01	War Child						04:36
	02	Queens and Country						03:00
	03	Ladies						03:18
	04	Back-Door Angels						05:29
	05	SeaLion						03:37
	06	Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day						03:58
	07	Bungle in the Jungle						03:37
	08	Only Solitaire						01:39
	09	The Third Hoorah						04:50
	10	Two Fingers						05:11
	11	First Post (bonus track)						01:54
	12	Animelee (bonus track)						01:40
	13	Look at the Animals (bonus track)						05:09

Ian Anderson - Martin Barre - John Evan - Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond - Barriemore Barlow

~ Warchild ~

An introduction to "Warchild"

The 'Warchild' album was released in 1974 and was the result of a filmproject. The basic theme of the film would have been: the possible choices to be faced after death and was in that sense a continuation of the so heavily criticized 'A Passion Play'. Rees (10, p. 64) states, that the main characters in the abandoned film "were to have been the not insignificant personifications of God and The Devil, with the possible controversial premise that somehow their two roles might be interchangeable!", or, as Ian Anderson has put it: "I was trying to say that it's not necessarily always the case that God is good and the Devil is bad. God was not averse to turning people into pillars of salt, whereas the Devil has often given people a good time, with the odd Pagan festival here and there! I'm not a Satanist or anything like that, but it seemed like an interesting concept for a film. The album dealt with similar ideas, but without the film to back it up it seemed sensible to wash over the concept and let the music stand on it's own. The music was initially built around the film, so the songs had to be constructed in more orthodox lenghts as opposed to the lengthy Passion Play structure" (10, p. 64). "The overall theme of 'Warchild' is that all of us have a very aggressive instinct which is something we're occasionally able to use for the betterment of ourselves. At other times, aggression at its worst is used as a very destructive element. When it's not at its worst it remains merely comical. I don't think that aggression is such an evil thing."(11).


David Palmer had written orchestral music for a film of which parts were recorded but got unfortunately lost in the BBC-studios. Martin Barre wrote some acoustic material. John Cleese was attracted as 'humor advisor', Sir Frederick Ashton for the choreography and Bryan Forbes as director. However there were severe problem getting the financial means together and when the American film industry was approached for financial support they made so many severe conditions, that Ian - partly because the new American tour was about to start - called the project off. Warchild originally was meant as a soundtrack album. The album was a return to the single song format. Two songs were added from the aborted Chateau d'Herouville sessions: 'Only Solitaire' and 'Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day'.

The album itself was very well sold and got a reasonable press reaction. The Warchild tour was very succesfull and continued through most of 1975. A single was drawn from the album, 'Bungle In The Jungle', which became to Ian's surprise a big hit in the USA!


A concert poster from the WarChild tour announcing Jethro Tull's gig at the Los Angeles Forum. John Glasscock's band Carmen was the supporting act. John would join Jethro Tull as a bass player one year later.

In the introduction to the 'Aqualung' we described contradictional elements in Ian's music and stage presentation. Among other things we have seen his first original compositions as acoustic-oriented music, and the possibility of his themes deriving meaning from historical context. We have seen his sardonic humor combined with serious, sometimes even moralizing statements (both in plain and in symbolic verselines). At this point in his artistic development he is both entertainer and critic - both insightful and tastelessly vulgar. And he claims that his stage presence is his physical manifestation of all of this. Is it possible to link all aspects of his music? Is it possible to place all aspects of performance and composition into one framework that will reconcile the contradictions? And can a framework be found to place the music in a historical context? I think the answer is found in Ian's re-invention of the 'minstrel-like' jester, that comes to the fore in his lyrics, in his music (esp. in the acoustic, ballad-like songs) and in his stage persona as well.

The figure of the minstrel as he is commonly shown is misleading. The languid lute-player in the Swan Lake suit was not the representative of his craft in the fourteenth century; rather we should think of the sly jester of, say, Shakespeare plays, sardonic, irreverent, plebeian-oriented, outrageously subversive (Lloyd, 111). The evolution of the image of the minstrel in the music and in the stage antics of Jethro Tull is essential to placing the music into the kind of historical context that will allow insight into its apparent paradoxes. 'Warchild' was the first album to consciously make the connection between Tull and the court jester.

