MARTIN BARRE

MLB Celebrates 50 Years Of Jethro Tull cleopaTra

One studio and one live CD of Tull’s back catalogue revisited.

Some may wonder about the point of rehashing this band’s history without its main component, Ian Anderson. But this album works precisely because, by moving away from Tull’s particular aesthetic and taking a different approach to the songs, guitarist Barre re-emphasises his former bandmate’s skills as a writer and his own as a guitarist and arranger. On the live CD he has his work cut out on Sea Lion from War Child, which originally included flute, accordion and strings. But although this guitarheavy version inevitably loses out a bit on colour, Barre’s playing shines: it’s clean, incisive and full of energy and excitement. The band, with Dan Crisp on lead vocals, emphasise the rock element with a muscular version of A Song For Jeffrey, and A New Day Yesterday is presented here as a heavy blues song. Equally compelling is the studio CD, comprising largely acoustic reinterpretations with Alex Hart and Becca Langsford on vocals. Locomotive Breath, with Barre on mandolin, feels more poignant and compassionate than the original, and the highlight of the collection is a gorgeous, stripped-down version of Life’s A Long Song.