Jethro Tull-Stormwatch (1979)

It is clear that Stormwatch closes an era, remember that it was published in 1979. The seventies end and Anderson and his boys decide to fire them by closing a trilogy, which began with Songs from the Wood and continued with Heavy Horses, dedicated to the vision that Ian had in those moments about the modern lifestyle and how it directly attacks nature and the environment, as opposed to the benefits of the traditional and rural way of life.

If in Songs from tthe Wood the general tone was optimistic, Heavy Horses already began to notice certain storm clouds that would definitely burst with the publication of an album that oozes pessimism about the planet's situation and concern for an uncertain future: Stormwatch

The title of the album reflects Ian's idea that he is seeing a great storm coming that will plunge mankind into a winter of environmental destruction. The lookout warns us of the disaster that will happen if we do not stop destroying nature and the environment, in favor of excessive economic growth and without control ... Almost thirty years later, it is difficult to deny Ian Anderson the reason, at least in part.

The magnificent cover depicts Anderson in his role as a watchman of the storm, looking ominously over binoculars in which some rays are reflected on an oil rig: the storm is approaching. The soft green and brown colors of the two previous works are replaced by depressing blacks and blues, and the band's logo and the title of the album appear in red digital letters: like those in the movie bombs' countdown. , another alarm signal ...

On the back cover a large giant white bear emerges from a large mass of snow and sweeps a refinery. In the icy sea there are oil platforms. In the sky you can see birds and the constellation of Orion (one of the songs on the album), and after the birds, as the image is diluted, an angel is seen, probably Gabriel, who would come to blow his trombone marking the beginning of the Apocalypse ...

To make matters worse, the death of the young bass player of the band, John Glascock, would not contribute precisely to creating a more optimistic environment. The bass parts that John couldn't play, Anderson himself assumed.

The sound of Stormwatch also becomes rougher, by Tullian standards, which is mostly reflected in the hardening of the sound of Barre's guitar. I also believe that we can talk about a conceptual album, in that the general theme that most songs are about is the same or similar.