Songs from the Wood
LP by Jethro Tull
Released	February 4, 1977 (UK)
Recorded	1976
Genre	Folk rock
Length	41:22
Label	Island Records (UK) Chrysalis Records (US)
Producer(s)	Ian Anderson
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Progressive World link
Jethro Tull chronology
Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976)	Songs from the Wood (1977)	Repeat - The Best of Jethro Tull - Vol II (1978)

Songs from the Wood (1977) is an album by Jethro Tull, the first of a trio of folk rock albums, Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses and Stormwatch. Songs from the Wood was the first Tull album to receive unambiguously positive reviews since the time of Benefit and Living in the Past. Image File history File links Jethro_Tull_Songs_from_the_Wood. ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... Jethro Tull is a progressive rock band that formed in Blackpool, England in the 1960s. ... February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Bob Dylans folk-rock album, Blonde On Blonde Folk-rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Island Records is a record label that was founded in Jamaica in 1959 by Chris Blackwell. ... Chrysalis Records is a record label that was created in 1969. ... Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government • President • Vice President Federal Republic George... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Anderson (far right) with Jethro Tull in a recent promotional photo. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links Description: 4 out of 5 star. ... Progressive World is a website featuring music reviews and interviews with artists within the progressive music scene. ... Image File history File links Description: 5 out of 5 star. ... Jethro Tull is a progressive rock band that formed in Blackpool, England in the 1960s. ... Repeat - The Best of Jethro Tull - Vol II is a 1977 greatest hits album from Jethro Tull, featuring one previously unreleased track. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... An album is a collection of related audio tracks, released together commercially in an audio format to the public. ... Jethro Tull is a progressive rock band that formed in Blackpool, England in the 1960s. ... Bob Dylans folk-rock album, Blonde On Blonde Folk-rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. ... Heavy Horses is an album released by Jethro Tull on April 10, 1978 (see 1978 in music). ... Stormwatch (1979) is a concept album by the rock group Jethro Tull. ... For use in social policy, see the article social welfare. ... Living in the Past is a quasi-greatest hits collection by Jethro Tull which contains some unreleased songs. ...

Filled with folk and fantasy imagery, and ornamental folk arrangement, the album is a departure from the hard rock of earlier Tull material. Although the band continued using folk elements in the next two albums, none were as cheerful or purely folk as this. Folk can refer to a number of different things: It can be short for folk music, or, for folksong, or, for folklore; it may be a word for a specific people, tribe, or nation, especially one of the Germanic peoples; it might even be a calque on the related German... // For other meanings see Fantasy (disambiguation) Fantasy is a genre of art, literature, film, television, games and music that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of either plot, theme, setting, or all three. ... Hard rock is a form of rock and roll music which finds its closest roots in early 1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock. ...

Opening up is the male choir classic that gives its name to the album: "Songs from the woods" , which changes rapidly to a progressive rock instrumental while stating the pace of the record to come, with varying time signatures and a mixture of acoustic, folk and electric instruments. It is however just the beginning, and as it gives the overall feeling of the album is aperfect prologue for the next title "Jack-in-the-green", an acoustic song about, as Ian Anderson states himself, an english folk creature full of a kind of elfish magic that lets him take care of everything that grows (pasture, flowers, trees...) and helps the vegetation survive those long english winters.

Mainly acoustic and folkish in its nature it is an introduction to the ecologic concerns the band will pursue for the next couple of albums, while "Cup of Wonder" explores english traditions, sayings and pagan/druidic riuals as is the Beltane fire/fertility festival. It is a song that can be studied a line at a time, finding references to english antiquity at every turn. Such celtic allusions open up the road for the Hunting Girl, a track that speaks in various innuendos the sexual encounters of what could be described as a prototypical celtic woman and a farmboy. Prototypically celtish as the woman takes control of the man, expressing clearly her intentions and being completely dominant in her stance ("Her standing over / Me on my knees underneath."). Once again most touching is the musical arrangements for the song, with highly distortioned electric guitars accompanying organs and flutes in difficult time signatures and great drum/bass/guitar alternations and coordination, almost unbelievable in live presentations. With "Ring Out, Solstice Bells" we return to celtish traditions, as Ian describes a dance to welcome winter, with seven druids and seven maids dancing seven time under the magical mistletoe, just a brief rest before the entrance of "Velvet Green".

In an album where tracks such as "Songs from the woods" and "Hunting girl" elevate greatly the difficulties for a live show, "Velvet Green" approaches the realms of impossibility, with an extremely difficult acoustic guitar line (played by Anderson while singing) and an uncomformist drum rhythm. The band pulled it off impecably almost every time, though they stopped playing it live early on since it needed a different drum setting with middle age percussions. It is however a sweet song, speaking of a man begging his dame to stay with him for the night, and to tell her mother that she spendt her night walking on velvet greens. Once again Anderson expresses the need to walk through the joys of life embedded in a natural setting. This loving, caring aspect of a man for a woman is also mentioned in the next track "The Whistler", where a man offer his woman to buy her mares and golden apples bought with his pay. Once again in a rural setting, with mystical places and a no-worries attitude, The Whistler seems to tell of a wondering musician that must be gone on the seventh day, perpetuating the message of love in each riddle and inviting you whistle along carelessly through life. The flute lines in this song are beautiful, enhanced by a drumming style that elevates it instead of obscuring it and guitar and bass lines wich state the actual rhythm of the song.

The album then sombers a bit, with a song that tells of a man getting home to see through the window that the table has been set for two, and that a man has been invited into the bedroom. After such realisation, "Piproch (cap in hand)" turns around and leaves. However, the ambience rapidly changes back with "Fires at midnight", a song wich expresses the joy of coming home from a hard day's work. It is short, reflecting that it is a time to wrap things up, express your happiness in a few tired lines, and being (once again) with the much loved woman. Mainly acoustic musically Ian said he wrote the song after a long day in the studio.

The 2003 remastered edition includes a pair of bonus tracks, featuring a live rendition of "Velvet Green". 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Remaster (and its derivations, frequently found in the phrases digitally remastered or digital remastering) is a word and concept ushered into the mass consciousness via the digital age, although it had existed before then. ...

Track listing

(All songs written by Ian Anderson) Anderson (far right) with Jethro Tull in a recent promotional photo. ...

1. "Song From The Wood" – 4:52
2. "Jack-In-The-Green" – 2:27
3. "Cup Of Wonder" – 4:30
4. "Hunting Girl" – 5:11
5. "Ring Out, Solstice Bells" – 3:43
6. "Velvet Green" – 6:03
7. "The Whistler" – 3:30
8. "Pibroch (Cap In Hand)" – 8:27
9. "Fire At Midnight" – 2:26
10. "Beltane" (bonus) – 5:19
11. "Velvet Green" (bonus) – 5:56

In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music which has been deliberately placed on a compact disc, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener. ... In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music which has been deliberately placed on a compact disc, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener. ...

External links

• Songs From the Wood (1977) at the All Music Guide
• Songs From the Wood (2003) at the All Music Guide (bonus tracks)
• Ground and Sky review
• Cup of Wonder