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Post by nonrabbit on Feb 1, 2009 11:06:00 GMT
or...Why Do I not like this song and others do? Acres Wild....It's a nice wee ditty and fairly lively however just doesn't pop my cork - a bit predictable and imo finishes a bit too quickly. (which is fine by me )
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Post by fatman on Feb 1, 2009 13:36:27 GMT
or...Why Do I not like this song and others do? Acres Wild....It's a nice wee ditty and fairly lively however just doesn't pop my cork - a bit predictable and imo finishes a bit too quickly. (which is fine by me ) Acres Wild is a good song. It's got this interesting kind of disco beat going on, at a time when disco was very popular. But to rank it (or any other song from that album) over the title track is unthinkable. Heavy Horses is, in many ways, the quintessential Tull song, because it contains everything that makes Tull great: Passionate singing, pastoral lyrics and imagery, anti-industrialist message, acoustic passages, hard rock passages, flute and typical Tull bombast. Jeff
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Post by bluehare on Feb 1, 2009 15:39:37 GMT
Nice thread topic, nonrabbit. It's just the way it is with music, I guess....as far as cork poppage goes... Because...I'm not overly fond of this one... Sounds more like a Foreigner song to me. Now...in my younger beer-swilling, hanging out with the Marines days....there was nothing wrong with a little Foreigner (that somehow sounds a bit odd....). But they were not a staple in my diet (neither the Marines nor Foreigner) - and couldn't ever measure up to JT....as fas as cork poppage goes...
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Post by Pantagruel on Feb 1, 2009 15:57:30 GMT
From a Deat Beat to an Old Greaser --- Bores me to death, and unlike, say, "The Chequered Flag" doesn't have an involving melody. Always hated it.
Too Old To Rock'n'Roll; Too Young To Die --- I don't hate it, but I think it's the most overrated Jethro Tull song ever. Musically is just decent. The lyrics are good and the video is funny. Hearing it live was ok, though.
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Post by nonrabbit on Feb 1, 2009 17:22:11 GMT
Heavy Horses is, in many ways, the quintessential Tull song, because it contains everything that makes Tull great: Passionate singing, pastoral lyrics and imagery, anti-industrialist message, acoustic passages, hard rock passages, flute and typical Tull bombast. Jeff I like my Tull not to be, as you say, too bombastic...and I really think that I lose concentration on HH before it's finished. The rhymth of the chorus is good and conveys the theme of the song however it's just not a winner for me. Music theory is tricky but lets try and put our heads together and explain all Tull music
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Post by bluehare on Feb 1, 2009 17:41:21 GMT
It's funny the word bombastic came up when discussing Tull's music. I've used that word before when talking to my kids about it. It's one of the things they - and I - are not crazy about.
Also, though I do love Heavy Horses and Roll Yer Own....seems like the dear man doesn't remember how to end a song! They sort of stop....and then either start up again, or go in a whole 'nother direction, like in Heavy Horses.
Part of his quirkiness, I guess. I wouldn't change him or his style for anything, because there wouldn't be so many gems if he changed.
His musical style is probably why Tull Talks are so lively.....
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Post by nonrabbit on Feb 1, 2009 17:41:54 GMT
Now...in my younger beer-swilling, hanging out with the Marines days.... New topic for a thread there if I ever heard one Bluehare ;D ;D
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Post by bluehare on Feb 1, 2009 17:44:04 GMT
Now...in my younger beer-swilling, hanging out with the Marines days.... New topic for a thread there if I ever heard one Bluehare ;D ;D Ha! The things in life we're grateful we survive!
