SONGS FROM THE WOOD

After a series of dusty albums, the fresh and sparkling Songs From The Woods is a real relief. The band is in fine form and Ian Anderson finally sounds as if his heart is into it again, just as in his best days. For me this lists as the only Tull release outside their creative early 70's peak that contains new ideas and enthusiasm for the material. It's very folksy and well produced for a change.

Songs From The Woods is an eye-opener, sharp and crisp, with plenty of good riffs, harmonies and surprising twists in the song structure. Also Jack In The Green is a winner, great folksy tune with a vicious and biting vocal performance from Ian.

Unfortunately, they didn't maintain the same focus for the entire length of the album. A song like Cup Of Wonder has its moments but the vocal especially is too mediocre to feature. Hunting Girl however is another great tune. One of the aspects I like about it, and about this album in general, is the addition of the tasteful and very fitting keyboards. It makes for a very original and alluring sound. Velvet Green is my next highlight, as are The Whistler and parts of Pibroch.

A few weaker songs not withstanding this is a very enjoyable Tull release. Not as good as some of their earlier works but it's easy to see why it stands as a favourite among prog folkies. From this point unwards, the decline for Tull was steady and fast. I for sure haven't heard any album since that matches the sparkling creativity of this one. 3.5 stars