|
| |
|
|
|
Review Summary: This is a great live album of Jethro Tull. It represents a great historical document of the beginning of prog. “Nothing Is Easy: Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970” is the sixth live album of Jethro Tull and was released in 2004. The line up on the album is Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, John Evan, Glenn Cornick and Clive Bunker.
In the summer of 1970 it was held “The Isle Of Wight Festival” for five days, between 26 and 30 August, at East Afton Farm, in the Isle Of Wight, a small island of the south coast of England. It was the last of three consecutive festivals to take place in the island between 1968 and 1970. It was widely acknowledged as the biggest musical event of its time, bigger than Woodstock. Possibly, 600.000 or 700.000 people attended. It soon became known as the English Woodstock. Jethro Tull performed in the 5th and last day of the Festival. They were second, between The Moody Blues and Jimi Hendrix.
The preceding two Festivals had already gained excellent reputations, featuring performances of Jefferson Airplane, T. Rex, Pretty Things, Joe Cocker and Bob Dylan. In the 1970 festival, following Woodstock in the previous year, took part names like Kris Kristofferson, Supertramp, Gilberto Gil, Kaleidoscope/Fairfield Parlour, Chicago, Family, Procol Harum, Shawn Phillips, Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis, Ten Years After, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Doors, The Who, Melanie, Donovan, Pentangle, The Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen and Richie Evans.
The Isle Of Wight Festival of 1970, represents also a sad mark to rock music. It marked the last UK appearance of Jimi Hendrix. Unfortunately, three weeks later he was dead. So, it was due to that sad fact that Ian Anderson decided to dedicate this record to the memory of one of the greatest musicians and gifted guitarists of all time. RIP hard Jimi.
This live album of Jethro Tull shows the recording sessions of their live performance on that musical event. Some other bands did the same thing. For instance, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and The Who released live albums, both with the same name too. Curiously, all three recording sessions waited many years to be released. Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s album was released 28 years later, in 1998, The Who’s album was only released 26 years later, in 1996 and Jethro Tull’s album was released 34 years later, in 2004. It’s worth asking, what did take so long for these albums see the light of the day.
When Jethro Tull participated in the Festival, the band hadn’t yet an extensive repertoire to perform live. At the time, they had only released their first three studio albums. Those albums correspond to their first musical period, which isn’t properly their best and where their music can’t be considered totally progressive. Another thing, for instance John Evan only joins the band at The Isle Of Wight Festival, and the set reaches back into Jethro Tull’s first album.
The concert opens with “My Sunday Feeling”, showing the band rocking and rolling from the start. Heavy instrumentals include stinging guitar work and entrancing flute. Anderson’s vocals are distinctive and his delivery powerful. This is a truly charismatic live performance. The music comes alive blending blues, jazz and rock. “My God” has some ambivalence about religion. You can hear the early roots here of the more conceptual progressive rock that was to come for them. “With You There To Help Me”, shows that Anderson is an impassioned rock minstrel leading a jamming band that travels through a classical piano interlude into flute encircled, jazz-influenced riffs. “To Cry You A Song” plays with a swirling jazz rock abandon. It’s interesting to hear the band before the mega selling albums “Aqualung” and “Thick As A Brick” that would soon follow. “Bourée” is a classic instantly recognizable by its bass line. I always loved band’s effort at jazzing up the blues riffs. The live rendition doesn’t deviate too much from the studio version. “Dharma For One” quickly builds to a fever pitch. While at moments band’s performance seems a bit uneven, there is an appealing innocence here as well as a sense of true blues and jazz rock innovation. “Nothing Is Easy” is one of the highlights of the set. The band is in synch, charging on all cylinders with hypnotic organ and powerhouse drumming. The focus nevertheless remains Anderson, a spirited and dancing figure using his flute as both instrument and mystical weapon. “We Used To Know/For A Thousand Mothers” is a medley that closes the album. This is really a nice inclusion. There’s a little impromptu jam separating the two tunes. It’s raw and rough and Martin shows off his skills very well.
Conclusion: This is a great historical live document of the beginning of the band, when their music was more rock directed and simple and has a heavier sound. The energy of the music on this album is incredible and reflects and improves the quality of their music making it a really classic album. All the live performances are excellent including “My Sunday Feeling” which isn’t one of my favourite songs of this period. My favourite tracks are “My God”, “With You There To Help Me”, “To Cry You A Song”, “Dharma For One”, “Nothing Is Easy” and the medley with its brilliant and unforgettable performance. This is an album that shouldn’t be missed by anyone who is used to love great live music.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
|
Album Rating: 4.5
Continuing with Jethro Tull and great albums, here it's another one, this time a live album. Unfortunately, a live album which practically went unnoticed when it was released. Probably it was due to the date of its realise, 34 years latter of its live performance. Anyway, it's better late than never, and here it's my review, ressurecting this album for Sputnik too. Enjoy it.
