Jethro Tull —
Living in the Past
album review

REVIEW

This bleak future-vision that begins the Jethro Tull song "Wond'ring Again" would have been insightful enough to merit its own song, but the tune has a second movement that lightens the tone and presents music and lyrics that are poetically beautiful and emotionally moving, providing hope of redemption for nature-battering, misgoverning mankind. The tune thus turns from jagged philippic to flawless gem—one of Tull's best songs. The cut is but one of the great tracks on this single-CD reissue of the original double-LP "Living in the Past." It includes the hit song "Living in the Past," and many, many other excellent Tull songs. Some of the songs feature a lighter, more lilting sound than before, with more varied melodies, more acoustic guitar, and a sweeter, more natural singing style on the part of Ian Anderson. These characteristics work notably well on songs like the ultra-smooth "Life Is a Long Song," the quirky, memorable "Up the 'Pool," "Wond'ring Again," and the very excellent title track. The old Tull style, with throatier vocals and more driving music, is also here in abundance, giving life to songs like "Witches Promise," "Dr. Bogenbroom," and "Singing All Day." The package includes a number of songs from other Jethro Tull albums too, including "Song for Jeffrey," "Inside" and "Locomotive Breath"; as well as two interesting but overly long live tracks: "By Kind Permission Of" and "Dharma for One." Nonetheless, the new material on Living in the Past is so good that it makes the label's original sin of commingling old material with new songs quite forgivable, and makes this Jethro Tull album a must-have. Once you get to know it, it will have YOU singing all day.