It's rather strange that the main movers in Jethro Tull are going head-to-head with solo albums
released in the same month. For Tull fans, times are good because there's also a Christmas band
album on the way. (A taster of which is on this CD).
Rupi's Dance is arguably more Tull in spirit than Ian Anderson's previous solo offering (The Secret Language Of Birds)
and one wonders why he didn't just save up these songs for a band album.
The instrumentation as you'd expect is top-notch, whilst Anderson is also on best observational form. The subject matter
covers all manner of topics from Starbucks to love-struck.
Whereas he owed much to the rumbustious style of Roland Kirk in Tull's heyday, there's a lighter Celtic and jazzier feel on the flute permeating these grooves.
Thirty plus years on, Anderson's music and wit is still relevant, and the liner notes to each track are informative. One of the
engaging aspects of this album is the use of strings, and a track like 'A Raft Of Penguins' brings back memories of David Palmer's arrangements
for Tull classics of old: 'Sweet Dreams' and 'Life Is A Long Song' come to mind. A must-have for Tull fans, then, and more than just a stop-gap
before the next collaborative offering.
***** Out of this world | **** Pretty
damn fine |
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan |
** Instant bargain bin fodder | * Ugly. Just ugly
It's rather strange that the main movers in Jethro Tull are going head-to-head with solo albums
released in the same month. For Tull fans, times are good because there's also a Christmas band
album on the way. (A taster of which is on this CD).
