Amazon.co.uk Review
"For 31 years I've been the 'unplugged' guy in a rock & roll band," says Ian Anderson modestly of his time with Jethro Tull. In truth, Anderson the songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, really
is Jethro Tull, so a solo album might seem like a redundant prospect. But expressing a desire to produce a slice of his acoustic style unadulterated by Tull's progressive (or latterly, MOR) rock sound, Anderson has made an understated album which is all the better for not having to please fans of stadium rock pomposity. He enlists the help of Andrew Giddings on sundry keyboards, Fairport Convention drummer Gerry Conway appears on a couple of tracks, as does veteran Tull guitarist Martin Barré, but otherwise it's Anderson all the way, mandolins, bouzouki and trademark flute to the fore. The wealthy middle-aged farmer may have mellowed somewhat from the wild-eyed, manic frontman of albums like
Aqualung (no "Cross-Eyed Mary" here), but he's still a formidable musician with a distinctively quirky songwriting style. And if none of these songs stand out as individual classics,
The Secret Language Of Birds is full of charming music, beautifully produced, making it feel pleasantly like a modest sequel to the folk-rock heyday of Tull's glorious
Songs From The Wood and
Heavy Horses.--
Mark Walker