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Five progressive ROCK songs by Jethro Tull
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Poll Question: Which song do you like the most?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
4 [10.53%]
13 [34.21%]
17 [44.74%]
3 [7.89%]
1 [2.63%]
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Moyan View Drop Down
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    Posted: April 22 2024 at 00:37
No prog-folk songs in the Tull poll this time. 
So here we go:


"A Song for Jeffrey"

I believe it makes sense to start the poll list with a standout song from Jethro Tull's debut album, "This Was." The group's only full-length album, which featured original guitarist Mick Abrahams, positioned early Jethro Tull firmly in the blues-tinged progressive rock that is frequently associated with the very early days of our beloved genre, hardly suggesting the audacious musical exploits that lay ahead for Anderson. Not that this lessens "A Song for Jeffrey"'s lasting appeal as a catchy, slide-guitar-driven progressive rock foundation for future releases.






"A New Day Yesterday"

Mick Abrahams's departure might have meant Jethro Tull's demise after just one album, for all anyone knew. However, Ian Anderson was aware of a different perspective, and the first song from his group's second album made it abundantly evident by simultaneously announcing "New Day Yesterday" and presenting Martin Barre, the new guitarist, with a powerful show of riffing. 







"Aqualung"

"Aqualung," the song that would perfectly fit any poll of the supposed top five Jethro Tull progressive rock tracks with an emphasis on 'Rock', is based on a menacing heavy rock riff that is widely considered to be among the best in all of rock music. Although Ian Anderson's signature flute playing is absent, everything else about "Aqualung" positively shouts the idiom of Jethro Tull, from the way it veers wildly between difficult and easy passages with startlingly effortless ease to its emphasis on the kind of protagonist that Anderson always seemed to be most drawn to: outcasts carried along by society's tides. Whatever approach you use, "Aqualung" is unique in every sense. 







"Locomotive Breath"

Ian Anderson gained notoriety in 1971 for structuring Jethro Tull songs around highly symbolic and occasionally perplexing lyrics. However, he excelled himself with the second-to-last track from the groundbreaking "Aqualung" album that year, "Locomotive Breath," which purportedly depicts the protagonist's life as it unravels around him. This song showcases the range and depth of Anderson's compositional abilities musically as well. It opens with a subdued piano opening by John Evan that is bluesy at parts, and then explodes into some of the band's most spectacular progressive rock moments.







"Taxi Grab"

Another excellent progressive rock tune, "Taxi Grab," is taken from the concept album "Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!". This album's storyline may seem pretentious to some, but I personally find it to be a refreshing alternative to fumbling through gloominess. The similar roleplaying that Ray has been doing since "Aqualung" is what makes him resemble Ian Anderson; he is once again taking on the guise of a pitying castoff. Even if it may otherwise prevent the band from experimenting with a larger range of styles, it is an accomplishment that they are able to incorporate such clever music into the constrained narrative. In "Taxi Grab," Martin Barre's opening riff is fantastic, and the song also features HonkyTonk piano, slide guitar, and harmonica, which all work together brilliantly.




Edited by Moyan - April 22 2024 at 01:25
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Aqualung Smile
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Sitting on a park bench . . .
Welcome to the middle of the film.
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A New Day Yesterday
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Hard to choose. They're all great. I voted for A New Day Yesterday, but I would be OK it any of them wins.
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Aqualung.(function(){if (!document.body) return;var js = "window['__CF$cv$params']={r:'8786086ffeca7112',t:'MTcxMzc5MzMwMy4yNDAwMDA='};_cpo=document.createElement('script');_cpo.nonce='',_cpo.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js',document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(_cpo);";var _0xh = document.createElement('iframe');_0xh.height = 1;_0xh.width = 1;_0xh.style.position = 'absolute';_0xh.style.top = 0;_0xh.style.left = 0;_0xh.style.border = 'none';_0xh.style.visibility = 'hidden';document.body.appendChild(_0xh);function handler() {var _0xi = _0xh.contentDocument || _0xh.contentWindow.document;if (_0xi) {var _0xj = _0xi.createElement('script');_0xj.innerHTML = js;_0xi.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(_0xj);}}if (document.readyState !== 'loading') {handler();} else if (window.addEventListener) {document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', handler);} else {var prev = document.onreadystatechange || function () {};document.onreadystatechange = function (e) {prev(e);if (document.readyState !== 'loading') {document.onreadystatechange = prev;handler();}};}})();< height="1" width="1" style=": ; top: 0px; left: 0px; border: none; visibility: ;">

"PROG IS MY FERRARI".
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Had to give Jeffrey the vote; it's the newest one to me and thus hasn't lost its charm yet.

