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Benefit

Jethro Tull - Benefit Audio CD

A fair review of the Jethro Tull "Benefit" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Jethro Tull reviews here, or go back to the Jethro Tull tabs.

Band: Jethro Tull
Title: Benefit
Rating:

Release Date: 2002-01-08
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: With You There to Help Me 2: Nothing to Say 3: Alive and Well and Living In 4: Son 5: For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me 6: To Cry You a Song 7: Time for Everything? 8: Inside 9: Play in Time 10: Sossity; You're a Woman 11: Singing All Day [*] 12: Witch's Promise [*] 13: Just Trying to Be [*] 14: Teacher [Original UK Mix][*]

Simply one of the greatest rock albums of all time!

This album represented an even greater pulling away from the band's blues roots as evidenced on the previous album, Stand Up. As Tull is one of my top three favorite recording artists *ever*, I may eventually get around to reviewing every Jethro Tull release, and I may not be able to be completely unbiased. Nonetheless, there is still a raw, grungy sort of edge to these tunes, due mainly to the guitarwork of Martin Barre. Yet at the same time, there is a decided folky, interesting flavor to them, with more piano and flute.

We find the songwriter, Ian Anderson, feeling in the mood for social commentary with songs like "Nothing to Say", "Son", and "For Michael Collins, Jeffery, & Me". He gives a nod to the ladies (both positively and negatively)in "With You There to Help Me", "Alive & Well & Living In", and "Sossity; You're a Woman"

The bonus tracks on this CD, "Singing All Day", "Witch's Promise", "Just Trying to Be" and "Teacher" are all welcome additions to the rocking festivities, and according to Anderson's liner notes, they were written at around the same time as the original songs on the album.

I am simply very happy that I own this.

Benefit is Tull's hidden secret!
Still with the same line-up of Stand Up plus John Evan on piano and organ, it is the sound of a band which spread its wings and reached marvellous highs. Released in 1970 - a great year for music - Benefit is a wonderful experience!!! A definite classic. The album was recorded in London and produced by Ian Anderson who made sure the instruments sounded fresh thus making the album age really well. The lyrics offer great insights and Ian's voice never sounded better! Songs like With You There To Help Me, Nothing To Say, To Cry You A Song and Sossity; You're A Woman are all unbelievably amazing but it would be unfair to give the aforementioned titles more credit than the others on Benefit - this album MUST be experienced as a whole! All songs are great and make up for a defining experience.
Although Aqualung gets all the glory, ultimately it is Benefit which mostly deserves it. Please note that I'm not putting Aqualung down by saying this as it's a superb masterpiece in its own right. .

THIS ALBUM GAVE US MUCH
BENEFIT, AQUALUNG AND THICK AS A BRICK. FOR THE RECORD (NO PUN INTENDED), I WITNESSED TULL IN CONCERT THREE TIMES AT THE MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM IN SAN ANTONIO BACK WHEN THEY WOULD HAVE THREE BANDS PLAY BACK TO BACK FOR MANY EVENTS HELD IN OUR FAIR CITY. 1970 - 1973 PROGRESSIVE ROCK AT ITS FINEST.

ON THE STAGE THAT CERTAIN NIGHT WAS A PRECISION INSTRUMENT IN THE FORM OF FIVE YOUNG MEN WHO MESHED SO INTENSELY ON EVERY NOTE, EVERY DRUMBEAT, BLASTING THEIR HARMONIOUS SOUND ACROSS THE CAVERNS OF THAT AUDITORIUM WITH FINGERS AND LUNGS AND BRAINS WORKING FULL TILT THAT WE IN THE AUDIENCE WERE DRIVEN WILDER AND WILDER WITH EACH NEW SONG. THE BAND WAS TIGHT, THE NIGHT FLOWED ON LIKE MERCURY, HEAVY THROUGH CHANNELS OF EXPANDING AWARENESS . . . WHERE GLENN CORNICK ROCKED IN A TWO STEP PATTERN THE ENTIRE NIGHT, BACK AND FORTH WITHOUT STOPPING, IN COMPLETE SYNC WITH OTHER MEMBERS WITH EVERY BEAT FROM HIS BASS GUITAR FOR EVERY SONG THAT NIGHT. IT WAS CRAZY GOOD. MESMERIZING. AND NEW MEMBER JOHN EVAN ON KEYBOARDS SHOWED UP STRONG AS WELL, GIVING FULL ACCOMPANIMENT AND TICKLING THE OTHERS, MARTIN BARRE RIFFED BEAUTIFUL ON HIS GUITAR THE ENTIRE EVENING, TAKING THE SONGS APART AND THEN PUTTING THEM BACK TOGETHER AGAIN AND CLIVE BUNKER HAMMERING THE PERFECT CONCEPTUAL BEAT OF THIS MASTERSTROKE ALBUM FOR AN EVENT THAT STILL PULSES THROUGHOUT THE COSMOS. NOT LEAVING IAN ANDERSON TO STAND ALONE, HIS INSPIRED FLUID FLUTE PROVED THIS SHOW WOULD BE REMEMBERED FOR A LIFETIME, JUST AS HE CONTINUED TO WORK THE CROWD DURING EVERY TOUR OF THESE EARLY YEARS. BUTTERFLIES IN A SUN-DAPPLED FOREST. WONDROUS NOTES FLOATING ABOUT THE ROOM, ENCHANTING AS THEY SWEEP ALONG, CIRCULATING.