As always, your comments are very welcome.
| | |
I've got the DVD of this performance, and it's a good one. Like you, it's not my favorite period of Tull, but while I don't really care for the first album, I do like the 2nd and the 3rd. Good job, e.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
great album, one of the great live bands
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
@ Divaman
Yeah, their debut album isn't really great, despite have some positive things. However, their second and third studio albums are really great albums.
I also own a DVD copy and I agree with you. this was really a great live performance.
Thanks, pal.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
@ wham
I agree with you. This is really a great live performance of a one the great live bands ever.
Thanks, man.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I do like the early years before they went full on Prog a little better
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Stand Up is an awesome album indeed. Always had a soft spot for this live as well, probably one of the reasons is that it was the first JT live album I heard.
Entertaining and interesting review once again e21, pos.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
@ wham
I also do like the early years before they went full on prog. But "Aqualung" and "Thick As A Brick", what to say about them? They're really two masterpieces. Isn't it true?
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
@ manosg
I agree. "Stand Up" is really an amazing album. The best of their first three.
Thanks, man.
| | |
I love "Stand Up", but I'm an even bigger fan of "Benefit", especially "With You There to Help Me".
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
It's a matter of personal taste, I think. Both are great.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Nice review of a great album, e21. I'll check it later.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Thanks, Intruder. Tell me something later, if you want.
| | |
Agreed.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
About the first three albums, I use to prefer Stand UP for its diversity and it clearly belongs to the same school of thoughts as Tull's later works. It still has some bluesy traces of their first hard rocking This Was, and like Benefit, it's filled with energetic, raw folk rock with a psych prog edge. I personally prefer the compositions of Stand UP overall. I think the band worked harder for that one. Benefit is well balanced though.
Nice review, e21 buddy and great choice for a review. That live album deserves so much more love on Sputnik. Hope it will get some more ratings. It looks like the band had fun to perform that night. Well Jethro Tull have good reputation when it comes to shows. Great song listing and lots of energy displayed. I listen to it every now and then. It seems they removed the DVD from youtube.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
It is all true E, those are complete classics, but when I go for Tull, most of the time I go with one of the first 4, or horses, or Songs,. I get lost in the middle sometimes, Passion Play, Thick, are too much for anything but a every few year listen, and it probably isnt popular opinion on this thread but I go for War CHild alot too
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
@ Jethro
I agree with you bro. "Stand Up" is the better album of their first three, with "Benefit" very close. The diversity of "Stand Up" clearly belongs to the same school of thoughts of Jethro Tull's later works. "This Was" is clearly inferior to those albums, despite its quality.
Again, I agree with you. This is an album that deserves much more attention and love, not only on Sputnik, but even inside of the community of prog rock fans. Maybe because its late release, I really don't know, but it always was a little bit forgotten. Anyway, live albums here on Sputnik, never were been the subject of much attention, which is a pity, because as you know, there are really great live albums. In what concerns to me, I'm going to continue to bring here, from time to time, great live albums, as I have done so far. And I know you did the same with your Progjet.
It's a pity that they removed the DVD from youtube. Fortunately, I own a copy of it and the performance is really great, even in those times. It seems the band was really great when live. Unfortunately, I never had the pleasure to see them live, except on DVD. But it's beter to see them on DVD than nothing.
Thanks, dude. This concert really needed a review, indeed.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
@ wham
That is, probably, because you aren't so prog lover as I am. Especially, this is even more evident in my case, because I always was a great fan of conceptual albums, which is the case of "Thick As A Brick". My favourite Jethro Tull albums are "Thick As A Brick" and "Aqualung", followed very close by "A Passion Play", "Mintrel In The Gallery" and "Songs From The Wood". I always loved "Heavy Horses", too, of course. About "War Child" I never was a great fan. I think "War Child", "Too Old To Rock'n'Roll; Too Young To Die!, and "This Was" are their weaker albums from the 70's, despite they aren't bad albums.
| | |
great review!
haven't checked this one in a loooong time
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Thanks SirLord.
It's normal. Unfortunately this is an album rarely listened. I think it's nice check it again from times to times.
| | | |
|
| |