Ian recognized this album as marking the time when the band "came together" in terms of sound, and also in terms of the relationship between the live show and the music (Anderson 7-8). Hardy sums this up rather succinctly: "In 1974 the group returned to performing their peculiar brand of rock, theater, and puerile comedy" (237). But this time around, the stage show was brighter and happier, and the band members were dressed in colorful costumes (with Ian's costume lurking ever closer to the mideval) (Sims 12). Anderson describes the lyrics to Warchild as suggestive and not definitive. He also reasserts that his process of creation is an exploratory process of self-awareness and self-evaluation. Having recently emerged from the successes of two U.S. number 1 albums, (the second of which, Passion Play, received more than its share of criticism) he was disillusioned about the life of the rock star. In watching his band spend their newfound wealth, (most bought houses in the country or cars) he asserts that he was reminded of "all the things [I] despise about all the other rock performers" (Sims, 12). The lyrics on this album not only present the oblique cultural criticisms of the laughing jester, but there also is the first evidence of the bemoaning of the lack of a sense of history and place in the modern world.


Annotations

WarChild

WarChild seems to be an anti-war song. The word WarChild seems to bemoan the fact that such young men are taken away to die in battle. The song sarcastically glosses over war with phrases like "bright city mile", (lit up by explosions) "all of the pleasure and none of the pain", "dance the days and dance the nights away", (sure, war is all fun & games) and "let me dance in your teacup and you shall swim in mine", (as though they still stop for tea during war -- see also the sound effect in the beginning: "would you like a cup of tea, dear?"). The comical (to me anyway) explosion sound effects behind the music heighten the sarcasm of the premise. The final verse seems to say that even though we mean well defending a country at war, we overdo it ("open your windows and I'll walk through your doors") and then overstay our welcome ("let me live in your country, let me sleep on your shores"). This may have been a criticism of America's participation in Vietnam, but I don't know if Ian was concerned with that at all -- he was more concerned with England, in general.
* Ian MacFarland



Queen And Country

Ever since 'Thick As A Brick', we see how in the lyrics of Ian Anderson more and more historical references, images and notions are applied. In 'Queen And Country' he uses the image of sailors who sail the seas to obtain "gold and ivory, rings of diamonds, strings of pearls". The verselines "for Queen and Country" (and) "it's been this way for five long years since we signed our souls away" suggest that these men signed a Royal Navy contract. I suspect, that the historical image Ian applies here is that of the Elizabethan era, when the Royal Navy, under the command of Sir Walter Raleigh, raided the coasts of Central and South America, committing piracy esp. in the Caribbean and establishing strongholds. These precolonial expeditions would over time lead to what was later to be called The British Empire. At first these actions were aimed at weakening the hegemony of the Spanish fleet in in this part of the world and were very lucrative since the Spanish fleet transported large amounts of gold and silver that was stolen from Inca's, Aztecs and other Indian nations to Spain.

The whole song is written from the sailors' point of view. They have little to choose since they "signed their souls away" "for five long years" at least. Temptations and amusement have to wait, duty comes first: "but we all laugh so politely and we sail on just the same". In the words of the sailors the establishment is criticised: "with the spoils of battles won" the government and others "can have their social whirl" and finance their policy: "they build schools and they build factories". The sailors take all the risks ("hold our heads up to the gun") during "the long dying day" (there is a double entendre here: 'dying' refers to the nearing end of the day but also to the loss of men). They face harsh conditions aboard and do the dirty work that the establishment profits from and as long as they do so they "remain their pretty sailor boys".
* Jan Voorbij

I think there might be a bit more to this song. There seems to be a little parallel between these sailors and a band on the road. 'It's been this way for five long years, since we signed our souls away'. When Ian wrote this song Jethro Tull had been touring for about five years. 'Schools and factories' were being built with their tax money, while the band were abroad for Queen and country. As many other fellow rock stars they were advised to live in exile and settle on the continent to avoid the British taxman. Eventually they missed their Mum's jam sarnies so dearly that they ran back to Mother England, even if it meant they had to brake off their recordings in the 'Chateau d'Isaster'. This took place shortly before the War Child project, so I thought there might be a little link here. What do you think, could it be that the sailors serve as a metaphor for the band on tour?
* Jeroen Louis



Sealion

One historical template that Ian invokes in his critique of American culture is that of carnival. In 'Time Passages', George Lipsitz explains that there are certain forms through which popular culture can express a common memory, attain a sense of history, and rework their traditions. Carnival is one of those forms (see Lipsitz 14). The carnival is characterized by: passions of plenitude, revelry, free speaking, hearty laughter and most importantly, the inversion of the social world and the overturning of convention and propriety (15). In carnival, there is a valorization of the street as the place for creativity and society, and there is a sense of "prestige from below" (Lipsitz 16). Lipsitz is also concerned with use of the historical templates in pop culture as possible tools for the attainment of hegemony (16). Ian Anderson clearly expresses his opinion on this in the song 'Sea Lion' from Warchild. 'Aqualung' and 'Cross-Eyed Mary' have already made clear Ian's attitudes toward life in the street: he has portrayed it as brutish and vulgar.

