Heavy Horses
Like 1977'sSongs from the Wood,Heavy Horsesis often unfairly posited as the thematic follow-up to its aforementioned studio predecessor. WhileSongs from the Woodevokes a magical atmosphere,Heavy Horsesis far more earthly. Indeed, on the nine-minute-long title-track--a most poetic ode to the England's plough horses--Ian Anderson sings with the sorrow of a farmhand witnessing modern harvesting equipment coming over the horizon for the first time. One can even forgive him the rather randy line, "Let me find you a filly for your proud stallion seed, to keep the old line going." Sure, there's plenty of prattle about drinking afternoon tea with mice, but tracks like "Moths" and "Acres Wild" markHeavy Horsesas a must-own title in the Jethro Tull canon.--Kevin Maidment