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Songs From The Wood

a Studio Release
Release Year:
1977
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Added To Proggnosis on: 01 Dec 2000
Last Updated on: 02 Apr 2013 by: DBSilver

Track Listing 

  1. Songs From the Wood (4:54)
  2. Jack-In-The-Green (2:28)
  3. Cup Of Wonder (4:32)
  4. Hunting Girl (5:10)
  5. Ring Out, Solstice Bells (3:46)
  6. Velvet Green (6:03)
  7. The Whistler (3:32)
  8. Pibroch (Cap In Hand) (8:36)
  9. Fire At Midnight (2:28)

Performer Credits  


Ian Anderson
lead vocals, acoustic guitars, flute, soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone, harmonica, occasional electric guitar, percussion, , mandolin, whistles

Martin Barre
electric guitar, lute, additional material

John Evan
piano, organ, synthesizers, speech

Barriemore Barlow
drums, timpani, glockenspiel, marimba, timbales, bells, nakers, tabo

John Glascock
bass guitar, vocals

With:

David Palmer:  conductor, orchestral arrangements, Vako Orchestron, late-night saxophone solo on From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser, piano, synthesizer, portative organ, additional material
Patrick Halling: violin
Elizabeth Edwards: violin
Rita Eddowes: violin
Bridget Procter: violin
Katharine Thulborn:  cello
Maddy Prior:  additional vocals on Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die
Angela Allen:  additional vocals on Crazed Institution and Big Dipper

 

Reviews


review by: MJBradyFor many Tull fans, Songs from the Woods represents an era of arguably Tulls' finest output from a progressive standpoint. My friend and I have dubbed this period the Barriemore Barlow Era, borrowing of course from the name of the outstanding drummer of the same name that held the kit position in the band for a while. The music on Songs from the Wood, are very similar to the style found on Thick as a Brick though the songs are much shorter, in fact one could almost lump Thick as a Brick, Heavy Horses, Passion Play, Stormwatch, War Child and Minstrel In the Gallery along with this album into this period. A period which saw the band fusing medieval English folk musics, progressive rock, and the blending of modern and traditional instruments for a style of progressive rock that can only be described as Tull-like. Few bands have been able to capture such a personna, one that is entirely their own, but this album showed the band in it's finest hour. This can also be argued (and will be I am sure) as the bands most talented line-up, backed by the dual keyboard masters John Evan and David Palmer, each bring a unique voice to the band, also an important voice was from the creative low frequncy outputs of bassist John Glascock, who was an ally tangible as a musician and stage performer. Seeing this lin-up live was a special treat for the Tull enthusiast, as they put on more than a concert, a performacne is a more apt description. So why the Barriemore Barlow era you may ask? Simply because his energy and creativity as a drummer/percussionist carried the band into much more complex compositional territory, his ability to not only maintain strange and frequent time signature changes, is very apparent, yet he also adds a dash of creative freedom to the rhythmic aspects of this era of Tulls' music. This is not to say he is entirely responsible for the musics progressivity, nor that he is the only good drummer to have graced the presence of this band, but merely stating his profound influence to the sound of this band at this space in time. What one will encounter upon listening to this album are renaissance flavored madrigals full of flutees, classical guitars, lutes, glockenspiel, odd percussions, portative organs, as well as the standard electrical instrument fare that Tull is reknowned for. This combination of old and new paired with some great song writing creates a nostalgic, yet unique flavor of prog, the very kind that makes Tull one of THE bands that helped define progressive rock.

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