Search - Jethro Tull :: Stand Up

I think this Martin Lancelot Barre chap may work out well

John S. Ryan | Silver Lake, OH | 12/31/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I guess I must be turning into some sort of musical dinosaur. With the exception of Railroad Earth (and see my reviews of their CDs), just about everybody I listen to regularly was already recording as of 1970 or before.Jethro Tull is on that shortlist. Like all longtime Tull fans, I have my likes and dislikes from the various phases of their long career; I think well of their first seven albums, my own favorite period was from _Minstrel in the Gallery_ through _Stormwatch_ (which I sure wish somebody would release on CD), they reached the stratosphere with _Songs from the Wood_/_Heavy Horses_, I like the same parts of _Crest of a Knave_ that you do, and I'd have worn needle holes in Anderson's solo release _The Secret Language of Birds_ by now if it had been released on vinyl. But the bottom line is this: as long as Ian Anderson is writing, recording, and performing, there will always be good music, and as long as Martin Barre is playing with him, that music will always be Tull.But I don't ordinarily review a lot of their old albums. I decided to weigh in on this one because I saw that somebody had encountered problems with the sound on this remastered CD.I haven't had any such problems with mine, and I don't think my ears are all _that_ bad yet. So it appears to be a problem with that particular CD (or a batch of them), not with the remastering in general.Anyway, this is a great old album and one of Tull's all-time best. The remastered release also includes some nice bonus tracks that were recorded around the same time (including, of course, the still-stunning "Living in the Past"). Ian and the boys still do a lot of these in concert, and the new liner notes (by Mr. Anderson himself, no less) indicate that it's still one of his favorite Tull releases.One thing is missing, though: the old pop-up cardboard figures don't pop up any more. There's just a flat photo of them. (Of course we can't very well change the name of the album from _Stand Up_ to _Just Lie There_, but that's all they do.) Oh, well."

One Of The Best

Michael Topper | Pacific Palisades, California United States | 09/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is not only by far Jethro Tull's finest, but quite simply one of the best rock albums ever made. These days Tull carry a lot of baggage with them; however, on their sophomore effort they deliver the goods through and through. There is a tangible human warmth to Ian Anderson's writing and singing here that would never again be recaptured (save perhaps for a few cuts on the followup "Benefit") when the band moved closer to a prog base. "Stand Up" points an early finger toward prog in the outstanding "Bouree" and the breezy orchestration on "Reasons For Waiting", but its main stock-in-trade is blues-rock with a healthy twist. Tracks like "New Day Yesterday" and "Nothing Is Easy" represent the peak of the form, with the whole group's playing remarkably sophisticated and subtle, mixing jazz, blues and rock with consummate ease. "Look Into The Sun" is the group's finest ballad and one of the most touching songs of its era, with Martin Barre's wah-wahed guitar punctuating Anderson's vocal with remarkable grace. "Fat Man" is a humorous lyric matched to a magnetic rhythm and vaguely Middle Eastern flavor. The diversity of the musical styles, the strength and consistency of the songwriting (Filler? What filler?) and the ever-elusive feel of "magic" on this album are hard to beat, and indeed Jethro Tull--despite some great moments on later albums--reached their peak with this release. This is my favorite of 1969, beating out other classics like "Abbey Road", "Hot Rats", "Unhalfbricking", "Happy Trails", "In The Court Of The Crimson King" and others."

An excellent and sophisticated album that blends jazz, folk,

Jeffrey J.Park | Massachusetts, USA | 07/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This excellent album was released in 1969 and shows Jethro Tull starting to head in the direction of prog rock that would come to full fruition on albums like Thick as a Brick (1972) and A Passion Play (1973). Specifically, elements of jazz, folk, and classical are merged with blues rock on Stand Up.



The lineup at this point included Ian Anderson (lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, Hammond organ, piano, mandolin, balalaika, and harmonica); great drummer Clive Bunker; bassist Glen Cornick, and for the first time playing with Jethro Tull, guitarist Martin Barre. Previous guitarist Mick Abraham had left the band to form Blodwyn Pig, a more blues-based band. All of the musicians are excellent and I love Glen Cornick's bass playing, which is showcased on the fantastic instrumental track Bouree. In fact Glen and John Glascock are my two favorite Tull bassists.



Musically, this album is pretty diverse and the pieces range from an adaptation of J.S. Bach's Bouree though quieter and folksy pieces (Look into the Sun; Fat Man; Reasons for Waiting), to heavier and sophisticated blues rock jams (Nothing is Easy). I would even go so far to say that there are little bits of psychedelic rock here and there too (Back to the Family). All in all it is an incredible blending of styles and makes for a very enjoyable and dynamic listening experience. In addition, the range in instrumentation, which includes hard edged electric guitar along with softer acoustic instruments, including those associated with traditional English folk music also adds another dimension to the album. The writing is all top notch and the music shows a significant leap forward from the debut album This Was (1968).



This remastered album is pretty good and features liner notes from Ian and good sound quality. The bonus tracks include the old hit (in 5/4 no less) Living in the Past along with Driving Song (recorded in Los Angeles, California while on tour); and Sweet Dream/17 (both were recorded at Morgan Studios in North London, England). All of the bonus tracks are pretty good, although 17 is not all that hot.



All in all, this is an excellent album from the early phase of Jethro Tull and is very highly recommended along with the follow up album Benefit (1970)."