Detta är den andraskivan som är inspelad hemma hos Kjell.
City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus on : The Miraculous Mandarin
Sir Simon Rattle
The Miraculous Mandarin Track 1 - 8 :
Recorded IV.1993, Symphony Hall Birmingham
Concerto for Orchestra: Track 9 - 13:
Live Recording 1/3.X.1992 Symphony Hall Birmingham
DDD 1994 EMI Classics 7243 5 55094 2 0
Filarmónica de Viena
(p) 1980 (1, 12) / 1981 (2, 3, 6, 8, 11) / 1982 (5) / 1983 (4, 7, 9, 10) Polydor International GmbH, Hamburg
"Sugar" and "Purple People" recorded during soundcheck
Anmärkning: [Stockholm 26 okt, utg dec 1950.]
Anmärkning: [Stockholm 26 okt, utg dec 1950.]
The Secret Language of Birds is Ian Anderson's third solo album, but the first to specifically highlight his melodic skill and guitar prowess on a set of folk-inspired songs. His first solo album, 1983's Walk into Light, was marred by its full embrace of sterile '80s production in lieu of rusticity. While his second effort, 1995's Divinities, was a move in the right direction and a sonic precursor to the set at hand, it still was held back by its conscious decision to downplay Anderson's obvious acoustic heritage for a more classical bent. But sometimes the obvious is what works best, and Jethro Tull fans were pleased to learn that Anderson's third release finally embraced his classic sound. Just like Tull's excellent Roots to Branches, this one has a decided ethnic flair, running the gamut from Indian to Russian to Celtic. Even though the disc has several contributing musicians, it doesn't fall prey to the "too many cooks in the kitchen" syndrome that plagued many a latter-day Jethro Tull release. Instead, a very rich yet minimalistic sound is highlighted throughout, with Anderson's strong, almost-recovered voice and virtuoso mandolin/acoustic guitar work coming to the fore. The title track and "The Water Carrier" specifically recall such classics as "Fat Man," "Skating Away," and "Minstrel in the Gallery." Perhaps the best songs besides those two are "Sanctuary" and "Panama Freighter," both of which are mature yet quirky, the obvious fruits of Anderson's unique vision. Those are the highlights, but the whole album displays a consistency that even Jethro Tull rarely approached. There are even two bonus tracks not listed from a European TV broadcast. The Secret Language of Birds can be easily ranked among Anderson's best work, Tull or otherwise, and in many ways is the most impressive release of his career.
It's difficult to explain the difference between an Ian Anderson and a Jethro Tull album. After all, Anderson writes virtually all of Tull's material and his unique voice and flute playing encapsulates the band's style. And Anderson isn't necessarily prone to the stripped down, confessional approach that many frontmen take when issuing solo projects. Perhaps during this particularly productive period Anderson simply needed to separate his "regular" songwriting from the group's concurrent The Jethro Tull Christmas Album release. Yes, a more acoustic treatment was given to this album than to Tull releases during the '90s, although their Christmas recording is very similar in production to this solo outing. The only Tull member that appears on this release is keyboardist Andy Giddings - and it's a cameo appearance at that. Maybe Anderson merely needs to exit the confines of the band momentarily to work with other musicians for either inspiration or escape. Whatever the case, the end solo product isn't substantially different from the band's most recent effort. That's a good thing given Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull's new lease with the Varese/Fuel 2000 record label. "Rupi's Dance" is a folksy piece recalling Minstrel in the Gallery and "Old Black Cat" would have fit nicely on Heavy Horses. Anderson does give some of his solo work various world music touches, such as Eastern European, Celtic, and Mid-Eastern, but only sparingly. Anderson's knack for writing simple, yet endearing, melodies is evident in numerous instances on Rupi's Dance, but is magnified on "Griminelli's Lament," an instrumental honoring the Italian flautist Andrea Griminelli. Other instrumental passages seem to be an outgrowth of classic Tull albums like Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play, among others. An extremely satisfying album, Rupi's Dance looks simultaneously to the past and future for its inspiration.
