TO CRY YOU A SONG: A COLLECTION OF TULL TALES (JETHRO TULL TRIBUTE)

What can I tell you about this CD? Well to be honest I picked it up for the names Wetton and Emerson. It surprised me that Emerson and Wetton are are only on one track each. Former Jethro Tull members abound throughout the CD. This is strictly a Robert Berry production for his Magna Carta Records. The production is fluid throughout and the song selection interesting to say the least. Keith Emerson plays Living in the past with Clive Bunker on the drums. It is a nice instrumental and I found myself not missing the lyrics. The CD opens with an original piece A Tull Tale. It takes melodies and parts for many a varied JT song. A nice way to start it out. Aqualung sounds a little jazzy at first but once the guitar joins in it is a classic JT cover. Up the Pool features Roy Harper, another nice touch. Nothing is Easy sounds like a carbon copy to the original. Ian McDonald does a fine job filling in for Ian. John Wetton does a nice job on vocals. No bass for him and no other songs as well. Minstrel in the Gallery sounds nothing like the original song. Robert Berry should have stayed more to the original instead of making it his song. Echolyn does a fine job covering One Brown Mouse. Cat's Squirrel has a nice touch of having Charley Musselwhite on it but goes into Led Zeppelin territory once the blues riffs come out. New Day Yesterday has Kansas Alumni Robby Steinhardt on it. He does justice to the song. A nice touch having violin on it.

I would give this CD a 3.5 for it's all-star members and former JT alumni getting together. A nice CD but not great.