817 ( Jethro Tull - Baker St. Muse )
817 ( Jethro Tull - Baker St. Muse )
I have been contemplating picking this one for quite a while now and have finally gotten around to it today; not like I need a reason to choose a 'Tull song.
The Baker Street in this song is the same street in London made famous by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, and it is also the same street written about in the Gerry Rafferty hit Baker Street, which was released a few years later and can be found here on YouTube.
This is the "Magnum Opus" from the Minstrel in the Gallery album and clocks in at over 16 minutes; ten minutes and above was nothing to a Progressive/Rock band back in the '70s.
Baker St. Muse actually contains five distinct pieces of music within: 1. Baker St. Muse, 2. The Pig-Me and the Whore, 3. Nice Little Tune, 4. Crash-Barrier Waltzer, and 5. Mother England Reverie.
Apparently Ian Anderson wrote this song during the time he resided in the Baker Street area; the lyrics are based on what he saw and experienced when walking around the area, and Ian, of course is the title character: the Baker St. Muse. Ian uses a lot of symbolism and word play in the lyrics of this one, so it might be difficult for some to fully understand what he is trying to say in certain instances.
Baker St. Muse starts light with just Ian and his guitar, but builds very quickly with strings and then the band kicks in and the song becomes more rollicking. The Pig-Me and the Whore continues in the vein of Baker St. Muse. The Nice Little Tune is used as a transition into the next song. Crash-Barrier Waltzer is a lighter song with mostly Ian's acoustic guitar accompanied by some strings. The final part: Mother England Reverie is my favorite part of the piece, mostly because of the lyrical content within. This one starts out light with the guitar and strings, but builds as well. At the end of Mother England Reverie there is a very nice reprise section, which revisits the melodies of the other songs.
The lyrics can be found in the info section of the YouTube videos.
Here is the first part with Baker St. Muse and The Pig-Me and the Whore on YouTube.
Here is the second part with Nice Little Tune, Crash-Barrier Waltzer, and Mother England Reverie on YouTube.
My song pick a year ago today: Toto - Hold the Line
My song pick two years ago today: Jethro Tull - Kissing Willie
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I have been contemplating picking this one for quite a while now and have finally gotten around to it today; not like I need a reason to choose a 'Tull song.
The Baker Street in this song is the same street in London made famous by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, and it is also the same street written about in the Gerry Rafferty hit Baker Street, which was released a few years later and can be found here on YouTube.
This is the "Magnum Opus" from the Minstrel in the Gallery album and clocks in at over 16 minutes; ten minutes and above was nothing to a Progressive/Rock band back in the '70s.
Baker St. Muse actually contains five distinct pieces of music within: 1. Baker St. Muse, 2. The Pig-Me and the Whore, 3. Nice Little Tune, 4. Crash-Barrier Waltzer, and 5. Mother England Reverie.
Apparently Ian Anderson wrote this song during the time he resided in the Baker Street area; the lyrics are based on what he saw and experienced when walking around the area, and Ian, of course is the title character: the Baker St. Muse. Ian uses a lot of symbolism and word play in the lyrics of this one, so it might be difficult for some to fully understand what he is trying to say in certain instances.
Baker St. Muse starts light with just Ian and his guitar, but builds very quickly with strings and then the band kicks in and the song becomes more rollicking. The Pig-Me and the Whore continues in the vein of Baker St. Muse. The Nice Little Tune is used as a transition into the next song. Crash-Barrier Waltzer is a lighter song with mostly Ian's acoustic guitar accompanied by some strings. The final part: Mother England Reverie is my favorite part of the piece, mostly because of the lyrical content within. This one starts out light with the guitar and strings, but builds as well. At the end of Mother England Reverie there is a very nice reprise section, which revisits the melodies of the other songs.
The lyrics can be found in the info section of the YouTube videos.
Here is the first part with Baker St. Muse and The Pig-Me and the Whore on YouTube.
Here is the second part with Nice Little Tune, Crash-Barrier Waltzer, and Mother England Reverie on YouTube.
My song pick a year ago today: Toto - Hold the Line
My song pick two years ago today: Jethro Tull - Kissing Willie
+
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