Talk Tull to Me - a weekly Jethro Tull deep dive

A real working man’s song to start off the album. We gone from medieval farmer/hunter, to fisherman, to super spy, and now we land on a man who works the steel. Ian leans into the blue collar aspect of Tull with this one. And it’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Steel Monkey music video Radio Moscow - Joe Adamov 16th studio album - Crest of a Knave Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tul...

We’ve got ourselves a blast from the past this week. A Scottish Gaelic dirge written by none other than our favorite stringstress Dee Palmer! It’s great to hear the band (kind of) back together for one more go.   Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music credits: “Bourée” - Jethro Tull ”Coronach” - Jethro Tull ”Fylin...

Another pair of instrumentals this week. The last of our tracks from the Christmas Album, in fact! We start out with a funky jam, as Tull is wont to do with Christmas tunes. But we wrap up with a really gorgeous, haunting piece. An introspective and lovely way to round out the year. 21st studio album - The Jethro Tull Christmas Album Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon &a...

An introspective, not-so-super-positive Christmas song. A nice change from the bright, everyone-has-to-always-be-happy-at-all-times tunes we’re normally fed at this time. It puts life into perspective a little bit more, maybe?  21st studio album - The Jethro Tull Christmas Album Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music c...

Two classical-ish songs to begin our holiday festivities this season. One soft and sweet and slow and smooth. The other a funky, jazzy number that’ll get those feet tapping and the mistletoe a-flying.  21st studio album - The Jethro Tull Christmas Album Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music credits: “Christmas Song” -...

What. The hay. Okay, we’re thinking Cold War era, right? Is our Tall General a nuke? Is it the dude pushing the button (…out, button in) to launch the aforementioned missile? It doesn’t seem like it’s heavily veiled, this one, but it appears to be chock full of vague and perhaps dated references. We’ll do our best with this, the final track off of Under Wraps. 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get y...

Ever on top of technology, Ian observes the state of the automotive industry. Where was it when he was a wee lad in the fens of Scotland? What were the trends then? And how has it evolved over the years, into the mid-80s? It’s all about the development of the science and engineering, baby. Matt Berry reads a truly brutal letter from Robert Crumb 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull T...

“Hey Ian, yeah, we’ve got room for one more song on the album. Yeah, I know. Do you have another spy one? No? Okay. What about one about trains? Seriously, not even one? Nature? Huh, okay. You got a space one? Sure, it’ll fit.” 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music credits: “Bourée” - Jethro...

It all comes to a head in this one song! It explains everything, all of the tracks that we’ve listened to on this album! Or does it? Okay, maybe not. But I can really dig the big reveal in this song, that tells us a little about Ian’s mindset. If you gotta deal with opportunistic invasive parasites like the paparazzi, you might as well have a little fun while doing it, right? 15th studio album - U...

Things haven’t gone well for our hero. He’s gotta scarper, and fast-like. It appears that he doesn’t have a whole lot of time for goodbyes, he’s gotta get gone, beat feet before his spot’s blown up - possibly quite literally. Is he addressing an adversary in this? Or his lover, Svetlana? Or are they one-in-the-same?! Loch Coruisk 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here...

Seems like our heroes in a tight spot. Has he been made? Is he being tracked and followed by any number of unidentified cars? Or is the job getting to him, and he’s seeing Ivan everywhere? Sounds like, if he can survive until extraction, our hero needs a bit of a vacation. Maybe he and Svetlana can go to Cabo for a few weeks. 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Ta...

We have a bit of mystery on our hands here! A frigid landscape, a disappearance, an unclaimed pair of snow shoes. Is it strange experience for our spy hero? Or is it allegory for a one-night stand? That’s the beauty of Ian’s lyrics - they’ll haunt us all forever, never quite knowing what we’re hearing. 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon &a...

The first half of the song comes across as rather innocuous, maybe a new narrator altogether, just looking up at the sky from his observatory…albeit naked. But then we get a little bit more detail - we hear mention of secrets and *you*, shame and consequences. And don’t forget the Big Bang. Never forget the Big Bang… 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull T...

Can’t confuse this one this week. No romance here. Did our protagonist make his decision after Saboteur and decide to be just a spy, his love for Mother England winning out? Or maybe he just had a job that really needed taking care of, and then he’ll return to his blonde bombshell when he’s done? Either way, spies! 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To...

There may be an over-arching story forming for this album! Is this our same narrator, and his same love interest? Seems like our spy is having a hard time deciding whom he loves more: his country or his newly discovered love. Whatever decision he comes to, he’ll be a saboteur to the other. No one ever said being a super sexy awesome spy was filled with easy decisions. 15th studio album - Under Wra...

True to form for this album, we get a song that, at first glance, seems like one of the two: romance or spy thriller. But, also true to the genre of spy thriller, they are not mutually exclusive. Our sexy spy and his sexy damsel shared a sexy moment, it seems. 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman...

This one kinda smacks of Under Wraps, doesn’t it? More love in an (exotic?) land. But also possibly spy related? The She/Her could just be Mother England… is it just a love song for his country?! Can we expect that from Ian? 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music credits: “Bourée” - Jethro Tu...

Is this spy thriller fodder? Or is it just that our narrator is having something of a clandestine fling? Or both? Either way, this dude seems pretty smitten, being all wrapped up and stuff. 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music credits: “Bourée” - Jethro Tull ”Under Wraps #1” - Jethro Tull ”...

Living a life of luxury isn’t an easy thing. What do you do when the money runs out?! When the good life comes crashing down, you have to become a pleb again, and then you’re stuck watching jealously as all the other rich folk enjoy that life that you once held so dear Ian’s really playing to his audience with this one… 15th studio album - Under Wraps Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tul...

Finally, nothing commentary related here. Just a fun, dark character song from Ian. He's wearing his ultimate slime ball costume, not even the sexual deviant kind, just an overall villain. And the song's a banger to boot! 14th studio album - The Broadsword and the Beast Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music credits: “Bouré...

We've been seeing a fair amount of Ian's absurd song as commentary lately. And frankly, I'm liking it! This one, however, hits regrettably close to home. It's great, don't get us wrong. But it just puts things into perspective. 14th studio album - The Broadsword and the Beast Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music credits:...

Another character song, with our dear singer/narrator as a bit of a creeper. He puts on the facade of absurdity to shine the light of realization on society. A regular Shakespearean clown, this guy. 14th studio album - The Broadsword and the Beast Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music credits: “Bourée” - Jethro Tull ”So Fr...

We've all had that night, once or twice. We have a couple of drinky-poos. The night slips away. We wake up in someone else's pants, a duck duct taped to your hand. A construction crew is pounding away inside your skull, and you've somehow misplaced your bones. If you're Ian (or Nik or Omen, for that matter), this might happen after a particularly strong kombucha. 14th studio album - The Broadsword...

A repetitive tune, nowhere near the top of our list, we gotta be honest. BUT - we do take apart the lyrics and actually come away with a new understanding and appreciation for it. Not too shabby! 14th studio album - The Broadsword and the Beast Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music credits: “Bourée” - Jethro Tull ”Too Many...

A song for the hooligans of the world. Tricksters and fae folk and shenaniganeers. It's kinda cute to see ol' grandpa Ian talking like he's young and spry again. 14th studio album - The Broadsword and the Beast Get your Talk Tull To Me merch here ! Talk Tull To Me Patreon & schedule . Art credit: Burton Silverman Music credits: “Bourée” - Jethro Tull ”Mayhem Maybe” - Jethro Tull ”Fylingdale Fl...