Minstrel in the Gallery

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Minstrel in the Gallery
Studio album by Jethro Tull
Released	September 5, 1975 (UK)
Recorded	1974 - 1975
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	44:50
Label	Island Records (UK) Chrysalis/Capitol (US)
Producer	Ian Anderson
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link George Starostin (overall rating: 8/15) link Rolling Stone (unfavorable) link
Jethro Tull chronology
War Child (1974) Minstrel in the Gallery (1975) M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull (1976)

Minstrel in the Gallery (1975) is an album by British band Jethro Tull. It is the ninth album by the band, released in September 1975.

Ian Anderson's lyrics and subject matter show an introspective and cynical air, possibly the byproduct of Anderson's recent divorce from first wife Jennie Franks and the pressures of touring, coupled with the frustrations of writing for and recording the album in Monte Carlo. The title refers to the use of a minstrel's gallery in the great hall of castles or manor houses. Stylistically the album is varied. The songs "Minstrel In The Gallery", "Black Satin Dancer" are hard-rock. The track "One White Duck / 0¹⁰ = Nothing At All" contains two acoustic songs, the first of which also features string quartet; the second is stripped-down, with just vocals and acoustic guitar. In the songs "Cold Wind to Valhalla", "Requiem" and "Baker St. Muse" the string quartet is featured prominently alongside the rock band.

Five of the seven songs on the album feature intros, consisting of either speech or count-offs (the exceptions being "Black Satin Dancer" and "Grace").

This album was remastered with five additional bonus tracks in November 2002, including incomplete live-in-the-studio renditions of "Minstrel In The Gallery" and "Cold Wind to Valhalla", some tracks that appeared only on maxi-singles ("Pan Dance", "March The Mad Scientist") and "Summerday Sands" which was the B-side of the "Minstrel In The Gallery" single

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 Bonus tracks 2 Personnel 3 Charts 4 External links

[edit] Track listing

1. "Minstrel in the Gallery" – 8:13
2. "Cold Wind to Valhalla" – 4:19
3. "Black Satin Dancer" – 6:52
4. "Requiem" – 3:45
5. "One White Duck / 0¹⁰ = Nothing At All" – 4:37
6. "Baker St. Muse¹" – 16:39
7. "Grace" – 0:37

¹"Baker St. Muse" is a suite consisting of four pieces:

1. "Baker St. Muse"
2. "The Pig-Me and the Whore"
3. "Crash-Barrier Waltzer"
4. "Mother England Reverie"

[edit] Bonus tracks

The remastered CD added bonus tracks (which had been on the 20 Years of Jethro Tull box-set) and extensive liner notes:

8. "Summerday Sands" – 3:44
9. "March the Mad Scientist" – 1:48
10. "Pan Dance" – 3:25
11. "Minstrel in the Gallery - Live" – 2:11
12. "Cold Wind to Valhalla - Live" – 1:32

[edit] Personnel

• Ian Anderson - flute, acoustic guitar, vocals
• Barriemore Barlow - drums, percussion
• Martin Barre - electric guitars
• John Evan - keyboards
• Jeffrey Hammond - bass guitar
• David Palmer - orchestral arrangements

[edit] Charts

• Peaked at #7 on the Billboard album chart

[edit] External links

• Minstrel In The Gallery (1975) at Allmusic
• Minstrel In The Gallery (2002) at Allmusic (bonus tracks)
• Minstrel In The Gallery at Progressive World

v • d • e Jethro Tull Ian Anderson · Martin Barre · Doane Perry · David Goodier · James Duncan · John O'Hara Mick Abrahams · Clive Bunker · Glenn Cornick · Barriemore Barlow · Jeffrey Hammond · John Evan · David Palmer · John Glascock · Mark Craney · Peter-John Vettese · Eddie Jobson · Dave Pegg · Gerry Conway · Maartin Allcock · Dave Mattacks · Jonathan Noyce · Andrew Giddings · Tony Iommi Discography Studio albums This Was · Stand Up · Benefit · Aqualung · Thick as a Brick · A Passion Play · War Child · Minstrel in the Gallery · Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! · Songs from the Wood · Heavy Horses · Stormwatch · A · Broadsword and the Beast · Under Wraps · Crest of a Knave · Rock Island · Catfish Rising · Roots to Branches · J-Tull Dot Com · The Jethro Tull Christmas Album Live albums Bursting Out · Live at Hammersmith '84 · Jethro Tull In Concert · A Little Light Music · Living with the Past · Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 · Aqualung Live Compilations Living in the Past · M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull · Repeat - The Best of Jethro Tull - Vol II · Original Masters · 20 Years of Jethro Tull: Highlights · The Best of Jethro Tull - The Anniversary Collection · Nightcap · Through the Years · The Very Best of Jethro Tull · Essential · The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull Box sets 20 Years of Jethro Tull · 25th Anniversary Box Set Videos Slipstream · 20 Years of Jethro Tull · 25th Anniversary Video · Living with the Past · A New Day Yesterday · Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 · Live At Montreux 2003