Benefit (album)

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***Benefit*** is the third album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released in April 1970. It was the first Tull album to include pianist and organist John Evan – though he was not yet a permanent member of the group – and the last to include bass guitarist Glenn Cornick. It was recorded at the same studio of the previous album, but the band experimented with more advanced recording techniques.

Singer Ian Anderson said that *Benefit* is a much darker album than the 1969 predecessor, *Stand Up*, owing to the pressures of an extensive U.S. tour and frustration with the music business.

## Production

Guitarist Martin Barre said that *Benefit* was a lot easier to make than previous albums, as the success of *Stand Up* allowed the musicians more artistic latitude.

Bassist Glenn Cornick stated that the band's intention was to capture a more "live" feeling as "I felt the last one sounded like a group of session musicians performing various songs. It was pretty cold."

*Benefit* incorporated studio techniques such as reverse recording (flute and piano tracks on "With You There to Help Me"), and manipulating the tape speed (guitar on "Play in Time"). In a 1970 interview Anderson noted that the addition of keyboardist John Evan had changed the band's style: "John has added a new dimension musically and I can write more freely now. In fact anything is possible with him at the keyboard".

## Musical style

Ian Anderson said that *Benefit* was a "guitar riff" album, recorded in a year in which artists like Cream, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin were becoming more riff-oriented. Anderson also noted that *Benefit* is "a rather dark and stark album and, although it has a few songs on it that are rather okay, I don't think it has the breadth, variety or detail that *Stand Up* has. But it was an evolution in terms of the band playing as 'a band.'" Overall, Anderson considered the album "a natural part of the group's evolution".

According to Martin Barre "To Cry You a Song" was a response to Blind Faith's "Had to Cry Today", "although you couldn't compare the two; nothing was stolen ... The riff crossed over the bar in a couple of places and Ian and I each played guitars on the backing tracks. It was more or less live in the studio with a couple of overdubs and a solo. Ian played my Gibson SG and I played a Les Paul on it."

## Releases

The UK and the US release are different: the US version (with flute) of "Teacher" was placed on side two of the album and the track "Alive and Well and Living In" was excluded. In the UK "Teacher" was the B-side of the non-album single "Witch's Promise" and fluteless.

In 2013 The Collector’s Edition of *Benefit* was released. It contains bonus tracks mixed by Steven Wilson, a disc with mono and stereo mixes of rare and previously unreleased versions of tracks and singles and an audio-only DVD that includes a surround sound mix of the original album. The Collector's Edition also includes a booklet featuring an 8,000-word essay written by Martin Webb, as well as interviews with band members and a selection of photos, some previously unseen.

## Critical reception

Critics were generally unimpressed with *Benefit* upon its release. *Rolling Stone* reviewer called the album "lame and dumb". *Disc and Music Echo* was also unimpressed but recognized the band's quality: "This album doesn't advance by such a drastic leap as *Stand Up* did from *This Was*. It's more like the Jethro Tull we've seen and heard for the past year. It seems to be a remarkably long album, and shows what an exciting group this is. Exciting because they can have quite long guitar breaks and still retain a very tight and together sound". *The Village Voice* critic Robert Christgau appreciated the riffs around which all the songs were constructed, but was taken away by the lyrics that he judged hard to recall.

AllMusic and *Record Collector'*s much-later reviews were more positive in accepting the album's style. Bruce Eder stated that: "Most of the songs on *Benefit* display pleasant, delectably folk-like melodies attached to downbeat, slightly gloomy, but dazzlingly complex lyrics, with Barre's guitar adding enough wattage to keep the hard rock listeners very interested. 'To Cry You a Song', 'Son', and 'For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me' all defined Tull's future sound: Barre's amp cranked up to ten (especially on 'Son'), coming in above Anderson's acoustic strumming, a few unexpected changes in tempo, and Anderson spouting lyrics filled with dense, seemingly profound imagery and statements." *Record Collector* reviewer, analysing the Collector's Edition of 2013, praised the Steven Wilson remix and wrote: "*Benefit* forms the perfect bridge between the rolling, tumbling Tull of old and the tightly braided riffs and prickly lyrics presented by *Aqualung*."

