Jethro Tull-Heavy Horses (1978)

Following the formula of their previous album, "Songs From The Wood", Jethro Tull presented their eleventh album, "Heavy Horses", in which medieval British folk influences form the cornerstone of this release. This time, Ian Anderson emphasizes the unsustainable encroachment of urbanization into rural areas and its subsequent impact on wildlife and the countryside. This rural setting is reflected in music brimming with acoustic guitars courtesy of Martin Barre and Anderson, violins and orchestral arrangements by Darryl Way and David Palmer, and Ian Anderson's unmistakable flute. These structures underpin songs like "...And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps", "Acres Wild", "Moths", "One Brown House", and "Weathercock". However, they don't entirely abandon rock, featuring more sophisticated and energetic tracks such as the edgy "No Lubally", the semi-funky "Journeyman", and the progressive folk title track. "Heavy Horses" provided the best epilogue to a series of albums ("Minstrell In The Gallery", "Too Old To Rock'n'Roll; Too Young To Die!" and "Songs From the Wood"), where acoustic sounds and progressive folk had subtly replaced the energetic folk rock and progressive rock of "Aqualung", "Thick As A Brick", "A Passion Play" and "War Child".