Published on Jul 23, 2004
If there ever was a negative definition of a “transition album,”
it would have to be applied to
Stormwatch, the 1979 release from Jethro Tull.
This transition was not the fault of band leader Ian Anderson.
During the tour for
Heavy Horses, bassist John Glascock became too sick to
perform, and eventually had to undergo open heart surgery. It was
hoped that Glascock would recover to be a viable part of the band
again when it came time to record the next album but, alas,
Glascock’s health became worse. He appears on only three of the
songs on
Stormwatch, and passed away in 1979 at the age of 28. (To
the best of my knowledge, at the time of this writing, Glascock was
the only member of Tull to die.)
So, with Anderson taking over most of the bass work (along with
vocals, flute and acoustic guitar),
Stormwatch was recorded — and much of the music sounds like
it was written with a very heavy heart. In a sense, this helps to
produce some of the most beautiful music that Jethro Tull has ever
recorded. While the album is still a little tentative, it does have
some fantastic moments.
I have to, at this stage, give severe props to the song “Dun
Ringill.” Had it not been for the Slipstream home video, I might
have forgotten about this track at a young age. But after watching
the video for this song, it has never left my conscience. If I were
to name my favorite Jethro Tull song, it would have to be this
simple, acoustic guitar-driven song.
Yet after digging
Stormwatch out of the depths of the Pierce Memorial
Archives, I have to admit there are other songs which come very
close to “Dun Ringill” in terms of sheer beauty. One is “Home,” a
song that seems to take on an entirely different meaning with the
knowledge of Glascock’s death. (It’s only fair to note that
Glascock died after the release of the album.) Likewise, the
album’s closer “Elegy” suggests a mournful mood, despite the power
and loveliness of the arrangements.
In a slightly different vein, the instrumental “Warm Sporran”
has a more upbeat mood to it, and also stands out among the tracks
on this disc.
Yet
Stormwatch does have its tentative moments. “Dark Ages”
tries hard to be the focal piece of the disc, but it doesn’t quite
feel like it’s strong enough to carry that momentum. Likewise,
“Orion” is a respectable enough effort, but it seems to suggest
that Jethro Tull didn’t quite know which way to take their music,
especially in a time when the whole definition of popular music was
in flux.
This is by no means suggesting that
Stormwatch is a weak album. Tracks like “North Sea Oil,”
“Flying Dutchman” and “Something’s On The Move” all show that
Anderson and company still knew how to keep the listener’s
attention and how to write quality songs.
This disc turned out to be a farewell for more than just
Glascock; also making their final appearances with Tull were David
(now Dee) Palmer, John Evan and Barriemore Barlow, thanks to the
corporate decision to make Anderson’s planned solo album in 1980
the next Jethro Tull disc. Fortunately for these players, they make
their swansongs on a high note.
It really isn’t fair to Anderson and crew that
Stormwatch is one of their most ignored albums in the modern
day. It seems like if a disc doesn’t have a song which is
overplayed on the radio, it doesn’t get any notice. Granted,
Stormwatch has some tentative moments on it, but for the
most part it is a disc that deserves a lot more attention than it
ever has gotten. With the re-issue of this disc finally in the
stores, now is the perfect time for this album to experience its
own renaissance.