SONGS FROM THE WOOD

Incredible album! Songs From the Wood showed that, after a period of somewhat unsatisfying output, Jethro Tull could still make quality music. The song combines the extremely progressive elements of Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play with a simpler and more concise style to create a masterpiece of progressive folk. This album in particular was Jethro Tull's first true Progressive Folk album. Though Folk had always been one of Tull's main influences, which showed in their common use of acoustic guitars and flutes, it was on Songs From the Wood that this influence truly began to define the band. The songs on the album vary in direct style, from the short and sweet "Jack-In-The-Green" and "Fire At Midnight" to the longer, heavier, and more technical "Songs From the Wood" and "Pibroch (Cap In Hand)," as well as many other excellent tracks. Overall, though this album is not quite as good as Thick as a Brick, Tull's classic, it definitely tops their other earlier famous albums, such as Aqualung. Whether you are attempting to complete a Jethro Tull collection or you are simply looking for more Progressive Rock and Folk masterpieces, this album definitely fits all of the criteria.