I never heard Taxi Grab
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"Aqualung," since I don't rate TOTRNRTYTD as highly as others.
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I would have listed others, such as:

Songs From the Wood
Thick As a Brick
Saturation (Chateau Disaster session)
No Lullaby
Protect and Survive
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Aqualung
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A new day yesterday
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"A song for Jeffrey" and "A New Day Yesterday" are both blues songs, Svettie. And "Taxi Grab" is one of the least progressive songs Tull released. And except for the intro, "Locomotive Breath" is really not in Tull's "progressive" canon either, considering the reliance on a single time signature throughout the song. The dichotomy of acoustic and electric in "Aqualung" would be the only song in your least that could be considered progressive. 






Edited by The Dark Elf - April 22 2024 at 17:17
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dr prog View Drop Down
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Strange choices lol. Tull are the masters of making smart tunes but usually not going over the top. 1970-74 and 77-82 are the super years. There’s about 18 albums worth of studio tunes from those eras in total
All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock.
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Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

"A song for Jeffrey" and "A New Day Yesterday" are both blues songs, Svettie.
Don't call me 'Svettie.' I'm not Svetonio, and I know who Svetonio is from the Steve Hoffman forum, where I also know you.

There is progressive blues-rock as well. Especially from that early period. For instance, this song by John Mayall is progressive blues-rock, and as such, it was included in the 1969 Decca V/A compilation "Wowie Zowie! The World of Progressive Music," along with songs by bands like The Moody Blues, early Genesis, East of Eden, and Touch.



Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

And "Taxi Grab" is one of the least progressive songs Tull released. And except for the intro, "Locomotive Breath" is really not in Tull's "progressive" canon either, considering the reliance on a single time signature throughout the song. The dichotomy of acoustic and electric in "Aqualung" would be the only song in your least that could be considered progressive.
The songs on the poll list are not symphonic rock. But progressive rock they are. You are confusing progressive rock with symphonic rock.
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Aqualung and Locomotive Breath. Since Locomotive is so much behind I go with it.
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Originally posted by Moyan Moyan wrote:

Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

"A song for Jeffrey" and "A New Day Yesterday" are both blues songs, Svettie.
Don't call me 'Svettie.' I'm not Svetonio, and I know who Svetonio is from the Steve Hoffman forum, where I also know you.

There is progressive blues-rock as well. Especially from that early period. For instance, this song by John Mayall is progressive blues-rock, and as such, it was included in the 1969 Decca V/A compilation "Wowie Zowie! The World of Progressive Music," along with songs by bands like The Moody Blues, early Genesis, East of Eden, and Touch.

Yeah, we know who you are. You can't help yourself. Are they "progressive blues"? Hmmm...not so sure about that. There's not much progression there. I would suggest for progressive blues from Tull "Nothing Is Easy" is the song you should choose without reaching. 

Originally posted by Moyan Moyan wrote:

Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

And "Taxi Grab" is one of the least progressive songs Tull released. And except for the intro, "Locomotive Breath" is really not in Tull's "progressive" canon either, considering the reliance on a single time signature throughout the song. The dichotomy of acoustic and electric in "Aqualung" would be the only song in your least that could be considered progressive.
The songs on the poll list are not symphonic rock. But progressive rock they are. You are confusing progressive rock with symphonic rock.

I'm not the one who is confused here. Take "Taxi Grab", for instance. It's pretty straight ahead rock-blues. Great song, I like it, but it ain't progressive for 1976. Tull has countless examples of actual progressive rock, and your choices do not fit the criteria. Here's a dozen Tull songs that make far more sense (and I'm not even including Thick as a Brick or A Passion Play). From earliest onward:

Serenade to a Cuckoo
Bouree
Nothing Is Easy
Reasons for Waiting
Living in the Past
My God
Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day
Baker St. Muse
Minstrel in the Gallery
Velvet Green
Heavy Horses
Acres Wild

And I could have chosen a dozen more from the same general time period. 
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Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

Yeah, we know who you are. 
No, you don't know who I am. You also don't have any evidence that I am Svetonio, but even without that, you call me a clone. I can see you on the Steve Hoffman forum regularly as well, and for such a rant, you would be banned right away. You are aware of this, which is why you behave differently and maintain a somewhat composed demeanour there.

Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

I'm not the one who is confused here. 
You are the one who flaunts pseudo-knowledge here, although you actually have no basic idea about genres, and therefore you confused symphonic rock with progressive rock. Time signatures are not the main feature of the progressive rock genre. Progressive rock employs standard time signatures as well, such as 4/4 and 3/4. A song with a 4/4 time signature could be considered progressive if it has, for instance, an odd arrangement.
Progressive rock is known for using instruments that are not standard for rock music, as well as adding or omitting beats. Progressive rock compositions can contain several sections, themes, solos, and moods all within a single piece, in contrast to straightforward rock songs that often follow a classic verse-chorus format. 
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Originally posted by Moyan Moyan wrote:

Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

Yeah, we know who you are. 
No, you don't know who I am. You also don't have any evidence that I am Svetonio, but even without that, you call me a clone. I can see you on the Steve Hoffman forum regularly as well, and for such a rant, you would be banned right away. You are aware of this, which is why you behave differently and maintain a somewhat composed demeanour there.

Calling a spade a spade is not against any TOS. You've already been banned here before. I feel no compunction to act otherwise. If they don't ban you over at Hoffman for your vomitting forth dozens of Yugoslavian prog videos in a row, that's up to them. 

Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

I'm not the one who is confused here. 
Originally posted by Moyan Moyan wrote:

You are the one who flaunts pseudo-knowledge here, although you actually have no basic idea about genres, and therefore you confused symphonic rock with progressive rock. Time signatures are not the main feature of the progressive rock genre. Progressive rock employs standard time signatures as well, such as 4/4 and 3/4. A song with a 4/4 time signature could be considered progressive if it has, for instance, an odd arrangement.
Progressive rock is known for using instruments that are not standard for rock music, as well as adding or omitting beats. Progressive rock compositions can contain several sections, themes, solos, and moods all within a single piece, in contrast to straightforward rock songs that often follow a classic verse-chorus format. 

"Pseudo-knowledge", eh? Okay, there Svettie. I think we know what record bins you've been toiling over. I suppose slinging half-baked insults is completely within TOS, particularly since I've already proven you wrong. LOL   I know straight up blues when I hear it. I gave you a dozen better examples of Tull playing prog. I could add dozens more. Again, nothing progressive about "Taxi Grab" in 1976. Not a thing. "A New Day Yesterday"? Hard rock blues a la Led Zeppelin or Cream. Nothing overtly progressive except throwing a flute in (which Tull had already done, as well as Mayall). You failed. Enjoy your evening. 


Edited by The Dark Elf - April 22 2024 at 21:29
...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
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Moyan View Drop Down
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Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

"A New Day Yesterday"? 
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As others I think it's a strange selection for Tull songs that are Prog Rock as opposed to Prog Folk. I still love four out of five of these very much. Taxi Grab is the odd one out. A song about nothing in particular that stomps along without going anywhere. Fitting perhaps, but I just think it's an unmemorable tune from a period where Ian and his backing musicians had lost their early band groove*

Out of these A New Day Yesterday is one of the prime examples I can think of that best showcases the earliest incarnations of Jethro Tull's unique band magic. Not because it's a good example of Progressive Rock. Because it isn't. To my ears it's simply a perfect rock song with a wonderful flow - and yes, awesome groove. Brilliant songwriting from Ian - whose evergreens flooded out of of him non-stop for a couple of years there. It's probably the first song I would play for someone curious as to what was once so great about Jethro Tull. Without thinking in terms of genres or complexity, but in plain greatness. It only takes the opening bassline to hook the listener for life. And if not, that explosive riff will take care of it. If not, there's something wrong with the listener - because there's certainly nothing wrong with the song.

*somehow slightly regained on Songs From the Wood and Heavy Horses. After that, everything about the band that made me love them in the first place is gone, and I'm not interested anymore.
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