## Personnel

Jethro Tull
* Ian Anderson – vocals, guitar, electric guitar (uncredited), flute, balalaika, keyboards, producer
* Martin Barre – electric guitar
* Glenn Cornick – bass guitar, Hammond organ (uncredited)
* Clive Bunker – drums

Additional musicians
* David Palmer – orchestral arrangements
* John Evan – piano and organ

Production
* Robin Black – engineer
* Terry Ellis – cover design, executive producer
* Ruan O'Lochlainn – cover design, photography

## Charts

*Benefit* was the first million record seller from Jethro Tull.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Jethro Tull - *Benefit* (May 1, 1970)". Jethro Tull Official Website: JethroTull.com. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
2. ↑ Morton, Tom (27 August 2001). "BBC Radio Scotland: Old Wild Men". Tull Press.com. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
3. ↑ Wright, Jeb. "Forty Years Of Aqualung: An Interview With Jethro Tull's Martin Barre". Classic Rock Revisited.com. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
4. ↑ Logan, Nick (21 February 1970). "Jethro Go For Live Feel On Their Next Album". *New Musical Express*. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
5. ↑ "A Tull Story". *Down Beat*. 25 June 1970. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
6. ↑ Scapelliti, Christopher (September 1999). "Tull Tales". *Guitar World*. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
7. ↑ Rabey, Brian (May 1997). "Tull Tales". *Guitar Legends*. No. 22. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
8. ↑ "Steven Wilson remixes Jethro Tull's 'Benefit'". Steven Wilson Official Website. 4 September 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Eder, Bruce. "Jethro Tull - Benefit review". *AllMusic*. All Media Network. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Consumer Guide Reviews:: Jethro Tull - Benefit". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Rathbone, Oregano (December 2013). "Jethro Tull - *Benefit* (1970/2013 Collector's Edition, mixed by Steven Wilson, 2CD+DVD/LP)". Record Collector. Retrieved 28 March 2016. Italic or bold markup not allowed in: `|publisher=` (help)
12. ↑ Shadoian, Jack (6 August 1970). "Jethro Tull - Benefit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 28 March 2016. Italic or bold markup not allowed in: `|publisher=` (help)
13. ↑ "Jethro Leaps - But Not Quite So High: Jethro Tull - *Benefit* (1970) album review". *Disc and Music Echo*. 18 April 1970. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
14. ↑ "Norwegian Albums Chart: Jethro Tull – Benefit". *Norwegiancharts.com*. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Jethro Tull Official Charts (UK)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
16. ↑ "German Albums Chart: Jethro Tull - Benefit". *Charts.de* (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
17. ↑ Danish Albums Chart: Jethro Tull - Benefit
18. ↑ "Dutch MegaCharts: Jethro Tull - Benefit". *Dutchcharts.nl* (in Dutch). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Benefit Billboard Albums". *AllMusic*. All Media Network. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
20. ↑ "Italian Charts 1970 / Gli album più venduti del 1970" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia.it. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
21. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 13, No. 17, June 13, 1970 (Canada)". Library and Archives Canada. 13 June 1970. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
22. ↑ "Italian Charts: Jethro Tull - Benefit". *Italiancharts.com*. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
23. ↑ "Dutch MegaCharts: Jethro Tull - Benefit". *Dutchcharts.nl* (in Dutch). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
24. ↑ "Suchen – insert Jethro Tull". *Charts.de* (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
25. ↑ "RIAA Gold & Platinum Database: search for Jethro Tull". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 March 2016.

## External links

* Jethro Tull - *Benefit* (1970/2001 Version with Bonus Tracks) album review by Bruce Eder, credits & releases at AllMusic.com
* Jethro Tull - *Benefit* (1970) album releases & credits at Discogs.com
* Jethro Tull - *Benefit* (1970) album credits & user reviews at ProgArchives.com
* Jethro Tull - *Benefit* (1970) album review by BludgeonySteve at SputnikMusic.com
* Jethro Tull - *Benefit* (1970/2001 Remastered Version) album to be listened as stream at Play.Spotify.com
* Jethro Tull - *Benefit* (1970/2013 Steven Wilson Remix & Remaster) album to be listened as stream at Play.Spotify.com

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