Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
It is our own fault, we have become a species of reaction and not of deep contemplation, we are slaves to the emotion and we have given up our right to the reflective, the speculative, and musing of life; instead of thought, we have assumption and rumour, and neither are true deliberations on how humanity should see themselves or act in the future.
The modern two minute pop song could be seen as a part of the problem, the constant need for validation on social media another, we no longer read as we should, our grasp of the universe and the inner workings of the mind come from pop ups on our screen designed to grab our attention for the barest time…the in depth, the philosophical debate and reason and been displaced by sound bites and political quote, and that belief in the Curious Ruminant has faltered.
The inquisitive nature of Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson has been an open book for all to see since he and the changing roster of players first came to the attention of the Blues crowd, then a deeper connection with the Progressive gathering, and as the last couple of years have shown, the new lease of life with three albums coming in short succession, reminds the audience and the fan that there is still, thankfully and with resolution, stories in the musical tank that can be sung.
Curious Ruminant follows superbly on from The Zealot Gene and RökFlöte in the appreciation of the directing thought of the legendary band, a point created, expressed, and doubled down upon, is seized upon with love and passion on all sides, and as David Goodier, John O’ Hara, James Duncan, Jack Clark, Scott Hammond, Andrew Giddings, and of course Ian Anderson, all combine in the swarming ideas of psychology and consciousness, so the album bursts with a desired sense of genius. Like the involved patterns at play in Thick As A Brick, or the sweeping nature to be found with Songs From The Wood, Curious Ruminant holds its own as the founder of unique interpretation from the mind’s perspective.
Across tracks such as the opener Puppet And The Puppet Master, The Tipu House, Savannah Of Paddington Green, Over Jerusalem, and the album title track of Curious Ruminant, Jethro Tull once more delve into the idea with head held high, with masks removed, and with an attitude of the Progressive firmly in place.
An album that will greatly please the older guardians of the band’s catalogue, but as with the previous two albums, open the doors to the modern crowd who have the capacity to draw upon, and expand their knowledge to something more than a quip or a retort. Enlightening and dramatic, this is Jethro Tull once more at their most remarkable and unique.
Ian D. Hall