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Post by fatman on Feb 1, 2009 21:14:21 GMT
Heavy Horses is, in many ways, the quintessential Tull song, because it contains everything that makes Tull great: Passionate singing, pastoral lyrics and imagery, anti-industrialist message, acoustic passages, hard rock passages, flute and typical Tull bombast. Jeff I like my Tull not to be, as you say, too bombastic...and I really think that I lose concentration on HH before it's finished. The rhymth of the chorus is good and conveys the theme of the song however it's just not a winner for me. Music theory is tricky but lets try and put our heads together and explain all Tull music Are you kidding me? Tull wouldn't be Tull without bombast. It's part of what makes them so much fun. (The Third Hoorah is a perfect example, it's fun because of the bombast.) Almost all of Tull's heavier material has that kind of heavy-handed bombastic element (to wit, Minstrel). I love it. Just as I do the soft, senisitive ballads....and everything in between. Jeff
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Post by fatman on Feb 1, 2009 21:19:26 GMT
From a Deat Beat to an Old Greaser --- Bores me to death, and unlike, say, "The Chequered Flag" doesn't have an involving melody. Always hated it. Too Old To Rock'n'Roll; Too Young To Die --- I don't hate it, but I think it's the most overrated Jethro Tull song ever. Musically is just decent. The lyrics are good and the video is funny. Hearing it live was ok, though. I used to think that about From a Dead Beat, when I was young and first getting into Tull. But the song has grown on me so much to the point where I now love it. It's stark simplicity and reminiscense of an earlier age are what makes it sadly beautiful, and I just love the sax solo. Jeff
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Post by fatman on Feb 1, 2009 21:27:45 GMT
Nice thread topic, nonrabbit. It's just the way it is with music, I guess....as far as cork poppage goes... Because...I'm not overly fond of this one... Sounds more like a Foreigner song to me. Now...in my younger beer-swilling, hanging out with the Marines days....there was nothing wrong with a little Foreigner (that somehow sounds a bit odd....). But they were not a staple in my diet (neither the Marines nor Foreigner) - and couldn't ever measure up to JT....as fas as cork poppage goes... That's funny, I think it's probably the best song on Rock Island, because there are two things happening simultaneously in the song's narrative, and each somehow affects the other: A bad date (I believe a lousy sexual encounter as well) + a polluted rainfall. I love the subtle sexual irony of the second stanza, "she was a southern girl we stared man to man", "she was a round hole, I was a square peg" followed almost immediately by the double meaning to the phrase "what goes up, has to fall back down." There is definitely something sexual going on here, with her shirt hanging open and the little black specks running down her leg, and her being "wet and brown." As is usually the case with Ian, there's more going on than meets the eye. Only Ian can write a song like this. Jeff
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Post by bluehare on Feb 1, 2009 22:21:24 GMT
I don't disagree with any of this...insofar as IA is brilliant with his imagery, multiple themes in one song, and even good melody. But I don't believe the words he used in the song are up to his standards. They seem forced in order to make the material work. He's covered similar subject matter in other songs with much more humor, double entendre, even poignancy. I don't mind a little bombast - it is a Tull stamp, after all - but so is finesse and subtlety - which is what I prefer....and which I don't see any hint of in this song. Why always hit a fly with a hammer, when often a deft flick of a towel will do.....and it's much more flash!
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Post by falstaff on Feb 2, 2009 6:47:51 GMT
For me, it's gotta be "Too Old To Rock and Roll"; it has some strong elements of character development, but it feels too constructed. It seems very deliberate and sounds forced. It's a big, crass production number and shows the most obvious elements of Anderson's attempt to write a musical.
I don't hate the song, but I certainly think it's very overrated.
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Post by maddogfagin on Feb 2, 2009 8:50:21 GMT
Too Old..... and Heavy Horses are two albums I always listen to in their entirety as I IMO they function better as a whole and not as individual tracks whereas other albums I can pick and choose what I want to hear depending on my mood. I think this is what makes Tull exceptional as a band and IA as a songwriter - you never really know what to expect even if you know an album well. I've often wondered what IA's thought processes are when he writes a song and he certainly is like no other.
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Post by bluehare on Feb 2, 2009 14:56:44 GMT
I think this statement hits it on the head for me. Once I found them, I've never tired of JT. There's always something else to uncover in their catalog...even in a track you've listened to many times in the past. Something will crop up that wasn't there - or at least wasn't noticed before. Individual tracks may fall short, or become boring for some reason or another (only to become interesting again later, maybe..). But that whole "never really knowing what to expect" is what makes them so appealing to me. Oh, and of course then it has to be good on top of that... ...and more often than not, it is....
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jioffe
Journeyman
... and the days of my youth!
