Alive and well and living in (LP 260)

Jethro Tull Benefit (Vinyl and CD - Chrysalis, 1970) ****

Genre: Progressive rock  

Places I remember: The vinyl came from the RCA record club in 1971. I loved the RCA record club. I'd pore over the booklet, read up in my music magazines and save hard. Then I'd wait for the magic parcel to arrive in the post. Heady days!

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: With You There To Help Me




Gear costume: To Cry You A Song

Active compensatory factors: Benefit has grown on me over the years. In my early days it was over-shadowed by the greatness of Aqualung. But it's an album I keep coming back to more and more as the years drift by.

For me, it's the first Jethro Tull phase 2 album, thanks to the guitars of Anderson and the wonderful Martin Lancelot Barre. His distinctive lead guitar is all over this album and that's a very good thing from my pov.

The album easily drags me back to my bedroom at 18 Korma Avenue, Royal Oak, Auckland, NZ.

First track With You There To Help Me gets things off to a great start. I love its variety before it develops into a great flute/guitar duel before it's done and exits via some deserved applause.

Nothing To Say has plenty to say ('Every morning pressure forming all around my eyes. Ceilings crash, the walls collapse, broken by the lies') and includes a lovely guitar riff. The acoustic guitar bed and electric overlay is a winning formula throughout.

Third track, Alive and Well and Living In,  has a more laid back vocal but after Barre enters it lifts the track to another level. Then John Evan contributes some distinctive John Evan piano.

Son provides variety and contributes via a heavily treated Anderson vocal and some brutal guitar stabs. That continues with the first song on side two - Martin Barre's To Cry You A Song.

Inside is another varied track with a great shuffling beat and easy Anderson vocal.

Play In Time features backward/speed up freak out shenanigans and another great Barre riff.

Final track, Sossity, You're A Woman is a great hum along to finish us off.

Where do they all belong? As I say, the great JT phase two starts here with their third album.