Stand Up

Though it was 1971's Aqualung that made Jethro Tull a huge rock n roll band and major concert attraction, I've always preferred their two prior albums, 1969's Stand Up, and Benefit, released the following year.

The band's first album, This Was, released in the fall of 1968, had a modest impact and featured Beggar's Farm but it was Stand Up that made them well-known in America.  The album was released during a remarkable period in the late summer and early fall of 1969 which also saw the release of Abbey Road, The Band by The Band (which I consider a perfect album), Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana's first album and Led Zeppelin II.  In November would come Let It Bleed by The Stones. 

I purchased Stand Up upon its release.  Each track is strong with tight songwriting and playing.  Here are two tracks, Back To The Family and Reasons For Waiting.

 

Benefit was also a consistently strong album; Teacher and A Time For Everything.

Aqualung certainly had its high points; the guitar solo on the title song (starts at 3:30 here), and the three short melodic tunes, but much of the rest was too bombastic for my tastes.  I saw them play on the Aqualung tour and Tull put on a great show.  The followup, Thick As A Brick, had some interesting material but after that I stopped following the group.

For Michael Collins

I'm left behind when I should have been there
Walking with you

Michael Collins, one of the three Apollo 11 astronauts, has passed at the age of 90.  Collins remained alone in the Apollo Command Module for 21 hours while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended and returned from the lunar surface in the Lunar Exploration Module (L.E.M.).  Of that time the mission log reads, "Not since Adam has any human known such solitude as Mike Collins".   Buzz Aldrin is now the lone mission survivor.

(Armstrong, Collins, Aldrin)

 

The lyrics are from For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me by Jethro Tull. 

Three Quick Ones

Much of Jethro Tull's 1971 album Aqualung has not aged well, many of the tunes now sounding bombastic and pretentious.  What has retained its power is the immortal guitar solo on the title tune, and three short (1-2 minute) acoustic guitar based songs with lovely melodies and sentiments.

Thick As A Brick

Ran across this acoustic version of Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick by Australian musician Carolyn Oates.  I like it better than the original.



While we're on Jethro Tull, here's a dynamite version of one of the best rock guitar solos, Martin Barre's work on Aqualung.