I hold this album in high regard; demonstrating the synergy of all of the band. Strength, tenderness, humour, satire all in the traditional Tull manner. Consider "Baker St. Muse" which certainly continues to carry the candle of earlier and longer great Tull efforts. Listen..and understand. Great reaction as ever.
One of my very Favorite Jethro Tull songs Justin !! Tull at their Prog Best !!! JP this is Prog musically from soft acoustics to hard edged Rock and all in between : ) Ian's voice is so great here !! I'm glad you played the long version with the full intro the Acoustic beginning and the Heavy Big Hook groove and ending ! Of course it's Fantastic Live !!!! : D
i love this album , i dont think that there is a single mediocre song in here, and even though i also like War Child i am really excited that you skipped it to listen to this instead
I find War Child more varied both in terms of sound and musical palette. It's almost the continuation of A Passion Play but in a short format. For me it's more unexpected than what is found on Minstrel in the Gallery. Given that Justin liked A Passion Play, I think he should like War Child for the reasons I mentioned above.
@@a.k.1740 I agree! Part of me was kinda sad about that but Minstrel is not a bad choice either so can't really complain. But I feel like War Child seems to be a somewhat underrated album so I really hope it gets mentioned enough so he doenst skip it altogether 😱
I kind of thought Mr. Tull didn’t really write Thick as a Brick. So I agree. But Minstrel in the Gallery is a landmark. And the duality in how it is presented is epic. Glad to hear it again!
Hello Justin, you know how I feel about Jethro Tull and Ian. Oh so happy!! Thanks again for your reactions, you have good insight and appreciation when you describe your thoughts and feelings about the music you're hearing for the first time. I've gone back and watched you're earlier videos because they are so good. The My God one especially.
Thanks, JP! This is my favorite album from my favorite band! I thought you would do the whole album. You will LOVE the rest too, maybe even more than the opening track.
(Edit: Thanks for giving J Tull your time and enthusiam. This IS a great album.) I would stack the 1970s J. Tull up against any GOAT bands anybody would dare to bring forward. This level of music complexity needs a team and all the members to be at the top of their game. When Tull changed members the first thing I noticed was the drums. The other losses meant J Tull had some good songs but the days of front to back great albums was gone for me. I think I own every vinyl up to and including 'Under Wraps.'
You know it's funny I think the first time I heard Jethro Tull was the album benefit I was over at my friend the bass player Rob checking he played it on his brothers 8-track player and yeah it changed my life
My favorite Tull album! Minstrel, Aqualung, Songs From the Wood, Heavy Horses, Broadsword and the Beast, plus, i love "A"...give me some Jobson w/ they synths/violin.
I think Tull is a bit like you, always a rewarding experience. And yes there is so much more to look forward to, War Child has some catchy tues on it. I look forward to more reviews from you Sir.
Heavy handed? Try Heavy Horses…. The Mouse Police Never Sleeps, Lullaby, and One Brown Mouse. So good and your reaction to Minstrel was really, really good. You were in the ZONE today! Keep havin’ fun doin’ what you do!
One of my favourite Tull albums (along with about 8 or 10 others)! I think some of their heaviest material is on here, bordering on early Prog-Metal at times. Looking forward to your take on the rest of the album if you decide to check it out. The whole band is absolutely firing on all cylinders here but, as a bit of a drummer myself, I’m especially glad to see someone else acknowledging Barriemore Barlow’s amazing skills on the kit. He’s definitely underrated both within the band and also in the world of Rock drummers. Always tasteful and adding just what the song needs, ranging from subtle percussion accents to all-out pummelling force! Too bad he didn’t do much outside of Tull, but his contributions to this band were just fantastic. I’m a pretty recent subscriber but really enjoying your channel, thanks for the great content! 🤘🤘
I think you'll love this album. It's one of my favorites, period. A great mix of styles from powerful, like this track, and acoustic like One White Duck / Zero to the Power of Ten. Enjoy and Thanks for this.
Regarding to your comment about Passion Play vs. Thick As A Brick - I waffle back and forth between which one I like best. They are both brilliant albums.
Glad you enjoyed the track one of my all time favorites. Be advised however, that you erroneously stated at 11:22 and at 11:39 that Jeffrey played organ when in fact Jeffrey is the bass player and John Evans is on keys.
I love this album and look forward to watching this video when I get home! Now having done so, I'll just say that this always has been my least favorite track on the album. Imagine how eagerly I look forward to your reactions to the rest!
Barriemore Barlow is one of the greatest rock drummers of all time. To me he's right up there with Bill Bruford, Chester Thompson, Phil Collins, Carl Palmer, Ian Paice, Neil Peart and Terry Bozzio. Underrated indeed!
