Heavy Horses

Artist: Jethro Tull
Label: Capitol
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 094632117526
EAN: 0094632117526
ASIN: B00000K44W

Release Date: 1990-10-25

Heavy Horses

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Tracks:

And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps
Acres Wild
No Lullaby
Moths
Journey Man
Rover
One Brown Mouse
Heavy Horses
Weathercock

Similar Items:

Songs from the Wood

Amazon.com

Like 1977's Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses is often unfairly posited as the thematic follow-up to its aforementioned studio predecessor. While Songs from the Wood evokes a magical atmosphere, Heavy Horses is far more earthly. Indeed, on the nine-minute-long title-track--a most poetic ode to the England's plough horses--Ian Anderson sings with the sorrow of a farmhand witnessing modern harvesting equipment coming over the horizon for the first time. One can even forgive him the rather randy line, "Let me find you a filly for your proud stallion seed, to keep the old line going." Sure, there's plenty of prattle about drinking afternoon tea with mice, but tracks like "Moths" and "Acres Wild" mark Heavy Horses as a must-own title in the Jethro Tull canon. --Kevin Maidment

Customer Reviews:

Equestrian pursuits.......2006-03-15

Jethro Tull, one of the most eclectic of rocks bands till date, still remains a personal favourite for me. Probably more so because they were primarily a blues band (with a lot of folk music indulgence), and the fact that they have undergone upheavals during very well documented classic rock eras. (Bands with history are the ones who usually write it!)

Ian Anderson, a genius himself... (if you can form a group like Jethro Tull, you have to be a genius, no doubts about that one!)- and frontman of Jethro Tull is one of the most intelligent musicians to have been born. Excuse yourself for being mesmerised even if you hear him in one of his interviews. But then obviously you also need to be passionate about the English language, esp. coining of phrases, puns and quips, something that Ian Anderson is very good at.
It's been quite a good few years since I have been collecting Tull lyrics and I must say, there are all a delectable read.

Heavy Horses is a briliant album. Musically it is too accomplished, way ahead of its 1978 year of production. Drawing very much from the excellence of band member David Palmer who was responsible for the string and orchestral arrangements, this album also features the musical talents of bandmates John Evan (Piano...great work on the title track), Barriemore Barlow (drums), John Glascock (bass) and the inimitable and extremely talented Martin Barre. Yeah, most newly formed guitar enthusiasts might not even know who he is, but then for the record, Toni Iommmi (of Black Sabbath fame) couldn't do for Jethro Tull what Martin did. It is rumoured that Tony Iommi was able to stick with the band for just a week (or that he failed to meet expectations at the audition). Martin Barre has been with Jethro Tull ever since, notwithstanding the band's amazing and notorious fame for having a million line-up changes since inception. Although he tried his hand at a solo album ('Trick of Memory'), I personally feel, its best when you hear him in Jethro Tull.
Ian Anderson, apart from his ability to write profound lyricls, is very much known for his prowess with the flute and the way he fuses it into rock rhythms.

Heavy Horses has abundant enchanting doses of flute woven into classic rock rhythms, enough to get one introduced to the Jethro Tull style of making rock music or making music rock!
A total of 9 songs, that range from the serious (in Heavy Horses) to the cheerful, happy-go-lucky (Rover) and openly admitting to the passion for making love(Acres Wild), make this one geat album. It's a notch below my other favourite Tull albums, 'Stand Up', 'Benefit', 'Songs From The Woods', 'Aqualung', 'Minstrel in the Gallery' and 'Night Cap'.

Extremely meloudious tracks include 'Moths' and Acres Wild, which has a very folk like treatment, with flirting mandolins breaking out between lines that express love making in the open!
"...
I'll make love to you
in all good places
under black mountains
in open spaces.
By deep brown rivers
that slither darkly
through far marches
where the blue hare races.
..."
Other melodious offerings - 'Moths'(very lilting), 'Rover'(extremely melodious and soothing flute interludes), 'One Brown Mouse' and 'Weathercock'.

The title track talks about the increasing modernisation that was responsible in triggering off a decline in numbers (and the respect for them) of old England shires, a horse breed from the 18th century. Very touching and beautifully worded, Heavy Horses is according to me, one of the best lyrical attempts from Ian. The entire song is a treat to read, but I'm just mentioning 5 lines here.

"...
Heavy Horses, move the land under me
Behind the plough gliding --- slipping and sliding free
Now you're down to the few
And there's no work to do
The tractor's on its way.
..."

