Jethro Tull – Heavy Horses

Heavy Horses is the eleventh studio album by English rock band Jethro Tull, released on 10 April 1978 on Chrysalis Records. This was the second of the band’s trilogy of records where their sound featured a lot of folk elements, following ‘Songs From The Wood’ which had been released a year earlier, which took a more realistic perspective on the ever-changing world. The album is dedicated to the domestic working ponies and horses of Great Britain, with the band’s sound being harder and tighter. The third album in this folk-rock trilogy is 1979’s Stormwatch. On March 2, 2018, an extended five-disc edition was released.

The album peaked at No. 19 on Billboard in the United States and No. 20 on the UK charts, while climbing into the Top-20 in Canada, Austria, Germany and Norway.

The album received positive reviews, with “Allmusic” rating it four stars out of five, “Sputnik Music” giving it an average rating of 4 out of 5, and “Progarchives” also giving it a 4 out of 5.

This was Jethro Tull’s last record with bassist John Glascock in the line-up, as he also played his last concert with them in San Antonio, Texas on May 1, 1979. Glascock died of a heart problem on November 17, 1979.

The album was produced by Ian Anderson and recorded by Robin Black in London. Anderson stated that the recording of the album came at a time when other artists were moving towards new trends in music and the band decided that they did not want to appear as if they were trying to slip through the post-punk echoes of the Stranglers and the Police.

Heavy Horses deals with more earthy and prosaic themes compared to its predecessor. It contains songs about the conformist view of everyday life, such as “Journeyman” or dedicated to Anderson’s dog, such as “Rover” or to the cat, such as “…And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps” or even to the newborn son of Anderson James, such as “No Lullaby”. However, an element already present in Songs From The Wood continued as Heavy Horses also served as a reason for the Vanished Worlds frenzy. Other tracks, such as “Acres Wild” and “Weathercock”, act as a call for better days to come. But along with the changes in themes, the music also becomes more difficult. “No Lullaby” is punctuated by a catalyzing Martin Barre guitar riff as “Weathercock” begins as a pure folk track, only to add progressive rock elements. Barre stated that Songs From The Wood and Heavy Horses are two of the best albums from his time in Jethro Tull.

I select the title track “Heavy Horses”, which is one of two complex suites on the album and Anderson likens to an “Aqualung Horse”. It opens with a piano ballad, runs through Curved Air’s Darryl Way’s excellent violin, and builds to a full-on gallop, a great example of the album’s style as a whole. Enjoy it!!! 

Tracklist

1. … And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps 3:11
2. Acres Wild 3:22
3. No Lullaby 7:54
4. Moths 3:24
5. Journeyman 3:55
6. Rover 4:14
7. One Brown Mouse 3:21
8. Heavy Horses 8:57
9. Weathercock 4:02