First off, let me confess that I don't particularly like Jethro Tull. I find their output longwinded, pompous, tedious and dull ... except for this record, which I inexplicably adore. There's a light, airy feel to even the hard rock numbers here, while the music effortlessly fuses elements of rock, folk, blues and classical. The rhythm section -- Glenn Cornick's melodic bass and Clive Bunker's steady-as-she-goes drumming -- anchors the songs, which are gentle, wistful and delicate ... not generally words I'd associate with Ian Anderson. Everything works -- the bouzouki-driven "Fat Man", the gorgeous ballad "Look Into The Sun", the intense rock of "A New Day Yesterday", the Bach arrangement "Bouree" ... Yes folks, there was a time when Tull "had it". Sadly, apart from a couple of singles recorded around the same time (notably "Living In The Past"), the band would move onto other (in my opinion, less rewarding) territory. Fact is, not even their next album, Benefit, sounds like Stand Up. By far their crowning achievement. –Tom
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