Saturday, February 11, 2017

A Fife and a Drum to Play


Jethro Tull : The Whistler



Just as we were about to write off Jethro Tull, they emerge with Songs From the Wood, a swandive into Elizabethan folk rock that was inspired by Ian Anderson's time producing Steeleye Span Now We Are Six and features some lyrics reminiscent of the Penthouse letters, if they had been written on scrolls.



Witness from "Hunting Girl" :
She took this simple man's downfall in hand/ I raised the flag that she unfurled/ Boot leather flashing and spurnecks the size of my thumb/This highborn hunter had tastes as strange as they come/Unbridled passion: I took the bit in my teeth/ Her standing over me on my knees underneath.


Asked by TeamRock.com to name his favorite Jethro Tull songs, Ian Anderson selected the opening track:

"This, the title song of our 1977 album, was unashamedly twee. It's decorative folk rock. It openly extols the virtues of the countryside, and the values you want to impart through this to other people. I suppose it is country rock, but in the British sense. It's all delivered with a fair amount of hefty music. There are big guitar riffs and a lot of flute as well. And it does get a little angry, but with a purpose."




1 comment:

  1. Really, this is too much. I'm sated. My two favourite bands (albeit so different) from the 60s/70s and you feature them both on the same day. Obviously Beatles/Stones and a handful of others got a look in and shook a tail feather or two but essentially, as you'll know, you cleave to certain bands and well The Kinks n Jethro Tull are always 'my' bands. The Whistler was later in their meaningful career but nevertheless a classic tune. Now I've got your ear, I look forward in the future to your posts on Curved Air, Clifford T Ward, Jonathan Richman, Herman Dune, Wave Pictures, Lisa Germano - I could go on and you're lucky I don't......ha ha. Anyway, I appreciate the efforts you make in publishing your blog week after week. Keep going!

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