I've been requesting this album for a couple of years now and am excited that it's finally getting a proper treatment. Every song a gem, including Black Satin Dancer and Requiem. It's the JT album that I listen to most. ❤❤❤ it.
Dude, wait until you make it to Heavy Horses. Their rhythm section has never been better, or better recorded. "...And the Mouse Police Never Sleeeps" is apparently Barlowe's favorite Tull song to play.
IMO, Tull's finest! It's like Ian and the guys really focused and brought all the right things about the band to the table. It's a masterpiece. And this opening title track condenses it all into one song. Love it! I'm looking forward to watching every song from this one, enjoy JP!
What's ironic is that, according to Ian Anderson, the members of the band were much less involved in this album than in the previous three, more concerned with having a good time on the Monegasque beaches than in the recording studio. Consequently, Ian Anderson has often considered this album closer to a solo album than a band album.... and I feel that way too !
@A. K. Well whatever the process was in creating this album, it worked. As good as a musian Ian is, I don't believe he played all those instruments himself. Maybe good times on the beach results in awesome playing in the studio.
@@Pcrimson1 Of course Ian Anderson didn't play all the instruments but it's in the way the songs on this album are constructed and arranged that greatly differentiates it from the previous three.
It's a really great album.... Barrymore Barlow is a hugely underrated drummer from this period.... Tull always had superb drummers, Bunker, Barlow & Doane Perry..... glad you enjoyed this one JP.
Ian has been mentioning many times, that he enjoys watching people in the audience as much as they enjoy watching him - the only difference being that he doesn't need to buy a ticket for that. This song is about it too.
My three favorite Tull albums - 'Thick As A Brick', 'War Child' and 'Minstrel In The Gallery'. I'll wait patiently for 'War Child', and in the meantime we'll all get the great pleasure of 'Minstrel'. A win win for everyone!
My fav Tull offering. Baker St. Muse should be introduced to Middle School music classes everywhere ? People actually playing instruments.....who wouldathunkit ?
Do we really want to be introducing a song to middle schoolers that definitely includes a John hiring a prostitute? I mean, I'm not bothered. Kids got to learn sometime.
Been a fan since 1975. I'm 68 and thank you for introducing a newer generation to the best band in the world. The reviewers of the 1970's said the same thing. One of the tightest groups in Rock. Not progressive rock. Your doing great work here so don't stop now, Heavy Horses album next please! The music is beautiful, very pastoral.
I got this album when released and it stands the test of time. A little Monty Pythonesque at the beginning and it is funny. The riff is massive. The drumming is great, and the vocals (catch the “hey, hey” from Ian). This album is great overall. I luv the cover. It is a complete work. So glad you are covering this. The lyrics bring you to the minstrel in the gallery. The album is story telling poetry. Enjoy the rest. Some beautiful songs coming up.
Passion Play was one of the very few Prog albums to hit #1 on billboard, so you were not alone. The only others that i can think of are several Pink Floyd and maybe a Moody Blues.
A big thumbs up about Barlow's drumming skills. 👍Tull was working in Monte Carlo as tax exiles at the time. They had moved into a hotel and set up in the gallery with the mobile recording truck outside (see the back cover photo). Ian was hard at work and felt that the others thought they were on holiday riding their motorbikes around town etc. The lyrics reflect what Ian observed about the fat cats vacationing at the nearby resorts. He wasn't impressed to say the least. You should react to the live video of Velvet Green. Barriemore trotting out his portable Medieval kit. You'll wonder how Ian manages those guitar parts while singing.
Minstrels and troubadours were the newsmen of their day. There was no internet, TV, radio or newspapers to spread happenings nationwide. People were starved for news, gossip, entertainment, anything but farming and taxes. People laugh at "Monty Python and The Holy Grail" where the soldiers want to talk about where coconuts came from, it would have been a topic of great interest, like the invention of a threshing machine or printing press. Anything to relieve the boredom. This is one of my favorite Tull albums, they were on top of their game.
Imagine, if you will, this song without vocals. Now, if you were the songwriter, what melody line would you go with to accompany the lyrics? Who in their wildest imagination would conjure up a melody line as the one Ian Anderson came up with? And who else could sing it like he does? This one is mind-blowing! It’s one of my top Tull songs for sure! Great job JP!
Normally, when I watch a reaction video, I write a comment before the end of the song. But, like you, I couldn't and waited till the end. That just shows what a great song Minstrel in the Gallery is, even though I've heard it literally hundreds of times. Tull was right at the peak of their concert performances when this song was written and Ian's confidence really comes through in his singing on this song. I love the coming together of the different staccato rhythms of the drums, organ and electric guitar. It just shows that bursts of music strung together can sound just as good, or even better than, a continuous riff. It really gets my mind interested in what it's hearing. This is the most iconic of Tull's songs IMO, and that's really saying something. If you want to do some more, check out "With You There to Help Me", "Back to the Family" and Aqualung
There is quite some Tull listening going on on my favourite channels at the moment. This is pleasantly unexpected. 'Minstrel in the Gallery' is definitely amongst my absolute favourite albums by them!
