band would have the balls to dish out that much irony at its own expense? (To be fair, neither The Who nor ELP ever pulled off anything like it, even though both were always prone to it.)
Most people will probably want a quick rundown of the concept, which I still find pretty witty and which fits both the music and the mood really well. The central protagonist of the story is an aging rocker, Ray Lomas, who’s been run over by new social trends and is one of the last holdouts, still true to his musical ideals. One day he shows up for a decadent TV quiz show and wins the grand prize (“Quizz Kid”). But social trends have changed so much that he can’t spend the money the way he’d like. After he’s invited back the next day for the next round of the game, he heads to a ridiculously expensive hotel (“Crazed Institution”), where he runs into a loose, rich, spoiled young woman at the door, who’s mostly interested in how fat his wallet is (“Salamander”). Salamander jumps in a taxi and invites Ray to her private party (“Taxi Grab”). But before Ray makes up his mind about accepting, the two get out in front of a bar. There the floozy leaves Ray alone at the bar after telling him to wait for her at the agreed time. Then Ray bumps into an acquaintance from the “good old days” and gets pulled into a long conversation over a few pints (“From a Dead Beat To an Old Greaser”). An hour later Ray leaves his gloomy buddy, having told him first that he’s living in the past, and heads to the spot where he’d arranged to meet Salamander. Of course she’s nowhere to be seen, and an hour later, a cheated Ray goes home cursing (“Bad-Eyed And Loveless”).
The next day, on the train, he starts daydreaming again about the old days, when he was still the top dog and the chicks stuck to him like glue (“Big Dipper”). Back home, he takes his old motorbike, Doris, out for a night ride, grumbles his way into losing focus, crashes (most likely trying to take his own life) and ends up in the hospital in bad shape (“Too Old To Roc’n’Roll : Too Young To Die”). While he’s recovering, a new rock supergroup appears on the scene and makes sure the music trends swing back in Ray’s favor. When he comes out of the hospital, he feels accepted and rejuvenated again (“Pied Piper”), helped along by the plastic surgery after the accident that makes him twenty years younger. After a ride with one of the easy young things and a lively night at his place, he starts thinking that life isn’t so bad after all and that new prospects have opened up for him (“The Chequered Flag (Dead Or Alive)”). Soon after, he’s invited to record his solo album. The story ends with the announcement of his new role as a brand-new rock star. Individual scenes from the concept are captured in a witty comic strip. A really original idea, one I often miss.
It’s hard to ignore that the comparisons between Ray and Ian Anderson practically make themselves, since Ray’s look on the cover and in the comic is incredibly similar to Ian’s. This carries on Ian’s mythic image as the band’s central figure, which he’d created back on “Aqualung” (1971). Still, Ian has denied more than once that it’s an autobiographical work, since he was still young at the time (29). The core of the concept was to show what would happen if the band’s music stopped being popular and was replaced by constantly shifting musical trends, but in the end, no matter what, it would make a triumphant return from oblivion.
Now, on to the music. “Quizz Kid” is a witty hard rocker with a mocking acoustic intro, good orchestral arrangements and a cheeky chorus. It also contains the album’s central motif, which comes back in the title track. When the two main centers of their power crash in with great style, namely Ian’s flute solos and Martin’s guitar riffing, we get to witness its energetic peak. On top of the excellent guitar passages and the great acoustic section, Ian’s constantly shifting vocal color is a thrill all the way through. “Crazed Institution”, a folk rock acoustic ballad, is another burlesque creation (especially when it comes to the lyrics), with a string of cheeky flute passages, a gritty guitar, a bluesy rhythm and great piano. Another one of the acoustic folk ballads on the album is “Salamander”, which is also one of its main gems. The excellent acoustic guitar intro is especially impressive. “Taxi Grab” is a wound-up, blues-spiced hard rocker. The harmonica passages give it an extraordinary flavor, and the lovely interplay of electric and acoustic guitar is even more of a treat. “From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser” is a solid ballad dedicated to the beatnik generation (Jack Kerouac & Co). It’s loaded with intense nostalgia and emotion, created by Ian’s melancholic vocals laid over orchestral arrangements, saxophone passages and a calm guitar. Next comes another blues-tinged experiment, the acoustic ballad “Bad-Eyed And Loveless”, which I think is the weakest piece on the album, with a few fairly high vocal attempts, by Ian’s standards. A far more interesting creation is “Big Dipper”, one of the better pieces, another good hard rocker, distinguished by an energetic riff drenched in witty flute passages and a solid chorus. The title track has settled over the years as the only classic from this album, even though it doesn’t offer anything all that outstanding. Its main strength is the atmosphere, which keeps shifting from mocking to sad. Maddy Prior (Steeleye Span) joins Ian on backing vocals, which gives the central chorus some extra charm. Dramatic changes of motif dominate throughout, with extensive orchestral arrangements and a classic guitar riff. The self-irony is wrapped up by the superb line “you are never too old to rock’n’ roll”. “Pied Piper” is a folk rock ballad with an exceptionally positive mood, a great chorus and tasteful orchestral arrangements, with the piano reigning supreme. It sounds like the happy ending of some movie drama, when the main protagonist starts a new life. Another one of the better pieces. “The Chequered Flag (Dead Or Alive)” is an excellent closer, packed with extensive orchestral arrangements and also featuring a great chorus. Ian’s vocals don’t hold even a speck of cynicism this time. A piece marked overall by exceptional subtlety.
Both bonus tracks on the reissue are very solid. “A Small Cigar” is a simple acoustic folk ballad with a great piano ending, which works as a satire on the famous British bulldog. “Strip Cartoon” is even one of the wittiest pieces of their career, where all the fans of Martin’s guitar masterpieces will especially get their money’s worth.
So, did Jethro Tull really start playing at half power with this album and treat themselves like aging old farts of music, already in decline in their careers, as most of the critics of the day thought? Very, very far from it. The album is packed with energy and great atmosphere from start to finish, even if it’s a lot more predictable than what we’re normally used to from them. I think the album’s main driving force is the always overlooked Martin Barre, who manages to lift it out of gray mediocrity with his guitar work and make it appealing even to those who, more than progressive rock or folk rock, prefer the traditionally more direct forms of rock music. “Too Old To Rock’n’Roll” is by no means one of their masterpieces, but it’s still a very solid and overlooked album that has one of the best moods in their history. With “Too Old To Rock’n’Roll: Too Young To Die!” Jethro Tull took a brief look back at the musical road they’d traveled up to then, recharged their batteries and marched confidently into one of the most exciting periods of their career, where they went looking for inspiration on the edges of forest paths and in country crafts.
Line-up
Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, harmonica, electric guitar, percussion
Martin Barre – electric guitar
John Glascock – bass guitar, backing vocals
Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion
John Evans – piano
GUEST MUSICIANS:
David Palmer – orchestral arrangements, orchestra conductor
Vako Orchestron – saxophone solo on “From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser”
Maddy Prior – backing vocals on the title track
Angela Allen – backing vocals on “Crazed Institution” and “Big Dipper”
Production
Ian Anderson
Track listing
1. Quizz Kid (5:10)
2. Crazed Institution (4:48)
3. Salamander (2:52)
4. Taxi Grab (3:56)
5. From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser (4:08)
6. Bad-Eyed and Loveless (2:12)
7. Big Dipper (3:38)
8. Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die (5:42)
9. Pied Piper (4:35)
10. The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive) (5:24)
Running time: 42:25
Bonus tracks from the reissue (2002):
11. A Small Cigar (3:39)
12. Strip Cartoon (3:17)
