Paul McCartney - McCartney - Review

Songs: The Lovely Linda, That Would Be Something, Valentine Day, Every Night, Hot as Sun/Glasses, Junk, Man We Was Lonely, Oo You, Momma Miss America, Teddy Boy, Singalong Junk, Maybe I’m Amazed, Kreen-Akrore.

Comments:

On his first solo album, recorded at his London home studio, Paul sings, plays all the instruments and took care of the production, only assisted from time to time by the Lovely Linda with some harmony vocals. 

Rumor has it that there was simply not enough time to record in a professional studio as Paul wanted to be the first Ex-Beatle to release a solo album. One could also argue that Paul, like John, wanted to take a break from the rich Abbey Road and Let It Be production style and return to a more basic, almost home made concept. 

I’m sure Paul was a bit frustrated as well when the Beatles broke up. But, unlike John, he doesn’t seem to need a scream therapy to get even with things. He sounds very relaxed and down to earth on the album, not driven by commercial pressure but simply trying out some musical ideas.

Those ideas seldom mature into full songs. When they do, they are great. The best of them all is the well known rocker Maybe I’m Amazed, a song that should have done credit to the Let It Be album. But Every Night, That Would be Something and Junk are little jewels as well with simple but beautiful melodies.

Mostly however the songs are fragments of ideas, often instrumentals. That does not make them all bad, mind you. Henry Mancini would have been proud to have written Singalong Junk as the main theme for a romantic movie. And Valentine Day holds his own easily. Only the overlong Momma Miss America and the drum experiment Kreen Akrore are below par.

There are two catchy songs Hot as Sun/Glasses and Man We Was Lonely that could have been big hits if they would have been recorded by a pop group like New Seekers or Brotherhood of Man. It’s a pity that Man He Was Lonely has a Country & Western/Drinking Song Chorus because I love the verses and Paul’s guitar on the song.

Besides Maybe I’m Amazed there’s one other rocker on the album that could have been part of the Let It Be sessions. It’s called Oo You and it reminds me of Get Back.

Paul’s music on McCartney sounds just as honest to me as John’s statements on his debut album. They are just two very different kind of guys. The only thing they seem to share is musical talent and even there they are completely different. That makes the Beatles music as good as it is. It’s also the reason why a lot of their solo work is less stunning. Without Paul, John gets too serious. And without John, Paul gets to cheesy. Not so on this, his first solo album. Despite the raw home made character or maybe thanks to that, McCartney is a great listen that does not get boring easily

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Although some of the songs are below par on an individual basis, they do not break the flow of the album. 

Who should buy this Record: This is Essential Paul McCartney. Highly recommended.

Macallan 10 Years Sherry Oak Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Macallan Sherry Oak

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age:  10 Years 

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 29/04/2012

Colour: Pale Gold/Sauternes

Nose: Light. First impressions are Toffee, Malt, Oak and some Sherry. Buttered Toast with Orange - or Apricot Marmalade. Apple Pie with Cinnamon. Very light Peat.

Taste: Sherry is a bit more present now. Toffee, Baked Apple. Nuts and Butter. Very light Spices.

Finish: Middle Long. Sweet at first with Sherry, Honey, Toffee, Sultanas and Cinnamon but dry towards the end with Oak, Malt and hints of Ginger.

I added a few drops of water and you get more Apple Pie and some Floral Notes on the Nose. On the Palate this Malt becomes slightly bitter and the Finish does not benefit as well. Better drink this Macallan straight although you can experiment with a few drops while Nosing.

Rating: 84 

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21 – Finish: 21 – Overall: 21

General Remarks: This Single Malt matures exclusively in Sherry Oak Casks from Jerez in Spain. The Macallan Distillery was one of the pioneers in Sherry Cask Single Malts.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: I’d heard a lot of good things about this Single Malt. It was supposed to be the Single Malt against which all others would be measured. I don’t agree with that. I find this Single Malt to be too dominated by Toffee /Caramel. I would have expected more influence of the Oloroso Casks but apparently getting good Sherry Casks is difficult and/or expensive these days. This Macallan could also do with a bit more of the Floral Tones that very good Speysiders offer. It’s certainly an enjoyable Single Malt but it does not deserve its fame. Maybe it was great once but today I would qualify it as merely good.

