Stormwatch

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-10-23 rating:
...ooops
Sorry Ian, but I think I have to take issue with the other reviewers for this album. I had not listened to it for years and now I remember why. By comparison with the preceding albums it sounds contrived, like trying too hard (or maybe not trying at all)...it lacks spark, like it was churned out. It is boring. In fact I would go as far as to say that this album marks the tipping point in Tull's output....from this album onwards there are only fleeting moments of the Tull magic in the studio albums. br /I first saw Tull live when I was fifteen - and have seen them more or less every UK tour since - so I am not saying this lightly. But buy all the albums up to Heavy Horses and unless you are a completist, stay away from the rest. br /2 stars, and that is only because it has Dun Ringill....which has better live version on the 20 years anniversary compilation album. br /

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review by: date: 2008-04-10 rating:
Tull at their peak
I have been listening to Jethro Tull regularly over the last 30 years, and have to say I like most of their massive back cataloge. If I was to pick one album though as 'the best Tull sound' it would have to be this stunner. Production, instrumentation and orchestration (to my ears) are superb. I have read much about Stormwatch, and I'm constantly surprised and disappointed at the bad press it generally gets - in my opinion hugely undeserved. It is such an underated album. I was fortunate to see this great line up on the Stormwatch tour, just two days before it broke up, and I remember sitting in the audience open mouthed in awe at the show in front of me! No other band has had that effect on me since. Back to the album, my personal favourite track is probably 'Flying Dutchman' atmospheric Scottish sounding with beautifull flute and mandolin and of course John Glascock's bass, but every track (original album) is wonderful. Other absolute stand outs are 'Old Ghosts' with it's brilliant baseline, 'Dark Ages' a 9 minute monster which I think contains the best sounding Tull rock passage from their entire cataloge (second guitar break), 'Home', as warm as sitting by the fire in your favourite slippers, 'Dun Ringill', most peoples favourite from this album, a beautiful acoustic piece, which indeed always transports me to the west coast of Scotland, and 'Orion', with it's infectious chorus. This also of course was the last album by Tull that included the amazing Barrimore Barlow on drums, plus John Evans, John Glascock and David Palmer. Such a shame that John Glascock died soon after this album was released, he only played on three tracks (Orion, Flying Dutchman and Elegy). Such a shame we couldn't have experienced another album with this band line up. Best of the bonus tracks is 'Kelpie', but the quality of the bonus tracks are not on the same level as the original album. So to sum up, I think out of the many great Jethro Tull albums (most of which indeed were from the 1970's) this one sits on top of the pile. Just compare the overall rich sound and incredible musicianship of this one with the others. Also check out these Tull albums: 'Thick as a Brick', 'Passion Play', 'Minstrel in the Gallery', Live-Bursting Out', 'Benefit', 'Broadsword', 'Heavy Horses' and 'Stand Up'.

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review by: 16 miles from TULLster date: 2007-07-30 rating:
So apt for 2007
As I moved out to the woods and decided to make green decisions i wanted songs which reflected my life style so to speak. I always have fond memories of my dads Stand up album as it popped open as a child, but never recalled the songs, but happened to stumble across Songs From The Wood which gave earthly spirited conitations of where i was and the thought of making love on velvet green ooh er. Storm Watch which i have just bought captures the feeling of global warming and the wicked weather patterns of this decade so Storm Watch goes in to it's second cycle as the heavy rain has hit hard. Stormwatch is dark though somewhat comforting. Stitch In Time is a lighter ditty which i find uplifting in this gassly summer but i'm really yet to relish the albumn as i have only heard this twice! Even so, it stands out as a true gem amongst Songs Of The Wood Heavy Horses. I'd just like to say as a newbie to TULL is that i feel i was born in the wrong era i'd love to had been there back in the day but so glad Jethro Tull have rekindled my love to good music. Please Ian and crew if you just happened to read this can you pay the recording studios a visit and bring it to us once again. If you have yet to add Stormwatch to your collection press by this product now no NOW go on then click the mouse you know you want to

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review by: date: 2004-03-22 rating:
worth it
Stormwatch is an excellent if somewhat uneven album, the track in Dark Ages in particular being among the greatest Tull songs; brilliant lyrics with a musical play on the opening notes of Beethoven's (Anderson's favourite composer) 5th to indicate how far Britain was in the Winter of Discontent from the Enlightenment. (Of course, it is even further in these days' 'consumer haze'.) My problem with this album, both on vinyl and cd, was that it also sounded as though it had been recorded in the dark ages. All the tracks were muddy and lacking focus, warmth and bite. The remastered version rectifies this problem. The album now sounds massively better and well worth the £6.99 or so to hear properly.


review by: date: 2004-03-04 rating:
I'd forgotten how good this album is. A rock classic
With the possible exception of Broadsword and the Beast, this is the last of the great Tull albums.br(those being Songs From the Wood, Heavy Horses , Bursting Out (Live) and Stormwatch ).brStormwatch is the heaviest/most guitar oriented of three studio albums but still contains plenty of great melodies and softer moments. brNorth Sea Oil and Dark Ages sit at the rockier end of the spectrum while the instrumental 'Warm sporran' and the hauntingly beautiful 'Dun Ringill' show Tull are still in touch with the folkier/more pastoral themes.brThe extra material is also of a high standard and fits in well with the main album. "A stitch in time" being a personal favourite that I bought as a single on white vinyl.pEven though the lyrics are imbued with the politics of the day the music hasn't aged badly at all and as I listened to this album for the first time in many years, I was transported back to the cold winter of 1979. brMagical stuff.brWhere Old Ghosts play right enough.

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