War Child (album)
Encyclopedia
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.
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 "humour 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
. Ian Anderson told Songfacts: "It was actually late '72 or early '73 when I was in Paris recording an album that never got released, although one or two of the tracks made it out in 1974, but that was at a time when I was writing an album that was exploring people, the human condition, through analogies with the animal kingdom." "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 front cover is a composite photograph featuring a positive color print of Melbourne
, Australia
at night, and a negative print of a studio photo of lead singer Ian Anderson.
The back cover 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.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, 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.
The "War Child" movie was written as a metaphysical black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
concerning a teenage girl in the afterlife, meeting characters based on God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, St. Peter and Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
portrayed as if shrewd businessmen. Notable British actor Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter was an English actor known for his roles as Rupert Rigsby, in the British comedy television series Rising Damp , and Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin...
was to have been featured, Margot Fonteyn
Margot Fonteyn
Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias, DBE , was an English ballerina of the 20th century. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of all time...
was to have choreographed, while Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
veteran John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
was pencilled in as a "humour 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
20 Years of Jethro Tull
-Disc two:Flawed Gems and Other Sides Of Tull-Disc three:The Essential Tull-LP Track listing:The track numbers shown below are for the five LP set...
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
Thick as a Brick
-Differences between various CD releases:By 2011 the album received three major releases on CD: the first release , the MFSL-release , and the 25th Anniversary Edition . Whereas the first release and the MFSL-release run with identical speed, the 25th Anniversary edition runs 0.5% slower...
. Ian Anderson told Songfacts: "It was actually late '72 or early '73 when I was in Paris recording an album that never got released, although one or two of the tracks made it out in 1974, but that was at a time when I was writing an album that was exploring people, the human condition, through analogies with the animal kingdom." "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 front cover is a composite photograph featuring a positive color print of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at night, and a negative print of a studio photo of lead singer Ian Anderson.
The back cover 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
Ringmaster
The term ringmaster may refer to numerous things:*Ringmaster , the leader of a circus* Ringmaster , the manager of a horse show ring*Ringmaster , a film starring Jerry Springer and Jaime Pressly...
, while Terry Ellis appears as a leopard skin-clad, umbrella-waving aggressive businessman.
Side one
- "War Child" – 4:35
- "Queen And Country" – 3:00
- "Ladies" – 3:17
- "Back-Door Angels" – 5:30
- "Sealion" – 3:37
Side two
- "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" – 4:09
- "Bungle in the Jungle" – 3:35
- "Only Solitaire" – 1:38
- "The Third Hoorah" – 4:49
- "Two Fingers" – 5:11
Bonus tracks
The 2002 remastered CD added bonus tracks and extensive liner notes:- "Warchild Waltz" – 4:21
- "Quartet" – 2:44
- "Paradise Steakhouse" – 4:03
- "SeaLion 2" (Anderson/Jeffrey HammondJeffrey HammondJeffrey Hammond sometimes credited as Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, is a former bass guitar player for the progressive rock band Jethro Tull....
) – 3:20
- "Rainbow Blues" – 3:40
- "Glory Row" – 3:35
- "Saturation" – 4:21
Personnel
- Ian Anderson - fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, acoustic guitar, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s, vocals - Barriemore BarlowBarriemore BarlowBarrie "Barriemore" Barlow is an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist for the rock band Jethro Tull, from May 1971 to June 1980....
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Martin BarreMartin BarreMartin Lancelot Barre is an English rock musician.Barre has been the guitarist for rock band Jethro Tull since 1969. He has appeared on every Jethro Tull album except their debut This Was...
- electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, Spanish guitarClassical guitarThe classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones... - John EvanJohn EvanJohn Evan , played keyboards for Jethro Tull from April 1970 to June 1980. He was educated at King's College London....
- pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, synthesiserSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s - Jeffrey HammondJeffrey HammondJeffrey Hammond sometimes credited as Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, is a former bass guitar player for the progressive rock band Jethro Tull....
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, string bass - David PalmerDee PalmerDee Palmer is an English composer arranger and keyboardist best known for having been a member of the rock group Jethro Tull.Palmer studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music with Richard Rodney Bennet,winning the Eric Coates Prize and The Boosey and Hawkes Prize...
- orchestral arrangements