JETHRO TULL : THE ZEALOT GENE

JETHRO TULL : THE ZEALOT GENE

Mrs Tibbets
Jacob's Tales
Mine Is The Mountain
The Zealot Gene
Shoshana Sleeping
Sad City Sisters
Barren Beth, Wild Desert John
The Betrayal Of Joshua Kynde
Where Did Saturday Go?
Three Loves, Three
In Brief Visitation
The Fisherman Of Ephesus

Label : Inside Out Music

Release Date : January 28, 2022

Length : 46:36

Review (ProgArchives) : Can The Zealot Gene be called a proper Jethro Tull album? It's the first effort under their name in almost 19 years, but it definitely comes off as more of an Ian Anderson solo record than a full-band effort. After all, five of its songs were recorded solely by Anderson because of - as you may have already guessed - COVID reasons. However, when looking at his rationale behind billing The Zealot Gene a full band project, the situation starts becoming more understandable. The lineup behind the album is the longest in the group's history, and yet they never recorded a full-length record up until now; thus, Anderson wanted to give them a chance to be on a proper Tull release. Plus? well, let's be real here: the Jethro Tull name was always going to drum up more interest and revenue than an Anderson solo record. However, name conflicts aside, how does Zealot Gene fare against the rest of Jethro Tull's lengthy catalog? Well, the best word I can use from a musical perspective is "agreeable". It's very agreeable, from the pleasant-enough rock tunes to the tried-and-true folk leanings. This is immediately apparent from the opening track "Mrs. Tibbets", which sets Anderson's aging voice to a backdrop of midtempo drums and power chords; other than a flashy and virtuosic solo section, there really aren't many surprises here. If anything, though, the song does set the stage for the The Zealot Gene's stylistic duality: midtempo rockers with folk elements sprinkled in. None of the wild prog experimentation of Thick as a Brick or A Passion Play makes its way onto the record, though to be fair, that hasn't been a factor in Tull's music for quite some time. If there's any album whose well this release draws from the most, it's definitely Aqualung; it's all there, from the hard rock/folk contrasts to Anderson's musings on religion and faith. However, The Zealot Gene proves to be much looser conceptually, expressing a wide range of religious themes without stringing them together in any cohesive way. As for the other band members, they do a decent job of carrying out these tunes; however, The Zealot Gene happens to be the first Tull album without longtime guitarist Martin Barre since 1969, and his absence is felt greatly. This is not as noticeable on the record's folkier songs such as "Jacob's Tales" and "Sad City Sisters", which fare quite well with the stripped down acoustic guitar/flute setup. But on more electric guitar-driven tunes such as the aforementioned "Mrs. Tibbets" or the title track, one wishes that Barre lent his creative take on blues and hard rock riffing to the songs to spice them up a bit. But that does provide some insight into what works about The Zealot Gene vs. what doesn't; the rockers are usually the blandest and most middle-of-the-road tracks here, and the folk numbers - while safe by the standards of classic 70s Tull - are much more enjoyable and creative. As always, Anderson's acoustic guitar and flute performances are absolutely stellar; "Sad City Sisters", "Where Did Saturday Go", and "Three Loves, Three" are certainly highlights in this regard, utilizing sparser arrangements and letting the whimsical flute melodies do the talking. The Zealot Gene definitely plays out like a tale of two styles, one being executed much more strongly than the other. But it's nice to finally have a new Jethro Tull record, even if its status as a band effort is a bit questionable. There's nothing truly bad here, but most of the record doesn't elevate itself above simply being passable either; there's way too much "been there, done that" for it to match up with the band's classic releases. However, if you absolutely need more Tull in your life and are willing to put up with some boring middle-of-the-road material to get to the good stuff, you could do much worse than The Zealot Gene.

