FEATURED CD: Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!

[JIF]

I first heard this when my local radio station(KLOS) played this on a program called The Seventh Day. I was fascinated by parts of the title track first appearing in Quizz Kid. Yes, I know it's the other way around, but I heard the title track first(on the compilation Original Masters). So, imagine my shock when Too Old To Rock And Roll(the title track) turned into another song. I found a cheap copy of the remastered version at Borders Book sometime later. I think I've only listened to this once. I like it, but it's just strange Hearing Evans only on piano when the other Tull albums I heard before(Benefit, Aqualung, TAAB, and APP) also featured him on organ.

[martiprog]

It seems from this thread that this album is the black sheep of the 70's family. Way superior to anything from the 80's onwards and better than Warchild & Passion Play IMO (both fine albums though!), I think it's a real flawed gem. Yes, it suffers from having to follow MITG but it is a stepping stone to the treasures that came after, and as has already been pointed out, it was born out of a failed project. As I recall it was also a bit of a reaction to the UK music press at that time, who had started to turn on Tull and question whether they'd had their day, hence the title. This was Ian's "two fingered salute" to them - "And may your tongue be in your cheek!"

[Rand Kelly]

It seems from this thread that this album is the black sheep of the 70's family. Way superior to anything from the 80's onwards and better than Warchild & Passion Play IMO (both fine albums though!), I think it's a real flawed gem. Yes, it suffers from having to follow MITG but it is a stepping stone to the treasures that came after, and as has already been pointed out, it was born out of a failed project. As I recall it was also a bit of a reaction to the UK music press at that time, who had started to turn on Tull and question whether they'd had their day, hence the title. This was Ian's "two fingered salute" to them - "And may your tongue be in your cheek!"

better than Warchild and A Passion Play. WOW!

[Digital_Man]

I listened to this album once. I thought it was boring. I love the title track though but not much else. I'll probably buy it again at some point though.

[Kim Olesen]

I love this album. Tull at their most sarcastic. Who else can lay claim to having made an album that sounds sarcastic even without listening to the lyrics. It's a unique album in the history of rock.

[Blah_Blah_Woof_Woof]

Never gave it a chance. They burned me on Warchild and redeemed with Songs from the Wood and Minstral. Love Bursting Out. That's it.

[ribors]

I like this album a lot and it's easily their most underrated and underappreciated album. It suffers from the misfortune of being struck between two of their best albums. Plus the cover art and title doesn't do it any favors either. I still think it's the weakest of their 70's albums, but that says more about the strengths of the other albums they released during the decade, rather than the weakness of this one. Part of the problem is that while there are many great songs on the album, I think the album overall is weaker than the sum of its parts as the "concept" (if you want to call it that) is very weak.

Never really liked the title track and sometimes I like "Dead Beat", but other times I feel it's too slow and just drags on. "Bad-Eyed and Loveless" is perhaps the least enjoyable acoustic track Ian has ever done with the "she's a warm fart at Christmas" one of the worst lines he's ever written. I'm surprised nobody's mentioned "Taxi Grab," which is a great blues rocker and possibly my favorite track, though "Quizz Kid", "Crazed Institution", "Salamander" (even if it's a rework), "Big Dipper", "Pied Piper", and "The Chequered Flag" are great numbers too.

[Sputnik]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned "Taxi Grab," which is a great blues rocker and possibly my favorite track

That was my favorite track when listening on YouTube yesterday. It was after hearing that track I decided to give the album another shot.

Bill

[JIF]

That was my favorite track when listening on YouTube yesterday. It was after hearing that track I decided to give the album another shot.

Bill

Nice to hear Ian play the harmonica on that one.

[PROGMONSTER]

Ian was probably better off not attempting sounds tracks. Warchild would have been a great album judging by the bonus tracks. Maybe an ep would have been better than an album in 1976 though. Ian probably had more material to add. I really like those 2 live instrumentals the band did in 76

[JIF]

Ian was probably better off not attempting sounds tracks. Warchild would have been a great album judging by the bonus tracks. Maybe and ep would have been better than an album in 1976 though but Ian probably had more material to add though. I really like those 2 live instrumentals the band did in 76

What are sounds tracks?