Jan van den Ende                                                           April 2012

Pink Floyd - Ummagumma - Review

Studio Album: Sysyphus Part I – Part II – Part III – Part IV, Grantchester Meadows, Several Species of Small Furry Animals 

 Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict, The Narrow Way Part I – Part II – Part III, The Grand Vizier´s Garden Party Part I (Entrance) – Part II (Entertainment) – Part III (Exit).

  

Live Album: Astronomy Domine, Careful with that Axe  Eugene, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, A Saucerful of Secrets.

Type of Music: Psychedelic Avant Garde Folk-Rock   

Comments:

I – Studio Album.

Ummagumma (Slang for Sex) is probably the weirdest Album in the Pink Floyd Collection. The Studio Album is basically a collection of sounds and sound effects where each member of the band is getting the chance to “ shine” and experiment. Why the guys wanted to make an album like this? They were probably trying to figure out which way to go after Syd's departure from the band. Let's see if we all can come up with new musical ideas. We can then hand pick the best ideas and use them as a basis for our future musical direction as a band. Could be. Or maybe they were just a gang of ego trippers at the time who wanted to experiment with progressive Avant Garde Music and Studio Effects. It certainly became an experimental Album. If you compare it to More, it contains less actual music than that Sound-Track. In my opinion, most of the music on Ummagumma is interesting to hear for a couple of times but you won't spin this CD every week. It also sounds a bit dated when you listen to it now. But that does not mean it's a bad album. There are enough interesting musical ideas to be found.

The first suite is called Sysyphus and was written by Richard Wright. It´s  avant garde music and reminds me of a classical piano piece recorded in the Jungle. It's about a figure from the Greek mythology that has to push a rock up a hill in Hades, the Underworld. When he finally manages to get to the top, the rock rolls back again and a new effort starts. The music of course is trying to accompany this effort. Richard was obviously influenced by Arab music at this point in time, as first noticed in Set the Control for the Heart of the Sun.

David Gilmour wrote The Narrow Way, basically a guitar piece, sometimes nice and calm, sometimes quite distorted and ending with a vocal part. David plays all the instruments and takes care of the vocals. This is a strong song and it could have easily fitted on the  soundtrack More.

Nick Mason is responsible for The Grand Vizier´s Garden Party a percussion solo with electronic side effects. It' s interesting sometimes but boring in other instants. The flute , played by his wife at the time, is rather nice.

Between Sysyphus and The Narrow Way we get two surprises. The first is a gentle folk song called Grantchester Meadows, written by Roger Waters. The perfect song to wake you up on a beautiful morning in spring. It is an ode to the British country side and is filled with sound effects. It could have been a song written by Simon & Garfunkel. It might be a bit overlong but it's very relaxing. The second one,called Small Furry Animals etc, is not really a song but it's extremely funny and well-made. Sometimes it sounds like a speech by Mussolini, held in a cave for an assembled multitude of rats and bats.

In summary, this is not Pink Floyd for the casual listener. It certainly is not the place to start your Pink Floyd collection. But if you are a true fan there is enough to discover on this Studio Album.

Rating: ******* (7 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

II- Live Album.

Now this is a different story altogether! Only four songs on this Live Album but they are cooking! Three of them we already know from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and A Saucerful of Secrets. The fourth song, an instrumental, reminds Eugene to be Careful with that Axe. It is a perfect Pink Floyd song that has everything that made this band great.  The other three songs are longer, faster and more exciting than the studio versions. The Sound Quality is excellent, even more so after having being Re-Mastered. In short, a great Live Album that justifies buying the Ummagumma set.    

Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Given the differences between the Studio - and the Live Album I have rated both records separately.

Who should buy this Record:  The Studio Album is for Fans Only. The Live Album however is Essential Pink Floyd and one of the best Classic Rock Live Albums around. Look for a Special offer of the Remastered Double Set.

Yes - Fragile - Review

Songs: Roundabout, Cans and Brahms, We Have Heaven, South Side Of The Sky, Five Per Cent For Nothing, Long Distance Runaround, The Fish (Shindleria Praematurus), Mood For A Day, Heart Of The Sunrise. 

Type of Music: Prog/Rock

Comments:

This was the 4th Yes Album and the first one with Keyboard Player Rick Wakeman who thoroughly enhanced the sound of the band. Without any doubt this is one of the best and most successful prog-rock albums in history. And you know why? I’ll tell you. Firstly because it’s one of the few prog-rock albums that’s not only progressive but also accessible. Just a bunch of excellent songs packed in art-rock arrangements. And secondly because Yes scored a big hit single with Roundabout, something very rare indeed in the Prog-Rock world. But the public loved the short version, went on to buy the album, adored the original version and liked the rest of the album as well. It went Gold in the USA. 

