The Zealot Gene

Last updated

The Zealot Gene
Jethro Tull - The Zealot Gene.png
Studio album by
Jethro Tull
Released28 January 2022
RecordedMarch 2017–July 2021
StudioModern World Studios, Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Genre
Length46:45
Label InsideOut
Producer Ian Anderson
Jethro Tull chronology
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album
(2003)		The Zealot Gene
(2022)		 RökFlöte
(2023)
Singles from The Zealot Gene
  1. "Shoshana Sleeping"
    Released: 5 November 2021
  2. "Sad City Sisters"
    Released: 8 December 2021
  3. "The Zealot Gene"
    Released: 12 January 2022

The Zealot Gene is the 22nd studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 28 January 2022 by Inside Out Music. [2] [3] Nearly five years in production, it is their first studio album since The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003), and their first of all original material since J-Tull Dot Com (1999), marking the longest gap between the band's studio albums.

Contents

The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 9, becoming Jethro Tull's first UK top ten album since 1972.

Background

The album originated in January 2017, when vocalist and flautist Ian Anderson started to write new songs and arrange the shape of the album. Early into the process, he decided that it was to be a Jethro Tull album because the line-up of the group at that time had become the longest lasting in its history, but had not been involved on a studio recording under its name. [4] It was a productive time, and seven tracks were recorded in March of that year. Further work on the album was put on hold in order for Anderson and the band to finish touring commitments in 2018 and 2019, and Anderson felt it would have been unfair to have the group back in the studio during the small amounts of down time. [4] Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, in early 2021 Anderson "gave up hope" and decided to put down his parts to the remaining five songs alone at his home studio. [4] These last five songs are acoustic based and without drums, partly because drummer Scott Hammond was unable to record at home. The band recorded their individual parts in a similar manner, leaving Anderson to assemble the various tracks to form a complete song. By July 2021, the album was complete and delivered to Inside Out. [4]

The Zealot Gene is the first Jethro Tull studio album to feature an entirely new lineup (other than Anderson), with guitarist Florian Opahle (who left the band between its recording and release), bassist David Goodier, keyboardist John O'Hara, and drummer Scott Hammond replacing four-fifths of The Jethro Tull Christmas Album lineup – Martin Barre, Jonathan Noyce, Andrew Giddings and Doane Perry respectively. The new lineup is the same that performed on Anderson's most recent solo album, Homo Erraticus (2014). [5] The album is the first since This Was (1968) not to involve Barre in any capacity, as he was not asked to return when Anderson reformed Jethro Tull.

Songs

The Zealot Gene is not a concept album, but biblical references are made throughout and Anderson began writing each song with a passage from the Bible. [6] "Mrs. Tibbets" references the mother of Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay who dropped the atomic bomb Little Boy on Hiroshima in 1945; the song's repeated reference to "Mrs. Tibbets's little boy" therefore has a dual meaning. The title track was inspired partly by the rise in right-wing populism "and how extremist views seem to spread more freely and everything gets more exaggerated – sometimes through news stories, and some from ferocious tweets." [6] Anderson said that "Mine Is the Mountain" is not a reflection of his own view, but rather about seeing God as a victim and the "desperation of man to create this figurehead, and in human form, because that’s the only way we can understand it." [6]

Release

The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 9, becoming Jethro Tull's first UK top ten album since Thick as a Brick and the compilation Living in the Past , both from 1972. [7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 67/100 [8]
Review scores
SourceRating
American Songwriter Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Spill MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [11]
Uncut 7/10 [12]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, The Zealot Gene received a mean score of 67 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews". [8]

Lee Zimmerman of American Songwriter described The Zealot Gene as a "concept album in the vintage manner of Thick as a Brick " with the "idyllic imagery of Songs From the Wood and Heavy Horses ". Zimmerman opined that the album is a "noteworthy effort and a well-executed return" for the band. [1] Mojo writer John Bungey compared the album with Ian Anderson's 2014 solo album Homo Erraticus , and praised that "here are 12 less erratic songs on diverse subjects". However, Bungey also pointed out that "the rockier tunes need louder guitars and it's the folkier moments with mandolin, Irish whistle and accordion that shine brightest". [10] Hugh Fielder of Classic Rock described the album as "light, bright, tight and recognisably Tull, with plenty of room for [Anderson's] flute to fly". However, Fielder also stated that he missed Martin Barre's "heavy rock dynamics" and mentioned "Anderson's increasingly frail voice". [9]

Track listing

All music and lyrics by Ian Anderson.

