21-04-2023, 10:44
JETHRO TULL ~ RökFlöte
![[Image: 220px-Jethro_Tull_Rokflote.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b0/Jethro_Tull_Rokflote.jpg/220px-Jethro_Tull_Rokflote.jpg)
Personnel
Ian Anderson – concert and alto flutes, flute d'amour, Irish whistle and vocals
David Goodier – bass guitar
John O'Hara – piano, keyboards, Hammond organ
Scott Hammond – drums
Joe Parrish-James – electric and acoustic guitars
The title of the opening track refers to an old Norse poem describing the creation through to the eventual demise of the world – it’s ancient – goes right back to nine hundred and something AD or thereabouts. Völuspá is usually related in the voice of a seeress, hence the female spoken word right at the beginning, and again at the end to close it all off. Icelandic, I would imagine.
There is breath involved in several creation stories, which Mr A has also employed here as a device. And then there is a school of thought connecting the events in this narrative to a volcanic eruption that happened way back when, in which case, exhalations would also be an apt descriptor.
Heading off the beaten track for a moment, six of the stanzas in the Völuspá are devoted to the names of dwarves, several of which were used by JRR Tolkien in The Hobbit – Gandalf's name also originates from there. The section is called Dvergatal – Catalogue of Dwarves. Can’t help myself - I just like knowing this.
Back to the album … I usually listen to the blanket sound of an album first without paying too much attention to the lyrics – they are a sort of impression on top of the music unless they really make an impact or somehow tie in inextricably with what I’m hearing (which does happen from time to time). This album will require a few spins to be able to absorb everything properly and to appreciate what I imagine is a vast amount of research and hard work. That’s the thing about Ian Anderson – he doesn’t do anything accidentally – it’s all carefully planned and prepared.
Musically, as one might infer from the album title, there is a lot of flute playing and Anderson certainly appears to be in fine fettle – takes some breathwork on his part also, to get that right, and his voice is distinctive of course. The lead guitar comes to the fore regularly, and the overall sound is what you might expect of a typical Jethro Tull album despite, or most likely because, Ian Anderson is the only remaining original member - the line-up having changed considerably over the years. I’m hearing any number of almost medieval sounding sections and there appears to be a largely classical structure to this one, along with the rock bits.
Exploring his Viking roots is our Ian, but not venturing into the heavy metal territory usually associated with far northern climes! Will need to play this again, and again before having anything sensible to say about lyrical content.
Something I haven’t already posted before …
Personnel
Ian Anderson – concert and alto flutes, flute d'amour, Irish whistle and vocals
David Goodier – bass guitar
John O'Hara – piano, keyboards, Hammond organ
Scott Hammond – drums
Joe Parrish-James – electric and acoustic guitars
The title of the opening track refers to an old Norse poem describing the creation through to the eventual demise of the world – it’s ancient – goes right back to nine hundred and something AD or thereabouts. Völuspá is usually related in the voice of a seeress, hence the female spoken word right at the beginning, and again at the end to close it all off. Icelandic, I would imagine.
There is breath involved in several creation stories, which Mr A has also employed here as a device. And then there is a school of thought connecting the events in this narrative to a volcanic eruption that happened way back when, in which case, exhalations would also be an apt descriptor.
Heading off the beaten track for a moment, six of the stanzas in the Völuspá are devoted to the names of dwarves, several of which were used by JRR Tolkien in The Hobbit – Gandalf's name also originates from there. The section is called Dvergatal – Catalogue of Dwarves. Can’t help myself - I just like knowing this.
Back to the album … I usually listen to the blanket sound of an album first without paying too much attention to the lyrics – they are a sort of impression on top of the music unless they really make an impact or somehow tie in inextricably with what I’m hearing (which does happen from time to time). This album will require a few spins to be able to absorb everything properly and to appreciate what I imagine is a vast amount of research and hard work. That’s the thing about Ian Anderson – he doesn’t do anything accidentally – it’s all carefully planned and prepared.
Musically, as one might infer from the album title, there is a lot of flute playing and Anderson certainly appears to be in fine fettle – takes some breathwork on his part also, to get that right, and his voice is distinctive of course. The lead guitar comes to the fore regularly, and the overall sound is what you might expect of a typical Jethro Tull album despite, or most likely because, Ian Anderson is the only remaining original member - the line-up having changed considerably over the years. I’m hearing any number of almost medieval sounding sections and there appears to be a largely classical structure to this one, along with the rock bits.
Exploring his Viking roots is our Ian, but not venturing into the heavy metal territory usually associated with far northern climes! Will need to play this again, and again before having anything sensible to say about lyrical content.
Something I haven’t already posted before …
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
