Minstrel in the Gallery [40th Anniversary: La Grande Edition]

About Minstrel in the Gallery [40th Anniversary: La Grande Edition]

Minstrel in the Gallery is the eighth studio album by British band Jethro Tull, recorded in April and released in September 1975. The album goes in a different direction from their previous work War Child (1974), with the orchestration being replaced by a string quartet conducted by David Palmer. The band also returned to the blend of electric and acoustic pieces, in a manner closer to their early '70s albums such as Benefit (1970), Aqualung (1971) and Thick as a Brick (1972), and for the first time since their two concept albums of Thick as a Brick (1972) and A Passion Play (1973), they recorded a song of more than ten minutes, which occupies almost all of the second side of the record. It would be the last album to feature bassist Jeffrey Hammond, who was replaced by former Carmen bass player John Glascock. more »