Benefit \nJethro Tull\nEMD/Chrysalis\nMost people get confused when I attempt to describe something as "British." Well, if anything, the classic progressive rock band Jethro Tull epitomizes that British sound with their dark and misty folk influences and sophisticated classical leanings. To celebrate the everlasting cult of prog-rock lovers, or music geeks to the rest of society, the band recently released remasters of their first few albums. \nBenefit, Tull's third release, has a touch more blues and rock guitar than some of the later albums but shows that the band is familiar with the studio. It was originally released in 1970, which explains the experimentation that comes out in the album. Throughout Benefit, you hear the use of vocal effects, strategically placed fades and distorted acoustic guitars and vocals. \nOn top of that, this is also Tull's first album with keyboard virtuoso John Evan and their last with bassist Glenn Cornick. The addition of John Evan gives the band another dimension -- adding some Baroque flavor to the already eclectic mix. With Evan as the main harmony instrument, lead guitarist Martin Barre had more room to cut on his Les Paul like a true guitar hero. But as usual, Ian Anderson's intense presence and godlike voice demand the most attention. The arrangements are full of British folk and hard rock influences and, uh, the heaviest flute solo ever. Yeah, rock on! Seriously.\nWhile Benefit is not one of the band's best albums, it's one of the most consistent discs I've heard for a non-concept album in the prog-rock genre. The only "hit" on the album, "To Cry You a Song," is rather typical of the band, with its scary diminished scale riffs and vocal effects. Interestingly enough, three of the best songs are among the four bonus tracks: "Witch's Promise," "Teacher" and "Singing All Day." \nJethro Tull has always been one of the more successful progressive rock bands, undoubtedly thanks to its accessibility and the length of the songs, not to mention its original sound. Anderson points out in the liner notes that he was influenced by the "American sounding bands," not to imitate but to sound different than them. Benefit certainly isn't an album packed with the band's biggest singles, but it is a great prototype for the future of prog-rock and Jethro Tull itself. \n
){kind=small}
\n