Is it the perfect album then? Well, No. The reason is that five from the nine songs on Fragile actually aren’t songs but rather short musical impressions. Each member of the band contributes with one such an impression, naturally focused on the instrument the particular band member is playing.

Thus Rick Wakeman does Brahms. Jon Anderson showcases his voice on the Chant We Have Heaven. Bill Bruford gives us a very short percussion based theme while Chris Squire provides a bass riff that’s called The Fish. Finally, Steve Howe’s Mood For A Day is a very gentle Spanish influenced acoustic guitar tune.

And while none of them is actually bad, I could have easily lived without them with the possible exception of Cans and Brahms and Mood for a Day. 

Still they only serve as a link between the four real songs on Fragile. Of course everybody is familiar with Roundabout. To me this is the perfect rock song. I simply enjoy it every time I hear it, no matter how many times it is played on Classic Rock Radio Stations. The interplay between bass and drums is just great. The song ranks number 2 in my Classic Rock Top 1000.

The same magic of bass and vocals can be heard on Long Distance Runaround. And the melody is real strong as well!

The album closer Heart of the Sunrise is eleven minutes long but it’s worth every second of it. I’m sure you recognise the Sharp…….Distance part of the chorus if you hear it. The last of the great four is South Side of the Sky. It’s faster and a bit more furious. Like Emerson Lake & Palmer on the Rocks!

The Album was Re-Mastered in 1995 and the sound quality is great!

But do I really need to make propaganda for this album? You already own it don’t you? What? You don’t? Shame on You!

Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record: Everyone! This is Essential Yes and one of the great Prog-Rock Albums of all times.

Logan De Luxe 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Logan De Luxe

Bottled by White Horse Distillers, Glasgow

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Colour:  Golden

Nose: Grains, Biscuit, Caramel, Malt, Oak, Sharp Alcohol, Light Peat and hints of Leather. The Alcohol makes it difficult to determine the individual flavors. I find a bit of Honey and a sweet Floral tone in the back of the glass but they are being dominated. The Nose is certainly not unpleasant but I was expecting juicy sweet Fruit – and Honey tones that the Speyside Malts normally present. I also can’t detect the Smoke from the Lagavulin.

Taste: Sweet Grain, Caramel, Sugar, Light Spice. Not too much going on here but highly drinkable.

Finish: Sweet with a bit of Pepper, Licorice and Green Apples.

When adding three drops of water you get more floral tones on the Nose. On the Palate I couldn’t find a lot of changes, The Finish gets a bit sweeter. You can experiment with a few drops to see what’s best for you.

Rating: 82 

Nose: 20.5 – Taste: 21.5 – Finish: 19.5 – Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: White Horse Distillers is owned by the Diageo Group. On Diageo’s Web-Site however I couldn’t find a thing about Logan. So I wouldn’t be surprised if this Blend were to be discontinued. The Blend was first introduced by Sir Peter Mackie who also created the White Horse Blend. It was named after James Logan, a one time Scotch Whisky blender. Logan is blended using the Single Malts Lagavulin (Islay), Glen Elgin and Craigellachie (Speyside)

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: 

Lately I have been complaining a lot about the fact that, in general, the lower end Blended Scotch Whiskies are boring and without any challenge. Today I won’t do that. And not because of the fact that the Logan represents a lot of challenges because it doesn’t. It lacks Fruit and Honey and Smoke despite the Single Malts that form its heart. Grain and Caramel rule here. But despite all this I still enjoyed Logan while it’s completely and utterly drinkable. And that at a reasonable price. Let’s hope that Diageo maintains the Logan 12 in its product range but to be honest I fear for the worst. The old-fashioned bottle and presentation are likely to be swallowed by the new JW Range. Sad but probably true!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    April 21,  2012

Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request - Review

Songs: Sing this all Together, Citadel, In Another Land, 2000 Man, Sing this all Together(See What Happens), She’s a Rainbow, The Lantern, Gomper, 2000 Light Years from Home, On with the Show

Type of Music: Late Sixties Psychedelic Pop/Rock 

Comments:

Let me start by saying that I like this Album a lot.  A lot of people have compared it to Sgt. Pepper at the time and many still consider it to be the Stones answer to that record. As a general rule, Sgt. Pepper was considered a better effort and, as a result, Their Satanic Majesties Request became the forgotten Rolling Stones Record. As such, it is pretty underrated in my mind.

