Due Recognition. Review on Crest of a Knave - Jethro Tull

Synopsis

The general opinion is that Aqualung represents the creative high of Jethro Tull. Others add Thick As A Brick to it. The former is a powerful album. The latter is a creative masterpiece that was never attempted by anybody, before and after it. But then the entire discography of Tull is a unique experience. Tull always experimented, relied heavily on classical, folk and rock influences, used a lot of instruments and packed in powerful https://lyrics. Their recent Roots To Branches has seen a complete evolution of a long standing band. The general opinion is that Tull is not as creative as it was. Ian Anderson’s voice may have changed but Tull still remains creative and fresh and Crest Of A Knave is one of their best creations.

The Album

This album won a Grammy in the Hard Rock/Metal section. You just can’t categorize Tull. The Grammy guys did not know where to put them. Do not expect bass riffs and screaming lyrics and highly metallic strings. There is nothing metal about the album though Steel Monkey may be loud. Raising Steam does what it means. But then, Budapest and Farm On The Freeway are masterpieces. Beautiful, haunting and mesmerizing classical and rock sounds mixed with some great lyrics and Anderson’s manly voice (It is not that bad despite the belief). Mountain Men also impresses with similar sounds. A passionate ballad on the people of the Highlands, this song along with Budapest witnesses some of the best flute works ever seen in Pop/Rock times. These songs take you out on a journey of sounds. Flute is resplendent in this album like all others before. Only, the abrupt sounding style of Anderson is replaced by a more classical and calculated style. Martin Barre gives a strong support on the guitars (personally, I feel that he is one of the top five guitarists in the world). Steel Monkey and Jump-Start are not as inspiring but nevertheless an experiment in programmed music blended into hard rock. They are solid and I personally prefer them to all the boy-band works.

The Opinion

To a Tull fan: I assure you, Crest Of A Knave is a classic album.

To others: You must buy this one for Budapest, Farm On The Freeway, and Mountain Men, . You may never get to hear works like these anywhere else.