It must say a lot about the sheer quality, diversity and timelessness of Ian Anderson's music that this is the 17th album I have by him/Jethro Tull, yet I'm far from bored of his music.
Considering Anderson's monopoly over songwriting in his main band, and the fact that Jethro Tull's music has become so eclectic down the years, it has become a quite grey area as to what exactly makes an Ian Anderson record not a Tull record. It's worth noting, however, that this is Anderson's forth solo album, following from the electronically driven Walk Into the Light, the entirely instrumental and ethereal Divinities: Twelve Dances with God, and the more straightforward folk rock of The Secret Language of Birds.
The album starts with the uptempo "Calliandra Shade", a very lithe, jolly song, and continuing in similar fashion, full of bright, vivid tunes that could only have been written by Anderson, such is the idiosyncratic nature of his compositions and style. The orchestration is done brilliantly throughout, exhibited best in "Griminelli's Lament", an elegy to an Italian violinist who's music Anderson was very fond of. Although classical influences have always been present in Anderson's works, this has become a more pivotal part of his music - there is a lot of depth to the record with the various orchestral elements, giving tasteful light and shade.
The lyrics are utterly typical of Anderson's - covering a range of quirky topics such as drinking capuccino in a market square to the death of his cat. The man's voice may have been on the wane since a throat operation back in the mid 80's, losing much of it's richness and warmth, but he's clearly adapted to such limitations. Even though I find it hard to listen to him signing Tull's 70's classics these days, I don't long for his old singing style when listening to his new music.
Sadly, like Tull's last studio effort, 1999's Dot Com, Rupi's Dance
has plenty of mediocre moments and forgettable songs, but when it's good, it's very good, and not a bad effort at all for someone 35 years into their songwriting career.
Highlights : "Calliandra Shade", "Old Black Cat", "Griminelli's Lament"
See also - Jethro Tull, Curved Air, Genesis, Yes
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