Jethro Tull - War Child...

[trurl]

For some reason, I think the title track is actually my least favorite on the album. It's a cool song, melodically, and has some great harmonic stuff happening but the arrangement don't get it. Martin seems to be at a total loss as to how to approach the song and when the chorus hits it should peel paint but it doesn't really get the dynamic lift it needs. Instead you get the dreaded saxamafon it its possibly least enjoyable setting. Same thing with Two Fingers to a large extent- good song but it never rocks like it seems like it wants to. Part of me wants to attempt a remake of Warchild (the song) but frankly, I don't know how I'd approach it any better than they did.

[ThomasKDye]

Same thing with Two Fingers to a large extent- good song but it never rocks like it seems like it wants to.

It's a song that needs a driving train-like rhythm, especially towards the end, but the rhythm section just sort of stumbles and bounces, even with both Ian and Martin egging them on with their strumming. Also, I concede that "Two Fingers" is where the sax and accordion work the LEAST.

[Werbinox]

It's a song that needs a driving train-like rhythm, especially towards the end, but the rhythm section just sort of stumbles and bounces, even with both Ian and Martin egging them on with their strumming. Also, I concede that "Two Fingers" is where the sax and accordion work the LEAST.

Have you heard the version of Two Fingers (called "Lick Your Fingers Clean") that comes at the beginning of Disc 2 on the 20 yrs box set? It DOES rock! An older version from the Aqualung sessions, I believe, that was reworked for Warchild. I love this version much better

[Kim Olesen]

A VERY dense album. Too dense for listening the whole way through (for me that is). But when my iPod shuffles (i almost always have my iPod on "shuffle all songs") to one of the Warchild songs i enjoy it very much. As an album it's too much. In some ways it lacks the space that i think it's cousin A Passion Play has.

[BarryLI]

For those of you as old as moi you might recall that Ian and the lads had been slagged pretty badly when it came to APP, especially as the follow-up to TAAB. Throw in the band's scrapping of the Chateau Disaster tapes (I can sympathesize with Ian, how the hell do you go into the studio and "top" TAAB?) and Ian's decision to go back to shorter songs left me curious as to what was coming, and what came didn't appeal that much to me save for Skating Away, The Third Hurrah, and Two Fingers, in fact the first side was a great disappointment to someone in love with the band at the time, and the love affair is still burning (saw Ian at Westbury last week). There's just something about the record that's "off", I wonder if it was the pressure to write shorter songs that effected Ian's composing? Whatever it was it was one Tull album that didn't work for me.

[Progatron]

I love the album, although not as much as what came immediately before and after. Classic Tull stuff here, and plenty of good non-album tracks as well from this period.

[gregory]

I tend to agree with Tob here, the album could be better, than it is. Sealion, Bungle, Two Fingers were a doubtful choice, according to the bunch of new songs they had in stock about that time.

[Right_Brained]

Big fan of War Child. Surprised at the lack of love for this. Tull was in fine form during this period . . . A great band filled with a quirky cast of characters . . . almost like a cool musical version of Monty Python.The tour was even better and these guys really played off each other both musically and theatrically. Ian didn't realize what he had going with this lineup. IMHO Tull never recovered from the loss of Evan and Barlowe. They were a delight to see live.

[GuitarGeek]

One of the greatest couplets ever:

"You better leave your underpants
With someone you can trust"

[Werbinox]

Big fan of War Child. Surprised at the lack of love for this. Tull was in fine form during this period . . . A great band filled with a quirky cast of characters . . . almost like a cool musical version of Monty Python.The tour was even better and these guys really played off each other both musically and theatrically. Ian didn't realize what he had going with this lineup. IMHO Tull never recovered from the loss of Evan and Barlowe. They were a delight to see live.

I agree with everything you write here, except for being a "big" fan of Warchild, tho Ive come to enjoy this album as well, finally. The 70's Tull band is perhaps my favorite band of all time, if I had to name just one. Yet the results on the Warchild album didn't thrill me for the longest time (and I have no doubt they were in top form for the tour) Lucky for me my opinions on it have changed, and I now enjoy it as the gem that it is. The problem album of theirs for me remains "Too Old to Rock and Roll...", but that is another thread already commented upon!

[zombywoof]

This is a great album to pull out every once in awhile. Love it (but the bonus cuts make it even better!)

[PROGMONSTER]

This is a great album to pull out every once in awhile. Love it (but the bonus cuts make it even better!)

There's only 3 or 4 songs that aren't too good all of which are on the original album. Pretty good disc overall with 17 songs but without the bonus tracks it is weakened a fair bit. But the band should be rated by quality and quantity. Can't really rate a band from soundtrack songs which isn't really their style. This remaster is 4 star cd . Hopefully there is a new remaster with extra bonus tracks such as Beaches parts 1 and 2 plus March the mad scientist. The quad album also should be included

[Adinfinitum]

I like the album's back cover - typical Tull humor.

[Fatoldbloke]

Its an ok album. Have it in quad

[zombywoof]

There's only 3 or 4 songs that aren't too good all of which are on the original album. Pretty good disc overall with 17 songs but without the bonus tracks it is weakened a fair bit. But the band should be rated by quality and quantity. Can't really rate a band from soundtrack songs which isn't really their style. This remaster is 4 star cd . Hopefully there is a new remaster with extra bonus tracks such as Beaches parts 1 and 2 plus March the mad scientist. The quad album also should be included

Agreed. The original is, say, 3/5 Stars - the remaster is easily a 4/5. :-)

[PROGMONSTER]

Agreed. The original is, say, 3/5 Stars - the remaster is easily a 4/5. :-)

I made my own version choosing 12 songs from the remaster with the addition of March the mad scientist. Could have been on of their best albums instead of one of their weaker ones

[Progatron]

Agreed. The original is, say, 3/5 Stars - the remaster is easily a 4/5. :-)

I agree with this (perhaps 3.5 and 4 for me), and I think it roughly applies to Broadsword And The Beast as well.