Jethro Tull – Benefit (1970) *New* 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip, plus bonus

Benefit was the album on which the Jethro Tull sound solidified around folk music, abandoning blues entirely. Beginning with the opening number, "With You There to Help Me," Anderson adopts his now-familiar, slightly mournful folksinger/sage persona, with a rather sardonic outlook on life and the world; his acoustic guitar carries the melody, joined by Martin Barre's electric instrument for the crescendos. This would be the model for much of the material on Aqualung and especially Thick as a Brick, although the acoustic/electric pairing would be executed more effectively on those albums. Here the acoustic and electric instruments are merged somewhat better than they were on Stand Up, and as needed, the electric guitars carry the melodies better than on previous albums. 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. As on Stand Up, the group was still officially a quartet, with future member John Evan (whose John Evan Band had become the nucleus of Jethro Tull two years before) appearing as a guest on keyboards; his classical training proved essential to the expanding of the group's sound on the three albums to come. Bruce Eder, allmusic.

Track listing:

01. With You There to Help Me
02. Nothing to Say
03. Alive and Well and Living In
04. Son
05. For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me
06. To Cry You a Song
07. A Time for Everything
08. Inside
09. Play in Time
10. Sossity; You're a Woman

Bonus tracks, from Chrysalis mono single WIP 6070 (1969)

11. Sweet Dream
12. 17

Personnel:

Ian Anderson: vocals, guitar and flute, keyboards
Martin Barre: electric guitar
Glenn Cornick: bass guitar, Hammond organ [uncredited]
Clive Bunker: drums
David Palmer: orchestral arrangements
Songs written by Ian Anderson
Recorded at Morgan Studio, London
Piano and Organ played by John Evan
Produced by Ian Anderson

Technicals:

Knosti RCM.
Michell GyroDec full version.
Funk Firm FXR II Tonearm.
Audio Technica AT33PTG/II MC Cartridge.
Harman Kardon HK990 Integrated Amplifier.
Gold Interconnects. E-MU 0204 Audio Interface.
Recording, split and manual de-click with Adobe Audition 3.0.1
Click Repair 3.8.4