Jethro Tull - Rock Island (1989) [Full Album]

Rock Island is the 17th studio album by the British rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1989. The album continued the hard rock direction the band took on the previous effort, Crest of a Knave (1987). The line-up now included Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, Dave Pegg and drummer Doane Perry in his first full recording with the band, although he had already been a member of Jethro Tull since 1984. Without a permanent keyboard player, the role was shared by Fairport Convention's Maartin Allcock and former Tull member Peter Vettese.

Rock Island went Gold in the UK, with good sales also in Germany, where it peaked at No. 5. "Kissing Willie" was a hit on Rock radio, reaching No. 6 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart.

The staging on the 1989 tour supporting Rock Island featured projected silhouettes of lithe dancers during "Kissing Willie", ending with an image that bordered on pornographic. The song "Big Riff and Mando" reflects life on the road for the relentlessly touring musicians, giving a wry account of the theft of Barre's prized mandolin by a stage-struck fan.

Tracklist:
01. Kissing Willie 0:00
02. The Rattlesnake Trail 3:34
03. Ears of Tin 7:33
04. Undressed to Kill 12:26
05. Rock Island 17:51
06. Heavy Water 24:44
07. Another Christmas Song 28:56
08. The Whaler's Dues 32:26
09. Big Riff and Mando 40:19
10. Strange Avenues 46:17

Jethro Tull
Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, keyboards, Synclavier, mandolin, drums, percussion (on tracks 2 & 7)
Martin Barre – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
David Pegg – bass guitar, acoustic bass, mandolin
Doane Perry – drums, percussion

+++ Description, Tracklist and Timecodes by Alex4Rock +++