Jethro Tull: Ian Anderson (vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, flute, keyboards, drums); Martin Barre (guitar); David Pegg (mandolin, acoustic & electric basses); Doane Perry (drums).

Additional personnel: Martin Allock, Peter Vettese (keyboards).

After the promise of their previous effort, this one comes off as more of the same, with band members sounding as though they were painting by numbers rather than showing any enthusiasm for what they're playing. Includes the novel "Another Christmas Song," along with the usual Tull performances, but overall, a ho-hum release. ~ James Chrispell

By the time they made this, their last record of the '80s, Jethro Tull was flush from its first unqualified success of the decade, 1987's CREST OF A KNAVE, which won a Grammy in the hard-rock category. Group leader Ian Anderson responded two years later with ROCK ISLAND, a record that seemed to confirm that he was willing to re-imagine Jethro Tull as a modern-rock act.

On 1989's ROCK ISLAND, there is little of the ornate Elizabethan grandeur of vintage Tull. Instead the band plays in a straightforward manner, with a decidedly polished sound. Anderson's flute, which once immediately identified a Tull record, is used sparingly. At this point, the core group of Anderson, Martin Barre and bassist Dave Pegg had solidfied into a cohesive trio, giving Jethro Tull a focused vision as the band entered its third decade. The group shows a certain swaggering bravado on the opener, "Kissing Willie," and the influence of Southern rock on "Rattlesnake Trail."