Ian Anderson: Prog-Rock Douche Or Prolific Genius

[Kristy]

Been searching for something to listen and since this was already in the CD player (I will admit this is not my CD) and since I'm way too lazy to get up off my ass and find something else thought I'd give this a spin.

http://elcuartomundo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/jethro_tull_-_stormwatch_front.jpg

Okay, I've never been one for prog-rock for I always found the genre of music to be completely pretentious and boring belonging to the 70's-era listened only by stoners who hang black light posters up in their parent's basement while cleaning out the resin of their bong sitting listless on that ugly brown and orange furniture. Now some of you may be big fans of this but long-winded "jazz-fusion" inspired mutterings and inane lyrics such as "marlins jump out of the lake and stand there" make me cringe. :uck:

And I've never been one to stand Jethro Tull. Nothing personal, just that every time you tune on the terrestrial radio there is the pentatonic scale of 'Aqualung' being played to death. I'm sure Ian Anderson as a high-caliber musician cannot be argued but for the past hour while listening to this it's kind of freaking me out. Reading all the reviews I could find on this record (even from hard core Tull fans) say 'Stormwatch' isn't one of their best efforts deeming it the "environmental issue concern Tull record" (so?) What gets me is that in the 30 plus years since this was recorded the topics seem to be more prevalent than ever: dependence on (foreign) oil, the greed and rape of landscapes, disregard to eco-systems, people becoming more huddled and condensed in high-density housing dwellings spoon-fed on propaganda and materialism while experiencing a neurotic dread cynicism of a dark time to come that may already be here:

"The big jet rumbles over runway miles that scar the patchwork green where slick tycoons and rich buffoons have opened up the seam of golden nights and champagne flights. Ad-man overkill and in the haze consumer crazed we take the sugar pill."

No reason for this post other than to reiterate this record is creeping me out a bit. Now I can see why Miley is so popular these days.
http://blogs.babble.com/famecrawler/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/miley-cyrus-b_0.jpg
Maybe her hair care products and all that shit she dresses her face with might be harmful to the environment...life goes on.

[lesfunk]

I quite like their Live album "Bursting Out".
Not a big fan of their "dry" early seventies studio sound but hearing the songs performed live is enjoyable to me.

[Blackflag]

I don't like "prog rock." I don't like "Miley Cyrus," either.

[Kristy]

Well, you're too cool for me.

[Blackflag]

Oh, don't be that way. You can hang around with me.

But you'll have to pay for dinner.

[Anonymous]

There is no reason for you to be freaked out while listening to that album. It's not like Ian pulled a Nostradamus.

These same issues were pretty well & alive in the 60s & 70s & probably before that.

It's a form of arrogance to believe that only we are evolved enough to be environmentally conscious & that the generations of yesterday led easy, simpler & carefree lives.

There are many, many people from decades before that have "predicted" stuff that happens today. It's only because they were paying attention, nothing more.

But there is a point & a moral to it: it's been a long, long time since people are worried about the environment & the legacy they're leaving their children. It's also been a long, long time since absolutely nothing changed.

So, Ian will eventually freak out someone in the future, just like he did you.

I remember when I was freaked out by Auclair, back in the early 90s. To my young teenage mind, it seemed the dude had predicted Papa Bush's Iraq war way back in '76, in the pages of Simon du Fleuve (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_du_Fleuve).

Later on, I learned what I wrote here today. I still treasure those books.

Cheers! :bottle:

[Anonymous]

By the way, Wind Up is one of the best songs ever written.

<object width="640" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JZXj20MjNek&hl=pt_PT&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JZXj20MjNek&hl=pt_PT&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="505"></embed></object>

Cheers! :bottle:

[Mr Walker]

Finally, finally, finally going to see Tull this summer!