In 'Sea Lion', Ian calls upon images of the carnival. "You balance the world on the tip of your nose, Like a SeaLion with a ball, at the carnival." (and) "You flip and you flop under the Big White Top". These invoke some impression of the common characteristics of carnival. There is merriment and revelry: "You wear a shiny skin and a funny hat." But there is a constant reminder of the presence of authority: "The Almighty Animal-Trainer lets it go at that." And of course the carnival can't last forever, because "you know, after all, the act is wearing thin, As the crowd grows uneasy and the boos begin." There is a possible reference to the reversal of the social hierarchy and search for hegemony in the line "So we'll shoot the moon, and hope to call the tune." Shooting the moon, in Hearts, at least, means accumulating all the losing cards in your hand. Any one of the cards individually is a loser, but when all of them come together in one hand their value is reversed and they become a winning hand. A dangerous proposition, but with the proper luck and skill, it's possible to win the biggest by losing the biggest. So the line could possibly imply a search for hegemony (in "calling the tune") by reversing the social order ("shooting the moon"). He comments on the fragility of the illusion by following with "And make no pin cushion of this big balloon." The true message of the song is disdainful and mocking. He is invoking the image of the carnival only to ridicule the hopes of hegemony-through-carnival.

Ian MacFarland comes up with a totally different explanation and considers the song as a metaphor for the Soviet Union:
I have been mulling over is "SeaLion". It seems to me that it is about a socialist society, most likely the USSR as it was back then. The first verse is about the rise of socialism in Russia, and those who rode the wave. Socialism started with Engels and Marx in Germany, and for the Europeans who latched onto their ideas it was only a quick hop "over the mountains" on their humble "dirty gray horses" to Russia. But it's all a charade, they're "sad-glad paymasters", they're having fun and making money to boot. They live in luxury ("ice-cream castles") and are in fact masters of capitalism: they make money ("the super-marketeers on parade"; supermarkets are the epitome of capitalism, bigger and cheaper). They make big deals ("golden handshake") but it hangs around their neck like an albatross, marking them as frauds as they exploit the people for their own agendas ("light your cigarettes on the burning deck"). But it's an unstable situation; they may be lighting their cigarettes, but the deck they're on is burning. It's so unstable it may as well be balanced on the tip of the nose. The rulers are merely SeaLions.
The second verse is about the people. They simply flop around like morons, being trained to accept the life you have been given, even though its a tough life ("whiskers melting in the noon-day sun"). Notice the leader is a ring mistress, as Russia is the motherland. But the situation is unstable: they bark ever-so-slightly at the trainer'gun, and the act is wearing thin, as the crowd is growing uneasy and booing. The stability may as well be balanced on the nose. Notice one basic tenet of socialism holds true: both ruler and subject are merely SeaLions.
The third verse is about the rulers again. They're proud of how efficiently they've deceived the people. Their story is a Passion Play: they've come in as Messiahs for the people and "saved" them, but it is, after all, a play, a show put on for the people. They shoot the moon, win by losing (as we've seen, in Russia everyone loses and that's how they're equal; except for the rulers of course!) and call the tune, call the shots. But the situation is only as stable as a balloon pincushion, balanced on the nose. The rulers are still just SeaLions.
* Ian MacFarland


* Judson C.Caswell (SCC, vol. 4, issue 32, December 1993) ; adaptation and additional information Jan Voorbij and John Benninghouse;
Works Cited:1. Anderson, Ian. "Trouser Press Magazine." Autodiscography, (Oct. 1982), 1-13.; 2. Densflow, Robin. "Rolling Stone." Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Plans a Movie; He'll Play God, (11/8/73), 14 ; 3. Hardy, Phil and Dave Laing Ed. Encyclopedia of Rock, New York: Schirmer Books, 1987; 4. Lewis, Grover. "Rolling Stone." Hopping, Grimacing, Twitching, Gasping, Lurching, Rolling, Paradiddling, Flinging, Gnawing and Gibbering with Jethro Tull. (7/22/71), 24-27; 5. Lipsitz, George. Time Passages. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1990 ; 6. Lloyd, A.L. Folk Song in England. New York: International Publishers, 1967 ; 7. Sims, Judith. "Rolling Stone." Tull on Top: Ian Anderson Speaks His Mind, (3/27/75), 12; 8. Stewart, Bob. Pagan Imagery in English Folksong. N.J.: Humanities Press Inc. 1977. 9. Torres, Ben Fong. "Rolling Stone." Jethro Tull and His Fabulous Tool, (4/19/69); 10. Rees, David. Minstrels In The Gallery, A History Of Jethro Tull, Firefly Publ., Wembley, 1998, 62-67. 11. Gaines, Steve. "Circus Rraves Magazine", Nov. 1974.