Posts: 162
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Post by jioffe on Feb 2, 2009 19:53:38 GMT
From a Deat Beat to an Old Greaser --- Bores me to death, and unlike, say, "The Chequered Flag" doesn't have an involving melody. Always hated it. Too Old To Rock'n'Roll; Too Young To Die --- I don't hate it, but I think it's the most overrated Jethro Tull song ever. Musically is just decent. The lyrics are good and the video is funny. Hearing it live was ok, though. I used to think that about From a Dead Beat, when I was young and first getting into Tull. But the song has grown on me so much to the point where I now love it. It's stark simplicity and reminiscense of an earlier age are what makes it sadly beautiful, and I just love the sax solo. Jeff I guess I might be quite unique here (out of the 'older' residents, at any rate!) in that I was pretty familiar with, and enjoyed, the ALLM version of this some time before I'd heard the original and I can clearly remember my disappointment when hearing it on TOtRnR for the first time. I'd say the main difference is down to passion and vibrancy, which, I feel, the original lacks - the vocal line is just too deadpan. I've since come to enjoy it for the sax and the extra verses but would still gladly trade those for Martin's killer alternative! Cheers, Jioffe.
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Post by nonrabbit on Jun 17, 2009 9:42:18 GMT
Bit of an exclusive here (I think;)) the song Beastie i42.images obliterated by tinypic/2a5zlg9.jpg[/IMG] is actually based on a true figure in Scottish/Irish culture namely the MIDGE ( or midgie as we affectionately call it -the word affection is not accurate) i41.images obliterated by tinypic/2aila3m.gif[/IMG] Scottish Tourist Board"Because it is found in such dense populations, it is estimated that in some parts of Scotland, a single hectare of land can host up to 50 million midges. That is a similar number to the total human population of the whole UK. This means the equivalent of ten midges for every man, woman and child in the whole country." Anderson"He roved up and down through history spectre with tales to tell. In the darkness when the campfire's dead to each his private hell. If you look behind your shoulder as you feel his eyes to feast, you can witness now the everchanging nature of the beast.."
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Post by fatman on Jun 17, 2009 14:46:04 GMT
Bit of an exclusive here (I think;)) the song Beastie i42.images obliterated by tinypic/2a5zlg9.jpg [/IMG] is actually based on a true figure in Scottish/Irish culture namely the MIDGE ( or midgie as we affectionately call it -the word affection is not accurate) i41.images obliterated by tinypic/2aila3m.gif[/IMG] Scottish Tourist Board"Because it is found in such dense populations, it is estimated that in some parts of Scotland, a single hectare of land can host up to 50 million midges. That is a similar number to the total human population of the whole UK. This means the equivalent of ten midges for every man, woman and child in the whole country." Anderson"He roved up and down through history spectre with tales to tell. In the darkness when the campfire's dead to each his private hell. If you look behind your shoulder as you feel his eyes to feast, you can witness now the everchanging nature of the beast.." [/quote] That's interesting, I did not realize the song was about, or even partially about, flying insects. In the 2007 baseball playoffs, in Cleveland, a swarm of midges invaded the stadium completely distracting the Yankee pitcher, Joba Chamberlain, who was bitten repeatedly about his neck and head. Incredibly, the game was not stopped, Chamberlain walked three batters and it cost the Yankees the series. Jeff
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Post by nonrabbit on Jun 17, 2009 15:03:21 GMT
That's interesting, I did not realize the song was about, or even partially about, flying insects. In the 2007 baseball playoffs, in Cleveland, a swarm of midges invaded the stadium completely distracting the Yankee pitcher, Joba Chamberlain, who was bitten repeatedly about his neck and head. Incredibly, the game was not stopped, Chamberlain walked three batters and it cost the Yankees the series. Jeff A tourist who visited Scotland for the first time was so annoyed with our midgies went back home (think it was Japan) and has made a new potion which he will try out this year when he returns!! Ps I think "my exclusive" on the meaning of Beastie might be challenged by Tull Corporation
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Post by tullistray on Jun 18, 2009 13:57:10 GMT
That's interesting, I did not realize the song was about, or even partially about, flying insects. In the 2007 baseball playoffs, in Cleveland, a swarm of midges invaded the stadium completely distracting the Yankee pitcher, Joba Chamberlain, who was bitten repeatedly about his neck and head. Incredibly, the game was not stopped, Chamberlain walked three batters and it cost the Yankees the series. Jeff A tourist who visited Scotland for the first time was so annoyed with our midgies went back home (think it was Japan) and has made a new potion which he will try out this year when he returns!! Ps I think "my exclusive" on the meaning of Beastie might be challenged by Tull Corporation Were those midgies that attacked Chamberlain in the playoffs? I was not aware that we had those masters of annoyance in the USA, glad we do not have them in Chicago. Whatever they were they would be of a different stripe than the Scottish midgies which must be about one tenth the size of a mosquitoe, and literally ten times as annoying, the ears, at least in my case, were their preferred target. Because I recall those things were visible on TV, even by the thousands I don't think the Scottish version would be. Last time I was in the Highlands was in 85 and I was told it was the wettest summer in 200 years. I can recall one morning on Skye attempting to take my waterlogged tent down and those midgies drove me to such distraction that I had to give up. Each night they would coat the inside of my cheapo tent to where it would turn black from tan with the visits of thousands of the squealing ear attacking fiends. In fact one of the highlights of that visit was buying the temporarily effective midgie repellant and the sheer near orgasmic joy I had in executing thousands of them at a time, but 85 had to be the alltime apex of the midgie and those I had put to death were shortly replaced by thousands of replacements. I was a little surprised to find an insect so profoundly more annoying than our mosquitoes. [/quote]I must admit when I think of Jaba Chamberlain, if I were a midgie, he being a wee bit plump he might have made some mighty fine eating. It was not good to see Yankee elegance driven to distraction by midgies in freaking Cleveland!