In the first place, this album is not really comparable to Sgt. Pepper. Only She’s a Rainbow would have fitted on Sgt. Pepper. And only George Harrison’s Within You Without You and, maybe, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds would fit on Satanic.

No, to me Satanic is the Jagger/Richards interpretation of the Summer of Love, with strong early Pink Floyd influences. And it’s much more of a concept-album than Sgt. Pepper as it maintains more or less the same atmosphere throughout the record.

Because of that you’re not going to listen to this album each and every week. Jams like Sing this all together (See what Happens) and Gomper are simply too long, too spacey and too messy to enjoy too often. It’s one of those records that you will forget about, find again after a year or two and give it another spin. You won’t regret it.

You know why? Because if you forget all the strange sound effects Satanic is just a good Rock Record. The opener Sing this all together is a nice pop song. And Citadel is one of the great Stones Rockers. What a pity that almost nobody knows it!

Bill Wyman wrote In Another Land and also sings the verses that remind me of Sitting on a Fence. It was the only time Bill sang a song on a Stones Record. You’ll survive it!! But pay attention to the excellent chorus sang by Mick.

What else do we have? I consider The Lantern, Gomper and 2000 Man okay, though not great. And the Album closer On with the Show is the only reason that could explain why people keep comparing this record to Sgt. Pepper.

Did I save the best for last? Yes, I did. Without any doubt She’s a Rainbow is a perfect pop song and 2000 Light Years From Home is a haunting psychedelic anthem that beats David Bowie’s Space Oddity by a 100 runs. 

So that’s Satanic in a nutshell. Not too many people like it or know it. But I consider it a great Warming Up for the best Rolling Stones period that now lies just around the corner. Stay Tuned!!!

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record: Stones Fans for Sure. And if you like early Pink Floyd, you should buy this one as well!!

McClelland's Islay Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: McClelland’s

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Islay

Age: Not specified but most likely around 5 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 19/04/2012

Colour: Pale Gold/Amber

Nose: Peat, Dirt, Light Smoke, Leather and Tobacco. Young Oak, Brine and harsh Alcohol are there as well. A faint hint of Chocolate, Lemon and Dried Fruits. As so often, the Nose is the (slightly) better part of this Whisky. The smell reminds you of a young Bowmore but without the sweet tones that make most Islay whiskies such delicious spirits.

Taste: Medicinal, Metallic, Hot Pepper, Alcohol, Rough Green Wood, Earth, bit of Sugar. Misses Fruit and sweet Malt. Unbalanced and not overly pleasant.

Finish: Hot bite on the tongue, Bitter and Dry. Bitter Dirt/Earth and Wet Leather remain for quite a while. Not very pleasant.

I added a few drops of water and the Nose becomes milder. The Smoke and Leather retreat. The Peat remains with hints of white Chocolate. The palate also benefits somewhat because the Pepper and Alcohol are watered down. The Finish is less hot. This Malt accepts some water but the overall impression on the Palate remains rather unpleasant.

Rating: 72

Nose: 19 – Taste: 18 – Finish: 17– Overall: 18

General Remarks: A McClelland’s Distillery does not exist. It’s a series of 5 Single Malt Whiskies from the main Scottish production areas. Four of them, the Highland, the Lowland, the Speyside and the Islay are NAS or Non-Age Specified. In 2008, a Speyside 12 Years was added. McClelland’s Parent company is Morrison Bowmore Distilleries (Suntory Group). They are the owners of Auchentoshan (Lowland), Bowmore (Islay) and Glen Garioch (Highland), so it is safe to say that this expression was distilled at Bowmore. McClelland’s main markets are the USA, Canada, Japan and France.

Drinking Experience Neat: Average

Conclusion: I think the makers of this Blend have focused too much on the Peat, Dirt and Ashes part of the Islay characteristics. There are no sweet Fruity and/or Sherry tones to be found and because of that this Single Malt is not well balanced. The young Alcohol gives an unwanted bite on the Finish. This Single Malt is really cheap at around US$ 25. Unfortunately, half the price means that you also get only half of an Islay. And that’s not good enough for me!

Jan van den Ende                                               April 2012

John Lennon -Plastic Ono Band- 1970 - Review

John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band - 1970

Songs: Mother, Hold On, I Found Out, Working Class Hero, Isolation, Remember, Love, Well Well Well, Look at Me, God, My Mummy’s Dead. 

