TOO OLD TO ROCK 'N' ROLL: TOO YOUNG TO DIE!

Jethro Tull is a progressive folk/rock band which was formed in Blackpool, Lancashire, England in 1967. Their music is marked initially by the soulful and bluesy, and a later expressively idiosyncratic vocal style and unique lead flute work of frontman Ian Anderson, and their notable guitarist Martin Barre. Their songs feature unusual and often complex construction, incorporating elements of the classic and celtic folk music, as well as art rock and alternative rock. While some other bands influenced them in their early years, they quickly developed a unique, instantly recognizable sound.

'Too Old To Rock'N'Roll: Too Young To Die!' is the ninth studio album of Jethro Tull and was released in 1976. It's a conceptual album. The original concept was about an old fashion rock music star that was retired because no one in the society liked his music anymore. So, he decided to commit suicide, but failed. Because of that he was in a hospital in coma for several years. When he awaked, he discovered the society has changed and his music was popular again.

Relatively to the line up of the band on this album, it's the same of their last four studio albums with the exception of the bassist. After the end of their previous studio album 'Minstrel In The Gallery', the bassist Jeffrey Hammond- Hammond, that was a member of the band since 'Aqualung', quit the band. It was substituted by John Glascock. So, 'Too Old To Rock'N'Roll: Too Young To Die!' is the first album to feature John Glascock on bass. But unfortunately, he had a short lived in the band. John Glascock only performed on four studio albums. When the band was recording their twelfth studio album 'Stormwatch', the bassist suffered from the effects of a cardiac infection that lead him to dead.

'Too Old To Rock'N'Roll: Too Young To Die!' has ten tracks. All songs were written by Ian Anderson. The first track 'Quizz Kid' is a good song to open the album. As a conceptual album, the song begins with the theme that will come back later on the album, on the title track. After this introduction, the song proceeds in a rock rhythm. This is one of the best tracks on the album. The second track 'Crazed Institution' is also a good song and represents a perfect way to continue the music on the album. It's a song more in the style of a folk acoustic ballad, equally similar to some other good ballads of the band. The third track 'Salamander' is another good song, very short and very simple. It's also a folk acoustic ballad, very nice, fast and it's also equally good. This is a good track, definitely. The fourth track 'Taxi Grab' is a song more oriented to the blues and rock styles. I really like this song. This is, in my humble opinion, a song that maintains a good quality on the music of the album. The fifth track 'From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser' is a very calm and peaceful ballad, very nice and full of emotion, and it's very melodious too. This is a romantic piece of music commanded by a beautiful violin sound and seconded by nice saxophone sound too, which brings to us a moment of relaxing and tranquillity. The sixth track 'Bad-Eyed'N'Loveless' is the second song on the album in the blues style. This is, in my humble opinion, an inferior song, very vulgar and uninspired. It's the weakest song on the album, but at least, it's very short. The seventh track 'Big Dipper' is another good song in the same line of the rest of the album. It's a Jethro Tull's more classic rock number with good musical rhythm and tempo changes. The eighth track is the title track 'Too Old To Rock'N'Roll: Too Young To Die!'. This is the best and most known song on the album. This is simply a real stunning and memorable rock song. On the song, deserves special mention the absolute and wonderful David Palmer's arrangements, very soft and solids, which bring to the song some elegance. The ninth track 'Pied Piper' is a typical Jethro Tull's song. This is a song with good combination of acoustic folk and acoustic rock with a nice touch of Celtic music. It represents the typical Jethro Tull's folk medieval magic sound. The tenth and last track 'The Chequered Flag (Dead Or Alive)' is another calm and nice acoustic folk ballad with a beautiful melody and with a nice violin sound too. It's also a song very well orchestrated. This is a very nice song which gives to us a nice way to close the album.

Conclusion: As happened with 'War Child', I never payed much attention to 'Too Old To Rock'N'Roll: Too Young To Die!', because I never liked particularly the cover art of the album, although I like the name, and also because it was released in the middle of two of my favourite albums of them, 'Minstrel In The Gallery' and 'Songs From The Wood'. Now, I know that I was right and wrong, at the same time. I was right because compared with those masterpieces it's a weak album. I was wrong because it isn't as weak as I thought. Of the first twelve studio albums of Jethro Tull, the two albums of the end of the 60's and the ten albums of the 70's, I've no hesitation in saying that 'Too Old To Rock'N'Roll: Too Young To Die!' is the weakest of all, more than 'War Child' is. However, 'Too Old To Rock'N'Roll: Too Young To Die!' isn't a bad album. It's a very acoustic album with good electric parts and is very well orchestrated. This is also a uniform and consistent album where the songs are all well balanced. The only problem with this album, in my humble opinion, is that it's less inspired and all the songs are weaker than usual, with the exception of the title track, of course.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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