Rock Island (Jethro Tull 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 was already 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
Studio album by
Jethro Tull
Released21 August 1989 UK
RecordedEarly 1989
GenreProgressive rock, hard rock
Length50:21
LabelChrysalis
ProducerJethro Tull
Jethro Tull chronology
20 Years of Jethro Tull: Highlights
(1988)		 Rock Island
(1989)		 Live at Hammersmith '84
(1990)
Singles from
Rock Island
  1. "Kissing Willie"
    Released: 1988
  2. "Heavy Water"
    Released: 1988
  3. "Another Christmas Song"
    Released: 1989
  4. "The Rattlesnake Trail"
    Released: 1989
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Classic Rock[2]

Rock Island went Gold in the UK, with good sales also in Germany, where it peaked at No. 5. There were good sales also for the "Kissing Willie" single, that reached No. 6.[3]

The staging on the 1989 tour supporting Rock Island featured projected silhouettes of lithe dancers during the song "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.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Kissing Willie"3:32
2."The Rattlesnake Trail"4:02
3."Ears of Tin"4:55
4."Undressed to Kill"5:25
5."Rock Island"6:54
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Heavy Water"4:12
2."Another Christmas Song"3:32
3."The Whaler's Dues"7:53
4."Big Riff and Mando"5:58
5."Strange Avenues"4:10
2006 remaster bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Christmas Song" (Live)3:06
12."Cheap Day Return/Mother Goose" (Live)3:10
13."Locomotive Breath" (Live)3:38
  • The bonus tracks were recorded live in Zurich, Switzerland on 13 October 1989. They had previously been released on the UK CD single of "Another Christmas Song".

Personnel
Jethro Tull
Additional personnel

References
  1. Ruhlmann, William. Rock Island at AllMusic
  2. Ewing, Jerry (December 2006). "Jethro Tull Rock Island". Classic Rock. p. 99. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  3. "Rock Island - Jethro Tull | Awards". AllMusic. 13 October 1989. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
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