It's difficult to explain the difference between an
Ian Anderson and a
Jethro Tull album. After all,
Anderson writes virtually all of
Tull's material and his unique voice and flute playing encapsulates the band's style. And
Anderson isn't necessarily prone to the stripped down, confessional approach that many frontmen take when issuing solo projects. Perhaps during this particularly productive period
Anderson simply needed to separate his "regular" songwriting from the group's concurrent
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album release. Yes, a more acoustic treatment was given to this album than to
Tull releases during the '90s, although their
Christmas recording is very similar in production to this solo outing. The only
Tull member that appears on this release is keyboardist
Andy Giddings -- and it's a cameo appearance at that. Maybe
Anderson merely needs to exit the confines of the band momentarily to work with other musicians for either inspiration or escape. Whatever the case, the end solo product isn't substantially different from the band's most recent effort. That's a good thing given
Ian Anderson and
Jethro Tull's new lease with the Varese/Fuel 2000 record label. "Rupi's Dance" is a folksy piece recalling
Minstrel in the Gallery and "Old Black Cat" would have fit nicely on
Heavy Horses.
Anderson does give some of his solo work various world music touches, such as Eastern European, Celtic, and Mid-Eastern, but only sparingly.
Anderson's knack for writing simple, yet endearing, melodies is evident in numerous instances on
Rupi's Dance, but is magnified on "Griminelli's Lament," an instrumental honoring the Italian flautist
Andrea Griminelli. Other instrumental passages seem to be an outgrowth of classic
Tull albums like
Thick as a Brick and
A Passion Play, among others. An extremely satisfying album,
Rupi's Dance looks simultaneously to the past and future for its inspiration.