Jethro Tull - Stand Up (1969)

Steve:

Jethro Tull became a big factor in my life in college, with the release of the 20 Years of Jethro Tull box set. Prior to that, I only knew the Aqualung album and the M.U. greatest hits album. But once I began scarfing up their back catalogue, Stand Up clearly "Stood Out" as one of their finest albums. It was only their second album, but already they had gone from an interesting blues band with flute (This Was, 1968) to being a serious contender for the future of heavy music, along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath.  

New guitarist Martin Barre (original guitarist Mick Abrahams had just left to form Blodwyn Pig) was the secret ingredient to bring band leader Ian Anderson's creations to life. But as heavy as this album was, its true heaviness derived from its dynamic contrasts, which put the thunderous sections in greater relief. "Back to the Family" sounds like a folky ballad when it begins, but each verse then kicks into a higher gear, and suddenly we're in Led Zeppelin air-guitar territory (think "Ramble On"). Some songs are entirely acoustic, such as "Look into the Sun", "Reasons for Waiting", and the Eastern-flavored "Fat Man". These numbers add balance to the program, making for a full-bodied, satisfying listening experience.  

While the album wasn't endowed with an obvious hit single, several classic Tull tracks are here, songs that remained in the band's set list for years to come. "A New Day Yesterday" begins the album with a template that the band would turn into a trademark - the heavy riff-based song. The odd-metered blues riff is irresistible and sets the precedent for stuff like "Aqualung", "Sweet Dream", "To Cry You a Song", and "Locomotive Breath" later on. For added variety, the jazz inclinations hinted at on the first album are continued here with "Bourée", a flute-driven variation on a Bach melody - also one of their most beloved set pieces on stage.

If you're just starting to get into Jethro Tull, this should be one of your first albums. The band had not latched onto concept albums, and the full potential of the early band, poised to define the future direction of heavy rock, was already at an early peak.

Dan:

The first song I heard from Jethro Tull was "Fat Man," which was on a 2-LP Warner sampler album called Record Show, which included 30 tracks by Warner artists. (The only other song I remember was Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl.") I thought it was stupid to write a song about not wanting to be fat. Since there were so many bands sprouting up in the late 60s, I had to be selective, so I ignored Jethro Tull until Aqualung came out. I played Aqualung a lot, which is how Steve must have heard it first.

Many years later Steve returned the favor and pushed quite a few Tull albums my way. That resulted in my hearing Benefit, which I think is a wonderful album, and Stand Up, which had been in and out of my collection over the years. Getting it again gave me a chance to reevaluate Stand Up, which seemed much better than I had remembered. By contrast, I never warmed up to the band's 1970s offerings: Thick as a Brick, A Passion Play, and Minstrel in the Gallery. I blame myself, not the band, for my intolerance.

Of the tracks on Stand Up, I like Ian Anderson's "We Used to Know" the best. All are great, but something about my favorite knocks me out every time I play it. Perhaps as an aging adult, I respond to songs with lyrics like "Nights of winter turn me cold / fears of dying, getting old / we ran the race / the race was won by running slowly." The song is uplifting rather than morbid because it suggests the value of past experience and the importance of remembering what we have known and accomplished. That's wisdom worthy of an ancient philosopher, rendered by a 22-year-old Scottish flautist.