Songs from the Wood is the tenth studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released on 11 February 1977 by Chrysalis Records. The album is considered to be the first of three folk rock albums released by the band at the end of the 1970s, followed by Heavy Horses (1978) and Stormwatch (1979).

Drawing inspiration from English folklore and countryside living, the album signalled a resumption of the band's wide-ranging folk rock style which combined traditional instruments and melodies with hard rock drums, synthesisers and electric guitars, all laid in the band's complex progressive rock template.

Musical style and themes

Filled with imagery from medieval Britain (especially in the "Jack-in-the-Green", "Cup of Wonder", and "Ring Out, Solstice Bells" lyrics), and ornamental folk arrangement (as in "Velvet Green" and "Fire at Midnight"), Songs From the Wood was a departure from the hard rock of earlier Jethro Tull material, though it still retained some of the band's older, progressive sound.

Anderson's inspiration to pursue folk was inspired by recent changes in his personal life; he had recently got married and purchased a farm estate in rural Buckinghamshire, giving him "an opportunity to evaluate and reflect upon the cultural and historical significance of making that commitment to English residency." Anderson was also partly inspired by the book Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain which was given to him by Jethro Tull's then manager Jo Lustig in 1976. According to Anderson, the book "certainly gave me thoughts about the elements of characters and stories that played out in my songwriting on the Songs From the Wood album, which then carried on over to the Heavy Horses album and even beyond that into the Stormwatch album."

Critical reception

In a retrospective review, AllMusic called Songs from the Wood "the prettiest record Jethro Tull released at least since Thick as a Brick".

In 2014, Songs from the Wood was included in the list The 100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time by Prog magazine at number 76. In 2000, it was voted number 520 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.

Legacy

"Ring Out, Solstice Bells" has become popular as a Christmas song in the United Kingdom. It has been featured in lists of classic and favourite Christmas songs; a re-recorded version appears on The Jethro Tull Christmas Album.

Members of the band have ranked the album highly in retrospect, with Anderson counting it as among his top five personal favourite Jethro Tull albums.

The second DVD includes a complete concert movie made from video originally recorded for projecting on onstage screens at the Landover show. Because the first audio multitrack reel from the Landover show wasn't available, Jakszyk went to great lengths to sync the footage with audio from Maryland for the first four songs. The bonus track "Beethoven's Ninth" is from the Landover show as well, but excluded from the film because it was never professionally recorded and the audio is of inferior quality.

Personnel

;Jethro Tull

  • Ian Anderson – lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, cymbals, whistles; all instruments (on track 2).
  • Martin Barre – electric guitar, lute
  • John Glascock – bass guitar, backing vocals
  • John Evan – piano, organ, synthesisers
  • Dee Palmer – piano, portative pipe organ, synthesisers
  • Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion, marimba, glockenspiel, bells, nakers, tabor

;Additional personnel

  • Robin Black – sound engineering
  • Thing Moss and Trevor White – assistant engineers
  • Keith Howard – wood-cutter
  • Jay L. Lee – front cover painting
  • Shirt Sleeve Studio – back cover

Charts

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! Chart (1977)

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! scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)

| align="center"| 13

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! scope="row"| Danish Albums (Tracklisten

| style="text-align:center;"|8

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! scope="row"|Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)

| align="center"| 21

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{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

! Chart (2017)

! Peak<br/>position

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Certifications

References

  • Songs from the Wood at Discogs.com
  • Songs from the Wood album review at Ground and Sky (archived)
  • Songs from the Wood album review by vanderb0b at Sputnikmusic.com