Bungle in The Jungle

It is important to reaffirm Ian's perception of himself as an outsider. His opinion of the American counter-culture? "I HATED the hippies. Love and peace and flower power and nuts and berries..." (Anderson, 4). This statement is very reminiscent of Bungle in the Jungle "Down by the waterhole - drunk every Friday,eating their nuts - saving their raisins for Sunday." The Jungle of the song is clearly an allegory on city life. The song could probably best be described as a very impressionistic criticism of the American urban population as perceived by Ian Anderson. In 1971 he described America in an interview: "Everybody is sort of grabbing at something, out for themselves. Particularly on the East Coast... You get the feeling that you're in the midst of some incredible game... everybody is rude, pushy, grabby..." (Lewis, 24). This comes through in the line, "I'll write on your tombstone, 'I thank you for dinner.' This game that we animals play is a winner." Also, the rhyming of the title, and the use of the nonsense word "Bungle" in the phrase "Let's Bungle in the Jungle" is very reminiscent of American slang terms originating in "bop talk" (Lipsitz 121).
* Judson C. Caswell

David Lee Wilson interviewed Ian Anderson in Stormbringer Webzine and asked him what the song "Bungle In The Jungle" was about. Ian: ".... it was just, sort of, about the harsh realities of the business world, the urban jungle, the city of London and finance. The way that people in urban society, I have never really been a town guy, I have usually lived in the country and whenever I go to town I am rally quite excited by it but I don't really want to spend the night there if I can avoid it. (laughs) It is always a bit scary and a bit "dog eat dog" and a bit of a roughhouse down there. It is a song about that using the analogy of animals in the jungle, how people behave in the world of corporate competition."
* Interview with Jethro Tull, Stormbringer Webzine, 1999.

On October 30th 1974, the heavyweight title boxing match between Muhammed Ali and George Foreman was referred to as 'The Rumble in the Jungle', since it was staged in Kinshasa, Zaire (Africa). 'Rumble' is American slang for a fight, and it seems likely that this is the inspiration for the song's title. On stage, Ian also introduced this song as 'Rumble In the Bathroom'.
* Andy Jackson



Back Door Angels

So in 1974, Ian still doesn't associate himself with the popular urban culture. He does access the conventions of that culture to give form to his criticisms, however. This is possible for him because of his security in his own growing sense of individual identity. Clues to the nature of this identity are found in a number of places on the album. First off, in the song 'Back Door Angels' he offers the proposition, "Think I'll sit down and invent some fool - some Grand Court Jester." This is the first verbalization of that particular image, though that has been the approximate content of his stage performance all along. He reminds the listener of his role as an entertainer and subversive commentator. But right away he describes the limitations of this jester. The next time this jester, he has invented, casts the dice, "he'll throw a six or two" referring to craps where a first rolel of a two is a loss and a six gives you a chance to continue. Anderson doesn't offer any easy chances or quick fixes. Any change in the environment that he sees as bringing out the worst in us will come about over a long period of time and perhaps only with much effort. We will see how this theme will reoccur esp. on 'Songs From The Wood' and on 'Stormwatch'.
* Judson C. Caswell


But there is more in this beautiful song that needs to be discussed. The song is in my opinion about the happiness we all are looking for and the hope for a better life, symbolized as "back-door angels", who sneak in and out and who are beyond our control. We want to lure these angels into our lives but they can't be forced into it ("they didn't see me wink my eye"), since they only grace our lives when they please to do so ("she smiled and I thing she winked her eye"). They bring calmness and rest ( " 'Tis said they put we men to sleep with just a whisper"), light and enlightment ("they light the dark hours") joy, quality and beauty in our lives ("They grow all their roses red, and paint our skies blue"). However, not all of us are granted with fortune: these angels "drop one penny in every second bowl", which is very confusing for it makes "half the beggars lose". Then our narrator shows us what those who are unfortunate do to reconcile themselves with their fate: they turn to religion or concepts that give them the strength to go on: "why do the faithful have such a will to believe in something? And call it the name they choose". Whether it is God, some idol, socialism or whatever, they will discover in the end that it will not solve their problems or give them satisfaction or relief from "the tension of the fray": "having chosen nothing". The imagery here brings us close to the critique on organized religion as expressed on 'Aqualung'.
* Jan Voorbij

