SONGS FROM THE WOOD

From the airy humorous pop music kind of thing that Tull offered on their previous release to this and what this is is great. "Songs from the Wood" - brilliant track, one of the giants of Tull. Dramatic folk rockout music. "Jack-In-The-Green" - good track about a mythical Celtik or English creature. "Cup of Wonder" - pleasant enough piece of folk rock. "Hunting Girl" - ooooo a naughty romp in the woods - an interesting track with brilliant bass. "Ring Out Soltstice Bells" - Druids and Maids and the Summer Solstice. Pleasant folk track. "Velvet Green" - one of the highlights of the album - a troubador love song. "The Whistler" - brilliant track - a Tull classic. Another for my desert island backpack. "Pibroch" - almost enters metal territory - it's essentially about a man walking through the woods to propose to his girl finding that he's left it too late in that another is on the scene. This is a great track that in parts midway through lightens in a romatic medievil kind of way before heading back to the "metal" sounding territory. "Fire at Midnight" is a gentle track to begin with a heavier mid section.

This album is themed in an english countryside almost pagan setting and I find, listening to Tull extensively, that each album seems to have a specific theme of its own. Lots of medievil type musical textures abound throughout this album.

For me this is an easy 4 star rated album. Not as strong as either "Thick as a Brick" or "A Passion Play" but damn close.