Rock Island (album)
| Rock Island | ||||
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| Studio album by Jethro Tull | ||||
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Publication |
1989 |
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admission |
1989 |
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| Label (s) | Chrysalis | |||
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Format (s) |
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Title (number) |
10 + 3 |
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running time |
50:21 (LP) |
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| occupation |
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Ian Anderson |
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Studio (s) |
Ian Anderson's studio |
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Rock Island is the seventeenth studio album by the progressive rock band Jethro Tull .
occupation
Jethro Tull recorded the album with the regular cast Ian Anderson , Martin Barre , Dave Pegg and Doane Perry . For Perry, who had been with the band since 1984, it was the first LP recording as a full member. Keyboardists Peter-John Vettese (tracks 3–6) and Martin Allcock (tracks 1 and 10) also played as guests . Vettese was a former member of the band while Allcock was playing at the Fairport Convention . The compositions and texts are by Ian Anderson.
history
The band recorded the album in the spring of 1989. Following the release, the band toured Europe and North America for around a year. The remastered CD released in 2006 contains three bonus tracks. The tracks Kissing Willie , Heavy Water , Another Christmas Song and The Rattlesnake Trail were released as singles .
album
Like the previous album Crest of a Knave, Rock Island is characterized by hard rock . The title refers, among other things, to Anderson's residence at the time of recording, the Scottish island of Skye , where he had set up his Straithard salmon farm .
LP version
Like the following The Rattlesnake Trail, Kissing Willie is a little more complex, fast rock song, in which the flute and electric guitar dominate alongside the singer. The singer complains that "his best friend" Willie has taken his girlfriend off; however, willie is also a synonym for penis . The Rattlesnake Trail is about a man who must fight his opponents in order to achieve his goals or he is defeated; he chooses the middle ground. Ears of Tin starts at a slow pace, but then gets faster and more rocky. A Skye resident has found work on mainland Britain. When he leaves the island, he expects to be lonely in the city. After this has happened, he returns. Ears of tin stands for a person who is unable to perceive music.
The piece Undressed to Kill is dominated by the flute. The simple rock rhythm becomes more complex as the piece progresses. It is about a prostitute - but dealing with her does not spread warmth, because it is only about a business exchange. The title song Rock Island can be assigned to progressive rock. The short acoustic intro soon becomes rockier, the electric guitar dominates. The piece contains a solo of electric guitar and flute. This song is also about people who live isolated and without inspiration on their "rock island".
The rock song Heavy Water has a rhythmically complex intro and relatively simple stanzas, the instruments again dominating the flute and electric guitar. The singer describes a city where the rain is polluted and there are communication problems. Another Christmas Song refers to the Christmas song from the album Stand Up . The worn piece is simply structured. The importance of home, family and harmony is celebrated. The Old Man took his children home for Christmas. Old Man also stands for God and the Old Man of Storr , a well-known rock on Skye. The Whaler's Dues is the longest track on the album. The slow piece in the style of a funeral march is accentuated by syncopation typical of Jethro-Tull . The singer, an elderly whaler, is proud of his work. But the world has changed; his activity is refused. This is represented in the piece by a "No!" Sung in the choir.
In Big Riff and Mando the story of the theft of Martin "Marty" Barres is Mandolin retold that happened in the US. A fan takes the instrument to force an audition. He escapes, leaving the mandolin behind. The acoustic beginning, characterized by a mandolin, turns into a lyrical verse and the fast, rocking chorus, which in turn is continued with a verse and refrain and ends with a part performed by mandolin and electric guitar. The elegiac, partly dissonant beginning of Strange Avenues is dominated by the keyboard and is then replaced by a pounding rock rhythm before the vocals start suddenly, which is at first restrained, but later also shows rock elements. The text is about the singer's encounter with a homeless man in a strange city. Not only is the homeless lonely, but also the singer. He remembers a 1971 record cover - the cover of Aqualung , which features a homeless man who resembles Ian Anderson.
Extra title
The three pieces, called The Dressing Room Tapes , were recorded on October 13, 1989 in Zurich in an artist's dressing room at the Hallenstadion . No drums were used.
Cover
The cover was designed by Anton Morris, Jim Gibson and John Pasche. In the center of the painting is a porthole with a brass fitting , surrounded by a wooden wall with grain and brass plates on which the album and band names are given. Through the porthole you can see a rocky island protruding from the sea, from which protrudes a forearm holding a transverse flute.
The back is largely beige and shows a compass-like emblem in the middle, in the circular center of which the reduced sea image of the front can be seen. On the outside there is a ring with the letters T, U, L and L, which are arranged clockwise from north like on a compass rose. Outside there is a list of the song titles in a ring.
The inlay shows the lyrics and credits as well as a small black and white photo of the five-piece band in the picture.
effect
The album peaked at number 18 in the UK and number 56 in the US. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the album rose to number 5. At Allmusic , the original edition received 3.5 out of five possible points.
The single Kissing Willie reached number 6 in the UK charts, Another Christmas Song number 95.
Track list
page 1
- Kissing Willie (3:32)
- The Rattlesnake Trail (4:02)
- Ears of Tin (3:23)
- Undressed to Kill (5:25)
- Rock Island (6:54)
Page 2
- Heavy Water (4:12)
- Another Christmas Song (3:32)
- The Whaler's Dues (7:53)
- Big Riff and Mando (5:58)
- Strange Avenues (4:10)
Extra title
- Christmas Song (Live)
- Cheap Day Return / Mother Goose
- Locomotive Breath
Web links
- Reviews of Rock Island on the Baby Blue Pages
- Rock Island at Allmusic (English)
- Detailed information about the individual versions of the sound carriers at musik-sammler.de
- Lyrics at cupofwonder.com (archive version)
- Information about the lyrics at cupofwonder.com (English, archive version)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Rock Island at Allmusic (English), accessed on September 10, 2015
- ↑ a b c d Information on the lyrics at cupofwonder.com (English, archive version )
- ↑ a b UK charts at chartarchive.org (English), accessed on September 10, 2015.
- ↑ Rock Island ( page no longer available ) on Billboard 200 , accessed September 5, 2015
- ↑ Entry on officialcharts.de, accessed on September 10, 2015.
- ↑ Description of the album from Allmusic , accessed on September 5, 2015