In the '80s, Jethro Tull was no longer the dominant force on the rock scene they had been throughout much of the previous decade, but the indomitable Ian Anderson continued to make ambitious records based on themes of ages past, even in an era of skinny ties and drum machines. BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST has a marked swords-and-sorcery motif; Anderson is depicted as a winged elfin creature on the cover. Despite such leanings, producer Paul Samwell-Smith--original bassist for the Yardbirds--gives the record a modern gloss, weaving the synthesizer playing of Peter-John Vettesse and the out-sized guitars of Tull stalwart Martin Barre through BROADSWORD's vaguely medieval-sounding romps.
The record is divided into two sides, Beastie and Broadsword. On the songs named for each side, Anderson evokes the spirit of swordplay and dragons, but elsewhere, on songs such "Fallen on Hard Times" he sings of more modern concerns. "Pussy Willow" is perhaps the best distillation of the classic Tull formula, juxtaposing Anderson's gruff but expressive vocals and a strong, insistent melody bolstered by well-placed, crunchy guitar chords.
Another Tull remaster replete with original and restored sonic detail and featuring 8 brilliant bonus tracks recorded at the same time as the original album release, but left out due to the limitations of vinyl. The Broadsword tour in 1982 saw Tull out on a full production tour for the final time, although smaller tours have since taken place, they have not featured the elaborate stage set that went with this one! This album featured the usual Tull sounds of drums, bass, and guitar and of course flute, mandolin and other acoustic instruments complete with vocoder and sequencer on The Clasp, and others. Broadsword saw former Cat Stevens drummer Gerry Conway join Tull for a couple of years and Dave Pegg (ex-Fairport Convention) join them for a second time. Much of the songs were written using the new-fangled electronic instruments which gives an interesting twist to the woodsy and folksy elements in the songs.
Includes eight bonus tracks.
Jethro Tull: Dave Pegg (synthesizer); Gerry Conway, Ian Anderson , Martin Barre, Peter-John Vettese.
Personnel: Ian Anderson (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, flute); Dave Pegg (vocals, mandolin, bass guitar); Peter-John Vettese (vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Peter Vetesse (vocals, piano, synthesizer); Martin Barre (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Gerry Conway (drums, percussion).
Liner Note Author: Ian Anderson .
Recording information: Maison Rouge Studios, Fulham, London, England.
Illustrator: Ian McCaig.Mojo (Publisher) (p.124) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Thatcherite economics, failing relationships and dodgy estate agents shared vinyl with gentle nostalgia and the paranoid 'Watching Me, Watching You,' yet the overall mood was uplifting."
If you Like TULL Then you will love this album it is , in my opinion tide with Songs from the Woods as TULLS best Submitted by bkh33 (Bard, California) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
If they has synth during the Renaissance... Had Ian Anderson continued Jethro Tull's LPs in this vein, the 80's might have been a better place/time for it. Ian and co. brilliantly marry medieval fundimentals with modern keyboard leanings in a way you might not think possible until you hear this CD. 1984's "Under Wraps" would have been a far more enjoyable album had it the benefit of a drummer instead of a drum machine. Here, however, we have masterful musicianship on great songs like the synth & keyboard opener "Beastie" which, thanks to Martin Barre, attains a nice edge via his electric approach. "The Clasp" harks back to the then recently-passed rustic era of Tull's "Songs From The Wood" & "Heavy Horses" LPs with effective acoustic bass and flute intoning keyboards. "Seal Driver", with it's lyrical imagery of the old salt riding the swell, shows Ian's maturity as a song writer while Dave Pegg's bass lines set an omnious tone for the song. Overall, the production value is sleek without being too overdone. There's a fresh approach in this version of Tull that will only be rivaled one more time; on 1995's excellent "Roots To Branches" CD. Barring that, "Broadsword" is Tull's last great album and worth getting if you've never heard it before. Submitted by Keith (North Arlington, NJ) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Last of the great Tull albums I would have given this CD 4 stars but the synthesizers and 80's production ruined the traditional Tull sound for me. BUT, there are some fine musical moments on here. This is really the last JT album that matters. The remastered sound is excellent and worthwhile if you don't have this album yet. The bonus tracks are better than the usual filler songs that are tacked on as a mere marketing gimmick. Submitted by almostchris (Danville, KY USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Great remaster plus some familiar bonus tracks The remaster is very clean, and includes several tracks that will be familiar to those that own the 20 years collection (which were also remastered). Still the best Tull album of all and the remaster is great.
Only negative is the fact that lyrics for the new tracks were not included in the liner notes/lyric sheet, which only reprints the lyrics for the songs that were originally on the album. Submitted by bob dot king at gonowmail dot com (Nashua. NH, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
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