Ian Anderson - The Secret Language Of Birds (2000)
Now and then we take a look back at one of the reviews from our ever-growing archive to see if the album has stood the test of time. We did a series of this in 2015, when DPRP had its 20th anniversary, and this series was first published on a dedicated blog, thearchivesofprog.blogspot.com. We did a series like this in 2018, when we had done 20 years of album reviews, under the title 20 Years Of Reviews.
One of Ian Anderson's main talents was to use the flute to embellish his gifted ability as a writer of complex, yet intrinsically melodic tunes.
Anderson's most recent compositions in Homo Erraticus, pale in comparison to his skill as a song writer displayed in The Secret Language Of Birds released in 2000.
The Secret Language Of Birds arguably marks the last occasion that Anderson showed the full extent of his song writing abilities and artistic genius.
The Secret Language Of Birds has integrity. It displays no artistic pretensions and is an album that has no apparent desire to please a Tull audience, or indeed any particular audience. It is simply an album full of superb tunes from a guy writing songs from the heart, rather than by numbers, or to a set formula, or with a view to nostalgia and commercial success.
The Secret Language Of Birds is quite wonderful and works magnificently on so many different levels.
Check out Henri Bos' 2000 review of this album.
Read it here.
Listen to The Little Flower Girl from this album on YouTube.
Listen here.
Find more information at the Jethro Tull website.
jethrotull.com/