Review (ProgWereld) : Een nieuwe plaat van Jethro Tull is tegenwoordig zeldzaam. Natuurlijk kun je de soloplaten van Anderson voor het gemak wel meetellen, maar dan nog, "Homo Erraticus" is al bijna acht jaar oud. Daarbij was de release van "The Zealot Gene" ook nog geteisterd door tegenslagen van een andere aard: het album stond al in de steigers toen de pandemie de wereld, en vervolgens de vervaardiging van vinyl, stillegde. Geeft allemaal niks, hier is-ie dan, bijna vijftig minuten nieuwe Tull-muziek. We zijn jaren slechter begonnen, toch? Toch? Anderson zelf heeft overigens wel grote vragen over wie er nou nog op zit te wachten, zo'n nieuwe plaat. Zeker nu de thematiek, want jongens, het is soort een conceptplaat, gestoeld is op verhalen uit de Bijbel. Niet dat Anderson religieus geworden is op zijn oude dag, maar de fascinatie voor goede verhalen en de parallellen met de moderne mens maken het tot dankbaar materiaal voor deze twaalf liedjes. De band, die overigens met name in de latere stappen van het opnameproces hooguit op afstand betrokken was bij het maken van de plaat, is ruwweg dezelfde sinds 2017, met nieuwe gitarist Joe Parrish en een bijrol voor vertrekkend gitarist Florian Ophale. Zoals meestal bij Tull zijn alle liedjes door Anderson eerst uitvoerig in demoversie voorbereid en in zijn eigen studio opgenomen. Muzikaal gezien grijpt hij meer dan de laatste decennia het geval was terug op de prog uit de periode "Heavy Horses" en "A", maar dan zonder de brutale rock. "Heavy Horses Lite", dat komt wel een beetje in de buurt, tamelijk gezapige muziek. Opener Mrs. Tibbett zet de toon, met die nadrukkelijke 4-kwartsmaat en simpele, weinig opwindende melodielijn. Gelukkig is de streaming versie die we voor deze recensie mochten beluisteren dusdanig beveiligd dat de muziek soms vooruit of achteruit schiet, zodat het ritme ingewikkelder lijkt dan het is. Daarbij schiet de muziek zo vaak heen en weer, dat elk liedje van drie minuten een epos wordt. Het folky Jacob's Tale vertoont al meer leven, bij Mine Is The Mountain hoor je echt hier en daar de oude Tull, al is het oude vuur ver te zoeken. Anderson is hier verhalenverteller en hij heeft wel erg veel coupletten nodig om al zijn tekst kwijt te kunnen. Daar wordt de muziek niet spannender van, noch van zijn sonore en bijna emotieloze manier van zingen. De ouderwetse sneer is weg, misschien eigenlijk wel de hele stem. Dat dit dezelfde man is die met woeste haren, uitpuilende ogen en een broekklep aan de voorkant op één been door zijn dwarsfluit stond te gillen is moeilijk meer voor te stellen, maar ach, we zijn allemaal een dagje ouder, toch? Bij elk nieuw nummer wordt de plaat wel een stukje beter, titelnummer The Zealot Gene rockt zelfs een beetje, Shoshana Sleeping is uitgesproken progressief (al doet het me ook aan BZN denken), in Sad City Sisters denk ik zelfs een oud themaatje te herkennen, Barren Beth, Wild Desert John heeft een mooie dynamiek met harde en zachtere passages en zo ontrollen zich de verhaaltjes van vadertje Anderson. Het is allemaal wel mooi en zo, maar ook aan de saaie kant en tam. Uitschieter is The Betrayal Of Joshua Kynde, met een intro dat een plaat als "A" in herinnering roept en een pittige gitaarsolo. En het begin van afsluiter The Fisherman Of Ephesus komt elke doorgewinterde Tull-fan bekend voor. De stukken zijn eigenlijk allemaal meer van hetzelfde, folky liedjes met heel veel tekst. Dat wil helemaal niet zeggen dat dit per se slechte muziek is. Ik denk dat, als je de liedjes op cd normaal van begin tot eind kunt beluisteren, je er een lekker plaatje bij hebt voor zondagmiddag, als je schoonfamilie op de koffie komt. Het zijn goede, hoewel niet briljante liedjes, en ze hebben, voor zover ik nu kan beoordelen, een kop en een staart, zijn goed gespeeld en geproduceerd, allemaal wel in orde. Maar verwacht geen heilig vuur, hoge energie of nieuwe inzichten. Het zou mooi zijn als iemand Anderson nog eens een schop onder zijn kont gaf. Tot die tijd is dit wellicht het hoogst haalbare. Best oké, maar we weten ook waar hij toe in staat is.