No.TitleLength
1."Mrs. Tibbets"5:53
2."Jacob's Tales"2:12
3."Mine Is the Mountain"5:40
4."The Zealot Gene"3:54
5."Shoshana Sleeping"3:40
6."Sad City Sisters"3:41
7."Barren Beth, Wild Desert John"3:38
8."The Betrayal of Joshua Kynde"4:05
9."Where Did Saturday Go?"3:52
10."Three Loves, Three"3:29
11."In Brief Visitation"3:01
12."The Fisherman of Ephesus"3:40
Total length:46:45

Personnel

Jethro Tull

Production

Charts

Chart performance for The Zealot Gene
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [13] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [14] 26
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [15] 34
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [16] 56
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [17] 37
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [18] 6
French Albums (SNEP) [19] 124
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [20] 4
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [21] 18
Italian Albums (FIMI) [22] 61
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [23] 34
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [24] 8
Scottish Albums (OCC) [25] 5
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [26] 20
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [27] 22
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [28] 3
UK Albums (OCC) [29] 9
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [30] 3
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [31] 37
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [32] 10
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [33] 37

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jethro Tull (band)</span> British rock band

Jethro Tull are a British rock band formed in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1967. Initially playing blues rock and jazz fusion, the band soon incorporated elements of English folk music, hard rock and classical music, forging a signature progressive rock sound. The group's founder, bandleader, principal composer, lead vocalist, and only constant member is Ian Anderson, who also plays flute and acoustic guitar. The group has featured a succession of musicians throughout the decades, including significant contributors such as guitarists Mick Abrahams and Martin Barre ; bassists Glenn Cornick, Jeffrey Hammond, John Glascock, Dave Pegg, Jonathan Noyce, and David Goodier; drummers Clive Bunker, Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow and Doane Perry; and keyboardists John Evan, Dee Palmer, Peter-John Vettese, Andrew Giddings, and John O'Hara.

<i>Thick as a Brick</i> 1972 studio album by Jethro Tull

Thick as a Brick is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 3 March 1972. The album contains one continuous piece of music, split over two sides of an LP record, and is intended as a parody of the concept album genre. The original packaging, designed as a 12-page newspaper, claims the album to be a musical adaptation of an epic poem by fictional eight-year-old genius Gerald Bostock, though the lyrics were actually written by the band's frontman, Ian Anderson.

<i>Aqualung</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Jethro Tull

Aqualung, released in March 1971 by Chrysalis Records, is the fourth studio album by the rock band Jethro Tull. Though it is generally regarded as a concept album, featuring a central theme of "the distinction between religion and God", the band have said there was no intention to make a concept album, and that only a few songs have a unifying theme. Aqualung's success signalled a turning point in the career of the band, who went on to become a major radio and touring act.

<i>Heavy Horses</i> 1978 studio album by Jethro Tull

Heavy Horses is the eleventh studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released on 10 April 1978.

<i>A</i> (Jethro Tull album) 1980 studio album by Jethro Tull

A is the 13th studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull. It was released on 29 August 1980 in the UK and 1 September of the same year in the United States.

<i>Too Old to Rock n Roll: Too Young to Die!</i> 1976 studio album by Jethro Tull

Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! is the ninth studio album released by British band Jethro Tull, recorded in December 1975 and released in 1976. It is the first album to include bassist John Glascock who also contributes with backing vocals. Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! is the last Jethro Tull concept album, which follows the story of Ray Lomas, an aging rocker who finds fame with the changes of musical trends. It was Jethro Tull's only album of the 1970s not to achieve Gold certification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Anderson</span> Scottish musician, leader of Jethro Tull

Ian Scott Anderson is a British musician best known for his work as the singer, flautist, acoustic guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member of the rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist who also plays harmonica, keyboards, bass guitar, bouzouki, balalaika, saxophone and a variety of whistles. His solo work began with Walk into Light in 1983; since then he has released another five albums, including the sequel to the 1972 Jethro Tull album Thick as a Brick, titled TaaB 2: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock? (2012).

<i>J-Tull Dot Com</i> 1999 studio album by Jethro Tull

J-Tull Dot Com is the 20th studio album by the British band Jethro Tull, released in 1999 on Papillon, the Chrysalis Group's late 1990s heritage record label. It was released four years after their 1995 album Roots to Branches and continues in the same vein, marrying hard rock with Eastern music influences. It is the first album to feature Jonathan Noyce on bass, who would remain with the band until 2007 in Jethro Tull's longest ever unchanged line-up. This was the last Jethro Tull album to feature all original, new material for 23 years, although the band did release a Christmas album in 2003, which contained a mixture of new material, re-recordings of Tull's own suitably themed material and arrangements of traditional Christmas music.

<i>Roots to Branches</i> 1995 studio album by Jethro Tull

Roots to Branches is the 19th studio album by the British band Jethro Tull released in September 1995. It carries characteristics of Tull's classic 1970s progressive rock and folk rock roots alongside jazz and Arabic and Indian influences. All songs were written by Ian Anderson and recorded at his home studio. This 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 sessional basis. As a result, the album notably features the five longest serving members to date in Jethro Tull’s history. It was also the final Tull album to be released through long-time label Chrysalis Records.

