Wednesday 4 November 2015

Spiral (Jethro Tull, 1999)

"J-Tull Dot Com" is unlikely to be among JT's best albums, but I surely like its opening track. "Spiral" is a rich and thick song (as a brick, I'd say...), based on a well found guitar riff, a rocky sung theme and a winding flute work. And I also like the slow tempo and somehow mysterious central section, one of the proggest passages of the 90s production of the band. It's a highly dynamic song, a mixture of energy and poetry that I can only call quintessential Jethro Tull.

This album was number 20 in Jethro Tull's studio discography.

And even if Ian Anderson's voice was less aggressive than in his best years, his flute and his songwriting were as good in 1999 as they were in 1971. The lyrics also contribute to the breathtaking final effect with their hurricane of sounds and colours. Nothing new, maybe, but still a beautiful song after more than 30 years of prog. Chapeau, Mr. Anderson & friends.

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