This classic from Jethro Tull turns 45 years old this week. Jethro Tull are one of the more interesting bands who rose up in the 60s/70s – they are very much in the progressive style, based around composition and rhythm, with guitar and keyboards layering over an incredibly tight and clever drum/bass combo, with vocalist Ian Anderson singing his heart out on top. And also playing a flute for large swatches of their music.

Yes, a flute. And that flute gives the whole sound something else entirely – it lends a bit of jazz to the otherwise solid rock foundation. Songs From The Wood is one of their most popular albums, considered a return to form for the group when it was released in 1977 – it steered the group into folk rock, eschewing their heavier rock roots.

And its a really great album: lyrically inspired by medieval times, the opening title track uses vocal harmony and narrative lyrics to paint a picture of a time and a place, leading into “Jack-In-The-Green”, the final track completed, with its clever time signatures and acoustic guitar/flute intro evoking the picturesque view of the middle ages.

The whole album is along the same lines – think Led Zeppelin at a renaissance fair. I played the album while creating a couple of reports for work, and it was a brilliant soundtrack for part of my morning. And it makes me want to look back through some of Jethro Tull’s other work.

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CLTM (Chris Listens To Music) is my attempt to listen to a new album every day; you can follow my efforts on Instagram here (and send recommendations), and if you like what I’m doing, support my efforts by shouting me a cuppa at Buy Me A Coffee.