Customer Reviews

Stormwatch (W/4 Bonus Tracks)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"I flew for heaven's sake, and let the angels take me home" (from "Home")

In many ways *Stormwatch* is the last Jethro Tull album; *A*, its followup, started life as an Ian Anderson solo effort and future efforts would lack the classic lineup ... and the stately Elgar-meets-folk-rock grandeur of Jethro Tull at its finest. Perhaps that explains the pervasive feeling of melancholy which suffuses this album: everyone involved knew that things were coming to an end.

"Floating slowly out to sea in a misty misery." (from "Flying Dutchman")

While Ian Anderson had been Tull's leader since *Stand Up,* he had always relied on the efforts of his backing musicians, particularly the electric guitar of the much underrated Martin Barre. Drummer Barrimore Barlow and keyboard whiz John Evan left Jethro Tull not long after *Stormwatch* was released, while bassist John Glascock passed away of a heart ailment shortly thereafter. This may explain why their contributions seem almost perfunctory: *Stormwatch* has the same basic sound as *Heavy Horses* and *Songs from the Wood* but lacks the instrumental pyrotechnics of prime Tull. (On the other hand, David Palmer's orchestral arrangements are more important than they ever were before... or would ever be again... on this CD, particularly on the instrumental tracks "Warm Sporran" and "Elegy").

"I'll be coming again like an old dog in pain
blown through the eye of the hurricane
down to the stones where old ghosts play... " (from "Old Ghosts")

That's not to say this isn't an excellent album. "Dun Ringill" and "Home" are great acoustic tunes which feature Ian Anderson at his best. "Orion," "Old Ghosts" and "North Sea Oil" are solid Tull, and while "Dark Ages" and "Flying Dutchman" are a tad overlong, they're definitely enjoyable. It's not *Thick as a Brick* or *Living in the Past* ... but it's a solid effort from Ian Anderson, one of rock's most creative and talented musicians.

Without going into much of the politics of the band (Barlow was ticked at the treatment of Glasscock after his surgery and at the seemingly disinterested tone of Anderson at Glasscock's death), this great album was the closure of the "seasonal" Tull albums. Started with Songs From The Wood, continued with Heavy Horses, Stormwatch was the conclusion. The bareness of winter, cold feelings, disdain, and a fair amount of soul searching permeate this album.

I never really cared for Orion and North Sea Oil, but live, they were fantastic. When Tull performed this album on tour, half of the set was basically playing this album. Dark Ages is the true Tull gem on this work. It captures Anderson's dislike of prejudices and ignorance in the modern world and almost serves as a warning. All of this against a backdop of some of Barre's best guitar work and Palmer's most inventive talents. Something on the Move is the relunctant "hit" that smashed through the airwaves of FM. Elegy is actually written by Palmer for the loss of his father--not for Glasscock as many believe. Glasscock died as they were recording this album. Flying Dutchman is a cross between a Sea-Shanty and a reflective song about the past.

My favorite tracks are Old Ghosts--a nearly perfect mix of acoustic and electric Tull, and Dun Ringall--THE perfect Tull acoustic song. This is a reflective CD for Anderson, one I am sure was difficult to make since there are glimpses of longing and regret displayed in the lyrics and the mood of the album.

One can assume that Anderson knew this would be the last of the "regulars" Tull album and planned to put the past to rest. Many fans are quite personal and angry about this album as not being up to par with the others. They see this as lacking enthusiasm and the good-natured spiritness of Tull. I really do not see it as such. I see it as the close of an era--a death of sorts of the band--a band that was given an opportunity to be reborn. The ensuing albums until Broadsword were...uh...a bit "embryonic" but Tull rebounded nicely.

Enjoy Stormwatch with a nice Stout or Porter on a cold winter night.

This is a better CD (album) than I thought it was even when I bought it upon it's original release. At the time I was a teenager and though well-read, I was unable to fully grasp the songs. Today, I feel that this is a fantastic recording and a fantastic body of songs. The themes of a world of unrest and a world where environmental concerns are becoming front page news again. Make this a timely and well rounded collection of observational songs that also carry a feeling of yearning. "Home" is and was a great single. It should be a song that is played as much as "Aqualung". Well, I'm not going to pontificate about musical endeavors but, Ian Anderson is simply put... a genius. An often misapplied word used to describe lesser talents but, fully applicable in the setting of this bands storied history and brilliant catalog.

Not to take anything away from the rest the of the Tull catalogue, but I'd have to say this is my favorite tull album / CD. It was one of the first I experienced when I was first getting to know the band in the early 80's. As I've gotten older, and being a musician myself, I find my appriciation for the work put into this collection growing stronger all the time. This was the last of the best Tull lineup.

I bought the vinyl when Storm Watch was first released. I own most of the Tull
catalog up to Storm Watch...Storm Watch is not Heavy Horses or Songs from the Wood.
Why should it be? It is heavier and darker for a reason...I have been to Aberdeen (all over the north of the UK) Aberdeen is the Oil Capital of Europe...The Granite City...Listen to North Sea Oil (and the whole album) and you can not help but think of Aberdeen/northern UK/Scotland... the people, the landscape, the North Sea...a cold harsh environment in winter...and beautiful in summer.

This is a great album...music and lyrics! Different then Heavy Horses/SFTW, but easily as good.