Review (Spill Magazine) : Ian Anderson has released several solo albums in the past 19 years. However, with The Zealot Gene being the first album by Jethro Tull in almost two decades, expectations are high. Ian Anderson has come up with a wonderful album, having written all the songs himself. This is a Jethro Tull release that not only meets expectations but surpasses them. It is a concept album, of sorts, and a return to form for the band. It is twelve rock tracks that fit very nicely together. They do not sound dated, but rather current, yet would not have been out of place in the late 1970s. The Zealot Gene open with Anderson's fantastic flute on "Mrs. Tibbets". Next comes the voice, Ian Anderson in all of his glory. The flute gives way to power chords and it is on its way. There are some great surprises, such as Anderson's harmonica on "Jacob's Tales" , which is far too short, the moody background on "Shoshana Sleeping", the English folk genre of "The Fisherman Of Ephesus" and the hard rock sounds in "Barren Beth, Wild Desert John". Florian Opahle is a fantastic guitarist. He provides strong guitar solos, especially in "Mrs. Tibbets", but more often provides a steady backing. The majority of the solos are from Anderson on his flute. Special mention should also be made regarding Anderson's acoustic guitar performance. The Zealot Gene just may be the album fans have been waiting for for a very long time. It is a classic Jethro Tull album. For the most part, the album was recorded with all the members being in the same room, and at times, live off the floor. This energy and band unity is felt throughout. This is also an album that Jethro Tull could tour and would sound fantastic live. Fans should enjoy The Zealot Gene. It is beyond words how good it is to have Jethro Tull back.

Review (Metaltalk) : Even now, there is no known rock band that have incorporated the flute into their line-up like Tull. Jethro Tull are, well, Jethro Tull! There is no other way of putting it. The Zealot Gene is Tull's 22nd studio album, five years in the making, and is what any music fan craves - a well thought through concept album, with the time taken to perfect the details and recorded superbly. Jethro Tull - The Zealot Gene Jethro Tull. The Zealot Gene Arguably, not many bands have such a luxury, but thankfully Tull does and have used all that experience and creative freedom to write this tantalising album. The clarity and attention to detail in the recording and mastering is perfect without being overbearing. The songs were, for most parts, recorded live together in the studio as a band. This allows the songs to breathe and feel very natural and smooth, as you might expect when seeing the band perform live. Musicians and bands with this much knowledge often produce better as they go on, much like an excellent vintage wine. However, being Tull, this wine is no doubt a quirky Blackberry wine, to be sipped outside in the long grass on a British summer's evening. Tull are known for their folk influences, which is perhaps where the lyrical storytelling style is from. This album is no different, with the theme being tales and interpretations from the Bible. Careful, this is not some kind of religious enlightenment moment that Anderson has had over the past years, but a more questioning and examining approach of both positive and negative aspects of the stories and characters. As Anderson himself says, "some Christian fanatics will feel I have tweaked their tails. The secular and the unbelieving will think I am reborn as an irksome proselytiser of the faith. And some will, hopefully, just enjoy the music and not scrutinise too closely." From the artwork cover to the lyrics, the theme of 'black and white' and how modern society is increasingly split emanates in the messages here as well. Not least in the title track, The Zealot Game, which includes lyrics that bridge the ancient stories of the Bible with our modern situations - "The black and white, the stereotype, the polarising pitch at play while some of us sit in between, interminable shades of grey." Anderson himself admits to being a professional fence-sitter, and further in the same song, sings, "The populist with dark appeal, the pandering to hate which xenophobic scaremongers deliver on a plate to tame the pangs of hunger and satisfy the lust. Slave to ideology, moderation bites the dust." Enjoying the music without scrutinising the lyrics too closely is definitely possible, but for many, these strong messages and stories will no doubt provide a rich contribution to enjoying this album, even if the occasional line can cause a smile at the playfulness amongst the serious messages, such as "a wasp right up the bum." Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull Returning to the music itself, it is pure Tull brilliance. Anderson's flute flutters over those crunching guitars, which have that distinct Tull sound to them no matter who is playing them. Many of the sounds will be tastily familiar, yet there are elements that show off how versatile the band are and their ability to create new soundscapes. For example, the rich and wonderful mouth organ sound at the forefront of Jacob's Tale, the haunting piano in Mine Is The Mountain or the jovial accordion in Sad City Sisters. "Sad City Sisters throws up memories of a Saturday night in Cardiff, Wales," Ian Anderson said, "when I was on my way home from our concert in St David's Hall some years ago. It could equally well have been any town in the UK, I suppose, or even most cities of the Western World. "What possesses hell-bent and vulnerable young people to slip so easily into that tragic loss of dignity and end up sprawling drunk in a wet and windy street at midnight?" Overall the album leans towards the more progressive rockier side to Tull's repertoire and will be cherished by fans both old and new. The original Jethro Tull was known for his creations, contributing towards the agricultural progress in Britain. This Jethro Tull are no different in their continued contribution to this wonderful music world.