A

This is not a great Jethro Tull album. Nor is it a bad Jethro Tull album. The songwriting is just okay. Sometimes it feels as though Ian Anderson is just going through the motions, and some parts sound borrowed from previous songs (Protect And Survive is the worst culprit), and many of the choruses are just weak. However, on the plus side, the performance is as Tull as ever, with some great flourishes and nice solos. It also helps to have Eddie Jobson along on keyboards & violin, although his synths get a bit overbearing on Crossfire and 4.W.D.

Of note are the excellent Black Sunday, Pine Martin's Jig, and Uniform. The latter, with it's violin theme and eastern style, sounds like a precursor to the much later Roots To Branches album.