Something I've learned about the lyrics of Ian Anderson is to take nothing for granted. Every word he writes is there for a reason. For this reason I feel that there is yet more to the song "Back Door Angels". Let us not overlook the fact that Ian uses the word "angel". I think that the back door angel is the messenger of "evil" whereas the front door angel is the operative of "good". I use quotes because Ian says in the intro that God is not all good and Satan is not all bad. I think that, in fact, is the theme of this song. The back door angels come in the front door because we accept the fact that evil can be fun! Ian notes how a bit of vice can perhaps "put we men to sleep" (keeping them content and secure -- i.e. escapism), "make dying dogs linger" (for example: medicinal marajuana?), and such activities. People who are having a llittle fun see life in a better way, hence the red roses and blue skies. But some people begging for fun end up as simply alcoholics or crackheads, et al. ("half the beggars lose").
The second half of the song is about "good". The Court Jester, while it may very well be IA, is God. As we all know, good doesn't really triumph over evil, they both continue to go at it ("he'll roll a six or two"). Note the gambling reference; gambling is considered a vice, but even God gambles. This becomes clear in the final lines: the lone front door angel has to come in the back door, because the good is no fun. She is indistinguishable from the back-door angel, with hair a golden brown. She winks her eye: this is the beggar's way of beckoning the back door angel. Even the "good" indulge in the bad sometimes. Notice that there is only one front door angel but twelve back door angels. There is more bad than good, says Ian.
* Ian MacFarland



Only Solitaire

He describes his persona through the eyes of a rock critic in the song 'Only Solitaire'. This songs not only clearly defines him in Court Jester terms, it also serves to show his sense of isolation from the rock music world, particularly when he poses the question, of himself, "Well, who the hell can he be when he's never had V.D., and he doesn't even sit on toilet seats?" These are his perceptions of the prerequisites for belonging to a rock culture, and hence he is not interested in being a part. He refers to his "oratory prowess" and contrasts that with his "lame-brained antics". He concludes, "And every night his act's the same and so it must be all a game of chess he's playing..." The final retort? "But you're wrong, Steve: you see, it's Only Solitaire". The song clearly shows a disdain for the values of the culture, a strong self-image modeled after a jester, and an strong individualism. ("Steve" is Steve Peacock a music critic).
* Neil Thomason




Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day

The final theme voiced on Warchild is the historical dislocation of society. This requiem for the loss of historical perspective is the ever-popular 'Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day'. The opening line, "Meanwhile back in the year one, when you belonged to no-one" alludes to a lack of personal autonomy: you didn't used to belong to someone, but now you do. This is reiterated. "You were bred for humanity", and could expect the rights of humanity, until you are, "sold to society", at which time you no longer belong to yourself. You are, "a million generations removed from expectations of being who you really want to be". You have no control over who you are or what you do, because you have no past, no tradition to hold on to. You are "spinning in your emptiness" and feel the need to pray. He speaks of a need to ground ourselves in some greater scheme, "Looking for a sign the the Universal Mind has written you into the Passion Play". Living each new day in the present tense, lacking the orientation of history is like skating out and away on thin ice: "The story is too damn real and in the present tense".
* Judson C. Caswell

Another British reference is in the line: "And as you cross the circle line...". The Circle Line is part of the London Underground network.
* Neil R. Thomason

There are numerous references in the song to the historical Jesus and I have always felt that it described the tension between that historical person, Yehoshua, and the social construct of the deified Jesus. The "year One" (especially if capitalised) is the actual year one of the Christian era; the reference to the protagonist as "son" (especially as it is spoken in the studio version with a significant pause) is his title as the Son of God; there is a direct reference to Jesus' trial in the wilderness when his faith was challenged, and to his life as portrayed in the Mediaeval Passion Plays.

Anderson seems to identify with the disorientation of the historical Jesus looking at his life after it has been requisitioned to carry the weight of the hopes and fears of generations of a whole culture. Further, Anderson seems to be observing that Jesus (and the rest of us?) must just get on
with the real business of religion - personal enlightenment (the Buddhists often use the image of a journey to the farther shore to portray the quest for self-realisation). Hence the images of the ephemeral nature of life ("rabbit on the run", "thin ice of the New Day") this transience being an important part of the higher wisdom. And is this New Day the eternal present of mystical insight? Over all is cast the feelings of doubt and ambiguity ("do you ever get the feeling...you're the only person sitting in the audience?"). The Sage's path must surely be one of ultimate isolation and detachment at one level as The Watcher, while the more human part is overwhelmed at times by the reality of The Story.

