Songs From the Wood

Songs from the Wood (1977) is the tenth studio album by Jethro Tull and is considered to be the first of a trio of folk rock albums (Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses and Stormwatch) despite the fact that folk music elements are present in the work of Jethro Tull both before and after this trilogy. Songs from the Wood was the first Tull album to receive unambiguously positive reviews since the time of Thick as a Brick. Filled with folk and fantasy imagery, and ornamental folk arrangement, the album is a departure from the hard rock of earlier Tull material, though it still retained some of the band's older sound. The album reached #8 on the Billboard album chart, making it the last top ten album for the band to date. The song "The Whistler" was the only song to chart as a single in the United States, peaking at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1977. The album peaked at No. 13 on the UK Albums Chart. The cover of the album features Ian Anderson sporting a leather jerkin. The album cover, despite its photographic appearance, is actually a painting by artist Jay L. Lee. This is the first Jethro Tull album to feature keyboardist David Palmer as an official band member. T…