Crest of a Knave
Encyclopedia
Crest of a Knave is the sixteenth studio album
by British
rock band Jethro Tull
, released in 1987.
The album relied more heavily on Martin Barre
's electric guitar
than the band had since the 1970s. However, several tracks still featured drum machine instead of a live drummer. Keyboardist Peter-John Vettese
was now absent and it was Ian Anderson who contributed the synth programming. The album sleeve only lists Ian Anderson, Martin Barre
and Dave Pegg
as official band members. The cover was designed by heraldic artist Andrew Stewart Jamieson.
The album was a critical and commercial success. It went on to win the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental
, beating the heavily favoured ...And Justice for All
and critics' choice Nothing's Shocking
. The award was highly controversial as many did not consider the album or even the band to be hard rock or heavy metal. Under advisement from their manager, no one from the band turned up to the award ceremony, as they were told that they had no chance of winning. In response to the controversy, the band's record label Chrysalis took out an advert in a British music periodical with the line, "The flute
is a heavy, metal instrument!" In 2007, the win was named one of the 10 biggest upsets in Grammy history by Entertainment Weekly
.
The style of Crest has been compared to that of Dire Straits
, in part because Anderson no longer had the vocal range he once possessed (the result of recent throat surgery). Tull's frank treatment of sexuality was unabated, however. The album contains the popular live song "Budapest", which depicts a backstage scene with a shy local female stagehand.
^ The original vinyl edition didn't feature songs "Dogs In The Midwinter" and "The Waking Edge". Otherwise the song order was the same.
Guest Musician:
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock band Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, released in 1987.
The album relied more heavily on Martin Barre
Martin Barre
Martin Lancelot Barre is an English rock musician.Barre has been the guitarist for rock band Jethro Tull since 1969. He has appeared on every Jethro Tull album except their debut This Was...
's electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
than the band had since the 1970s. However, several tracks still featured drum machine instead of a live drummer. Keyboardist Peter-John Vettese
Peter-John Vettese
Peter-John Vettese , also known as Peter Vettese, is a British keyboardist, songwriter, arranger and record producer....
was now absent and it was Ian Anderson who contributed the synth programming. The album sleeve only lists Ian Anderson, Martin Barre
Martin Barre
Martin Lancelot Barre is an English rock musician.Barre has been the guitarist for rock band Jethro Tull since 1969. He has appeared on every Jethro Tull album except their debut This Was...
and Dave Pegg
Dave Pegg
Dave Pegg is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, arguably most visible as a bass guitarist. He is the longest-serving member of the pre-eminent electric folk band Fairport Convention and has been bassist with a number of important folk and rock groups including The Ian Campbell...
as official band members. The cover was designed by heraldic artist Andrew Stewart Jamieson.
The album was a critical and commercial success. It went on to win the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental
The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental was an award presented at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989 to honor quality hard rock/metal works...
, beating the heavily favoured ...And Justice for All
...And Justice for All (album)
...And Justice for All is the fourth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on August 25, 1988 through Elektra Records. It is the first full-length Metallica album to feature bassist Jason Newsted following the death of Cliff Burton in 1986...
and critics' choice Nothing's Shocking
Nothing's Shocking
Nothing's Shocking is the first studio album by the American alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, released on August 23, 1988 through Warner Bros. Records. Nothing's Shocking was well received by critics upon release and is often cited as the band's best album. Despite this, it peaked at number...
. The award was highly controversial as many did not consider the album or even the band to be hard rock or heavy metal. Under advisement from their manager, no one from the band turned up to the award ceremony, as they were told that they had no chance of winning. In response to the controversy, the band's record label Chrysalis took out an advert in a British music periodical with the line, "The flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
is a heavy, metal instrument!" In 2007, the win was named one of the 10 biggest upsets in Grammy history by Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
.
The style of Crest has been compared to that of Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
, in part because Anderson no longer had the vocal range he once possessed (the result of recent throat surgery). Tull's frank treatment of sexuality was unabated, however. The album contains the popular live song "Budapest", which depicts a backstage scene with a shy local female stagehand.
Track listing
All tracks by Ian Anderson- "Steel Monkey" - 3:39
- "Farm On The Freeway" - 6:31
- "Jump Start" - 4:55
- "Said She Was A Dancer" - 3:43
- "Dogs In The Midwinter" - 4:29 ^
- "Budapest" - 10:05
- "Mountain Men" - 6:20
- "The Waking Edge" - 4:49 ^
- "Raising Steam" - 4:05
^ The original vinyl edition didn't feature songs "Dogs In The Midwinter" and "The Waking Edge". Otherwise the song order was the same.
Bonus track
The 2005 remastered CD added a bonus track and extensive liner notes:- "Part of the Machine" - 6:54
Personnel
- Ian Anderson - vocals, flute, acoustic and electric guitars, percussion, keyboards, drum programming on tracks 1, 5, 9. Synclavier
- Martin BarreMartin BarreMartin Lancelot Barre is an English rock musician.Barre has been the guitarist for rock band Jethro Tull since 1969. He has appeared on every Jethro Tull album except their debut This Was...
- electric and acoustic guitars - Dave PeggDave PeggDave Pegg is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, arguably most visible as a bass guitarist. He is the longest-serving member of the pre-eminent electric folk band Fairport Convention and has been bassist with a number of important folk and rock groups including The Ian Campbell...
- bass guitar, acoustic bass on track 4 - Doane PerryDoane PerryDoane Ethredge Perry is an American musician, composer and author. He has been working since 1984 as drummer and percussionist with Grammy award winning band Jethro Tull.-Early life:...
- drums on tracks 2, 7 - Gerry ConwayGerry Conway (musician)Gerald Conway is an English folk and rock drummer/percussionist, best known for having performed with the backing band for Cat Stevens in the 1970s, Jethro Tull during the 1980s, and currently a member of Fairport Convention as well as his side projects...
- drums on tracks 3, 4, 6, 8
Guest Musician:
- Ric SandersRic SandersRichard 'Ric' Sanders is a British violinist who has played in jazz-rock, folk rock, electric folk and folk groups, including Soft Machine and Fairport Convention.-Biography:...
- violin on track 6
External links
(bonus tracks)Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...