My 'Zealot Gene' bids me preach for much more minstrelry from Jethro Tull don't keep it 'Under Wraps'! A commandment from the woods, obey and 'Benefit 'or else I will be ' A ' 'War Child' and ride my 'Heavy Horses' down with 'The Broadsword and the Beast'! I know you're a 'Stand Up' guy so don't be 'Thick AS a Brick'! 'This Was' fun Peace.
This album is right at or neat the top of my favorite Tull albums. I still remember the day this came in the mail from the old Columbia House Record Club. If you like Barrie Barlows drumming, check out the first Yngwie album Rising Force!
I love Barrymore Barlows drumming. As far as the 70's go, nobody works the double kick quite as well as he did. Criminally underrated drummer if you ask me.
When this song hit FM radio that was when I discovered Tull around 1975. I had actually heard them before with songs like Bungle in the Jungle, but didn't know who it was.
Over the moon you're doing more Tull..and Minstrel in the Gallery.. awesome song Justin.. awesome album imo. It's heavy..it's proggie..it's subtle, beautiful too...ilove this album butty..great review,as usual...what a great start to the weekend Justin.. hope you are well ?? Maybe Camel's"Rain Dances" one day . Or "Nude"....what an album that is by the way
Seems like the contrast between the medieval aspect of Minstrels and Strolling players is being contrasted with descriptions of modern day jobs and attitudes.
Hi JP! Dipping back into my favorite band (66 yo 171#). Us boomers are such music snobs. This album and War Child closes out an amazing period of production for them. Change is on the horizon....Cheers, Chicago Ray
Most people miss the structure of the song. Starting with the renaissance beginning, then the middle instrumental is a time warp, until you have the same renaissance lyrics in a hard rock version. It is brilliant.
Yay!!! And it just gets better! This song has a great way of using two stylistics, a renaissance minstrel into a thundering modern minstrel. And A PASSION PLAY is my very favorite Tull LP. It's ingenius.
I understand Barriemore was always in the wings and very close to the band from the beginning and that Clive had always told Ian as soon as he found a lady he was out of there cuz he wanted to start a family and so forth and that's what happened...
This Lp and War Child are some of the bands better songs, and that is saying something. Also I was lucky enough to see the tours for this LP and War Child
This tune is the way JTull shows their their band is tight and skilled. I love the self-reference and IAnderson's unique voice. What an under-sung band. Thanks for this one.
OH WOAHHHHH, SO YOU'RE BREAKIN INTO THIS CLASSIC HUH? :) YOU MISSED ( WARCHILD ) JUST SO YOU KNOW JUSTIN :) YOU AND DANIEL I TELL YA! SO COOL :) TAKE CARE AND STAY WELL!
Extremely happy to hear that you are in the same space as me when it comes to Passion Play. Minstrel is another fine offering from JT. I don't recall a bad tune on it. Baker Street Muse should be your next endeavor.🤠👍
Decent enough, if a little disjointed. Starts quintessential medieval Tull. Then morphs to a very Gentle Giant vibed mid section, before segueing into a more rockin' Tull/Rush hybrid. Not bad.
Funny, but I heard elements of Rush in there as well, although I've never connected the two bands before. Jethro Tull I still can't really come to terms with, although everything I know about the band suggests I should.
@@delorangeade It's music, there doesn't have to be a 'should', you either feel it or you don't. And if you're not getting it from Tull, that's fine. You should see some of the flack i've had cos i don't see what all the fuss is about the beatles 🙂 Re this tune, it was the 3rd section, and the bass that brought Rush to mind. Though it didn't have that 'Rick' sound to it, there was a very Geddy Lee feel to it, imho. And like yourself, they're two bands i'd never put together before either
@@jfergs.3302 I think it's just a case of the whole being less than the sum of the parts, leaving me with the same sort of puzzled disappointment I have when I think I've baked a perfect cake, only to discover it's something of a let-down when I come to taste it.
One of my very favorites, especially this title track. Thanks for reviewing it! I was lucky to have seen them on the tour that introduced this album and the group was ALL OVER IT, lucky it was in a smaller fieldhouse and just one of the best shows I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of shows and artists.
This song is a wonderful start to a gem of an album, one of my favorites. I can't wait to hear your take on the rest of the album -- I'd list specific songs, but really they are all wonderful so I'd just end up listing the whole album.