<i>Minstrel in the Gallery</i> 1975 studio album by Jethro Tull

Minstrel in the Gallery is the eighth studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull, released in September 1975. The album sees the band going in a different direction from their previous work War Child (1974), returning to a blend of electric and acoustic songs, in a manner closer to their early 1970s albums such as Benefit (1970), Aqualung (1971) and Thick as a Brick (1972). Making use of a newly constructed mobile recording studio commissioned and constructed specifically for the band, the album was the first Jethro Tull album to be recorded outside of the UK, being recorded in tax exile in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

<i>Stormwatch</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Jethro Tull

Stormwatch is the twelfth studio album by progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released in September 1979. The album is often considered the last in a trio of folk rock albums released by the band at the end of the 1970s, alongside Songs from the Wood (1977) and Heavy Horses (1978). The album's themes deal mostly with the environment, climate and seaside living, and were heavily inspired by the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where frontman Ian Anderson had recently purchased property.

<i>Benefit</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Jethro Tull

Benefit is the third studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released in April 1970. It was the first Tull album to include pianist and organist John Evan – though he was not yet considered a permanent member of the group – and the last to include bass guitarist Glenn Cornick, who was fired from the band upon completion of touring for the album. It was recorded at Morgan Studios, the same studio where the band recorded its previous album Stand Up; however, they experimented with more advanced recording techniques.

<i>Songs from the Wood</i> 1977 studio album by Jethro Tull

Songs from the Wood is the tenth studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released on 11 February 1977 by Chrysalis Records. The album is considered to be the first of three folk rock albums released by the band at the end of the 1970s, followed by Heavy Horses (1978) and Stormwatch (1979).

<i>Under Wraps</i> (Jethro Tull album) 1984 studio album by Jethro Tull

Under Wraps is the 15th studio album by the band Jethro Tull, released in 1984. The songs' subject matter is heavily influenced by bandleader Ian Anderson's love of espionage fiction. It was controversial among fans of the band due to its electronic/synthesizer-based sound, particularly the use of electronic drums. Dave Pegg has been quoted as saying that the tracks cut from the sessions for Broadsword and the Beast would have made a better album, while Martin Barre has referred to it as one of his personal favourite Tull albums. The album reached No. 76 on the Billboard 200 and No. 18 on the UK Albums Chart. The single "Lap of Luxury" reached No. 30.

<i>Rock Island</i> (Jethro Tull album) 1989 studio album by Jethro Tull

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.

<i>Catfish Rising</i> 1991 studio album by Jethro Tull

Catfish Rising is the 18th studio album by the British rock group Jethro Tull, released on 10 September 1991. It is the first Tull album to feature keyboardist Andrew Giddings. The album continues the hard rock and blues sound of the previous two albums.

<i>Homo Erraticus</i> 2014 studio album by Ian Anderson

Homo Erraticus is the sixth studio album by British progressive rock musician Ian Anderson, who is also the frontman of Jethro Tull. Released on 14 April 2014, Homo Erraticus is a concept album, loosely connected to Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick (1972) and Anderson's Thick as a Brick 2 (2012), since it again credits the lyrics to the fictional character Gerald Bostock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florian Opahle</span> German guitarist

Florian Opahle is a German lead guitarist, best known for playing with progressive rock musician Ian Anderson from 2003 to 2019 and his reformed Jethro Tull from 2017 to 2019.

<i>50 for 50</i> 2018 compilation album by Jethro Tull

50 for 50 is a three-disc compilation album by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released in 2018. Released to commemorate the band's 50th anniversary, the collection includes 50 tracks, selected by frontman Ian Anderson himself, released between 1968 and 2003.

<i>RökFlöte</i> 2023 studio album by Jethro Tull

RökFlöte is the 23rd studio album by the British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released on 21 April 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Zimmerman, Lee (28 January 2022). "Review: A Zealot Through and Through". American Songwriter . Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  2. ↑ "Pre-order the New Jethro Tull album "The Zealot Gene"" (Press release). Jethro Tull . Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  3. ↑ Ewing, Jerry (13 July 2021). "Jethro Tull to Release New Album The Zealot Gene in Early 2022". Louder. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Graff, Gary (26 January 2022). "Jethro Tull celebrates release of 'The Zealot Gene,' first album of new material in more than 20 years". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. ↑ Medina, Scott (11 January 2022). "Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene (Album Review)" . Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Sharp, Johnny (30 January 2022). "The making of Jethro Tull's The Zealot Gene". Loudersound. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  7. ↑ Ewing, Jerry (4 February 2022). "Jethro Tull land first Top Ten album in 50 years with The Zealot Gene". Loudersound. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  8. 1 2 "The Zealot Gene by Jethro Tull Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  9. 1 2 Fielder, Hugh (28 January 2022). "Jethro Tull: The Zealot Gene album review". Classic Rock . Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  10. 1 2 Bungey, John (March 2022). "Ian Anderson's first record since his solo Homo Erraticus in 2014". Mojo . No. 340. p. 83.
  11. ↑ Badgley, Aaron (2 February 2022). "SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JETHRO TULL – THE ZEALOT GENE". The Spill Magazine. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  12. ↑ Staunton, Terry (February 2022). "Familiar folk prog but with a biblical tent". Uncut . No. 297. p. 31.
  13. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 05.Týden 2022 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Jethro Tull: The Zealot Gene" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2022. 5. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Jethro Tull Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Jethro Tull Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Jethro Tull Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.