TCCDM Pulls One Out..."Benefit" - Jethro Tull (1970)

"Benefit" - Jethro Tull (1970)

     I'm a fan of prog-rock.  All kinds.  And I have my share on the shelves.  But I'm a picky sumbeach with this genre.  There's no middle ground.  No free pass.  It's album to album.  And I know plenty who like Jethro Tull, and just as many who don't.  The band's an acquired taste, I get it.  Their squares can be hit or miss sometimes, and I'm looking at you, "Too Old To Rock 'N' Roll."  But when they're good, they're very, very good.  Tull hits an undefinable sweet spot that I'm looking for in my various prog-rock pursuits.  And I want to hear them all.  With the rigmarole out of the way, let me say my newest Jethro Tull acquisition, "Benefit," is a keeper.

     I love the heavy Martin Barre guitars and the acoustic flavors Ian Anderson weaves.  Ian's fluttering flutery is in good form here.  Ian's songwriting and vocals are cool as ever, with interesting arrangements and tempo changes.  The variety is good.  There's a nice, edgier vibe about it and less woodland Witcher frolic, although I enjoy both.  "Teacher" is the best-known track on the album and a killer, but not my favorite.  That would be "To Cry You A Song" with Barre's outstanding riffage and Glenn Cornick's bass delivering the mail.  Don't sleep on the other deep tracks, either.  

"Benefit" - Jethro Tull (back)

Favorites include:
"Teacher"
"To Cry You A Song"
"With You There To Help Me"
"Play In Time"

     This copy is an early 1973 pressing, which I picked up for less than a dollar, and is a wonderful spin.  The cover is a little rough, but there are no splits.  The vinyl plays fine.  If I see Jethro Tull in the wild, I'll usually pick it up.  Their albums are pleasingly inexpensive.  For blind buyers, the reward always outweighs the risk.  I read that Steven Wilson put his magic dust on a fresh remix for the "Benefit" album, and boy, would I love to get a taste of that business.

Chrysalis label

Cat #
CHR 1043
SIDE A  DEADWAX
31051 RS 6400 A 1B 0 T1
SIDE B  DEADWAX
CHR 1043  31052-3  C T1

"To Cry You A Song" - Jethro Tull / "Benefit" (1970)

TRACKS:
A1  "With You There To Help Me" 6:15
A2  "Nothing To Say" 5:10
A3  "Inside" 3:46
A4  "Son" 2:48
A5  "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me" 3:47
B1  "To Cry You A Song" 6:09
B2  "A Time For Everything?" 2:42
B3  "Teacher" 3:57
B4  "Play In Time" 3:44
B5  "Sossity; You're A Woman" 4:31

PERSONNEL: 
Ian Anderson - vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, balalaika, keyboards
Martin Barre - electric guitar
Glenn Cornick - bass
Clive Bunker - drums, percussion
ADDITIONAL:
Dee Palmer - orchestral arrangements
John Evan - piano, organ

Good stuff.

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Comments

Bloggerhythms said…
I was a Tull fan. Benefit was the first album I heard but my favorites are Songs From The Wood, Thick as a Brick and Living in the past even though I know it's a compilation.
July 3, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Casey said…
I'll keep an eye out for Living in the Past. I haven't seen that one in the bins.
July 3, 2025 at 2:05 PM
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