Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses
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CD Details
Artist: Jethro TullEdition: Music CD
Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2003-05-20
Music Label: Capitol
Soundtracks:
- And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps
- Acres Wild
- No Lullaby
- Months
- Journeyman
- Rover
- One Brown Mouse
- Heavy Horses
- Weathercook
- Living In These Hard Times
- Broadford Bazaar
Music reviews of Heavy Horses
Music Review: Back to the Earth
Rating: 4 Stars
I have enjoyed most Tull albums nearly from the first listening. I have even enjoyed the albums that many other Tull fans did not appreciate; e.g., "Too Old to Rock `N' Roll - Too Young to Die." Thus my surprise when I initially struggled to enjoy this album. However, after hearing this album multiple times I have come to enjoy the rather unique Tull music on this album. There are still a couple of moments on this album that I find weird, but the earthy rural theme is enjoyable. The words are genuinely descriptive of the changing rural life in Great Britain, but also to some extent the United States and the other countries of the world where farming continues to become more standardized, mechanized and computerized.
The first song I enjoy all the way to the end. The last 30 seconds I continue to find annoying, even after listening to this song more than a dozen times. The vocals I find annoying. The song itself is about the age-old battle between the farm cat and the legions of mice that exist on any farm. Of course the cat has little to fear from the mice, but the mice must always be on their guard; "...And the Mouse Police Never Sleeps." I suspect that the end vocals are meant to somehow communicate the urgency and anxiety the mice must feel everyday, never knowing when the pounce will come.
The second song is about visiting the wild places of Scotland and her islands. "Acres Wild" contains sensual references that indicate becoming close to nature in a very personal way. The flute, mandolin and fiddle lend a very Celtic flavor to this folk-flavored song. This song is an excellent song that helps to place this album in the folk-rock category.
The next song starts as rock. The topic is how scary it is to be a child in your bed at night, with monsters at the door and no light to comfort you. The noises in the country at night are often fearsome because so many are unrecognizable. The music accompanying the poetic lyrics is enjoyable and excellent.
"Moths" is a love song disguised as moths attracted to a deadly candle flame. This lovely song is more folk than rock and contains sufficient poetry to keep you analyzing the words longer than I have patience. "Journeyman" follows the travel of a commuter to the country, though this song could readily apply to thousands in their suburban or rural flight in countries everywhere.
The song "Rover" seems to be a tale of obedient love, or someone who is so head over heels in love that they are lost in the love. I like the beginning of this song with its renaissance folk music flavor. This song is highly original and a standout song on this CD. The song "One Brown Mouse" keeps the style of the previous song, though this time the song seems more straightforward. The song could be an allegory for love. The pipe organ in this song is an unusual addition that makes this song unique and lovely.
Finally comes the epic title track. This nearly nine minute long song laments the change in agriculture from the use of the great horses, Suffolk, Percheron, Clydesdale and Shire, to tractors. The lament for the loss of these great horses is heartfelt and powerful, and strongly poetic with Ian Anderson's lyrics. The music is similarly powerful, with deep bass to describe these huge horses. The flavor is often folk, but there is sufficient rock power to be the theme of the horses. This song is one of the best on this CD.
"Weathercock" was the original end of this CD. The style begins as folk, and the words are hopeful. About one minute before the end of the song the power kicks up as electric guitars carry the song to its conclusion.
The remastered version adds two bonus tracks, "Living in These Hard Times" and "Broadford Bazaar." Even better, the cover booklet includes the lyrics for both songs. The first song includes references to politicians and unions and how there is nothing left over. The folk style remains consistent with the original songs. The last song is wonderfully anachronistic. The style sounds like a renaissance song, though the words include references to motor cars and oil rigs that no longer exist.
The new final song is wonderful and puts a different flavor on the CD than the original ending. This song is more melancholy and pessimistic than the original, and while in some ways the world is better now than when this album was originally released in 1978, in other ways it is worse. Certainly there are new concerns about the environment and some concerns about the general quality of life.
After Jethro Tull's commercial success in the mid-1970s, some of us began wondering whether Tull had lost that which made them unique. However, the group came roaring back with the somewhat whimsical "Songs from the Wood" and this album with its earthy and significantly more pragmatic topics. The music also returned to the unique style that made Tull enjoyable to those of us tired of cookie cutter rock. There are a number of moments on this album that keep it just short of a five star rating, but a four star Tull album is better than most of the rock you'll find from that era, and as good as much of the rock from this one.
Description of Heavy Horses
Digitally remastered reissue of 1978 album includes 2 bonus tracks 'Living In These Hard Times' (taken from the album 20 Years Of Jethro Tull - recorded at Maison Rouge 1978) & 'Broadford Bazaar' (taken from the album Nightcap Unreleased Masters). 11 tracks & liner notes written by Ian Anderson. Chrysalis. 2003.Like 1977's Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses is often unfairly posited as the thematic follow-up to its aforementioned studio predecessor. While Songs from the Wood evokes a magical atmosphere, Heavy Horses is far more earthly. Indeed, on the nine-minute-long title-track--a most poetic ode to the England's plough horses--Ian Anderson sings with the sorrow of a farmhand witnessing modern harvesting equipment coming over the horizon for the first time. One can even forgive him the rather randy line, "Let me find you a filly for your proud stallion seed, to keep the old line going." Sure, there's plenty of prattle about drinking afternoon tea with mice, but tracks like "Moths" and "Acres Wild" mark Heavy Horses as a must-own title in the Jethro Tull canon. --Kevin Maidment
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