Roots to Branches

{{short description|1995 studio album by Jethro Tull}} {{More citations needed|date=May 2021}} {{use British English|date=May 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}} {{Infobox album | name = Roots to Branches | type = studio | artist = [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]] | cover = JethroTullRootstoBranches.jpg | alt = | released = 4 September 1995 (UK) 12 September 1995 (US) | recorded = December 1994 until June 1995 | venue = | studio = | genre = {{hlist|[[Progressive rock]]|[[folk rock]]|{{nowrap|[[hard rock]]}}|[[world music|world]]}} | length = 60:00 | label = [[Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis]] | producer = Ian Anderson | prev_title = [[Nightcap (album)|Nightcap]] | prev_year = 1993 | next_title = [[In Concert (Jethro Tull album)|In Concert]] | next_year = 1995 }}

'''''Roots to Branches''''' is the nineteenth studio album by the British band [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]] released in September [[1995 in music|1995]]. It carries characteristics of Tull's classic 1970s [[progressive rock]] and [[folk rock]] roots alongside [[jazz]] and [[Arabic music|Arabic]] and [[Indian music|Indian]] influences. All songs were written by [[Ian Anderson]] and recorded at his home studio. It is the last Tull album to feature [[Dave Pegg]] on the bass, and the first to feature keyboardist [[Andrew Giddings]] as an official band member, although he had contributed to ''[[Catfish Rising]]'' (1991) on a session basis. As a result, the album features the five longest serving members to date in Jethro Tull's history. It was the final Tull album to be released through long-time label [[Chrysalis Records]].

A remastered edition of the album was released in January 2007.

==Production and musical style== The album was derived in part from the visit Ian Anderson made to [[India]]. S.A. Allen, in a history of the band, describes the album as an "Indian ''[[Songs from the Wood]]''."<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=Jethro Tull: A History of the Band, 1968-2001|author=Nollen, S.A.|date=2001|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786411016|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AsvpFwKVCN4C|page=336|access-date=2014-11-30}}</ref>

Ian Anderson said of the album: "I see ''Roots To Branches'' as the 90s version of ''[[Stand Up (Jethro Tull album)|Stand Up]]'', because it has a lot of the things that I feel represented the key elements of Jethro Tull: there's lots of flute, lots of riffy guitars and quite a broad palette of influences, from the blues and classical to the Eastern motifs that were apparent on ''Stand Up'' ". On the other hand, Anderson also added that "the only thing about it that lets me down is that I made it sound a little too Seventies. I deliberately made the album sound like it was in the context of a live performance, rather than have it sound too 'studio.' But looking back on it, I think it should have been a bit more varied".<ref name="tullpress">{{cite web|url=http://www.tullpress.com/gwsept99.htm|title=Jethro Tull Press: Guitar World, September 1999|website=Tullpress.com|access-date=2014-11-30|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193125/http://www.tullpress.com/gwsept99.htm|archive-date=3 March 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1Score = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r220813|tab=review|last=Eder|first=Bruce|label=''Roots to Branches''}}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]'' | rev2Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2007|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|edition=4th|isbn=978-0195313734|title-link=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref> | rev3 = | rev3Score = }} [[AllMusic]] made an unimpressed but positive review: "All of the songs here have more of a mood of urgency than some of Tull's then-recent albums, and a few even have memorable melodies [...] Anderson's flute occasionally takes flight, Martin Barre's guitar still wails on the breaks, and Doane Perry (drums), Dave Pegg (bass), and Steve Bailey (bass) make up a decent rhythm section. Not nearly as strong as ''[[Catfish Rising]]'', but better than anything else since ''[[Heavy Horses]]''".<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/roots-to-branches-mw0000177404|title=Roots to Branches - Jethro Tull | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2014-11-30}}</ref>

==Track listing== {{track listing | all_writing = [[Ian Anderson]] | title1 = Roots to Branches | length1 = 5:11 | title2 = Rare and Precious Chain | length2 = 3:35 | title3 = Out of the Noise | length3 = 3:25 | title4 = This Free Will | length4 = 4:05 | title5 = Valley | length5 = 6:07 | title6 = Dangerous Veils | length6 = 5:35 | title7 = Beside Myself | length7 = 5:50 | title8 = Wounded, Old and Treacherous | length8 = 7:50 | title9 = At Last, Forever | length9 = 7:55 | title10 = Stuck in the August Rain | length10 = 4:06 | title11 = Another Harry's Bar | length11 = 6:21 }}

==Personnel== ;Jethro Tull * [[Ian Anderson]] – [[vocals]], [[flute]], [[acoustic guitar]] * [[Martin Barre]] – [[electric guitar]] * [[Dave Pegg]] – [[bass guitar]] (on tracks 3, 5 & 11) * [[Andrew Giddings]] – [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]] * [[Doane Perry]] – [[drums]], [[percussion]]

;Additional personnel * [[Steve Bailey]] – bass guitar (on tracks 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10)

==Release details== *1995, UK, Chrysalis 8-35418-4, release date 31 August 1995, Cassette *1995, UK, Chrysalis CDCHR 6109, release date 4 September 1995, CD *1995, UK, Chrysalis CHR 6109, release date 4 September 1995, LP *1995, UK, Chrysalis TCCHR 6109, release date ? ? 1995, Cassette *1995, UK, Chrysalis 8-35418-2, release date ? ? 1995, CD *1995, US, Chrysalis F2 35418, release date 12 September 1995, CD *1995, US, Chrysalis CHR 6109, release date 12 September 1995, LP *1995, Australia, Chrysalis CDCHR 6109, release date 27 October 1995, CD

==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! Chart (1995) ! Peak position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref name="ARIA Chart">{{cite web|url= https://imgur.com/a/BabxhuF | title =Jethro Tull ARIA Chart History June 1988 to September 2025|publisher=ARIA|via=Imgur.com|access-date=8 October 2025}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.</ref> | align="center"| 141 |- {{Album chart|Finland|31|artist=Jethro Tull|album= Roots to Branches|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Germany|55|id=2145|artist=Jethro Tull|album= Roots to Branches|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Norway|27|artist=Jethro Tull|album= Roots to Branches|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Scotland|41|date=19950910|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Sweden|21|artist=Jethro Tull|album= Roots to Branches|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Switzerland|25|artist=Jethro Tull|album= Roots to Branches|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}} |- {{Album chart|UK2|20|date=19950910|refname=UK albums|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}} |- {{Album chart|Billboard200|114|artist=Jethro Tull|refname=Billboard 200|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}} |} The album sold less than the predecessor, reaching only No. 114 on the US Billboard Charts, but achieving No. 20 on the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Album artist 51 - Jethro Tull |url=http://tsort.info/music/bhb4n0.htm |access-date=2015-05-01 |website=Tsort.info}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.allmusic.com/album/roots-to-branches-mw0000177404 Roots to Branches] at [[AllMusic]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roots To Branches}} [[Category:Jethro Tull (band) albums]] [[Category:1995 albums]] [[Category:Chrysalis Records albums]] [[Category:Albums produced by Ian Anderson]]