The lover gene

 

Many of the legendary figures that shaped 20th century music, i.e. the foundations for what we consider popular music today, have already passed away. From the John Lennons to the Chuck Berrys to the Little Richards to the Buddy Hollys… Let’s face it, most of the giants of popular music are long gone. Still, you will find a few exceptions to the rule. Obviously, Sir Paul McCartney and his everlasting youthfulness, the Rolling Stones’ Glimmer Twins (Mick Jagger & Keith Richards), who are somewhat inexplicably still among us, Bob Dylan who has now risen to the rank of (living) Nobel prize winner… and then there’s Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson.

Granted, you may not think about Jethro Tull first when you try listing out cult British bands of the 1960’s/70’s, and several will come ahead: The Beatles and the Stones, obviously, The Kinks, Queen and Led Zeppelin, probably… but Jethro Tull is not all that far behind, both in terms of credentials — 22 studio albums across 7 decades (!), out of which several were #1 — as well as sheer creativity — many of the band’s classics actually are concept albums, showcasing a musical sophistication that is both quite remarkable and utterly unique in its shape and influences. Put simply, there is far more to Jethro Tull than their cult hit “Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die“…

And latest album The Zealot Gene, released last week, all but proves that. Written, recorded and produced over the past several years, it wonderfully highlights Anderson’s renewed inspiration, after having reformed the band back in 2017, admittedly with a largely new line-up (him effectively being an only original member). What is interesting in this record, though, is that it manages to both feel fresh, yet familiar. Fresh because its crafting was extremely well polished, largely thanks to Anderson himself, who produced the whole set, parts of it in confinement. Familiar because you notice characteristic Jethro Tull stylings right away, starting with album opener “Mrs Tibbets” and its unmistakable flute intro…

But there’s more to it, yet again: what is most exciting about this new release is the subtlety of its compositions and richness of its interpretations. On composition, take tracks like “Mine is the Mountain” or “The Betrayal of Joshua Kynde”: Rick Beato would be happy with Anderson’s penmanship, let’s put it that way. On interpretation, what is interesting — and quite characteristic — is Anderson and company’s knack for mixing up folkish arrangements and very near hard rock elements. The title track is a prime example of that Tull touch, with the flute fluidly coexisting with Florian Opahle‘s slick guitar licks. “Barren Beth, Wild Desert John” is as heavy as they come — with ethereal vocal harmonies aptly placed here and there. Only Ian Anderson could get away with that…

All in all, this almost stands as a remarkable testament to the fact that time does not truly affect genius. Much like Abba surprised us a few months ago with their own surprise return to form, Jethro Tull’s latest gift to the world is truly exciting, and not only for historic fans… More, please!