The Broadsword and the Beast is the 14th studio album by rock band Jethro Tull, released in April 1982 by Chrysalis Records.

"[3] In late summer, Peter-John Vettese was hired as the band's new keyboardist after answering an ad for the position placed in Melody Maker.

"[4] Former Yardbird Paul Samwell-Smith was ultimately brought in as a new producer for the album after a recommendation from Conway, who had previously worked with him in Cat Stevens' band.

Samwell-Smith, who described his role on the album as "very much a case of looking to Ian to see what he wanted and then to help him do it", was praised by the band who found him easy to work with.

McCaig was such a fan of the band that he cancelled a surprise trip to Paris where he planned to propose to his girlfriend so that he could get the job to design the cover.

[6][7] The edges of the front cover feature writing in Anglo-Saxon runes, which translate to the opening verse of the song "Broadsword": "I see a dark sail on the horizon, set under a black cloud that hides the sun.

In 1984, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab issued a half-speed mastered edition of the album (MFSL 1-092) which was a minor seller at the time.

A greatly expanded, eight-disc (five CDs and three DVDs) re-release of the album titled The 40th Anniversary Monster Edition was released on September 1, 2023, featuring new stereo and surround remixes by Steven Wilson, additional demos and session recordings, plus a 1982 live concert.

It included the entire stage being decorated to look like a pirate ship, which Ian Anderson, as he said in the liner notes for the remastered CD, thought was "very silly".

Extensive notes on the production of the album and subsequent tour can be found at the official Jethro Tull website.

But it was the roar of the band as they got into their heaviest moments that ultimately captivated an audience who seemed evenly mixed between 14-year-old novice Tull freaks and silver-haired rock business veterans.

was ambiguous, calling the album tracks "emotional pieces of composition depending on how much attention you are prepared to give" but overall stated that "If you're a fan, buy it, it may have some pleasant surprises.