Songs from the Wood

Artist: Jethro Tull
Label: Capitol
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Original recording reissued
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 094632113221
EAN: 0094632113221
ASIN: B000008H1Y

Release Date: 1999-09-14

Songs from the Wood

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Tracks:

Songs From The Wood
Jack-In-The-Green
Cup Of Wonder
Hunting Girl
Ring Out, Solstice Bells
Velvet Green
The Whistler
Pibroch (Cap In Hand)
Fire At Midnight

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Minstrel in the Gallery
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Amazon.com

The earth-worshipping revelry of 1977's frisky Songs from the Wood was far removed from the heavyweight progressive rock of Jethro Tull's early years. Taking a leaf from the book of Steeleye Span, Songs from the Wood is bright and festive as it mines a rich, green seam of ancient British folklore for inspiration. By marrying the characters ("Jack in the Green") and traditions of the old religion's ritual calendar ("Ring Out Solstice Bells" was an unlikely Christmas hit) to their eccentricity and half-imagined interpretations of British traditional music, Tull came up with one of their albums. This collection unintentionally beseeches the concrete-jungle-dwelling set to retreat to the countryside. With tin-whistles, peppy acoustic guitar, medieval twists and turns, much May Day gaiety and debauchery, and even the odd touch of prog, Songs from the Wood still sounds bewitching in the 21st century. --Kevin Maidment

Customer Reviews:

The fire burning in the woods does not know how to burn.......2006-01-05

The album whirls you around to that feeling, that cozy one where your sitting with your friends by a fire relaxing. Then, you go play in tye woods and it's all supposed to be in the songs, like a story. But the album is like a game ion the woods the whole time. It's all wild like a lion jumping up and down. Even the songs that are acoistic still got that edge of that lion getting ready to bite you. You don't feel comferteble and it's hard not to when you are listing to Jethro Tull.A person is used to Jethro Tull the band having a fire roar quickly on one song and get burned and slow on the other. And he's well known for the mixtures of fast and slow. But here even on the slow songs it seems like the fire never burns. Too much fire! I think the reason for that is the instruments, some of them. There are too much in my opinion keybords. And then they're gettimg mixed up with a flute. And it's taking away the peacful soung of the flute and the keybords power. Ofcourse there is akways Jethro Tull's creativity with the bells reminding you of the holidays and endless days of playing in the snow. But somehow the fire not stopping to burn ruins it a bit. I don't know! Maybe the fire is too stubborn or maybe it needs excersise because the fire never wants to burn down in this c.d. It seems like it stops but it keeps ringing in your head.... following you... a never endless dream.

How about some folk music now?.......2005-06-20

"Songs From The Wood" marks a certain period of Jethro Tull, when the band turned away from rock and started getting more folk music influences in their sound. No, it's not pure folk in any way. Ian Anderson himself said, it was more like enjoying the sound of a folk instrument, a wooden instrument, and trying to freely write music with these instruments. But it's not exactly rock music either. It's a very good mixture of both contradicting styles. Similarly to "Aqualung", which was a constant interplay between heavier electric rock sound, and a softer acoustic music, SFTW is musically diversed. With a rocking celebratory "Ring Out, Solstice Bell", and "Cup Of Wonder" on one end, and quiet folksy acoustics of "Velvet Green", "The Whistler", and a stunning melodism of "Pibroch" on the other, Jethro Tull present us a good variety of track structures and musical themes.

Lyrically, this is Ian Anderson's declaration of how we can reach happiness only through leaving the false values of civilization behind us, and returning back to the embrace of Mother Nature, the way that our ancestors lived. There's much Celtic influence both in the lyrics and the music. As usual, Anderson's lyrics are multilayered, and full of hidden references and interpretations. A real treat to those who appreciate their songs with a meaning.

This album starts the folksy period of Jethro Tull that would continue on the 2 succeeding albums, "Heavy Horses", and "Stormwatch". Personally, I find it a little sub-par to the greatness of "Aqualung", or "Thick As A Brick". But the truth is that this is entirely another musical concept, and Tull deliver the goods here with just as much strength as they did in their golden days (1971-1972).

"Life's Long Celebration's Here".......2003-03-31

As the title indicates, this album, along with Heavy Horses, is the "outdoorsy", free frolic through the woods side of Tull. It definitely offers a different sound from their earlier bluesy material and the classic gems like Aqualung and Thick as a Brick. The music on this album is as complex as their classic material but has a fun, frolicky quality. "Songs From the Wood" proved to be one of Tull's trademark anthems, but my favorites are the free spirited "Jack-in-the-Green" and "The Whistler." "Velvet Green" is an intoxicating number about a handsome country man ("a young girl's fancy and an old maid's dream"-lyrics used in reverse on the previous album Too Old To Rock 'n Roll) who seduces a girl to sneak out. The song is beautiful in a disturbing way. "Cup of Wonder" is elevated by incredible piano riffs. "Pibroch" is 8:37 and has the heaviest electric guitar sound of all the tracks. The only song I do not enjoy is "Ring Out, Solstice Bells." The timing always bugs me, especially the clapping at the beginning. I usually skip this track. In sum, Songs From the Wood is a very rich sounding album with more depth than Heavy Horses, which I also recommend.

My Favorite Tull record.......2003-01-22

I'm a younger Tull fan than most, but have heard a good amount of their work. Anderson is, what I believe to be, the finest musician in terms of rythmic complexity as well as meaningful songwriting. "Songs from the Wood" captures every good aspect of Tull's music and, for me, is the most enjoyable to listen to. I suggest this album to anyone.

Ian Anderson moves to the country.......2003-01-08

For my money, this album and the next (_Heavy Horses_) were the greatest Jethro Tull have ever produced. At any rate they're my two personal favorites.

This one came as a surprise to nearly everybody. Sure, Tull had incorporated some elements of English folk into its music. But what Anderson & Co. did on this album was altogether new.

Anderson had just moved to the country, you see, and Tull's music reflects as much for about three albums in a row (the third is _Stormwatch_). In particular, the music on this album marks a tremendous shift away fom the dark, ambiguous, ominous broodings about urban life and such that had marked so much of Tull's work from roughly _Benefit_ to _Minstrel in the Gallery_. Things started getting a little darker on _Heavy Horses_ and even more so on _Stormwatch_. But this one is pure light.

Not "lite," though. This is some of the most complex and engaging music the band had ever created, and part of the reason is undoubtedly that Anderson made extra-sure to give everybody a chance to contribute to the pot.

The personnel were right, too. The lineup at this point was a dream: Martin Barre (of course) on guitars and other stringed devices; Barrie Barlow on drums and percussion; John Evan on keyboards; David Palmer doing orchestration and playing some keyboards himself; and (the late and much missed) John Glascock on bass. This lineup also appears on _Heavy Horses_, but Glascock tragically died before _Stormwatch_ was completed.

Anyway, this is just a great bunch of songs. There are lots of Celtic influences as Anderson pays homage to his Scottish roots, and Barre particularly shines on the grand "Pibroch (Cap in Hand)". (A "pibroch" is a kind of bagpipe song; Barre does a fair imitation of that instrument's "flavor" with a reverse-echoed electric guitar. And the instrumental portions are so long that the band called it, and in concert used it as, a "pee-break".)

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