Sheer poetry and a way with words is also evident in the track 'Weathercock'.

"...
Good morning Weathercock: How did you fare last night?
Did the cold wind bite you, did you face up to the fright
When the leaves spin from October and whip around your tail?
Did you shake from the blast, did you shiver through the gale?
-------
Do you simply reflect changes in the patterns of the sky,
Or is it true to say the weather heeds the twinkle in your eye?
Do you fight the rush of winter; do you hold snowflakes at bay?
Do you lift the dawn sun from the fields and help him on his way?
..."

The remaining tracks, 'The Mouse Police Never Sleeps' (which has a crazy chant to the end) and 'Journeyman' are charming in their own way and make for great listening.

His voice may not be strictly melodious, but its as good as an instrument and moreover the ability to accentuate in deference to the carefully worded song sttructure, makes it quite a treat to hear. (It eventually should grow on you)
Martin Barre does not showcase his guitaring as pompously as a lead guitarist would normally do, but he binds almost every track with his excellent classic guitaring and distinguishable style.

With generous doses of mandolin, classical rock guitar, pipe, organ, piano and delectable orchestral manoeuvres, Heavy Horses comes across as one of the better albums from Jethro Tull.
If you are a first-time listener, this is a nice way to get introduced to the music of Jethro Tull. Although in my opinion, either 'Living in the past' or 'Songs from the woods' will give you the larger picture that is Jethro Tull.

One of Jethro Tulls classic albums.......2005-10-13

This CD came out about 1977 and in my opinion shows Jethro Tull during the period where they did their very best work.
I love Jethro Tull when they are using Mandolins, acoustic guitars. and Glockenspiels. I love Tull's acoustic side and there are a few songs that in my opinion are among his very best.
The first would be "Acres Wild". another would be "Moths", moths reminds me of Songs from the Wood, and finally "One Brown Mouse which has been a personal favorite of mine since the album was released.
Heavy Horses is among my top five favorite Tull songs.
I love the way Ian Anderson moves from electric guitar and to acoustic and back and forth. These are some of Martin Barre's finest lead runs ever. This could be Martin Barre' finest hour.
The Acoustic guitar on Heavy Horses could be his finest was well.
This is among Jethro Tull's finest albums ever. No collection is complete without it

Good Album, Great Song.......2004-04-03

This album, on the whole, is not top-grade Tull , but the title track "Heavy Horses" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written by the group. This poignant salute to the Clydesdale Horses and their diminishing role in modern labor pumps out great lyrics and music.

The song opens: "Iron clad feather feet pounding the dust/on October's day, towards evening/Sweat embossed veins standing proud to the plough/Salt on a deep chest seasoning." I've always enjoyed the lyrics by Ian Anderson & Co, but nothing they have done is as tangible, or as moving, as the prose in "Heavy Horses."

Even if you are not a Jethro Tull fan, this album is worth your money and time. And it's rare that I would recommend a Tull album to non-Tull fans for just one song off that album. Seriously, the song really is that good.

Certainly no Simon &Garfunkel, but it's darn good.......2004-01-11

First I'd like to say that it's beyond hilarity to compare Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull to Paul Simon in any way, Jeremy.

On to the album. Except for the prolonged ending of "Mouse Police" the album is flawless. The musicianship and vocals on this album are stunning. Too bad everyone can't see that. But, to quote "A Passion Play", "Mine is the right to be wrong."

Lasting Tull.......2003-09-16

I have been listening to JT since the debut of Benefit, and I have been entertained if not completely enthralled by their Tullian permutations over the years. Heavy Horses does not pose itself as a "great" album in my mind, yet for some reason, it has stuck with me. When I think of JT, I hear "Acres Wild," "Moths," and "One Brown Mouse." But it is the bittersweet paean to the Scottish Clydesdale that most claims my memory for representative Tull.

This album is easily eclipsed by the boisterous inventions that precede it; Heavy Horses is neither surprising nor dazzling. It is, rather, a more temperate effort, and solid, much like the steadfast work horses Ian Anderson venerates. (This must have been recorded around the time of his captivation with salmon farming and the lifestyle of the landed gentry.)

I think that this album comes straight from Anderson's heart, and as such signifies the heart of Tull, the earthy pulse beat that perhaps underlies all of their other efforts; their solid core. It would be easy to say the songs are merely filler for the title track, but the overall feeling of this album is too grounded to dismiss so lightly.

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