As with all of Anderson's work it is, I feel, best understood in the context of the entire corpus. The awareness of the rest of his work leaves me in no doubt as to his mystical proclivities and quite substantial insights in this regard. It really is a great piece of art. He has been touched by the Muse, to be sure.
* Mark Enright



The Third Hoorah

'The Third Hoorah' sort of sounds like a pep-rally type of inspirational speech, obviously playing to the audience's good side ("Sweet child how do you do today?"). It sounds like a man trying to recruit more soldiers ("Dance with the WarChild, the WarChild, Hoorah! "). It's kind of suggesting that part of us wants to get dirty and kill some people ("In the heart of your heart, there's the tiniest part of an urge to live to the death"), that life itself is a battle so why shy away ("Seek that which lies within lies waiting to begin the fight of your life that is everyday"). However, to let us on to his real meaning, Ian has included several double entendres: on inspection: "live to the death" is a rather preposterous phrase, almost saying we want to die. Also, "to strike life in the inner child's breast" sounds like you're awakening a part of yourself that needs to be expressed, but it also can mean to pierce a young boy's heart with your sword. Again, like the title song, possibly another veiled anti-war statement.
* Ian MacFarland



Two Fingers

'Two Fingers' is an adaptation of the powerfull and imaginative 'Lick Your Fingers Clean', that originally was recorded during the Aqualung-sessions (1971), but Ian decided that 'Wind Up' was a more appropriate finale for that album. The adaptation consists of a different musical phrasing and choice of instruments and a variation of time schemes. The lyrics were changed to fit in with the WarChild context:
"Take your mind off your election and try to get it straight.
And don't pretend perfection: you'll be crucified too late."
was skipped, while the verselines:
"the hard-headed social worker who bathes his hands in blood,
will welcome you with arms held high and cover you with mud"
were replaced by:
"the hard-headed miracle worker who bathes his hand in blood,
will welcome you to the final nod and cover you with mud".
Eventually 'Lick Your Fingers Clean' made it to the '20 Years Of Jethro Tull' album (1988), classed among the 'Flawed Gems And The Other Side Of Tull'.
* Jan Voorbij

This song is fairly obviously and with tongue in cheek about death and Judgement Day, "the Weighing-In", but it is also (surprise!) a criticism of the church. The beginning of the song is about when everybody comes together at wherever and prepares to be judged. Then there is the "miracle worker", Jesus, representing the church as a whole in a rather sarcastic way. Jesus passes the hat, and says, "better pay up." The 'parable' about the man fallling on the train tracks is a subtle way of saying "if you don't want to die a horrible death and go to hell, better give to the church". The phrase "you'd better lick two fingers clean" is a very, very subtle message: stay with me here. If you want to clean your first two fingers by licking them, you lick them and then wipe off whatever grime with your thumb. Now, rubbing your first two fingers with your thumb is a sign that means "pay up" (I don't know if it's universal, but we have it here in America and England). So the very last line "lick two fingers clean before you shake his hand" means if you want to meet God, pay up. Obviously this is a jab at the church business: god doesn't need money, he just wants good people.
* Ian MacFarland



In the sense of Lloyd's quote, Ian has truly established himself as a minstrel. His disdain for the popular icons and his irreverent and coarse stage presence, as well as the acoustic music that he tends to favor, all qualify him for that image. His acceptance of that role gives him a grounding in English history. And with the realization of a sympathetic grounding in English history, it was only a short time before the music began to follow ever closer to the themes, images, and styles of English folk song as we will see on 'Songs From The Wood'.

* Judson C.Caswell (SCC, vol. 4, issue 32, December 1993) ; adaptation and additional information Jan Voorbij and John Benninghouse;

Works Cited:
1. Anderson, Ian. "Trouser Press Magazine." Autodiscography, (Oct. 1982), 1-13.; 2. Densflow, Robin. "Rolling Stone." Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Plans a Movie; He'll Play God, (11/8/73), 14 ;
3. Hardy, Phil and Dave Laing Ed. Encyclopedia of Rock, New York: Schirmer Books, 1987;
4. Lewis, Grover. "Rolling Stone." Hopping, Grimacing, Twitching, Gasping, Lurching, Rolling, Paradiddling, Flinging, Gnawing and Gibbering with Jethro Tull. (7/22/71), 24-27;
5. Lipsitz, George. Time Passages. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1990 ;
6. Lloyd, A.L. Folk Song in England. New York: International Publishers, 1967 ;
7. Sims, Judith. "Rolling Stone." Tull on Top: Ian Anderson Speaks His Mind, (3/27/75), 12;
8. Stewart, Bob. Pagan Imagery in English Folksong. N.J.: Humanities Press Inc. 1977.
9. Torres, Ben Fong. "Rolling Stone." Jethro Tull and His Fabulous Tool, (4/19/69);
10. Rees, David. Minstrels In The Gallery, A History Of Jethro Tull, Firefly Publ., Wembley, 1998, 62-67.
11. Gaines, Steve. "Circus Rraves Magazine", Nov. 1974.