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Post by fatman on Jun 18, 2009 15:09:24 GMT
A tourist who visited Scotland for the first time was so annoyed with our midgies went back home (think it was Japan) and has made a new potion which he will try out this year when he returns!! Ps I think "my exclusive" on the meaning of Beastie might be challenged by Tull Corporation Were those midgies that attacked Chamberlain in the playoffs? I was not aware that we had those masters of annoyance in the USA, glad we do not have them in Chicago. Whatever they were they would be of a different stripe than the Scottish midgies which must be about one tenth the size of a mosquitoe, and literally ten times as annoying, the ears, at least in my case, were their preferred target. Because I recall those things were visible on TV, even by the thousands I don't think the Scottish version would be. Last time I was in the Highlands was in 85 and I was told it was the wettest summer in 200 years. I can recall one morning on Skye attempting to take my waterlogged tent down and those midgies drove me to such distraction that I had to give up. Each night they would coat the inside of my cheapo tent to where it would turn black from tan with the visits of thousands of the squealing ear attacking fiends. In fact one of the highlights of that visit was buying the temporarily effective midgie repellant and the sheer near orgasmic joy I had in executing thousands of them at a time, but 85 had to be the alltime apex of the midgie and those I had put to death were shortly replaced by thousands of replacements. I was a little surprised to find an insect so profoundly more annoying than our mosquitoes. I must admit when I think of Jaba Chamberlain, if I were a midgie, he being a wee bit plump he might have made some mighty fine eating. It was not good to see Yankee elegance driven to distraction by midgies in freaking Cleveland! [/quote] They were definitely midges. If you google Joba Chamberlain and midges the story will come up. Jeff
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Post by tullistray on Jun 18, 2009 15:37:04 GMT
Cool Jeff I will. I kind of enjoyed watching that to begin with even though I am a Yankee fan. Now knowing that they are midges or what I was told was pronounced midgie I might enjoy watching someone drivin to equal distraction.
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Post by nonrabbit on Jun 18, 2009 17:36:52 GMT
Whatever they were they would be of a different stripe than the Scottish midgies which must be about one tenth the size of a mosquitoe, and literally ten times as annoying, the ears, at least in my case, were their preferred target. Because I recall those things were visible on TV, even by the thousands I don't think the Scottish version would be. Last time I was in the Highlands was in 85 and I was told it was the wettest summer in 200 years. I can recall one morning on Skye attempting to take my waterlogged tent down and those midgies drove me to such distraction that I had to give up. Each night they would coat the inside of my cheapo tent to where it would turn black from tan with the visits of thousands of the squealing ear attacking fiends. In fact one of the highlights of that visit was buying the temporarily effective midgie repellant and the sheer near orgasmic joy I had in executing thousands of them at a time, but 85 had to be the alltime apex of the midgie and those I had put to death were shortly replaced by thousands of replacements. I was a little surprised to find an insect so profoundly more annoying than our mosquitoes. i40.images obliterated by tinypic/2csc5g3.jpg[/IMG] I thought you might have come across them Tullistray The more I look at the words of Beastie I reckon he was writing about them. Do the tourist books actually mention them ? They are a puckin nightmare It was a gorgeous evening a couple of nights ago and I was sitting outside watching the beautiful sunset with one of my female friends. What with the guggling of the wine and the constant chattering we must have swallowed about a thousand of them. It never shut us up though - we moved inside. ;D It does spoil a Summer evening though!
