Jethro Tull – Benefit (2xLP)

Jethro Tull's 1970 classic Benefit was their third studio album in as many years, following the successes of This Was (1968) and Stand Up (1969).

For Benefit, Ian Anderson (flute, guitars, vocals), Martin Barre (guitars), Glenn Cornick (bass), and Clive Bunker (drums) were joined by John Evan on piano and organ. Evan would go on to play on all of Jethro Tull's albums throughout the '70s. It was also the last to include Cornick, who was fired from the band upon completion of touring for the album.

Recorded at Morgan Studios, where the band recorded Stand Up, the album featured more advanced studio techniques, such as a backward-recorded flute on "With You There To Help Me" and a sped-up guitar on "Play In Time." Frontman Ian Anderson said Evan had changed the band's style: "John has added a new dimension musically and I can write more freely now. In fact anything is possible with him at the keyboard."

Compared to Stand Up, although containing a similar mix of bluesy hard-rockers and melodic acoustic numbers, Benefit had, as Ian Anderson put it, a "harder, slightly darker feel" compared to previous material. The eclectic fusion of folk, rock, and progressive elements creates a sonic tapestry unlike any other.

Anderson's virtuosic flute playing intertwines with Barre's electrifying guitar work, weaving intricate melodies that transport listeners to a world of introspection and imagination. From the hauntingly beautiful "With You There to Help Me" to the whimsical energy of "To Cry You a Song," each track invites exploration of both the inner self and the world beyond.

This Analogue Productions 45 RPM release, plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings, gives this historic album the rich sonic presentation it deserves. The dead-quiet double-LP, with the music spread over four sides of vinyl, reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately. This release duplicates the gatefold jacket used in the U.K.; it uses the original U.S. song order and track listing, with the addition at the end of LP2 Side B, of the bonus track "Alive And Well And Living In" from the U.K. version.

Benefit stands as a testament to Jethro Tull's pioneering spirit, pushing the boundaries of musical expression and leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of rock music. This reissue is clean, balanced and richly detailed, the way an Analogue Productions reissue should sound.