War Child - Just Remastered Nov. 2002

After two single-song concept albums, "War Child" was a return to the traditional format. The album prominently features David Palmer's string orchestration across an eclectic musical set. The music is lighter and more whimsical than the dark "A Passion Play," though the lyrics still unleash lashing critiques of established society (e.g., "Queen and Country," "Bungle in the Jungle" ), religion (e.g., "Two Fingers"), and critics (e.g., "Only Solitaire").

Much of the music was written during the latter half of the "Passion Play" tour. Yet, "War Child" is arguably pre-Passion Play. "Skating Away," "Bungle in the Jungle," and "Only Solitaire" came from the aborted "Chateau D'isaster" tapes preceding"A Passion Play" and "Two Fingers" was a rewrite of a song left off "Aqualung."

Despite the seemingly disconnected themes, "War Child" was planned as a movie soundtrack. The screenplay, loosely based on "A Passion Play," featured the afterlife experiences of a little girl killed during an auto accident. Anderson had gone so far as to enlist John Cheese, Sir Frederick Ashton, and Leonard Rosier for the project before abandoning it, due mostly to unacceptable Hollywood production demands.

The front cover catalogs Anderson's debut of his infamous "minstrel" outfit which, quite arguably, looks much more like a jester than a strolling musician. Some Tull commentators argue the vestige represents Anderson's identification with the typical sarcastic, social commenting fools of Shakespeare's plays and allude to telling references in songs such as "Only Solitaire" (vi., "Think I'll sit down and invent some fool...some grand court jester...). All intellect aside, most fans and critics are more adapt to remember the persona's silver codpiece that it's literary inspirations.

The "War Child" tour featured perhaps Tull's most outlandish costuming: Anderson as minstrel, Hammond with his black-and-white striped suit and coordinating instruments, Evan in his baggy ice cream salesman white suit, Barlow in a lightweight boxer outfit, and Barre's floral, almost Elton John-like, suit.


Released: 1974
Remastered 2002

Charts: 14 (U.K.), 2 (U.S.)


War Child
Queen and Country
Ladies
Back-Door Angels
Sealion
Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day
Bungle in the Jungle
Only Solitaire
The Third Hoorah
Two Fingers
Warchild Waltz *
Quartet *
Paradise Steakhouse *
Sealion 2 *
Rainbow Blues *
Glory Row *
Saturation *

* track added to the 2001 remastering and not included on the original release.

"War Child" was the first album produced solely by Anderson, except for sound by Robin Black.

A female string quartet joined the band for the "War Child" tour.

"Bungle in the Jungle" would become Tull's biggest U.S. single.

Who's the ring mistress on the back cover?
The soon to be Shona Anderson, Ian's wife. Other wives and girl friends of the band are also on the cover.

Ian Anderson - flute, acoustic guitar, saxophones, vocals
Barriemore Barlow - percussion
Martin Barre - electric and spanish guitars
John Evan - piano, organ, synthesisers, piano accordion
Jeffrey Hammond - bass guitar and string bass

This Ultradisc recording is uncommon and highly prized by Tull traders. Prices above $75 U.S. dollars are not atypical.








Jethro Tull - Warchild

Released: 1974/2002
Label: Chrysalis/Capitol
Cat. No.:
Total Time:


Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, November 2002
Now it is time for the second installment of the Jethro Tull remastered back catalog. I really hate waiting for them and I wish they would just issue all of them at once, then again, it is so enjoyable that you relish every minute and look forward to the next round.

Warchild is a significant release for me personally; it is the first JT album I ever bought. At the time, they were playing "Bungle In The Jungle" a lot on the radio so that was a motivating factor for me.

This attractive remastered version will satisfy even the most hardcore JT enthusiast and all prog-heads will be basking in the glory of this fantastic music. The liner notes are superb as Ian Anderson continues to contribute the history and color of the sessions on this entire series, offering his expert assistance with the entire process. Some great color photos are included as well. Besides brand spanking new sparkling sounds, included are a generous helping of bonus tracks, which are all good. The bonus track "Sealion 2" was very different, it is a much shorter version but interesting nonetheless, then "Rainbow Blues" and "Glory Row" sound as if they could have made it onto any of their albums. Even the songs in the can are great, what more can I say? Every facet of the group bears bountiful on this album; in essence, they put the progressive into rock.