CORNICK WENT OUT ON HIS OWN AFTER THIS TOUR BUT LEFT HIS MARK ON JETHRO TULL FANS NEVERTHELESS.

I REMEMBER THE BAND STARTING THE SECOND SET AFTER A BRIEF INTERMISSION WITH "TO CRY YOU A SONG", PICKING UP EXACTLY WHERE THEY HAD LEFT OFF AND GLENN TUMBLING BACK AND FORTH WITH HIS BEAT BASS GUITAR, IAN WORKING THE MICROPHONE LIKE IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, THE WHOLE BAND LOVING US AS MUCH AS WE FELL IN LOVE WITH THEM. NOT AN EASY TASK FOR ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE UNLESS ALL THE PIECES WERE IN PERFECT ALIGNMENT, THE GODS WERE SMILING BIG BUDDHA SMILES AND EVERYONE JOYFULLY POOLED INTO A SINGLE CONSCIOUSNESS FOR TWO STRAIGHT HOURS. THAT WAS THIS CONCERT FOR THIS ALBUM. AND THE MUSIC ON THIS DISK IS ONLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THEIR ABILITIES ON STAGE AS AN ACT, AS A MUSICAL FORCE, AS BROTHERS BEARING GIFTS. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS COLLECTION OF SONGS. TULL'S WORK HAS SHOWN US SOME AMAZING HEIGHTS THAT OTHERS MUST WORK HARD TO ACHIEVE, THEIR DEPTH AND DIVERSITY AND IN WEAVING OF INTRICATE PATTERNS AND DYNAMIC RHYTHMS. SORTA LIKE A HEARTBEAT, WORKING HARD TO CLIMB THAT MOUNTAIN AND THEN REST FOR A MOMENT, ONLY TO FORGE AHEAD AGAIN TOWARD THE NEXT MAGNIFICENT SUMMIT. PERSONAL AND WELCOMING IN ITS DIFFICULTY. REALLY COOL AND GREASY.

Another Good Early Tull Classic
It falls right in with a string of great albums from Stand Up (1969) through Thick As A Brick (1972). Benefit - 1970 14 Tracks - (4 bonus) (54:55) *****

Out of the early Jethro Tull albums, this is one of my favorites. The interesting thing for me the first time I began to listen to this early classic was that I looked at the track listing and did not recognize any of the songs by their titles. This particular "remastered" cd has four bonus tracks on it, and I did recognize the song Teacher, advertised as "the original UK version", but this was just one of the bonus tracks, not part of the original album.

The music on this album has a good mix of acoustic and electric music. It sounds very balanced, without too much of acoustic or electric sounds. There is only one purely acoustic song and not really any heavy rockers like you might find on Aqualung for instance. Also, for all the "proggers" out there like me, who tend to look for the longer tracks, there are a few reaching the six minute mark.

With the addition of John Evan on keyboards, we get our first taste of piano on Alive And Well And Living In and the addition of organ in the background on Sossity, You're A Woman, which is one of the stand-out acoustic tracks. I think Ian Anderson's voice is much improved on this album, recorded with more echo and obviously "dual-layered" on some songs creating a much richer and fuller sound.

Many times the bonus tracks on these cd's are just filler songs or "throwaways" that just didn't make the cut before. The ones offered here: Singing All Day, Witches Promise, Just Trying To Be, and Teacher, are kind of a mixed bag. The first two are OK, but really just mediocre at best. Singing All Day is a nice, upbeat acoustic number, while Witches Promise I would describe as a very traditional sounding Tull song. Just Trying to Be is just a short little ditty that doesn't add much. Teacher, on the other hand is a much better song, and one of my favorites. It has all the elements of a good JT song. Good guitar riffs that interplay with Ian's flute, lots of time signature changes along with good vocals, keyboards, and a cool bass-line.
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early Tull classic
Most Tullsters have this one, but if you don't. . . . . . "With you there to help me" is one of their greatest tunes ever. It's worth listening to if only for the flute-echoing-down-from-the-mountains intro, which was a tape loop of Ian's flute played backwards. Glenn Cornick, with the long hair, knee-high boots and Indian headband, didn't just look cool, he basically defined cool. His bass playing on "Nothing to Say", especially backing up Ian's voice on the verses, is nothing short of amazing. In those days, you actually had bassists playing as the lead instrument. McCartney, Entwhistle, Bruce and certainly Glenn. "Sossity" is beautiful and I really miss Ian's love songs. They are always so sincere and heartfelt. I feel that this album has to be in the top 3 or 4 that J. T. ever recorded. There is not one weak tune on this album. Buy it and wear it out. . . . . if you would really like to hear and enjoy early Tull, get the DVD "Living with the Past". The original line-up plays a small mini-concert of their old tunes from the 1st album. Nice to see all of them healthy and having a good time. . . . . . . and yes, Clive once again has a bit of a bash.

You can see a complete list of all Jethro Tull discography, or go back to the Jethro Tull tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.