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The Broadsword and the Beast

Jethro Tull - The Broadsword and the Beast Audio CD

A fair review of the Jethro Tull "The Broadsword and the Beast" 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: The Broadsword and the Beast
Rating:

Release Date: 2005-04-26
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Beastie 2: Clasp 3: Fallen on Hard Times 4: Flying Colours 5: Slow Marching Band 6: Broadsword 7: Pussy Willow 8: Watching Me Watching You 9: Seal Driver 10: Cheerio 11: Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow [*] 12: Jack A Lynn [*] 13: Mayhem, Maybe [*] 14: Too Many Too [*] 15: Overhang [*] 16: Rhythm in Gold [*] 17: I Am Your Gun [*] 18: Down at the End of Your Road [*]

"I'll Pour A Cup To You My Darling"
S. "Raise it up - say Cheerio" - thus ends the original release of Jethro Tull's "Broadsword and the Beast", one of the groups best albums, though long overlooked in the U. The remastered version of the album though, doesn't end there and instead carries on for eight additional bonus tracks and nearly 30 minutes of additional music. Bonus tracks can be a blessing or a curse, and one can find examples of each type within those included here, but as long as one can program their CD playback they are usually appreciated even if they are only listened to on rare occasions.

The original album is one of Tull's best, up there with the likes of any of the numerous ones which are often mentioned as being their best. From each of the albums two near-title tracks to the paranoid "Watching Me Watching You" to the closing toast "Cheerio", it is full of strong and very listenable tracks. No doubt some have gone in and out of my personal favor at times, but each one has something which draws the listener in and all have those wonderful lyrics which make them uniquely Ian Anderson's.

The album opens with "Beastie", one of those near-title tracks and a song about people's private fears summed up nicely in the lyric:

"If you wear a warmer sporran, you can keep the foe at bay.
You can pop those pills and visit some psychiatrist who'll say:
There is nothing I can do for you, every where's a danger zone.
I'd love to help get rid of it, but I've got one of my own. "

This is followed by "The Clasp", a song about the ritual of shaking hands, or more accurately about those who are afraid to do so. Next is the delightful "Fallen On Hard Times", a song for all times really which discusses people's mistrust of politicians and the political process, i. e. "come clean for once and hit us with the truth. " "Flying Colors" deals with ex-lovers who seem to take pleasure in showing off their disagreements in public. "Slow Marching Band" closes the first half of the album with a song about people who are parting ways.

The second half of the album opens with the other near-title track "Broadsword", a nice historical number which brings images to the listener's mind of defending against a Viking attack, or more generally can be about any man protecting his family. "Pussy Willow" is a song about a young woman who is more excited by her fantasy world than she is her real life. "Watching Me Watching You" has a completely different musical feel than most of the album, and seems to be a song about the fear of people watching you, or perhaps just the feeling that you are being watched. "Seal Driver" has a rather unusual lyric and one has to wonder if it is about a ship or a woman, which plays off of the switch between women and trains which takes place in the lyric of the previous number. The album then closes with the short "Cheerio", which is the perfect end to a wonderful album.

The bonus tracks open with "Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow", a number which is as strong as the original album, and another of Tull's wonderful Christmas songs in which he so rudely reminds us of the less fortunate instead of the marketing and greed which so often dominates people's thoughts during the holiday season. Next is the wonderful "Jack A Lynn", and the lamenting of being away from one you love. "Mayhem Maybe" is a song from the point of view of fairy-folk and has a nice acoustic sound to it. "Too Many Too" is one of the weaker songs added in, though even a weaker Ian Anderson song still has something to offer. "Overhang" is a solid number, with all the trappings of a Tull number, strong guitar, strong flute, and intriguing lyrics. "Rhythm in Gold" lyrically would probably fit better on "Under Wraps", but musically it fits well here, though is not up to the level of the songs on the original album. "I Am Your Gun" is another of the weaker tracks, though certainly interesting as it is written from the point of a gun. "Down At the End of Your Road" is one of the better bonus tracks, with a humorous lyric and an overall unique feel when compared to the other tracks.

