Jethro Tull: Ian Anderson (vocals, guitar, flute); John Glascock (vocals, bass); Martin Barre (guitar, mandolin, marimba); John Evan (accordion, piano, organ, synthesizers); David Palmer (portative pipe organ, synthesizers); Barriemore Barlow (glockenspiel, drums).

Recorded live in Europe in 1978.

Released just as punk was taking hold on the public's imagination in America and making groups like Jethro Tull seem like dinosaurs on their way to extinction, Bursting Out became a seemingly perpetual denizen of the cutout bins for years afterward. However, it happened to be a good album, a more-than-decent capturing of a live Tull concert from Europe. The sound is remarkably good, given the group's arena rock status at the time, and the repertoire is a solid representation of the group's history, going all the way back to "A New Day Yesterday" from their second album and up through 1977's Songs from the Wood, with stops along the way for "Bouree," "Aqualung," "Locomotive Breath," "Cross-Eyed Mary," and a compact reprise of Thick as a Brick. Some of these tracks work better than others -- the tendency here is to play loud and hard, and sometimes that just doesn't translate well on record; seeing "Locomotive Breath" probably worked better than hearing it. ~ Bruce Eder

Throughout the '70s, Jethro Tull was one of the world's premier live acts, regularly playing to sold-out audiences in huge arenas all over the world. With his inimitable theatrics and manic flute improvisations, Ian Anderson was always the consummate showman, and he peppers these performances with the relaxed, cheeky stage patter of a seasoned veteran.

BURSTING OUT is a live collection taken from a tour in 1978, by which time Tull had shifted from epic, side-long projects to a more accessible, pastoral folk/rock orientation. Thus, the set-list emphasizes songs from the lush, acoustic SONGS FROM THE WOOD (1977) as well as material from the upcoming HEAVY HORSES (the charming "One Brown Mouse" and the sprightly "Hunting Girl.") But there is still a large dose of classic crowd-pleasing material: "Minstrel in the Gallery," a lengthy excerpt of "Thick as a Brick," "Locomotive Breath" and of course, Tull's anthem celebrating rock's most celebrated "poor old sod, "Aqualung." This is really the last official document of an era, capturing Tull at the top of its game. In the next few years, several members left and Anderson retooled the band's sound and image for a new decade.

Q (4/04, p.132) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[With] undeniable appeal....1978's double live BURSTING OUT is the one to investigate..."