THE JETHRO TULL CHRISTMAS ALBUM

When you are really sick and tired of the same old dragged out, Christmas songs that play over and over every year, yes you know the ones that I mean; where does a Prog Rock fan turn? You want to be "into" the holiday gig, and music to the season is a big part of it.. but one more "Holly Jolly" tune will do you in. Quick, search your collection and TSO is good, a real change of pace, actually there are few others, but wait! Ian Anderson is riding in on his magical flute to save the season and your frame of mind! It seems like a natural progression for Tull to create a Christmas recording; it is a perfect marriage for the leaders of the Prog/Folk genre. This is the best Tull studio recording in years and you really could listen to it year round. It for sure is very polished, you can hear how smooth the over dubs are, as I am sure not all the gang was in the studio all at the same time, but this is just a plain good listen from the master himself. I love his approach to the season, as this recording captures Ian's thoughts on the season; which as of late have paralleled mine. That maybe why I connect to the recording so well, I am of UK heritage and I used to love the Christmas holiday but now it has become ho hum and a drag as I see it more as a commercial mess, whipped into a frenzy by whacked out consumers and retailers. This record pulls in that rustic British/Scottish feeling of the holidays in "Yea Olde English Countryside setting". The Tull Christmas Album brings me back to the meanings of the holiday and it really is a grand diversion. Songs like "Last man at the Party" and "Jack frost and the Hooded Crow" dig right down to the root of the season and in my opinion are Mr. Anderson at his obscure best. If you love Tull or on the fence about them, one thought cannot be denied and that is the genius and intelligence of Ian Anderson at times can be overwhelming, just the sheer output of songs, music and writing are stunning and he is grossly overlooked by the media for his talents over such a long career. This record is near perfect and a must have for the season and for any Tull fan. Even the drab cover art is magic, when you get into the songs and really check into the images that Anderson and Tull are working very hard to convey. Highly recommended!