War Child (album)

Infobox Album | Name = War Child
Type = Album
Artist = Jethro Tull


Released = October 14, 1974 (US)
Recorded = 1974 at Morgan Studios, London
Genre = Progressive rock
Length = 39:11
Label = Island Records (UK)
Chrysalis Records (US)
Producer = Ian Anderson
Reviews =
* Allmusic rating|2.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?P=amg&sql=10:lau06jah71w0 link]
*George Starostin rating|6.5|10 (overall rating: 10/15) [http://starling.rinet.ru/music/tull.htm#Warchild link]
*"Rolling Stone" (favorable) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jethrotull/albums/album/172849/review/6212503/warchild link]
Last album = "A Passion Play"
(1973)
This album = "War Child"
(1974)
Next album = "Minstrel in the Gallery"
(1975)

"War Child" is the seventh studio album by Jethro Tull, released in October 1974.

Originally meant to accompany a film project (the album was planned as a double-album set), it was reinstated as a ten-song, single-length rock album after failed attempts to find a major movie studio to finance the film. [http://www.j-tull.com/fans/surprise/july2003.cfm]

The "War Child" movie was written as a metaphysical black comedy concerning a teenage girl in the afterlife, meeting characters based on God, St. Peter and Lucifer portrayed as if shrewd businessmen. Notable British actor Leonard Rossiter was to have been featured, Margot Fonteyn was to have choreographed, while Monty Python veteran John Cleese was pencilled in as a "humor consultant".

Tracks slated to accompany the film such as "Quartet" and "WarChild Waltz" were unearthed and released in Tull's "20 Years of Jethro Tull" boxed set in 1988, in several Tull compilations since, and finally on the 2002 CD reissue.

Three of the songs, "Only Solitaire", "Bungle in the Jungle" and "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day", were left over from the 1972-1973 writing sessions for what was to have been the follow-up to "Thick as a Brick". "Two Fingers" is a rearrangement of "Lick Your Fingers Clean", a track from the "Aqualung" recording sessions that was not included on that album's original release.

The back side of the album contains images of people, including the five members of the band, friends, wives, girlfriends, Chrysalis Records staff, and manager Terry Ellis, all related to the song titles. Anderson's personal touring assistant (and future wife) Shona Learoyd appears as a ringmaster, while Terry Ellis appears as a leopard skin-clad, umbrella-waving aggressive businessman.

The front cover is a picture of Melbourne, Australia

Track listing

(All songs written by Ian Anderson).

# "War Child" – 4:35
# "Queen And Country" – 3:00
# "Ladies" – 3:17
# "Back-Door Angels" – 5:30
# "Sealion" – 3:37
# "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" – 4:09
# "Bungle in the Jungle" – 3:35
# "Only Solitaire" – 1:28
# "The Third Hoorah" – 4:49
# "Two Fingers" – 5:11

Bonus tracks

The 2002 remastered CD added bonus tracks and extensive liner notes:

11. "Warchild Waltz" – 4:21
12. "Quartet" – 2:44
13. "Paradise Steakhouse" – 4:03
14. "Sealion 2" – 3:20
15. "Rainbow Blues" – 3:40
16. "Glory Row" – 3:35
17. "Saturation" – 4:21

Personnel

*Ian Anderson - flute, acoustic guitar, saxophones, vocals
*Barriemore Barlow - drums, percussion
*Martin Barre - electric guitar, spanish guitar
*John Evan - piano, organ, synthesizers
*Jeffrey Hammond - bass guitar, string bass
*David Palmer - orchestral arrangements

Charts

*Peaked at #2 on the "Billboard" pop albums chart

External links

*
* (bonus tracks)
* [http://www.j-tull.com/fans/surprise/july2003.cfm Excerpt of War Child movie story outline]