Best Tull Album(s)?

[Einherjar86]

Personally, I'd have to say:

-Heavy Horses (#1, without a doubt)
-Songs From the Wood
-Minstrel in the Gallery
-Aqualung
-Thick As a Brick

I think those are my top five.

 

[Psychonaut]

I think Stormwatch is up there with Heavy Horses. Songs From The Wood is flat-out awesome and was the first Tull I had ever heard. I think this was back in '85 or so and I've been a fan since. I also really like Broadsword and the Beast, which rarely is mentioned as a fav.

 

[Einherjar86]

Stormwatch is great, yes. I really like Broadsword as well. It's strange, because Broadsword is usually mentioned by most critics as one of Tull's lesser albums, but Anderson has publicly said that it's his favorite Tull record!

 

[Psychonaut]

I think the heavy use of synths messed some people up but the songs themselves are very strong. It has its own charm but I wouldn't recommend it for someone new to Tull.

 

[Matt]

A Passion Play (part two)
Aqualung obviously
Thick as a Brick, obviously
Songs from the Wood
Warchild. This is a great album and is often overlooked for some reason.

 

[Einherjar86]

Yes, Warchild is awesome. I just like the other five better; but Warchild is still up there for me. Some of my favorite Tull songs are on that record. I just don't think it's as consistent as the other ones.

Good call on Passion Play! It's a tough record to get into, but really is its own reward.

 

[razoredge]

Im most partial to Aqualung which is a cronical thing for me, I was just in the right frame of mind for that album when it came out and first heard it
but Thick as a Brick and Songs from the Wood are pretty close to home for me as well. Great memories, great times. I confess to not being fimiliar with anything after SftW. Been ages since I heard Passion Play, Benefit, War Child or Minstral. I have been playing Stand Up from time to time and let me say for 1969 that was a pretty good record. Tull is high on my list of catch up CD's and Stand up was bought for this reason.

 

[Einherjar86]

Albums like "Stand Up," "Benefit" and "This Was" are all cool records, but they don't have that traditional, recognizable Tull sound (which in a way makes them even cooler, I guess). "This Was" is very blues-rock oriented, and the others follow in a similar pattern but slowly developing the folk touch that Tull do so well. I like listening to the old records, but not as much as Aqualung and the albums after.

Razoredge, if you like Songs From the Wood, check out Heavy Horses. They're in the same musical vein.

 

[ShredHeadJHJ]

I need some Tull! My friend was trying to turn me onto them a while back, but I never borrowed any of their albums from him.

 

[razoredge]

JHJ, Tulls a one of a kind, life just wouldnt be the same if they didnt ever exist.

I think Stand Up was already indicating all the sounds that Tull would become. I need to get Benefit and a 80's one next.

 

[DarkBliss]

I've only listened to Aqualung from the band and I was pretty disappointed by it. Seems pretty dated and tame to me. Perhaps it's one of those albums that you need to grow up with to truly appreaciate.

 

[Psychonaut]

I guess I never listed my top 5:

(in no order)

Heavy Horses
Stormwatch
Broadsword and the Beast
Songs From The Wood
Thick as a Brick

Close behind:
Aqualung
Minstrel In The Gallery
A Passion Play

 

[tokfan]

I´ll say Stormwatch. JT at their peak!!!

 

[tokfan]

Favorite song though, I must say is Cold Wind To Valhalla.

 

[Anaon]

Thick As A Brick
Minstrel in the Gallery
Aqualung
Songs From The Woods
A Passion Play
​

All must-haves for me!

 

[Einherjar86]

JHJ, Tulls a one of a kind, life just wouldnt be the same if they didnt ever exist.

I think Stand Up was already indicating all the sounds that Tull would become. I need to get Benefit and a 80's one next.

Broadsword and the Beast is a good 80s album, especially for metal-heads.

Favorite song though, I must say is Cold Wind To Valhalla.

Cold Wind to Valhalla is such an awesome song! It's one of my favs on 'Minstrel in the Gallery' along with "One White Duck/0^10=Nothing At All"

 

[razoredge]

I've only listened to Aqualung from the band and I was pretty disappointed by it. Seems pretty dated and tame to me. Perhaps it's one of those albums that you need to grow up with to truly appreaciate.

Of course it sounds "dated" it was recorded in what ? 71 or 72 maybe. Like I said earlier its in how you view what your hearing against your modern expectations. You need to have your head in the right place at the right time to appreaciate it. It was a fresh and unique sound at that time and still unique today in all but a few ways. Tull is Tull, a genre unto itself...

 

[BloodSword]

Thick As A Brick
Minstrel in the Gallery
Aqualung
Songs From The Woods
A Passion Play
​

All must-haves for me!

Whoa, those are my top 5 as well. Every one should own TAAB. from the first note to the last, this is the closest thing to a "perfect" album. I wonder if Ian Anderson has anything new to say. Been years since Tull has released anything completely new.

 

[DarkBliss]

Of course it sounds "dated" it was recorded in what ? 71 or 72 maybe. Like I said earlier its in how you view what your hearing against your modern expectations. You need to have your head in the right place at the right time to appreaciate it. It was a fresh and unique sound at that time and still unique today in all but a few ways. Tull is Tull, a genre unto itself...

What I meant was that it sounds like an all-around regular, unexciting rock album.Something I could listen to on the radio in the background and forget what it was several minutes later It just lacks spice, energy and that special "oomph" that makes some albums really thrilling. Regardless, I'll have to try another album of theirs.

 

[Anaon]

Whoa, those are my top 5 as well. Every one should own TAAB. from the first note to the last, this is the closest thing to a "perfect" album. I wonder if Ian Anderson has anything new to say. Been years since Tull has released anything completely new.

Yeah!! All the same! It's my favourite one, a true masterpiece and some very beautiful parts voice/acoustic guitar. A classical progressive rock album but also 70's album for me.

DarkBliss > I know what you mean. You're right to say that it has to grow, you need to listen to it more maybe but that's true that it's not the most ambitious work from the band, bit it's one of the most "efficient".

So you could try this famous Thick As A Brick, it's not like an all-around regular at all. It happens something in this album!