MINSTREL IN THE GALLERY

Jethro Tull had delivered many good records already before Minstrel in The Gallery. After a small dip with Warchild this is a record showing JT was getting bach in business again: great folkrock, hardrock with a technical aproach.

The titletrack is without doubt the best track of the record. After an initial folk-introduction the guitars burst out more energetic than ever with great heavy technical solo's. The record as a whole is less technical than "A Passion Play", more like "The Thick as a Brick" period. But this record is somewhat more energetic than the thick as a brick, which is an great advantage and making it somewhat better IMHO. The first two songs also sound a bit more underground.

Black Satin Dancer is a symphonic folkprogsong with some orchestral arangements, which also becomes loud and agressive for JT-standards, but finally ends with a repetition of the softer starting arrangement. Side one of my vinyl copy ends with a soft symphonic folksong called Requiem.

The second side starts again with some folkrock. Than the longest track of record begins, Baker St. Muse. This side is less confincing than side one. Having no brilliant moments like the titletrack. What I also don't like about both sides, is that the instrumental outbursts are in midle of the composition, while an outburst at the end leaves the listener with far better feelings. But JT choosed to begin and end both side with a soft folkrock part.

This comes to my conclusion that side one is worth four stars and side two is worth a small 3 stars. Sometimes I only listen to the first side. 3,5 stars for this record.