Ian Anderson has a curious non strict tendency and for sure unconscious of
changing style approximately each three disks. 'Songs from the Wood' opened the
trilogy of LPs with strong influence of the English folk, and that he gave as fruit at
least two of the best disks in the history of the progressive folk.
After the slight stumble of 'Too Old to Rock and Roll, Too Young to Die', still
today one of the disks of Tull that less it likes to their fans, Anderson
decided to give the turn a little to the most urban sound of that disk and to capture its
obsessions on the Celtic culture. During the previous years it had already demonstrated
their pleasure for the music folk. From ' Beggars Farm' until the intro of 'Thick
ace to Brick' the influence was very clear. It is probable likewise that their work as
producing of the disk 'Now We Six' of the group of folk rock Steeleye Span
Plows in 1974 it played an important paper in that the folk went up to first plane of Jethro
Tull's music later a couple of years.
Be as was, the case is that the result was one of the best albums in the group that
rises above other contemporary formations of the gender. Contrary to Fairport
Convention or the same Steeleye, Tull contributes a richer sound and a
bigger balance between the lyrical thing and the aggressive thing. While most of the
groups of folk rock was devoted mainly to interpret melodies with traditional air executed
with some modern instruments, Anderson took pains in composing from the progressive
point of view. This is, it was able to mate the simplicity of the folk with much more
complex structures. Without forgetting the astonishing moment of quality that the
musicians of the group lived. From the habitual teacher Martín Barre, until the
almost newly entered bassist Glenn Cornick, happening, mainly, for Barrimore
Barlow's drums that without a doubt is one of the stars of the function.
The disk opens up with 'Songs from the Wood' that lyrically serves almost of
declaration of intentions. The topic conjugates some very sound choirs accompanied by
continuous incursions of the instruments inside a rhythm in constant variation. It
continues him 'Jack in the Green', one of the simplest topics in the disk. An ode
to the keepers (or to magic creatures that take care of the forests? I have never known it
with security) only interpreted by Ian Anderson to the guitar. Next, 'Cup of
Wonder' continues with the eminently acoustic and slight tone, with a catching central
melody to the flute. The fourth topic, 'Hunting Girl' is one of the summits of the
disk. A characteristic rhythm of Barlow accompanies to the flute of Anderson, to
leave step to the electric guitar forgotten in the previous topics. The song has a
distinguishing characteristic plays medieval, mainly given by the melodic line of the
verses and the main reason of the organ. The letter, with a high sexual component, also us
retrotrae to the medievo, because very characteristic of that time they are the histories
of loves with girls of the field (we remember, for example, 'The book of the good love').
it is thematic it will return in ' Heavy Horses' with the excellent one '
Pungent Wild'.
'Ring Out Solstice Bells' is a quite cheerful topic that was published as it
sails Christmas. It continues him a clavichord sound that introduces ' Velvet Green',
one of the songs of the disk with Baroque sound., and that remembers enough to the stage
of the ' Minstrel in the Gallery'. 'The Whisler' is another classic of the
group. It was one of you sail them of the disk, and it transmits an uncontrollable
sensation energy mixture and emotion very comparable to the own figure of Anderson that is
identified perfectly with the piper of the title intoning, the same as in ' Songs from
the Wood', the letter in first person.
'Pibroch (Cap in Hand)' it is one of the longest topics, cocktail melancholic
parts with seemingly cheerful jigs, everything inside a darker tone that the rest of the
LP. Likewise, it is the song in the one that the guitar electric cobra bigger protagonism.
As opposition, 'Fire at Midnight' is a short composition that returns us the
cheerful atmosphere with which the disk began.
Anderson would continue the legacy of this LP with 'Heavy Horses' and, in
smaller measure, with 'Stormwatch'. The death of the excellent Glenn Cornick
would take to the incorporation to Dave Pegg's group, integral of the legendary Fairport
Convention that would end up declaring: "As folk group, Tull was much more
successful of what Fairport has never been". And that that were only three
disks…
Paco Fox