Jethro Tull: Ian Anderson (vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, sopranino, soprano & alto saxophones); Martin Barre (electric & Spanish guitars); John Evan (piano, organ, piano accordion, synthesizers); Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond (acoustic & electric basses); Barriemore Barlow (marimba, drums, glockenspiel, percussion).

Additional personnel: David Palmer (conductor); Philamusica Of London.

Recorded at Morgan Studios, London, England.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Two years on from the conceptual innovations of THICK AS A BRICK, Tull had learned how to crystallize the creativity of that prog-rock masterpiece and incorporate it into more traditional song structures. Thus, the songs here are full of daunting time signatures and dazzling feats of instrumental derring-do, but all in the context of shorter, more concise composition. There's also a darker edge to things here, as introduced by the tumultuous title cut.

The band's fascination with medieval-sounding themes was also beginning to blossom here, blending with their folk and prog influences. In this sense, WARCHILD can be seen as the template for much of what followed in the Tull catalog. The two best-known songs here represent extremes of the band's sound. "Bungle in the Jungle" is a bit of humorous riffery heavy on the hooks. "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day" is a poignant, folk-tinged ballad that harks back to THICK AS A BRICK's acoustic passages and ranks among Anderson's finest tunes.

Q (12/00, p.144) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A remarkably coherent collection...demonstrating the full recovery of frontman Ian Anderson's acerbic wit and musical devilment..."