Crest Of A Knave

About

"Crest of a Knave" is the sixteenth studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released in 1987. It was recorded following a three-year hiatus caused by vocalist Ian Anderson's throat infection, which led to a change in his singing style. After the band's previous album, "Under Wraps" (1984), which incorporated electronic rock element, "Crest of a Knave" marked a return to a more guitar-oriented hard rock sound. The album became the band's most commercially successful release since the 1970s and was supported by radio airplay, music video, and television appearance. In 1989, it received the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental. The album was promoted through the "Not Quite the World, More the Here and There Tour". Drummer Doane Perry, who had joined Jethro Tull's touring line-up in 1984, performed on two track, while Gerry Conway, who had previously appeared on "The Broadsword and the Beast" (1982), played on four track. The remaining songs were recorded using a drum machine. Following the departure of keyboardist Peter-John Vettese in 1986, Anderson handled the synthesiser programming. The album sleeve credited only Anderson, Martin Barre, and Dave Pegg as band member. Barre later stated that his contribution to the album was greater than on any previous Jethro Tull release. The cover artwork was designed by heraldic artist Andrew Stewart Jamieson, while the sleeve for the single "Steel Monkey" was created by art director John Pasche. "Crest of a Knave" was released simultaneously on LP and CD. The vinyl edition omitted the tracks "Dogs in the Midwinter" and "The Waking Edge", both of which later appeared as B-sides on singles from the album. The album credits included several humorous note, including a description of the recording location as being "just round the corner from the kitchen" and acknowledgements from the band member. Musically, the album featured a stronger emphasis on Martin Barre's electric guitar playing than many of the band's releases from the preceding decade. Commentators have compared aspects of its sound to that of Dire Strait, partly because Anderson's altered vocal style differed from his earlier recording. Discussing the album's music, Anderson described "Steel Monkey" as an atypical Jethro Tull song due to its sequencer-based riff and absence of flute. He contrasted it with "Farm on the Freeway" and "Budapest", which he regarded as more representative of the band's style. Anderson cited "Budapest" as an example of his preferred songwriting approach, noting its combination of classical, blue, and folk influence. The album's lyrics address a variety of subject. "She Said She Was a Dancer" deals with themes of sexuality, while "Budapest" portrays a backstage encounter with a local stagehand. "Farm on the Freeway" tells the story of a farmer displaced from his land through compulsory acquisition. "Mountain Men" draws parallels between military conflict, including the North African campaign of the Second World War and the Falklands War, and examines the experiences of those affected by war on the home front. Contemporary reviews were generally favourable. A review in "Sounds" praised the opening tracks "Steel Monkey" and "Farm on the Freeway" and noted the album's adaptation of contemporary hard rock trend, while also criticising some stylistic similarities to Mark Knopfler and modern pop music. Retrospective assessments have been more mixed. A later review by AllMusic described the album as the band's strongest release since "Heavy Horses" (1978), highlighting tracks such as "Jump Start", "Raising Steam", and "Mountain Men", while noting the presence of softer material including "The Waking Edge", "Budapest", and "She Said She Was a Dancer". .

via Last.fm

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