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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 went Gold in the UK, with good sales also in Germany, where it peaked at No. 5. "Kissing Willie" was a hit on Rock radio, reaching No. 6 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart.
The staging on the 1989 tour supporting Rock Island featured projected silhouettes of lithe dancers during "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.
Title
Length
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.
Title
Length
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.
Title
Length
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".
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