Too Old To Rock & Roll - JETHRO TULL***

Quiz Kid/Crazed Institution/Salamander/Taxi Grab/From A Deadbeat To An Old Greaser/Bad-Eyed & Loveless/ Big Dipper/Too Old To Rock & Roll Too Young To Die/Pied Piper/The Chequered Flag (Dead Or Alive)

Only a few years earlier progressive band Jethro Tull were topping the album charts in both the US and UK. The relatively low chart placing of Too Old To Rock & Roll mirrors their decline in creativity. (US:14 UK:25)

“This is nothing like Tull at their best consisting of lame attempts at rockers and inept slower dreary numbers. Confirmation that their decline of JT was continuing."

“This finds Tull as close to pop-rock as they would ever get. Extended song structures were kept to a minimum, lyrics were totally unambiguous and the concept of the album was spelt out for the hard-of-thinking in comic strip form as part of the artwork. Some more hard-line prog fans were aghast at these stylistic changes, but an equal number embraced the more streamlined and no-frills version of Jethro Tull.”

“This record lacks the greatness of the best Jethro Tull studio albums and you can hear the commercialism virus in some parts. There are some classic Jethro Tull trade mark elements like Anderson's flute but overall the sound has very little to do with their early albums.”

“It suffers from a scarcity of ideas and a feeling that the band are just blindly going through the motions. Those who particularly miss the more straight-ahead folk-rock of the group's early days might get some enjoyment out of some of the material here, but it's a major disappointment. The performances sound subdued and unenthusiastic, suggesting that the band were taking the album title to heart.”

“There is a certain weariness in this album, a definite lack of freshness, a reworking of old ideas, and a rather striking absence of memorable songs apart from the title track. Not that the band sounds spent, but judging from this album, their rock 'n' roll days seemed to be over.”

“Too Old To Rock 'N’ Roll is a concept album, telling the thought-provoking story about an old rocker, who had become too old to rock 'n roll, but again becomes hip, when the trends in music and fashion suddenly change. Like on all Tull albums there are some terrific songs and melodies here. The playing and production is as always impeccable.”