LIFE IS A LONG SONG

This E.P. is exactly between a "Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music" and an "Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection". As the compositions of Ian Anderson for this E.P. shows a kind of bridge between "Aqualung" and "Thick as a Brick", for historical purposes it deserves the five stars.

This was the first recording sample we have for one of the better line-ups of Jethro Tull, being recorded right after Barrie Barlow joined the band - and we should acknowledge, in this recording he is already showing his precisely and firmly present drum technique.

The quality of the music are obviously great: The title track is probably one of the beautiful songs written in Progressive Rock history. David Palmer, always present, put more feeling in the music; "Up The Pool" is a Roy Harper inspired song that we all like to hear returning to our home-town; "Dr Bogenbroom" is a kind of funny song, really catchy in its verse; "From Later" is a jazzy (Jethro Tull is never "jazz", only "jazzy") jam song, with a lot of tricky changes and showing all of the band members habilities; "Nursie" is a typical acoustic intimate piece of Anderson, one of those with a feeling of a love song, while not being exactly this.

The lyrics were also improving, as Gerald Bostock was going to appear right after, we see a young Ian Anderson talking about home and the way we spend our lives , somehow more closely of Benefit's lyrics than Thick as a Brick.

I sustain the five-stars: we are use to nowadays listen this songs on compilations re-mixes (on the 1972 compilation "Living in the past" or the 2011 Aqualung remix, for example), but as a late-1971 release, it shows the progression of Tull's music with quality and timeless music.