Jethro Tull: Heavy Horses - 1978
After the slightly unexpected success of 1977's Songs From The Wood, Jethro Tull released another album, oblivious to contemporary musical trends, that was said to the second in their trio of folky offerings. Personally, I think it is far less folky than its predecessor and is somewhat difficult to define.
It is, for sure, Tull's most easy on the ear release, featuring some lovely melodies. It really is most pleasant. It was, of course, utterly removed from much of the music that 1978 had to offer but what the hell. Fair play to Ian Anderson for sticking to his gamekeeper's guns and putting it out.
The strangely-titled ...And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps is actually a typical Tull flute-driven serving of folky rock, the like of which they had been doing throughout the seventies. Acres Wild is in the same instantly recognisable style, and although completely out of time for 1978, if you like it you like it.
The seven minute Tull-fest that is No Lullaby is everything a Tull fan could want - riffs, fluting, atmosphere, changes of pace and power. So what if it's out of time, I love it anyway. I don't give a damn about anachronism - good music is good music. Moths is just fantastic bucolic Tull, full of wonderful rural images. Ian Anderson had a real sensitivity for such things.
Journeyman is ever so slightly funky and, again, lyrically it is chock-full of evocative lines and descriptions, including several mentions for Gerrard's Cross in Buckinghamshire. Rover is pretty much cut from the same cloth too. A fair few airs of Cat Stevens about this one. To be honest, One Brown Mouse doesn't move from the formula either, not that I'm complaining.
The album's centrepiece is the eight minutes plus of Heavy Horses, a touching tribute to those lovable large working horses sung in true folky style. It is a classic of its type, proggy in its changes of pace but still eminently folk rock-ish, as is the endearing closer Weathercock, with its killer guitar and flute parts. Curved Air's Daryl Way plays violin on Heavy Horses, by the way - there's an old name from the past for you. As I said, Weathercock is a solid folk rock ballad to end this excellent, very retrospective and honest album with.
Look, I can't say too much more about these songs other than they are just very amenable and provide a fine listen. Are they folk? Pop? Soft rock? Who knows, it is an impossible to categorise album but all the more interesting for it. Were Tull an anachronism by now? Yes, for sure, but no matter. Who cares anyway. I certainly don't now. In 1978 this would have meant nothing to me, thankfully my perspectives have changed.