[PROGMONSTER]

What are sounds tracks?

Warchild and Too old. But Ian had close to an album worth of extra material in 1974 including March the mad scientist. Those extra tracks are the real Tull songs of 74. Too old only has 2 bonus tracks though.

[JIF]

Warchild and Too old. But Ian had close to an album worth of extra material in 1974 including March the mad scientist. Those extra tracks are the real Tull songs of 74. Too old only has 2 bonus tracks though.

Oh, I get it. Soundtracks. Now, I see.

[Progatron]

still think it's the weakest of their 70's albums, but that says more about the strengths of the other albums they released during the decade, rather than the weakness of this one.

This is exactly how I feel about it too. Well said.

Spinning the album right now and thoroughly enjoying it.

[hippypants]

I don't have this one, but should the title have been: Never Too Old to Rock N Roll: Too Young to Die! ??

[Homburg]

The one Tull 70s album I don't dig. Only like the title track. The (by rock standards) very articulate and patrician-sounding IA taking on the role of a greasy old biker (at least the cover art conflates IA and his character) is almost embarassing. But the concept might have worked better as an actual musical yes.

[Homburg]

Re 'is it autobiographical?' note Ian's denial of this when introducing title track on Bursting Out.

But maybe his retrospective comments shouldn't be taken as final word ('Aqulaung isn't a concept album'; 'TAAB is a spoof of prog').

[ribors]

The one Tull 70s album I don't dig. Only like the title track. The (by rock standards) very articulate and patrician-sounding IA taking on the role of a greasy old biker (at least the cover art conflates IA and his character) is almost embarassing. But the concept might have worked better as an actual musical yes.

Aside from your first sentence (the title track is the only song I *don't* like on the album), I agree with your assessment. The title and artwork are over-the-top and somewhat embarrassing and I think makes it easier for both fans and critics to dismiss without giving it a fair chance (see 'judging a book by its cover').

I must say that if you like the rest of Tull in the 70's but don't like anything except the title track you should really give another listen (how can you not like Taxi Grab or Quizz Kid?).

[Homburg]

Re ribors ^

I'll give it another listen. Probably the idea that it's about an old biker has put me off. The Tull style seems incongrous.

[Homburg]

I've listended to it again a couple of times. The arrangements/texture are vintage Tull (particularly reminiscent of Minstrel In The Gallery), but the actual songs don't cut it for me. Taxi Grab is probably the closest to succeeding for me, apart from title track.

[Larry Canary]

Salamander is good. Quiz Kid is very good. Taxi Grab is pretty good and I liked hearing Ian on the harmonica again.

However I didn't view Glascock as a major upgrade over Hammond, just somewhat.

[taliesin]

However I didn't view Glascock as a major upgrade over Hammond, just somewhat.

Wow.

[gregory]

Not unlike the protagonist, Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll certainly seems like a bit of an anomaly in Jethro Tull’s catalogue. Released at the time that Ian Anderson penned some of his most ambitious output and reveled in lengthy, multifaceted compositions, the straightforward, predominantly hard-rocking tunes of Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll certainly sound out of place.

Except Taxi Grab, which is, by the way, not your usual straightforward hard rock, I wouldn't define anything on this album as hard rock.

Even the softer numbers, such as the impossibly beautiful Salamander, are uncharacteristically energetic, with the sole exception being the painfully lethargic From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser.

Epithets like painfully lethargic looks a bit turgid

[PROGMONSTER]

Pied piper, strip cartoon and salamander are the most Tull like songs. Chequered flag is lovely too. A strong album could have been built around these if this wasn't meant to be a soundtrack

[trurl]

However I didn't view Glascock as a major upgrade over Hammond, just somewhat.

Well, as a character and a cool guy, I'd totally agree... JHH added a lot of personality to the band. But the boy could barely play bass He did some cool parts but they were pretty much taught to him rote by Martin and Ian from what I can gather. Glascock was light years ahead in terms of ability and also came up with some very sweet parts. So in the end... I dig both but the band got waaaaay tighter when John came along. Major upgrade for me. I imagine Barrie was a happy camper as well.