SONGS FROM THE WOOD

In the face of changing fashions at the end of the 1970s, many prog bands steered in a more commercial and anonymous direction, diluting their image to become more widely acceptable. Not so Jethro Tull; with punk exploding onto the scene, Ian Anderson and comrades realised that what people wanted was more personality in music, not less. Hence Songs From the Wood, an album which takes the folk and fantasy airs that had always hovered around Tull's image (but, aside from Minstrel In the Gallery, hadn't really been exploited that much) and turned them up to 11.

And with such fine results! The vocal harmonies on the opening track, the wildness of Pibroch, the catchiness of The Whistler or Hunting Girl (which is entertainingly filthy, if you get the lyrical allusions), and the fine sense of drama shown by Ian Anderson in his lyrical delivery, everything comes together brilliantly. Ian's vocals are a highlight of the album for me simply because he sounds more emotive than he'd been on any album since Aqualung - the lyrics clearly meaning something to him, and he's giving them all he's got. A fantastic return to form after some years in the wilderness.