Type of Music: Rock/Folk

Comments:

In 1970, John Lennon wanted the world to know that he was displeased and frustrated. About his childhood, his parents, his fans, politics, social inequality, Elvis, Bob Dylan and even the Beatles. Only Yoko Ono escaped from his anger, probably because she had ordered him to do so!

Or maybe because he thought he really loved her or…really loved her or…

Now John could have told us all about that but apparently that was not good enough. Therefore John Lennon’s first and unique solo album became one big frustrated scream. Let it all hang out man as they said back in the seventies.

The danger existed of course that John’s scream would have been hard to listen to. Fortunately that's not the case because he was still able to write mighty good rockers and tender piano ballads, all stylistically close to the songs on Let it Be. And he invited Ringo to play drums! His drumming is an important part of this Album and confirms that he is  one of the great Rock Drummers.      

Sometimes, like in Well Well Well , John´s therapy starts to be a bit annoying. And I’m really sorry about John’s Mum but that does not make My Mummy’s Dead a great song even considering it was taped in the kitchen of Yoko´s Sushi Restaurant. And I’m not too keen on Remember. It reminds me too much of Bring it on Home to Me and even copies part of the lyrics of that song.

But in general, I have few complaints about this album. The Re-Mastered Sound Quality is excellent and most of the songs are quite strong. I have to warn you that it’s not an easy album to listen to. The church bells that open the album are an indication of the doom that follows. But Rock Songs like Mother, I Found Out and Isolation are well written and produced. And Hold On, Love and Look at Me are gentle ballads. When listening to Love I can hear the idea of Imagine being formed.

My favorite tune on the Album however is the Dylan pastiche Working Class Hero, a very realistic picture of some of the characteristics of our social structure.

The Re-Mastered version offers a booklet with some photos of John & Yoko, all the lyrics, apparently in John’s Handwriting and two bonus songs. One is the strong revolutionary single Power to the People. The other one is an invitation to Do the Oz. Unfortunately I have to gracefully decline this invitation.

I don’t recall having ever heard such a personal record. It’s really unique in that sense. John never repeated the procedure so apparently he was cured. And that, I’m sorry to say, proved to be a loss for Classic Rock Music.  

Bonus Tracks: Power to the People, Do the Oz.

Who should buy this Record: This is Essential John Lennon! It is also a unique album. As such it should be part of every Classic Rock Collection.

Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Sheep Dip Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Sheep Dip

Bottled by Spencerfield Spirit Company, Inverkeithing

Type: Blended Malt Whisky

Age: 8-12 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 14-04-2012

Colour:  Gold/Copper

Nose: Combination of light Peat with Fresh Fruit (Melon, Orange, Pear maybe) and Dried Fruits (Apple, Sultanas). I also find Grains, Malt, Hay, some Oak and lightly salted Almonds.

Taste: Sweet delivery with lots of Brown Sugar, Honey, Toffee, Oak and Light Spices.

Finish: Sweet with Honey, Vanilla, light Spices, Cocoa and a touch of Orange liquor lingering for a minute or two.

When adding a couple of drops of water you get a little bit additional fresh fruit on the nose. Taste wise you just water it down and it gets slightly bitter so my advice is to drink this Vatted Blend straight.

Rating:  84,5 

Nose 21– Taste 21– Finish 21– Overall 21,5

General Remarks: Alex Nicol, who used to work for Whyte and Mackay, Laphroaig and Glenmorangie, founded The Spencerfield Spirit Company. The Sheep Dip Blend was prepared by Richard Paterson of Whyte and Mackay fame. British farmers have long referred to whisky as Sheep Dip. There was a time when farmers distilled their own “home-made” whisky and in order to avoid paying taxes they hid the whisky in barrels marked “Sheep Dip”. It contains 16 Single Malts from the main four Scottish production regions (Mostly Highlands and Speyside) that have aged in First Fill Oak Barrels. The sheep on the label looks more like an angry dog by the way!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: This is a very nice Malt Blend with a Highland nose and Speyside characteristics on the Palate. It’s very well balanced although I would have preferred to get at least a hint of smoke. There’s some Peat on the Nose and a little bit of Salt that suggest that an Islay - and/or Island – and/or coastal Distillery was married into this Blend. This Blend is not for Islay addicts but if you dig Speysiders and Highlanders, this is a safe choice at a reasonable price!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     April 2012

Tomintoul 10 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Tomintoul

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age: 10 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 11/04/2012

Colour: Pale Gold.

