c o n r a d

Ian Anderson's first two solo albums were both strongly reminiscent of the Jethro Tull albums that preceded them, but were overall a more satisfactory listening experience. This third album continues the trend. With the exception of Giddings' bass and a guest appearance by Martin Barre, this album is performed exclusively on acoustic instruments. The result is a very laid back album. Acoustic guitar, played with Anderson's distinctive sense of rhythm, dominates, while given support in places by Giddings on accordion of all things. The feel of the album harks back to the acoustic pieces from Living in the Past, but with the occasional Middle Eastern interjection reminding the listener of the most recent Tull album. The liner notes contain "Some thoughts on the subject matter of the lyrics". While on the surface obscure, I personally found it helpful to understand what Anderson was getting at with each of his songs. Certainly "The Little Flower Girl" is a lot less worrying when you find out it's about a painter. A lyrical highlight for me is "Sanctuary", which combines Anderson's passion for animal welfare with imagery of society's ill treated. In the end this album does not soar to the great heights that Tull once reached, but there is also little here to complain about. This is a good solid album that adds value to the later Jethro Tull catalogue. Tull completists will be glad they bought it, and some who think that Ian Anderson hasn't done anything decent since Songs From the Wood may be pleasantly surprised, though they won't necessarily rave about this album. review by Conrad Leviston — 5-1-03 —

e r i c

This may be the solo CD every Tull fan has been licking their lips in anticipation of. Anderson's prior solo effort Divinities: 12 Dances with God was good (and also featured Andy Giddings), but was more keyboard based; this one has more of a folky feel, with most songs structured around Anderson's acoustic guitar and flute, with Giddings flavoring the tracks with various sounds from the keys. The title track was included on Tull's Dot Com release as a bonus, and was instantly one of my favorites from that disc. With its intricate instrumentation and excellent melodies, this one should be a classic at least in the Tull family. "The Little Flower Girl" reminds me of the Songs From The Wood era, as do a few others. The Mid-Eastern sounds that have permeated the last two Tull releases find their way here on tracks like "The Water Carrier". In the back of the CD booklet, Ian devotes a sentence or two explaining the thoughts behind each track, which is interesting to read while listening. There is a track from "Divinities" and a version of the classic "Thick as a Brick" as a little treat at the end. Anyone who enjoys Tull tracks like "Mother Goose" and "Nursie" should love this; there is plenty of flute, guitar and Anderson's tales. An excellent CD from an under-appreciated songsmith. review by Eric Porter — undated —

b r a n d o n

This is an almost entirely acoustic album that should remind Tull aficionados of that band's folkier outings. Completely unpretentious and based on conventional song forms, Anderson's third solo album is inoffensive, pleasant, and tuneful. Vaguely Celtic and Eastern influences weave their way periodically through the music, and throughout the orchestration is excellent: despite the relative paucity of instrumentalists, this is a very full-sounding album. The production is clean and clear, allowing the instruments - dominated by acoustic guitar and, of course, flute - to come through sunnily. The entire album is cheery; though I admit to paying little attention to lyrics, the lyrics here seem pretty average, neither terrible nor terribly good. "Progressive" elements are limited, for the most part, to a diverse array of timbres. Aside from Tull, I am reminded here and there of Renaissance and, strangely enough, Mark Knopfler or Dire Straits. Although the album seems somewhat overly long to me - the light, airy sound wears thin after a full hour. However, I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys this sort of music. review by Brandon Wu — 1-13-01 —