"Bungle In The Jungle" was a commercial success, and if I remember correctly "Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of A New Day" was the flipside of that single, the only reason I remember is because I had it! In addition, what I also recall is how everyone seemed to enjoy that song as much as the A side. Those two songs were the only ones that had a distinctly commercial edge; the rest of the album was vintage prog-rock and JT hitting their stride in a big way. This is a very strong album; actually, it is very difficult to find any weak spots on the entire recording. Now newly remastered it is that much better and even more enjoyable to hear. It is such a thrill to hear all of this music again in an entirely new way, and then to have the ability to recognize things that you never heard before is another added bonus. I have to seek out everything that they ever recorded, I like them that much, and they are one of those groups that take up an entire row on my CD rack.

Warchild was one powerful musical statement that stands on solid ground today as one of Jethro Tull's greatest works. I find it amazing that they were able to regroup and come up with such a consistent album after the phenomenal Passion Play. Do your self a favor and check out these remasters, they are unbelievable.

On deck: Minstrel In The Gallery

Rating: 5/5

More about Warchild:

Track Listing: Warchild / Queen And Country / Ladies / Back Door Angels / Sealion / Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of A New Day / Bungle In The Jungle / Only Solitaire / Third Hoorah / Two Fingers / BONUS TRACKS: Warchild Waltz / Quartet / Paradise Steakhouse / Sealion 2 / Rainbow Blues / Glory Row / Saturation

Musicians:
Ian Anderson - acoustic guitar, flute, soprano and alto sax, vocals, producer
Martin Barre - electric and Spanish guitars
Barriemore Barlow - percussion, drums, glockenspiel, marimba
John Evan - organ, synthesizer, piano, keyboards, piano-accordian
Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond - bass, string bass
David Palmer - synthesizer, conductor, keyboards, saxophone, orchestration




Jethro Tull - "Warchild" (1974) Ian Anderson got quite pissed-off by the bad reviews that braindead critics had written for "A Passion Play", and on "Warchild", Tull returned to shorter tracks of a more normal length. The album is not amongst Tull's best, there's of course some nice stuff here. "Backdoor Angels" is probably the most progressive track here, while the rocking "Sealion", the cheerful "Third Hoorah" and the beautiful ballads "Ladies" and "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day" were other strong tracks. The group were also beginning to use string-arrangements on several tracks. But as a whole, the album don't stand up to the standard of the previous albums, and as you can see, the cover looks like shit! The hit "Bungle in the Jungle" and "Two Fingers" are not much to write home about, but the next album was fortunately MUCH better...





War Child
Date of Release Oct 1974

AMG EXPERT REVIEW: As a return to standard-length songs following two epic-length pieces (Thick As a Brick and A Passion Play), it was inevitable that the material on War Child would lack power. The music was no longer quite able to cover for the obscurity of Tull's lyrics: The title track is reasonably successful, but "Queen and Country" seems repetitive and pointless. "Ladies," by contrast, is one of Tull's folk-based pieces, and one of the prettiest songs on the record, beautifully sung and benefiting from some of Anderson's best flute playing to date. The band is very tight, but doesn't get to really show its stuff until "Back-Door Angels," after which the album picks up: "Sealion" is one of Anderson's pseudo-philosophical musings on life, mixing full-out electric playing and restrained orchestral backing, while "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day" is a beautiful, largely acoustic number that was popular in concert. "Bungle in the Jungle," with a title that went over well, got most of the radio play. - Bruce Eder

1. War Child (Anderson) - 4:35
2. Queen and Country (Anderson) - 3:00
3. Ladies (Anderson) - 3:17
4. Back-Door Angels (Anderson) - 5:30
5. Sealion (Anderson) - 3:37
6. Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day (Anderson) - 4:09
7. Bungle in the Jungle (Anderson) - 3:35
8. Only Solitaire (Anderson) - 1:28
9. The Third Hoorah (Anderson) - 4:49
10. Two Fingers (Anderson) - 5:11

Ian Anderson - Guitar (Acoustic), Flute, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Vocals, Producer, Sax (Sopranino)
Jethro Tull - Arranger
Martin Barre - Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Spanish Guitar
Barriemore Barlow - Percussion, Drums, Glockenspiel, Marimba, Drums (Snare)
Robin Black - Engineer
Terry Ellis - Executive Producer
John Evan - Organ, Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards, Piano-Accordian
Patrick Halling - Leader
Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond - Bass, Guitar (Bass), String Bass
David Palmer - Synthesizer, Conductor, Keyboards, Saxophone, Orchestration
Ian Dickson - Photography
Terry Jones - Producer, Executive Producer

CD Chrysalis F2-21067
1974 LP Chrysalis 1067
1990 CS Chrysalis 21067
1990 CD Chrysalis 21067
1999 CD Mobile Fidelity 745
CS Chrysalis F4-21067
1996 CD Alliance 21067
1991 CS Alliance 21067