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Post by steelmonkey on Jun 18, 2009 19:11:32 GMT
But what about the thingie on ian's shoulder during the song...didn't look like no bug!
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Post by tullistray on Jun 18, 2009 19:25:31 GMT
Actually I guess I can shed a little light on that although I think IA has been heard to say his songs are about whatever you perceive. On my old Broadsword interview tape with BBC guy Brian Mathews I think he says, essentially, the song is about fear and how one addresses it, something like that.
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Post by nonrabbit on Jun 18, 2009 20:43:58 GMT
But what about the thingie on ian's shoulder during the song...didn't look like no bug! artistic license - one huge beastie on his shoulder represents thousands of the wee b******
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Post by nonrabbit on Jun 18, 2009 20:48:16 GMT
Actually I guess I can shed a little light on that although I think IA has been heard to say his songs are about whatever you perceive. On my old Broadsword interview tape with BBC guy Brian Mathews I think he says, essentially, the song is about fear and how one addresses it, something like that. I think you're right ............. " He's the lonely fear of dying, and for some, of living too" and yet the midge theory.... " He's your private nightmare pricking.."
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Post by steelmonkey on Jun 18, 2009 21:54:56 GMT
I always heard it as 'he's your private nightmare brigand'...time to re-read the lyric book...known dismissively to my ex-wife as 'the bible'.
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mix
Journeyman
Posts: 136
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Post by mix on Jul 23, 2009 7:57:56 GMT
From a Deat Beat to an Old Greaser --- Bores me to death, and unlike, say, "The Chequered Flag" doesn't have an involving melody. Always hated it. Too Old To Rock'n'Roll; Too Young To Die --- I don't hate it, but I think it's the most overrated Jethro Tull song ever. Musically is just decent. The lyrics are good and the video is funny. Hearing it live was ok, though. I used to think that about From a Dead Beat, when I was young and first getting into Tull. But the song has grown on me so much to the point where I now love it. It's stark simplicity and reminiscense of an earlier age are what makes it sadly beautiful, and I just love the sax solo. Jeff I'm with you Jeff. From A Deadbeat is quite possibly one of my most favorite Tull tracks period. The strange thing about it is it just doesn't sound like anything else, it is unique. I love the sadness in the melody and chords, and that solo, man I wish it would never end. But Jeff, next time you take a listen to that solo pay particular attention to Martin's Guitar work playing the melody underneath the sax. His playing of that melody is utterly beautiful.
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Post by nonrabbit on Jul 23, 2009 10:21:04 GMT
If you take it literally and I did on the first few hundred listenings way back in the land of youth it would be the familiar story of young boy having an affair with older woman. Seem to recall that that was a typical 18/19 year old fantasy as I had a friend who used to boast about the older barmaid fancying him "She's really old must be about forty!!" etc etc ;D But even then I realised that there was much much more to it than youthful boasting. Here was a boy maybe living out his sexual fantasy yet being miserable, critical, guilty? and regretful at the same time. So I ruled out this theory cause I don't think that would neccessarily be how a young boy would look at that There's anger and a bit of childish spite in the lyrics now I'm not too clever on the personal details in Anderson's life and dates however one of the reasons I love those Australian interviews is for the body language when he's being quite frank about his songs. See it at 1.02 - 1.33 secs into the second interview when he talks about his father. My hunch and it's probably hysterically funny to anyone who knows Anderson but I think the song is about his father and maybe his parents? I think that maybe he is the youngest in his family with maybe a sizeable age gap between siblings and that his parents were certainly not old but not young parents either. Mind you I basing that also on the picture of his father and all men in the 50's dressed and looked older anyway. Taking that into consideration and also the period of social change among the youth (we in the UK were a few years behind America in catching up with the changes) and also I assume the strict presbyterian upbringing he had all this tumbled out into lyrics in a song. SO I think Sossity is about; Time, pain, determination, using his long life and the choices he will make ahead as ammunition against his past. That would appear to be one of a few plausible explainations for the whole of Benefit too. Maybe?
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