PDA

View Full Version : Album Club - Week 128: 14/01/2014: Jethro Tull - Benefit



Album Club
14-01-2014, 00:08
Paul (Audioman) has very kindly offered to be our host this week. Thanks a lot Paul.
Don't forget to listen to the album in full before you vote and if you want to vote you should make some contributory comments too please.


Jethro Tull - Benefit (1970)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61H%2Ba6%2B3eKL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

spotify:album:1meW8yyx76RPZebO32VwrB

After the discussions suggesting audiophiles of a certain age are progsters I give you this selection just to prove the point. What also prompted me to put forward this title was the arrival of the new Steve Wilson remastering on vinyl at Audioman towers.

Coming between 'Stand Up' and 'Aqualung' this is an often overlooked gem in the JT catalogue. In fact I would consider it close or equal in quality to 'Stand Up'. Stand out tracks incl 'With You There To Help Me' with some superb mixing of flute and other sounds, 'Nothing To Say' and 'To Cry You A Song'. The later contains one of the most distinctive guitar riffs in rock.

m9QtTZJWkms

New vinyl version - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Benefit-VINYL-Jethro-Tull/dp/B00EPO1308/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388328815&sr=8-1&keywords=jethro+tull+vinyl

Benefit album (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benefit_(album)) Wiki-page
Jethro Tull (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jethro_Tull_(band)) band Wiki-page
Jethro Tull band (http://jethrotull.com/) website

John
14-01-2014, 07:48
Its a 7 for me quite consistent with some good songs one of my favourite Tull albums

Bazil
15-01-2014, 15:54
Coming between 'Stand Up' and 'Aqualung' this is an often overlooked gem in the JT catalogue.


Certainly applies to me, as a Anderson/Tull fan I don't own this along with a couple of others although I do have some of the tracks on Greatest Hits/ Live albums.
From the Spotify Link I take it we are to listen to the 2013 Stereo mix tracks ?

Audioman
15-01-2014, 17:49
Certainly applies to me, as a Anderson/Tull fan I don't own this along with a couple of others although I do have some of the tracks on Greatest Hits/ Live albums.
From the Spotify Link I take it we are to listen to the 2013 Stereo mix tracks ?

The 2013 remaster sounds a lot better than the 2001 tracks. Please judge on original album excl bonus material. Preferably listen to either the original or 2013 SW remix on vinyl.

Paul.

losenotaminute
15-01-2014, 18:13
I'm voting 8 out of 10, very much my cup of tea. I think I need to buy the vinyl as Spotify doesn't really do it justice. Would listen again, thanks for recommending this album.

Lawrence

Pierre De Grenoble
17-01-2014, 18:51
I was weaned on Tull, and knew the first 4 albums backwoods and inside out (rapidly lost interest (with the odd exception) after "Thick as a Brick...

Until maybe 10/15 years ago I would have said that "Stand Up" was THE Tull album, and then I realised that it was Benefit after all.

As said above, for some reason it seems to be overlooked, from the Flute intro and guitar rifferama of "With you there to help me" to the final chord of "Sossity" The album is Class. The only 2 tracks I would personally down grade against the rest are "Inside and Play in Time", and they would still bring a big smile if heard on the radio

Re Track 1, With You there to help Me. (IMHO)

Original '70 Vinyl: Forward Vocals, muddy lead guitar & bass, drums way back in the mix

2001 CD: lead guitar brought right up, bass up a little, drums still back.

2013 Vinyl: lead guitar down a notch, and at last you can hear the drums. and everything is just cleaner and clearer.

I don't know what Steve Wilson does but every remix of his that I have heard is superb. and the 2cd version is well worth a punt, just to hear Sweet Dream &The Witches Promise given the treatment in all their versions

Rock Solid 10/10 from me an I'm not biased an I'm not wondering why you don't all own it already :scratch: :D


I would love to hear an original Jap. vinyl, I'm thinking it would wipe the floor with UK ish..

RichB
17-01-2014, 23:02
Found the 2013 remaster and thoroughly enjoyed it. The tull are a band I've not really dug yet and dont know that much about but on the basis of this I'll listen some more.

A confident 7 here.

loo
19-01-2014, 20:06
Hated them when I was young and sadly nothing has changed ,
I find it messy and boring sorry
paul

Bazil
24-01-2014, 10:17
I was weaned on Tull, and knew the first 4 albums backwoods and inside out (rapidly lost interest (with the odd exception) after "Thick as a Brick...


Its the opposite for me, although I like the first four its after this I really got into Tull, I like the more folkier songs with Songs From The Wood being my favorite album.
Benefit is a quality album but for me the heavier sound is just not the Tull I like, even so 8/10.

synsei
24-01-2014, 16:48
Sorry Paul I'm just not a Tull fan. 4/10

high.spirits
26-01-2014, 12:04
Sorry Paul Folk Rock does not do it for me. Never been a Tull fan. 3/10

The Grand Wazoo
27-01-2014, 12:29
This album was where Jethro Tull turned away from the blues based feel of their previous stuff and began to do things with a little more sophistication. As such, it has always struck me as being caught between two stools and therefore, rather unremarkable. It's OK and quite entertaining but I never really gelled with it, somehow.
But....
I really enjoyed giving it a spin for album club, so perhaps I've been too harsh on it in the past. I'll be playing it again soon.
A cautious 8/10 from me then.

Thanks for making me reassess it.

The Barbarian
27-01-2014, 12:44
Great LP but still prefer 'Stand Up'

mik_rik
27-01-2014, 18:05
8/10 from me .Don't like phasing and other effects on Play in Time and what was the point of that "test tone" at 1min 22 on A Time for Everything! What was best about rock from it's time [1970] before music got too bloated and pretentious. mik_rik

MartinT
11-02-2014, 06:58
It's not an album I knew and I've enjoyed listening to some good prog with its own soundscape. A good 7/10 from me.

Tim
11-02-2014, 10:52
I never really know where I am with Tull, sometimes I love them sometimes not so much. Saw them in the 70's and recently too and still can't make up my mind about IA, but he's certainly talented. Same as Martin here 7/10.