What with Ian Anderson‘s latest moves, one can safely presume JETHRO TULL’s plough hit the hard rock forever, and its unlikely that the band’s leader will ever get together again with guitarist Martin Barre, who’d been his sidekick since 1969. Back in 2000, he told DME, “TULL is my life, really. It takes all my life more than anything else does. At the same time I feel independent, I do my own albums. We all being independent people but together we work very hard on what we do, so it’s a very serious job. And it’s fantastic.” His solo records are fantastic, indeed, and in September, Barre’s own discography is to be expanded with “Away With Words,” a new CD where Martin tackles even some classics by his former group.
Playing an array of stringed instruments – although some bass is plucked by another TULL alumnus, Jonathan Noyce – plus flute and clarinet, and passing the vocals to Dan Crisp, Martin Barre not only re-imagines old staples, but adds new pieces to them to widen the vistas. He’ll surely get away with it so, perhaps, it’s good that TULL is no more.
Away With Words
1. First Light / Moths
2. It’s My Round
3. One Brown Mouse / Fatcat
4. All Bars Hold
5. Air: Lament Of the Spalpeen / Martin’s Jig / Hymn
6. Pussy Willow
7. Snapshot / Paparazzi
8. Long Ago / Home
9. Fire At Midnight / From The Ashes
10. Protect & Survive
11. Spare A Thought / From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser
12. Sundown
