MINSTREL IN THE GALLERY

That's better. I love the opener "Minstrel in the Gallery" and it rates up there with the very best of Tull numbers. It opens as an acoustic guitar driven bit of folk music where I love how the acoustic guitar punctuates the music into an electric rock masterpiece. This track goes into my desert island track suitcase. The lyrics are back to Jethro Tull brilliance here. "Cold Wind to Valhalla" - nice acoustic guitar opening to this track - a bit of Norse religion / mythology. "Black Satin Dancer" - I've heard it was written during the time of Anderson's divorce although I haven't verified that - the track would make a great deal of emotive sense if it were. A very strong emotive track this one. Interesting flute interplay with a hard rock lead. "Requiem" - a softer track, very emotional both lyrically and musically. "One White Duck" - again a very emotive track with very interesting lyrics - again the Anderson divorce thing would make a great deal of sense of the track. "Baker St Muse" - once again lyrically emotive however also lyrically extremely good. A very good track full of musical contrasts in the folk prog rock vein. "Grace" - very short track - conclusion to a heavily emotional set of tracks.

This is a good album as far as I'm concerned where the highlight is the brilliant title track itself. This album is extremely good as far as the lyrics are concerned and the music is accomplished typical Jethro Tull prog folk rock.

As far as the track additions go on the extended album they don't add much at all "Summerday Sands" is pleasant enough if a little airy. "March the mad Scientist" is light folky stuff. "Pan Dance" is an instrumental flute and orchestra thing which I enjoy. The two live tracks are purely a taste of Tull live and they don't mean very much.

Some brilliance here however I do find the emotional content of the later tracks a little tiresome after a while. Anderson himself I believe is not too fond of the album. A four star rating from me due to when it's brilliant it's really brilliant - also due to the lyrical content and to some pretty damn good use of the instruments from the band. The additional content on the extended album is pleasant enough although it doesn't add very much at all.