Minstrel in the Gallery - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Teaflax

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Joined: June 26 2005
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Posted: June 27 2005 at 09:23

Sean Trane wrote:

In retrospect, Minstrel is one of their better album but it is clearly a shot below everything done before it

Clearly? I think that both Stand Up and This Was are far, far worse, partly because they're pretty much just boring white Blues, but also because Anderson sang with a lump in his throat on those early recordings (and why he did that, I will never know).

Come to think of it, I think Minstrel is a cut above both the albums that bookend it, and the begining of a streak of creativity that culminated in the masterful Bursting Out.

Velvetclown View Drop Down

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Posted: June 27 2005 at 09:30

One of their best albums !!!!!!!!!!!

Bj-1

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Posted: June 27 2005 at 10:19

Great album!!

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grandoleopry View Drop Down

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Joined: June 12 2005
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Posted: July 02 2005 at 07:11

Losendos wrote:

It's fabulou s get a hold ofa copy. One thing I am puzzling about is Jethro Tull were not considered prog in the 70s how did they become prog? By the same token How come ELO are not considered prog

Good Question. In the 70's music was not compartmentalized like it is now. You could go to a concert and Wilson Picket would be on the same bill as ELP. Tull was just a rock n roll band as were the Stones, Zep, The Who, Neil Young etc. It wasn't until much later that the music industry started segregating genres of rock for social demographics I guess. Now, rock is so dis-asscociated from each other, people who listen to jazz and fusion are more associated with prog fans then those who listen to say, Techno or Hip Hop.
Rock back then and all music had far less social implications than now. Going to a rock n roll concert back then was a far less serious social undertaking because music did not have the heavy social connotations as now. If you liked Diana Ross and Jethro Tull so what? You were not ostricized from the "Tull Clique" for admitting to enjoying Diana Ross.Music was an enjoyment and a gentle hobby not the stern psychological/social statement it is now. Who you enjoyed was not a reflection of who you are as it is Today. After all, it's only rock n roll. As far as ELO, I consider them light prog same as Styx. But most people don't...

Miaugion

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Posted: July 02 2005 at 08:03

mickstafa wrote:

"love" for albums like Broadsword, Rock Island and Under Wraps comes from unconditional love for anything Tull.

Oh, come on. Please give "Rock Island" another chance. It may not be an influential classic because it's not from the 70s but the interaction between Anderson's flute und Barre's extraordinary guitar is excellent. Barre tends to play only fragments instead of cohesive melodies. Dynamic and stunning. Especially "Ears of Tin" and the title track are highly recommended.

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BEING

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Joined: June 17 2005
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Posted: July 02 2005 at 08:10

FANTASTIC.

Listen to Barriemore Barlow's drumming, Barres guitar riff's and solos and of course Anderson's individual voice!!!!

DolphinFan View Drop Down

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Posted: July 02 2005 at 10:26

nousommedusolei wrote:

The Minstrel in the Gallery looked down upon the smiling (and disgusted, pissed off) faces. Most people I know either love this album or think it's garbage.

I enjoy it. What do you think?

Where's the hate? Even members at this site can't find too much to criticize. Hard to pick on a great album.

Eetu Pellonpaa View Drop Down

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Posted: July 05 2005 at 09:00

I have heard this few years ago, and I remember it was OK. Didn't it have somewhere flute played in a way, which resembled the mystic flutesequence in Rufus Zuphall's "Weiss der Teufel"?

Meng

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Joined: June 29 2005
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Posted: July 05 2005 at 14:01

I'm in the "love it" group.

The title track is probably my favourite Tull song.

kingofbizzare View Drop Down

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Posted: July 06 2005 at 00:09

I love it, but I really don't listen to it too much. I actually find it too boring to listen to it all the way through very often. Usually I just listen to the title track, Cold Wind to Valhalla, and Baker Street Muse. I think the acoustic stuff is great, but it just makes me want to fall asleep when I listen to all of it at once.

Trotsky

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Posted: July 06 2005 at 02:41

I like it, and think the title track's awesome, but actually prefer the first six JT albums!

Also, am I the only one who was disappointed by what Cold Wind To Valhalla became after that amazing first minute or so with just acoustic guitar and vocals?

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Posted: July 07 2005 at 23:21

not tull best but a good album for the tull collection!!!! better than 80's and 90's tull albums which i find them extremely boring i stop listening to tull scene their 80's stuff and move to bands like ozric tentacles, porcupine, thaeter,tool,cairo,flower king, but i nver stop listening to king crimson,rush,pink floyd.

moonlapse

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Joined: May 15 2005
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Posted: July 09 2005 at 23:43

Salmacis72 wrote:

WHO thinks its garbage? It is an excellent Tull album, I love the whole thing.

Just bought Minstrel today, think it's great. Have to follow up with TAAB.

Well, if you wonder who thinks it garbage, check out some of the amazon.com reviews. Here's an <interesting> quote from a 2-star review:

["Requiem"'s first phrase ("Well, I saw a bird today/Flying from a bush/Then the wind blew it away") is in the key of Bb, starting on the subdominant (Eb major) and ending on the dominant (F major). Its second phrase ("And the black-eyed mother sun/ Scorched the butterfly at play/Velvet-veined, I saw it burn") repeats precisely the same music a major second higher. Strictly speaking, the movement from the prominent Eb's in the first phrase (the C minor and Eb major triads and the Eb's in the vocal line, on "wind", for example) to the E-natural in the vocal line on "eyed" is not a false relation because the F major triad intervenes. It nevertheless has the effect of one. This harsh and superfluous key change (notice I don't call it a modulation) is nevertheless cacophonous and unmusical. I don't expect its author to have analyzed why (necessarily), but I do expect to him to LISTEN to the effect, recognize that it's there, and do something about it. Clearly, he was not listening, and this failure to listen pervades the entire album.]

Ah, so that's why Minstrel is garbage!

The Hemulen View Drop Down

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Posted: July 10 2005 at 15:36

moonlapse wrote:

Salmacis72 wrote:

WHO thinks its garbage? It is an excellent Tull album, I love the whole thing.

Ah, so that's why Minstrel is garbage!

Christ. Now, I'm not a violent man, but the author of that review deserves to have his life terminated in an excruciating fashion over a period of several hours. That "review" is despicable!!