[tojoro]

Rush is about as far I go into prog. I've given Yes, ELP, Tull and the like a twirl or two and decided it wasn't my cup.
I am thankful for the ipod, as I can disconnect myself from the current 'music' scene and spare my ears the latest 'hits' from acts like Cyrus that will eventually end up on a NOW or Disney comp.
I must be turning into an old fart, because this bass-cannon bullshit makes no sense to me. Sounds like what you use to sell sneakers or soda.
None of this has the brown sound, therefore I have no use for it.
If I want to find out about music that is worth my while, I can stand in Newbury Comics for an hour and read the latest Classic Rock mag for free.
(wish they'd lower the price on that fucker!)
But yeah! I'd take 'Cygnus X-1' or 'La Villa Strangiato' anyday.
Miley can tween her way into oblivion, for all I care....

[Kristy]

There are many, many people from decades before that have "predicted" stuff that happens today. It's only because they were paying attention, nothing more.

So, Ian will eventually freak out someone in the future, just like he did you.

What I always detested about prog rock was the implication of a "concept album" which I thought became too over-used and ridiculous (see: Moody Blues) but maybe Anderson wrote tunes that went beyond the spatiotemporal issues of the day and saw into the future implications of mankind's fate when it comes to fucking around with the environment in which he lives. 'Stormwatch' is a bit creepy in that you can place it in all to perfect with all that is going on in the world today and we haven't paid attention to our shortcomings to act upon them. Yeah, that made no sense, either but good point there, Imapus.

[Blackflag]

Rush is not "prog rock." Rush fucking rules.

[BITEYOASS]

BTW when is Tony Iommi going to do another collaboration w/Jethro Tull?

YouTube - Tony Iommi in Jethro Tull (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBmXacFgUBs)

[Anonymous]

What I always detested about prog rock was the implication of a "concept album" which I thought became too over-used and ridiculous (see: Moody Blues) but maybe Anderson wrote tunes that went beyond the spatiotemporal issues of the day and saw into the future implications of mankind's fate when it comes to fucking around with the environment in which he lives. 'Stormwatch' is a bit creepy in that you can place it in all to perfect with all that is going on in the world today and we haven't paid attention to our shortcomings to act upon them. Yeah, that made no sense, either but good point there, Imapus.

I hear what you're saying about concept albums. You basically come up with a ridiculous concept, record a basic-nothin'-really-new-except-tossing-in-some-bagpipes-here-and-there-though-it's-also-ben-done-before album & you get to label yourself as "prog-rock".

Actually, the best concept albums are NOT prog rock. King Diamond, for example. Some really good stories in his catalogue.

By the way, it's not that we didn't pay attention to our shortcomings... it's just that we've always been powerless to change anything.

And it goes on today. If there's been many people with limited time & resources who were able to come up with semi-viable alternatives to fossil fuels, isn't it quite logical to believe that there could very well exist extremely viable prototypes developed by those who DO have the resources to do it? Yet, it will only change when petroleum itself becomes an non-viable fuel & again, we are powerless to do anything about it.

Well, one could, theoretically, try to rise above the crowd, become a leader & try to steer the world in the right direction. But one would suffer an "accident" long before that happened.

So, here's the moral I forgot to post up there:

Enjoy yourself & stop worrying about things you cannot change.

Unless you manage to translate your concerns to an art form, that is. Then you can make a shitload of money, enjoy yourself & stop worrying about things you cannot change.

Cheers! :bottle:

[Mr Badguy]

Rush is not "prog rock." Rush fucking rules.

Rush IS prog rock, in fact they are one of the best examples.

Prog isn`t just about concept albums and 20 minute songs, in many ways those aren`t "progressive" as they`ve been done.

Prog rock, IMO, is taking your style of rock music where noone else has been, which Rush always try to do.

So you DO like prog rock!

:biggrin:

[Mr Badguy]

I don`t think it`s fair to lump Ian Anderson into the prog rock camp.

This is a man who writes SONGS, whereas prog is often instrument and wierd time signature based.

True, Tull did make some archetypal "progressive" albums in the early 70`s, but anyone who is a fan knows Tull wandered the spectrum of rock, from the folky late 70`s "Songs from the wood" to the heavy synthed "Under wraps" and Dire Straits styled "Crest of a knave".

The man is definetly an artist, watch him solo with an acoustic guitar doing "Life`s a long song", "Jack in the green" or, as Imapus Sylicker says, "Wind up" to fully appeciate his talent.