The remaster sound is excellent...the bonus tracks...the booklet with lyrics/liner notes/photos make this a must for Tull fans.

i vividly recall seeing Tull for the first time in Toronto back in the late '70s as they toured this album and played it pretty much in its entirety as a "set piece." As a long-time Tull fan, this, to me, ranks as one of the band's better and most under appreciated efforts (and the last album to feature bassist John Glasscock before his untimely death. I.A. takes on much of the bass playing duties). Not a "concept ablum" per se, but the songs do seem to have a certain thread linking them together. "North Sea Oil", "Orion", "Something's On The Move" and the epic "Dark Ages" are standouts. David Palmer's "Elegy" remains one of my favourite instrumentals. A great effort that seamlessly bridges prog, folk and hard rock.

granted, this one is somewhat of a let down after "Songs from the Wood" and "Heavy Horses", but it has an original theme and there are some good songs on it, including one of my all time favorites: "Dun Ringill" (it's worth buying just for that...or get the boxed set). Over 20 years later, I also still find myself occasionally singing the chorus to "Orion".

whether it's Tull's best album or not, the fact is, at the time of it's release, Tull had been worldwide touring professional musicians for over 10 years...incredibly talented ones, at that. The difference in the depth of this album (or any Tull album) compared to what is slopped out by most modern "recording arstists" is astronomical.

It was late autumn of 1979 and Tull was on tour again. I was sitting in some nondescript seats in the nosebleed section of the Pittsburgh Civic Arena (owing to my meager student's living wages) waiting to see my favorite band in the world. The stage was a setpiece of ship's rigging cast in blue and green lights -very dark and oppressive. The band was on a low note, as John Glascock had recently died and they were touring with a substitute bass player. As if that wasn't bad enough, an announcer came on stage to introduce the band, stating that J.T. had cancelled their last three shows because some idiot had thrown a glass bottle on the stage and a piece of glass had gotten into Ian Anderson's eye. Be warned!, this was their first night back and they weren't going to put up with any nonsense. The band took the stage to thunderous applause, and a bespectacled Ian came forward playing a flute intro. Not two minutes into the show, another moron threw a bottle onto this stage, and quick as a flash - Ian stopped the show! He clearly was pissed, and threatened to leave right away unless somebody pointed out who threw the bottle and had them expelled. Obviously, the jerk was quicky ushered out and the band was ready to start again, but not before David Palmer gave a proper dressing down to the audience, telling us all we'de better f***ing well sit in our seats and listen! What a start to the night!

Well, the show went on very nicely from there, a great set that closely matched the "BURSTING OUT" album with some of the new songs scattered throughout. The band, consumate professionals all, played flawlessly, and the left the crowd satisfied, but it is no wonder Ian and Martin look back at this album and tour as a kind of dark period in their history.

The album itself has a darker mood; the last album of the 70's, and the last Tull album for Barlow, Evans and Palmer. Moving subtley away from the folkish and dealing with more worldly and political themes, the album is an examination of the troubled times in which we were all living. But don't be put off by this darker mood, there are some GREAT tunes on this disc. The highlight for me was the evocotive DUN RINGILL, but other absolutely stunning tunes include SOMETHING ON THE MOVE, ORION, FLYING DUTCHMAN, and NORTH SEA OIL. The original album ended with David Palmer's sad but beautiful ELEGY, a song fittingly marking the end of an era.

The bonus tracks on this edition include CROSSWORD, with some rocking guitar licks by Martin Barre; KELPIE, a more folkish tune with a rollicking flute passage that frequently finds it's way into Ian's solos even to this day; and KING HENRY'S MADRIGAL, another David (Dee) Palmer instrumental piece that really showcases the band's impressive playing abilities.

As I said, a dark album, but satisfying nonetheless and worth every penny.

Stormwatch seems to fly under the radar of most Tull fans. When I am in the mood for Tull, I often reach for other disks before I would grab Stormwatch. I am not sure why that is, Stormwatch is a very good album, the last of the 70's era Tull. The instrumentals on Stormwatch, Warm Sporran and Elegy, are fantastic! And the song Dark Ages is worth the price of the disk alone! I guess there just isn't anything that makes Stormwatch stand out like other Tull disks. If you are a Tull fan you have to own this one, if for nothing else that to hear John Glascock's last songs, and to hear Ian Anderson fill in on bass for most of the disk. Plus this is really the last Tull album that came out before plunging headfirst into the Keyboard and Synth heavy 80's. Stormwatch features some great songwriting by Ian Anderson and Ian's voice is very strong here. Jethro Tull is an amazing band, and almost every album is worth investing time in.

Contrary to inaccurate information (a.k.a. "lies") included in a previous review, John Evan, Barriemore Barlow and David Palmer did NOT quit immediately after "Stormwatch". Indeed, the three of them toured EXTENSIVELY in support of the album through June of 1980. (Unfortunately, John Glascock, whom Anderson dismissed (for health reasons) died during said tour.)
After the conclusion of the "Stormwatch" tour, Anderson recorded another album with a different line-up (including Martin Barre) intending it to be a "solo" album, however, the decision was made to release the album ("A") as a Tull album...this decision served as a "de facto" sacking of Evan, Palmer and Barlow.
Later, Barlow said in an interview that he had already given Ian Anderson notice, most likely to "save face."
Since Evan, Barlow and Palmer (unlike Barre) had little, if any, creative input, their absence was irrelevant to Tull's future fortunes.

Despite the unfortunate sequence of events which befell those three musicians, "Stormwatch" is a fine CD, as was "Heavy Horses" and "Songs Fron The Wood" before it.

Some things last, don't they?