Search - Jethro Tull :: Jethro Tull Christmas Album (Bonus Dvd)

A Christmas Album with a Best Of Blend too!!

Graboidz | Westminster, Maryland | 12/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a fan of Tull's 70's albums, specifically the more acoustic leaning "Songs From the Wood", then you will LOVE this disk. It's almost as if Ian Anderson and company travelled back three decades and tapped into a sound all but lost with today's over-produced, and under-performed music. Songs like "Jack Frost", "Pavane" and "Last Man" could all have easily been inserted into earlier Tull disks like "Benefit" or "Minstrel In the Gallery". The forgotten classics included here; "Weathercock" and "Another Christmas Song" have been slightly updated, and are nice to re-visit. If you are tired of being beaten over the head with an Ashlee Simpson-Clay Aiken Christmas, then treat yourself to a group of real musicians, real songwriters doing what they do best. This is one Christmas album you won't want to put away after the holidays, and one that sounds just as good in July."

Flute-led Christmas folk-rock album

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 11/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is rare for rock artists to record a whole album of Christmas music although they like to record singles or tracks for compilation projects, especially where a worthy cause is involved such as the Special Olympics (A very special Christmas series). Thus, I was surprised to find a Christmas album by Jethro Tull, especially as I thought that they had long since faded into obscurity. In fact, although the seventies were their decade of fame, they have continued performing and recording through the intervening years. I am not especially familiar with Jethro Tull's other music (although this album has aroused my curiosity so I will remedy that situation some day) so I'll review this purely on its merits as a Christmas album.



The group's leader, Ian Anderson, has a pleasant if unexceptional baritone voice who plays flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, piccolo and percussion as well as writing songs for the group. Clearly a man of many talents, it is his flute-playing that is the dominant feature of this album. When this album was recorded, the other members of Jethro Tull were Martin Barre (electric and acoustic guitars), Doane Perry (drums and percussion), Andrew Giddings (keyboards, accordion and keyboards bass) and Jonathan Noyce (bass guitar). Guest musicians were James Duncan (drums and percussion), Dave Pegg (bass guitar and mandolin) and the Sturcz string quartet.



Some of the tracks are instrumentals while others feature vocals. As the flute is ideally suited to Christmas music, the results are very enjoyable. There are a few familiar tunes here but they are very distinctive. Quite apart from the sound of the flute, the arrangements are sometimes different from the standard.



This album works well as background music when it comes across as a very upbeat album, but if you make the effort to listen to the lyrics, you'll find that they are not always upbeat as there a hint of cynicism. If you enjoy the sound of the flute and you're looking for a Christmas album unlike any other, this is for you."

Refreshingly different

Paul R. Cena | Lockport, New York USA | 11/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There's an adage in the music business that you can always tell that an artist's career is over when they put out a Christmas album. Not so with Jethro Tull. This CD is alternately cheerful, moving, and thought provoking (if there's a more poignant Christmas song than "First Snow on Brooklyn" I want to hear it).

So forget all those pop and rock stars that put out CDs full of stale, overdone Christmas songs, forget the saccharine tear jerkers like "Christmas Shoes" and "Dear Mr. Jesus." Get this CD and you'll be listening to it long after the holiday is over."