34: IAN ANDERSON - The Secret Language Of Birds (2000)

Introduced by Owen Davies

One of Ian Anderson’s main talents was to use the flute to embellish his gifted ability as a writer of complex, yet intrinsically melodic tunes.

Anderson's most recent compositions in Homo Erraticus, pale in comparison to his skill as a song writer displayed in The Secret Language of Birds released in 2000.

The Secret Language of Birds arguably marks the last occasion that Anderson showed the full extent of his song writing abilities and artistic genius.

The Secret Language of Birds has integrity. It displays no artistic pretensions and is an album that has no apparent desire to please a Tull audience, or indeed any particular audience. It is simply an album full of superb tunes from a guy writing songs from the heart, rather than by numbers, or to a set formula, or with a view to nostalgia and commercial success.

The Secret Language of Birds is quite wonderful and works magnificently on so many different levels.

Read Henri Bos' review here

Listen to "The Little Flower Girl" from the album on You Tube here

Find more information at the Jethro Tull website

33: MOTH VELLUM - Moth Vellum (2008)

Hello Dear Readers, now that the long winter is over, the sleeping bear that is the Archive of Prog has slowly awakened, and so here is edition 33.

Introduced by Martin Burns

So now the clocks have changed to summer time, at least here in the northern hemisphere (apologies to our antipodean readership). The extra daylight always makes me look for this album on my CD shelves. I play it as part of the soundtrack to my summer. 

Moth Vellum were a four piece band based in California. They were Johannes Luley’s band before he formed the well regarded Perfect Beings. Moth Vellum's music is brimming over with sunny, summery melodies and pin-sharp vocal harmonies. There is nothing dark or heavy here, just a lot of joyfulness. They are not innovators, but they use the classic 70s prog models so well that it really doesn’t matter. Superb guitar and synth sounds make playing the spot the reference game a pleasure. If you are missing a happy Genesis and Yes influenced album to play on long summer days, then have a listen to Moth Vellum's over looked retro-gem.

From the archives read Geoff Feakes’ 2008 review 

Read Geoff's review here

Listen to the album on You Tube

Listen to the album here