THE BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST

I cannot agree with the notion that this is a "bad" album. I think that long-term Tull fans will not be disappointed by excellent material such as "Beastie," "Clasp," "Fallen on Hard Times," "Broadsword," "Seal Driver," and "Cheerio." Sure, the sound is a little updated, and no longer truly ground-breaking, but much of the magic of earlier classics like Aqualung and Thick as a Brick, in my opinion, had as much to do with the times, and the musical boundaries that were then being broken, as with the music. You can't bring back the past (or keep "Living in the Past"), nor should we expect bands to never "progress" beyond their 70s parameters. (Hence the name of our favourite genre!)

Anyway, I'll step down from my soapbox, and conclude by simply saying that this disc is worthy of inclusion in your Tull collection -- not as good as some of its predecessors, perhaps, but still quite good. It's certainly miles ahead of the two albums that came immediately before and after it: see my review of "Under Wraps."