Nose: Malt, Oak, Baked Apples, Buttered Toast. There is some Alcohol there so you have to try and get around it. A bit of Custard or Vanilla, Nuts and Light Spices. There are some Floral and Grassy tones but I find it difficult to define them.

Taste: The delivery is smooth but on the light side. Brown Sugar, Toasted Grains, Honey, Malt, Toffee. Light Spices (Cinnamon).

Finish: Middle Long with Almonds, Lemon, Malt and Honey. Spices (Nutmeg and Crave) and Apples hang in there for quite a while. Dry towards the end.

With a couple of drops of water the Nose gains more Floral tones and Toasted Barley. On the Palate it eases down the spices but it becomes a little too watery for my taste. You can experiment with a couple of drops but don’t overdo it!

Rating:  83

Nose: 21 – Taste: 20,5 – Finish: 21 – Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: This distillery only started its operations in 1964 and has been released as a Single Malt since 1973. Its nickname is The Gentle Dram. The distillery is located close to the river Avon, some 13 kilometres outside the village of Tomintoul. Since 2000 the distillery is owned by Angus Dundee Distillers PLC, London.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: This whisky deserves its nickname although it’s actually quite spicy in the finish. This is certainly not a bad Single Malt but I don’t think it’s balanced enough. The Malt and Toast are too present on the nose and so is the Brown Sugar on the palate. I miss Fruit and Sherry and sweet Vanilla. On the other hand, there are nice Spices to be found in here. No complaints there. The Finish is certainly interesting. So to sum it all up: I’m glad I had the chance to try it out but I won’t go after a full bottle of the Tomintoul 10 Years. I will try to find some other expressions of this Distillery though!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    April 11, 2012

Jethro Tull - Inside - Review

Jethro Tull - Inside - 1970

Songs: With You There to Help Me, Nothing to Say, Alive and Well and Living In, Son, For Michael Collins Jeffrey and Me, To Cry You a Song, A Time for Everything, Inside, Play in Time, Sossity You´re a Woman.  

Type of Music: (Hard) Rock with bits and pieces of Folk and Psychedelic Rock.

Comments:

What a different record when compared to Stand Up. The atmosphere is dark and sometimes somewhat depressing but at the same time very coherent. Part of this surely stems from the fact that John Evan joined the Tull on keyboards. This gave Martin Barre more confidence and Artistic Freedom and he used it to our Benefit. 

Ian Anderson clearly did not like the Commercial Pressure put on the band after the success of Stand Up and reacted by delivering Benefit, a non-conformist Hard Rock Album. Yes, you heard me quite right. It´s mainly Hard Rock and quite good as well. The Tull is vastly underrated as a Hard Rock Band as most of the attention tends to go to Ian and his Flute. Not that Ian minds that by the way. He must be one of the Biggest Egos in Musical History.

His flute of course does make the difference between the Tull and your common Hard Rock Band. A good example is the very strong Album opener With You There to Help Me, a duel between Ian´s Flute and Martin´s Guitar that ends in a draw after a very exciting match.

Benefit suffers a bit from the lack of recognisable Riffs. As a result the songs tend to leave your brains just as quick as they enter. But they also grow on you with time and that’s the main reason that this Album gets regular spins in my CD Player. Other great songs include Play in Time and the single Inside, the only somewhat lighter composition on the album with Ian´s Flute seemingly floating through the song. Great bass from Glenn Cornick as well. 

Inside is mostly forgotten, released as it was between the giants Stand Up and Aqualung. And although it´s gloomy and dark and maybe sometimes a bit pretentious, it contains some great music and certainly deserves more attention than it usually gets. People who enjoy Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath will not be disappointed by this Album.  

At the end of the Sixties and begin Seventies , JT also released many good singles. Two of them, Witch´s Promise and Teacher are included in the Remastered version released in 2001, together with Singing All Day and Just Trying to Be.

The two singles are extremely catchy Prog-Rock songs and those two songs alone already justify buying the Remastered Version of Benefit.

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  This is not the place to start your Tull collection. However if you prefer Tull´s Hard Rock side above the Prog-Rock and/or Folk side, Inside is for you.

Bonus Tracks: Singing All Day, Witch´s Promise, Just Trying To Be, Teacher.