BENEFIT

While being a hugely succesful effort on its own, Benefit is slightly inconsistent, and weaker as a whole than Stand Up, if you don't mind me saying so. Nevertheless, it could be argued that this is where Anderson finally found the "classic" Tull sound, and the album is ultimately a bit less blues-oriented. This album has a few of my all time favorite tunes, namely "With You There To Help Me", "Nothing To Say" and "Teacher". That said, some of the songs are a bit forgettable -- it's been a while since I listened to this album, and I can't remember how the melody of "Play In Time" goes. The album is smoother than their earlier works (has a natural flow), and it sounds more professional, but at the same time, I miss the energy of Stand Up and the raw enthusiasm of This Was. A fine collection of songs, this one, and a safe bet for anyone wanting to look into Tull, but possibly not as essential as their future works would turn out to be.