STORMWATCH

This was Jethro Tull's least appealing album when it came out, although that would change during the 80's. Lyrically, Ian Anderson discusses various economic concerns of the late 70s. Some of these are relevant today, more are not. Musically, the album is much weaker than anything Tull had done before. "North Sea Oil" is a decent start, however the 5/4 rhythm which is so similar to the one in Living in the Past, suggests that Jethro Tull were short on ideas. The two instrumental songs are probably the strongest. Although it doesn't offer any overly memorable melodies, "Warm Sporran" is the only place on Stormwatch that brings in a cheerful melody or two. In that sense Stormwatch is similar to A Passion Play, mostly brooding, dark and mysterious. "Elegy", the other instrumental, does boast a memorable melody. It was written by David Palmer for his deceased father and it may well be one the most melancholic piece by Jethro Tull. The rest of the album is considerably weaker than this gem however. "Dark Ages" is powerful, but unnecessarily long. Half the length would equal a classic. "Home" on the other hand suffers from a very forced feel, and is too similar to "Heavy Horses" from the previous album.

On a happier note, 4 bonus tracks were added to the new cd remaster. All of them sound more lively than anything on the original, and it is a mystery to me why they were left off. They brought up the grade by 0.5 star.

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