It was the lack of
Dogs in the Midwinter and
Waking Edge on the LP that finally convinced me to get a CD player. Crest of a Knave was the first CD I bought, and I got it along with Tull's 20th Anniversary set plus a couple of others, I've forgotten now which but they were reissues of things I had on vinyl. But think I still have all of them, certainly CoaK and the 20th set, both of which I love. Shortly thereafter, I ditched all my vinyl and it was CD all the way for me after that, so thank you CoaK, I guess.
I said it before, but I'll say it again. I hear the Dire Straits similarity. I actually noticed it when I first heard
Farm on the Freeway on the radio, as much in the guitar playing as the singing. I certainly noticed it on lots of tracks when I got the album. But it has never bothered me, because I like the songs, very much including
Said She Was a Dancer, which I also enjoy playing and singing on my acoustic guitar (along with
Waking Edge). As I also said before, in this album I hear the last gasp of the 70s Tull sound and ambition, and that comes through as clearly to me as the Dire Straits sound. So, Dire-Straitsy or not, this remains quintessentially a Tull album to me.
The song I scratch my head about is
Part of the Machine. I think that's every bit as good a song as some on the album, and it's odd to me it was left off. I think it should have been used for the follow-up, Rock Island, where it easily could have, and imo should have, replaced any number of tracks. I tried for years to like Rock Island, but finally gave up. Oh well.
Bill
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