c o n r a d

Jethro Tull's last album of the nineties sees them still very close to the style of Roots to Branches. The Middle-Eastern influences are still occasionally apparent and this album has a harder edge to it than Secret Language of Birds, the Ian Anderson solo album released around the same time. The quality, though, has perhaps dropped just a notch. The highlight of the album is the catchy "Bends like a willow". This is probably the best example of the whistful sort of pop song that Ian Anderson has been writing for years. A haunting refrain played by the flute and taken up by the guitar and a fast tempo rhythm offset by a slow melody are all fitted together with artful efficiency. Aside from this track, most of the rest of the album tends to fall into the category of good, but nothing special. "El niño" will probably turn a few heads with its flamenco guitar fills in the verses and heavily distorted guitar chorus. It does, however, come dangerously close to being tacky and overblown. The only song I have any real reservations about is "Hot mango flush" which tries just a little too hard to be cool, a bit like a balding man with a ponytail. "Dot com" harks back to the days of Walk into Light, with its marriage of a love song with high-tech buzzwords. This is another solid release from the latter stage of Tull's career. Even if there are few jaw-dropping moments here, everything from the lyrics to the production is done with the elegantly competent style that has become Ian Anderson's hallmark. This may not win Jethro Tull many more new fans, but is certainly worth acquiring for those who enjoyed Roots to Branches. review by Conrad Leviston — 3-30-05 —