- Audio CD (13 Oct 2003)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: R & M
- ASIN: B0000CFYND
- Other Editions: Audio CD
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 117,498 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product details |
Track Listings
| 1. Birthday card At Christmas |
| 2. Holly Herald |
| 3. A Christmas Song |
| 4. Another Christmas song |
| 5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen |
| 6. Jack Frost and The Hooded Crow |
| 7. Last man At The Party |
| 8. Weathercock |
| 9. Pavane |
| 10. First Snow On Brooklyn |
| 11. Greensleeved |
| 12. Fire At Midnight |
| 13. We Five Kings |
| 14. Ring Out Solstice Bells |
| 15. Bouree |
| 16. Winter Snowscape |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
While most festive-themed rock offerings are as palatable as turkey leftovers or January credit card statements, Jethro Tull's The Christmas Album is 2003's folk-rock feast for the ears, a veritable hamper of delicacy bulging with dependable old faithfuls (newly rendered versions of JS Bach's "Bouree", "Weathercock", "Fires at Midnight" and "Ring Out Solstice Bells"), jazzed-up carol curiosities ("God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" really goes with a swing à la Modern Jazz Quartet, "We Five Kings" comes over a little bit Dave Brubeck) and sundry confectionary extravagances, like Martin Barre's shivery instrumental " A Christmas Snowcape".
While it's all reassuringly wrapped-up in the wintry Victorian romanticism of yore (the album cover, after all, is a charmingly subtle joke), The Christmas Album still questions--in curmudgeonly Ian Anderson fashion--what all this back-slapping bonhomie, alcoholic immoderation and High-street retail hysteria is all about. Thus, the frivolity of "Holly Herald" (two spritely carols rolled into one) is counterbalanced by a little Dickensian social conscience on "Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow", an imaginatively literate description of the despair of homelessness. Crisply produced in the manner of their vintage 1970s work and brimming with delightful instrumental wit and invention, The Christmas Album is a cracker you'll want to pull more than once. --Kevin Maidment
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sweet,
By
This review is from: The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (Audio CD)
Armed with the open-minded realisation that they've earned the right to express themselves musically in any way they want, I left aside the selfish yearning for them to recreate the classic sounds of the 60s, 70s and to a lesser extent the 80s and 90s, and began to appreciate this CD for what it is. A wonderful expression of joy, fun and above all, a celebration of music. The mood is uplifting, the musicianship inspirational, and once again some of the new tracks (e.g. First Snow on Brooklyn) prove that Ian is far from a spent force. The Christmas Album is as welcome in my collection as all their other stuff.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Earthy and Ecumenical,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (Audio CD)
This is not your typical and smarmy, sickly-sweet Christmas album. Rather, with this CD Jethro Tull have managed to capture in both verse and melody the spirit of giving, sharing, and perfunctory overindulgence that ostensibly goes with the Christmas season, contrasted with the melancholy and flat-out destitution that the less-fortunate among us actually experience during this time of year. This interplay of content and style are presented against a backdrop of earthly Pagan solstice symbolism, all of which Jethro Tull have managed to integrate as a kind of ecumenical "Birthday Card at Christmas," which not incidentally is the title of the introductory track. This combination is daring and bold, if not outright brilliant, and in my estimation they have pulled it off strikingly well. The musicianship, vocals, lyrics, production and overall execution (not to mention outstanding packaging) are commensurate with and at times exceed even Tull's impeccably high standards, showing this to be a band at the top of it's craft. Anderson's vocals, in particular, complete the album by sounding as warmly weathered as the bearded red-suit uncle himself. It's a decidedly Tull exploration of the seasonal space -- an effort that starts strong and improves with subsequent listens. May it continue to play well for you during the holiday season and throughout the year.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jethro Tull Back on form,
By Tim Hirst (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (Audio CD)
This beautifully packaged new album is a very welcome and utterly justified piece of self-indulgence and celebration on Ian's part - wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, and proving that after 35 years, Jethro Tull can still surprise and delight - whilst at the same time maintaining that essential Tullness. The album consists of a combination of re-invigorated old classics and rare tracks, Tullified Chrsitmas Carols and great new pieces......as well as some expanded flute improvisations that have hitherto only been heard as part of the live set or on rare box sets. Ian has once again proved that he knows exactly what the fans want; The Christmas Album demostrates perfectly the band's propensity for not taking themselves too seriously, whilst still challenging the listener and providing a few suprises. The highlight for me is "We Five Kings" - the most self-indulgent track on the CD is an inspired musical anagram of primary school standard "We Three Kings" and Tull classic, "Living in The Past; and it works brilliantly. The interpretaion of Faure's Pavanne is wonderful, as is that old favourite, Bouree. Jethro Tull made Bach's Bouree their own many years ago - and they have managed to come up with yet another superb version of it here. I'm sure that this album will, in the fullness of time, be considered a classic - alongside Aqualung and Songs From The Wood (from which it takes much influence). No Tull fan can miss this album - it is excellent in every way, and it reminded me of why I love this band. This album is a great Christmas present from Jethro Tull to their fans...I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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