115 to recommend 1967-1981

This might be a fan's favourite, but it doesn't seduce me as much as it used to. The main problem on this album is that to my ears this sounds a bit like Led Zeppelin with flute, there are no exciting jazzy bridges (not counting My God), no tempo nor time nor mood changes, just plain classic rock with flute; it's a heavy metal album.

My second motif is Ian's vocals: they're poisoneous and preachy, his singing sounds a bit too generic compared to his standards. He proved he could sing more maturely on A Passion Play and further albums (and that's just 2 years later). In this one he wants to sing heavily and raw, and it is quite a turnoff after a few tracks. The lyrics are somehow a bit better than those on Benefit, were they not for the ones in Wind Up: imminent and evident teenage anger.

Musicwise it's not better than Benefit, although My God manages to hold the candle, basically due to the lyrics and the middle seccion, embellished with the Russian-like chants, which is nothing like Jethro Tull had done before that.

I agree with another reviewer that the best songs on here are the short acoustic intervals, which show a better vocal delivery and sentiment. Mother Goose is another Tull classic with delightful flutes and vocal harmonies; and I already mentioned My God. Locommotive Breath begins with a great fusion between the baroque-like John Evan's piano and the entrance of Martin Barre's bluesy licks, but after a while it just doesn't do much for me; it's just another radio-friendly song.

Although it is a concept album, it's certainly not the progressive gem that everyone is practically chanting about. The real turning point for Jethro Tull's venture through progressive music would begin a year later. Here we witness the short-lived metal era of the band that would re-emerge in the late 80's. Seems that their vecinity with Led Zeppelin was indeed a bad influence, although they didn't rip the style entirely off.