This album had a different lineup for Tull as only Ian Anderson (flute, acoustic guitar, vocals), Martin Barre (electric guitar, acoustic guitar), and Dave Pegg (bass, mandolins, vocals) return from the previous release. The new-comers include Gerry Conway (drums, percussion) who replaced Mark Craney and Peter-John Vettesse (piano, synthesizers) who replaced Eddie Jobson.
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Just A Little Too '80's for Me, I Guess
It also contains a bit more piano than we are used to on a typical Tull record, and a lot more keyboards and synths (those aren't real horns in there). The Broadsword and the Beast - (1982) 18 Tracks (8 bonus) ***� (68:06)

This album starts off with the guitar heavy, rockin' Beastie, which is a good start, as things seem to mellow out a little more on the rest of the album. Also, no long "progressive" numbers. One complaint I have is the complete lack of Mr. Anderson's flute on a number of the tracks. There are plenty of "new" sounds from synthesizers, vocoder, and sequencers. And it definitely has an 80's feel to it, especially when you listen to Watching Me, Watching You with all its keyboard synths and sounds that almost remind me of The Cars.

The problem is that, over-all, this album just doesn't exite me, especially after growing up listening to the classic 70's Tull records. Oh, don't let me bring you down completely, Broadsword does have its moments, but they are just too far and few between for me. I also think much of the lyrics are kind of weak.

The bonus track Mayhem Maybe harkens back to the folky sounds of Songs From the Wood and would be described as the most "classic sounding" song on this record. In fact, more than half of these bonus tracks are right up there on par with the tracks on the original album. According to the liner notes the bonus tracks were recorded at the same sessions and were just not used due to the limitations of the vinyl album (about 50 minutes). So, in this case, these are not your typical "throw away" songs that someone dug out of the trash heap and just put on here as filler. I'm sure that the people who really like this album are the ones that bought it when it originally came out and got used to this modern Tull sound before hearing the old classic style of Aqualung, Stand Up, or Thick as a Brick, etc.

I give it an honest 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 for the Amazon rating.

How Did I Miss This One?
I think it received little or no support from N. The odd thing is I don't remember hearing about this album at all when it came out. Y. radio. When I finally heard the songs , I wondered why only the germans seem to have gotten it. The material here is,in my opinion,very good. The songs run from very powerful to soft and interspective. "Slow Marching Band" is one of Ian's finest and evokes alot of emotion. So many extra tracks too!I agree with another fan that too many compare the various Tull works. In the sense that Ian and company are a "forward thinking" group, I think they always strive for "newness". This may indeed frustrate fans that are looking for "AQUALUNG #2". I also believe that Ian revisits certain "themes" or "motifs" throughout the years that remind one of earlier works.

RogersWorld
It's modern rock meets the Dark Ages with this album's mythical notes and creative lyrics. Being a big Jethro Tull fan, this is one of their best albums, mainly because of the instrumental presentation. Great piece of work!.

The Last Jethro Tull Masterpiece?
I've heard selections from the following album "Under Wraps" when Tull went "techno" and I wondered what they were thinking. Other than Jethro Tull compilations, "The Broadsword and the Beast" is the last cd that I care to own. The heralded "Crest of a Knave" from '87 didn't sound much better, in my opinion, even though I remember when it won a music award for best hard rock/metal album of the year. What a joke! I have three songs from the 1987 album, and none of them really rise above the ever-present synthesizer. Is there any quality Jethro Tull music in the last 20 years? I pretty much stopped listening after "Under Wraps" and "Crest of a Knave. " I have heard a track or two from 1991's "Catfish Rising" and thought Tull might be returning to form, a bit. I just love "Aqualung," "Living in the Past," and everything from "Warchild" to "Broadsword. " I never could appreciate the two concept albums, "Thick as a Brick" or "A Passion Play. " Maybe my attention span just isn't that long? But, overall, I enjoy Jethro Tull music from 1971 to 1981. I wish someone would contact me if there was anything worth hearing over the last couple of decades. I know I haven't spoken much about "Broadsword" in this review, but it was the last album to be sufficiently acoustic for my liking, even though Anderson and Co. were trying out some of the new electronic gadgets of the time. I can't say enough about the music, however. It was very good!.

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.