Ian Anderson: Vocals, flute, piccolo, bamboo flute, wooden flute, guitars, accordion, percussion, bass guitar, mandolin
James Duncan: Drums
David Goodier: Bass guitar, Stand-up bass
Leslie Mandoki: Drums, Percussion, Uku
Laszlo Bencker: Keyboards, Piano, Hammond B3 organ, Mellotron, Moog
Ossi Schaller: Guitar, Electric guitar
George Kopecsni: Guitar, Electric guitar
John O’Hara: Accordion, keyboards
Andrew Giddings: Keyboards
Doane Perry: Drums
Martin Barre: Electric guitar
The Sturcz String Quartet

Jany
Translated by Jennifer Summer

There’s good news for every experienced Jethro Tull/Ian Anderson fan.  Ian has still got it in him and has just released a new solo CD.  ‘Rupi’s Dance’ is Ian’s fourth solo album and, without a doubt, his best.  Why?  I’ll try to explain why in a few words.  As a Tull fan from the beginning, it’s always exciting for the next new album from the master himself.  Has it reached the level of a Tull album or not?  Is the quality of the music comparable to the albums of the good old days?  ‘Walk Into Light’ from 1983 certainly wasn’t.  ‘Divinities:Twelve Dances with God’ was a wonderful, but classic album.  ‘The Secret Language of Birds’ was good but lacked some spunk here and there.  ‘Rupi’s Dance’ is his first solo album that can be compared to a good Tull album.  Some songs are very similar to early Jethro Tull songs, but without being a copy of them.  “Lost in Crowds” is a fantastic song and is reminiscent of “My God” from the ‘Aqualung’ album, while “Pigeon Flying over Berlin Zoo” reminds me of “Budapest” from ‘Crest of a Knave’.  The whole album leans towards his earlier works.  Is Ian homesick for the good old days?  Let’s hope so.  What we see here is very decent music without being repetitive, but with enough nostalgia to provide every Tull fan with that orgasmic feeling.  Am I exaggerating?  No, not really.  In all honesty, I must say that there are no characteristic guitar sounds of Martin Barre to be heard (except on the bonus track “Birthday Card at Christmas”, which is a Jethro Tull song on the new Christmas album that will be coming out in October).  This is not to say that there is no electric guitar being played!

“A Raft of Penguins” and “Calliandra Shade (The Cappuccino Song)” give off spirited feelings and melodies that really stay with you.  The intricate orchestral pieces are also very beautiful.  The fact that Ian plays flute is something that I probably don’t have to explain, but once again, it’s surprising how he conjures up all that inventiveness and virtuosity.  At one moment you’re moved and the next moment you’re amazed.  Admittedly, you must like progressive folk and classical style music, otherwise the album will not reveal its’ secrets. 

The instrumental “Eurology” has a taste of the ‘Songs from the Woods’ album and “Old Black Cat” leans towards the ‘Heavy Horses’ album.  And if you hear a little something of “Stand Up” in “Photo Shop”, then you’re definitely aimed in the right direction.

We get loads of “new” progressive material every day, but lots of it is borrowed from the past or, even worse, a shameless copy.  Sometimes a good “borrowed” copy can be better than a bad original, but if a living legend such as Ian Anderson brings out a great CD, then you can definitely understand why some people are world famous and others not!