Minstrel in the Gallery

---

---

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-11-24 rating:
Valhalla and the BAND
The most energetic and creative Tull album equally balanced between all the creative members of the band with a live tension between the respective personalities and contributors. Ian's controlling ego has not quite overruled the other ingredients and as a result here is the most rewarding and memorable album actually recorded by an authentic band. Or was it simply that I was turning 18?

---

review by: date: 2007-10-31 rating:
Bored in the Gallery
I don't get the point of this album at all, but that's probably me as there are so many superlative reviews already posted. br /Jethro Tull lost their way sometime in between Aqualung and Thick As A Brick when they became less Jethro Tull and more Ian Anderson. It's easy to understand now why Mick Abrahams, Clive Bunker and Glen Cornick all bailed out when they did. br /This is just too "prog", too self-indulgent, too lacking in melody for my liking. The album is mainly made up of lenghthy, meandering pieces with intricate time structures, plenty of indecipherable lyrics, sorry - evocative lyrics (my thanks to M. Webb)accompanied by Ian's distinctive pick strum acoustic guitar style that he perfected on Thick Bricks. Occasionally the rest of the boys join in, stabs of electric guitar, a bit of bass, some drumming, lots of violins, and, of course, the flute, trilling away in the foreground, all wheeze grunt. br / br /But it's not enough, the statement he is trying to make is to the detriment of the music and it all becomes tedious and uninspired. br /And very dated. br /If your new to Tull thinking of checking them out, get Stand Up. Now that is a 5 star album!

---

review by: paleandy date: 2007-02-21 rating:
Intense acoustic rock
Recorded in Monte Carlo during 1975, Minstrel is arguably Tull's heaviest album, featuring some of the band's tightest arrangements (check out the instrumental sections of the title track, Black Satin Dancer and many sections of Baker St. Muse). Ironically, this album also featured Ian Anderson's finest collection of acoustic songs. These tracks are lyrically very beautiful, yet avoid the syrupy sentimentality that is prevailent in numerous other songs of this nature. Elsewhere, the lyrics appear very biting, personal and slightly sarcastic, particularly on Baker St. Muse. Is Anderson writing about himself or his experiences? There are references to aspects of his life at the time of Minstrel in Baker St. Muse. 'I have no house in the country, I have no motor car' (Anderson, at the time, was living on Baker St. Mews(get it!)in London and he did not have a car because he has never possessed a driving licence). Martin Barre's electric guitar work is powerful and very much at the forefront of the band's sound and Barrie Barlow's drumming is almost like an intricate arrangement in itself. It was reported that John Evans was playing a lot of Beethoven's piano music during the recording of this album and this finds its way into his playing on the record. There is a very classical, mournful approach to some bits and pieces, notably Black Satin Dancer. More direct and hard hitting than Warchild and more accessible and succinct than A Passion Play, Minstrel is a strangely dark album that showed Tull could rock and blend it successfully with the acoustic elements for which they have become recognised. Some may need time to become comfortable with the intense lyrics, but this remains an essential component of the Jethro Tull back catalogue.

---

review by: date: 2005-08-31 rating:
one of the best
one of the best Jethro Tull albums. brThis one has quiet accoustic tracks androck tracks, quiet tracks and loud tracks. The lyrics are meaningful and sung with authority and passion.


review by: laurent date: 2002-12-01 rating:
play minstrel play
This is the first Jethro i 've heard when i was 10 years old in1977. This is now the best version never made and after 27 years this album sound always fresh ' cause the guitar and flute never died (see Roots to Branches of the same vain). It's sometimes quiet or hard and the Ian Anderson voice was at his best like the excellent WarChild album !

---

Similar products

Songs from the Wood
Heavy Horses
Aqualung
Thick as a Brick
War Child

---

Similar categories

Music . Styles . Pop . Bestsellers
Music . Styles . Pop . General AAS
Music . Styles . Rock . Classic Rock . Bestsellers
Music . Styles . Rock . Classic Rock . Blues Rock
Music . Styles . Rock . Classic Rock . Classic British Rock
Music . Styles . Rock . Classic Rock . Progressive Rock
Music . Styles . Rock . General AAS
Music . Substores . Regular Stores . Artist Pages Filter Nodes . Main Albums
Music . Refinements . Format (binding_browse-bin) . CD . CD Album

---