Tell me this isn`t a good song:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J43k7lUetA8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J43k7lUetA8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Mr Badguy]

Here is the proof:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O-Zt40qu9vc&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O-Zt40qu9vc&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Blackflag]

Rush IS prog rock, in fact they are one of the best examples.

Prog isn`t just about concept albums and 20 minute songs, in many ways those aren`t "progressive" as they`ve been done.

Prog rock, IMO, is taking your style of rock music where noone else has been, which Rush always try to do.

So you DO like prog rock!

:biggrin:

NO!!

I'm not listening to you! la la la la la

[ELVIS]

it's just that we've always been powerless to change anything.



Hahahahaha...

[binnie]

That was a great review Kristy. Try as I might, I've just never been able to get into Jethro Tull, or Yes for that matter. I can't put my finger on what it is I don't like - I love King Crimson, ELP and newer prog-esque bands like The Mars Volta, Porcupine Tree and Tool, but there's something about Jethro Tull that just leaves me cold......

[Kristy]

Try as I might, I've just never been able to get into Jethro Tull, or Yes for that matter. I can't put my finger on what it is I don't like...

Could be a lot of Tull's music seems like it's been pulled from the mid-17th Century (European) Renaissance period emphasizing on the art and the polyphony rhythms of that age (even in Tull's early days did they dress like wandering minstrels).

I'm not a big fan of theirs myself but have been listening to some of Tull's work in the mid to late 70's (which I think was their best) like 'Songs From The Wood', 'Heavy Horses', and 'Minstrel In The Gallery' which all surround themselves on a basic conceptual theme of booming industry and the loss of nature that goes with it, greed, commercial cynicism, and even themes of BDSM:

"Crop handle carved in bone, sat high upon a throne of finest English leather..." :umm:

Tull pretty much wrote the book of the concept album which was the genesis (no pun intended) of all prog rock no matter how absurd or pretentious it became.

http://www.avclub.com/assets/images/articles/article/2150/Yes_1.jpg

One good point I will say about Tull is that Anderson kept both the music and lyrics on a cerebral path rather than straying off into the abstract and inane - lyrics-wise. Again, marlins jumping out of a lake...:squirts:

And Rush were definitely prog. They still are to this day (Just listen to 'Roll The Bones in which all the songs bases themselves on the subject(s) of gambling, fate and death) Problem is is that prog was solely an English invention and whether or not prog took all the fun out of rock 'n' roll and turned into a boring "art form" is another argument but Rush did borrow heavy on the English standard of concept rock and symbolism only they kept to more of a hard rock style of playing in most cases.

[Anonymous]

Hahahahaha...

What?

Cheers! :bottle:

[Anonymous]

By the way, I think Mr. Badguy is right.

Jethro Tull may have been clumped up in the "Prog rock" bullshit, but I don't think that's ever been Ian's intention.

He's always leaned to a more medieval shtick anyway. At least at first. His flute in many songs reflects that, more than any "progressive" tendencies.

By the way, doesn't "progressive rock" sound like a corporate buzzphrase? Or "nu metal".

Cheers! :bottle:

[Anonymous]

And what's that all about with "marlins jumping out of lakes" anyway?

Can't understand that.

Cheers! :bottle:

[Kristy]

Well, I'm fucked: the correct line is "Mountains come of of the sky and they stand there."

For the longest time I thought they sung "marlins" Time to get my hearing checked.

[Anonymous]

Oh, you mean these lyrics:

Yes Lyrics To Be Added To New Testament | The Onion - America's Finest News Source (http://www.theonion.com/articles/yes-lyrics-to-be-added-to-new-testament,966/)

Cheers! :cheers:

[Mr Walker]

Anyone pick up the Live at MSG 1978 CD/DVD?
Hard to remember that they used to be that huge of a draw.

[Mr Badguy]

Anyone pick up the Live at MSG 1978 CD/DVD?
Hard to remember that they used to be that huge of a draw.

It`s easy to see when you watch it, they were a phenomenal band at the time, maybe the best they ever were.

Anderson was also an incredible performer as well, it`s hard to take your eyes off of him.

The only problem is it`s too short, but kudos to Ian for including the whole show in audio.

Tull are the 70`s best kept secret.