Jethro Tull

[Stadler]

Having never really delved into Tull in depth before, I started a listen-through of their discography late last year, and TBH I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  I only got up through War Child before being interrupted by Christmas, but I look forward to continuing on soon.

Hef, post- War Child, the cream of the crop IMO would be Minstrel In the Gallery, followed by the so-called "folk trilogy", Songs From the Wood, Heavy Horses and Stormwatch. After that, they dove a bit into 80's style electronica with 'A' and Broadsword and the Beast, both of which are very solid albums.

That period is by far my favorite.  Not that I dislike the other periods, but that's the one I seem to go back to the most.

[RodrigoAltaf]

My interview with Ian was published today. Check it out below, and please leave us a comment on the video!!!!

https://youtu.be/ug211N9zsIc

[El Barto]

Saw Martin Barre's band last night; good show. He opened with Hunting Girl, and closed the first set with Heavy Horses. Two of my favorites and I don't think I've seen either of them live before. His approach to playing Aqualung was pretty nifty, and generally very good. I was curious how My God and Wind Up were going to play out, given Ian Anderson's scorn and contempt in the lyrics. While Dan Crisp typically does pull off a decent Ian Anderson affectation, for these songs he didn't try. He just straight up sang them, and it worked very well. Kind of like JLB choosing not to try to be Dio at the end of Stargazer. Don't try to recreate the iconic. He also had along two chick singers who, among other things, did Slipstream and a folksy[er] rendition of Wond'ring Aloud. Also an interesting approach. Overall i thought he pulled it off quite well. The strange bit was swapping Wind Up and Locomotive Breath. Presumably he wanted to end it on a hard rocking note. Really, though, Wind Up needs to wind it up. That's kind of the point.

I prefer what Barre is doing over Anderson, mostly because I like him and don't like IA. It's also interesting to note that MB is taking 6 people along with him (two drummers, two chick singers). Ian Anderson is touring much more comfortably, I suspect his tour bus days are long since past, and can't be bothered to take along performers that perform in his show. As I suggested a week or two ago, it just seems like IA just wants my money, and doesn't feel that a quality show isn't really necessary. At the same time, Anderson's flute is such an integral part of what you're wanting to see, Barre's show isn't really everything you want to see, either. I get Martin wanting to do his rock approach to Tull, and enjoy it, but it'd be nice to see them both put together the real thing. Between them they've definitely got the players to pull it off very well.

I'd post a video or two from the tour, but apparently this was only the second night with the chick singers, so what I saw hasn't really made it to YT yet.

[ErHaO]

I listened to the new album and I think it is solid. I wish it had a tad more instrumental sections and guitar solos though. And I would've liked the return of the second singer he used on Thick as a Brick 2 and Homo Erraticus.

Saw Martin Barre's band last night; good show. He opened with Hunting Girl, and closed the first set with Heavy Horses. Two of my favorites and I don't think I've seen either of them live before. His approach to playing Aqualung was pretty nifty, and generally very good. I was curious how My God and Wind Up were going to play out, given Ian Anderson's scorn and contempt in the lyrics. While Dan Crisp typically does pull off a decent Ian Anderson affectation, for these songs he didn't try. He just straight up sang them, and it worked very well. Kind of like JLB choosing not to try to be Dio at the end of Stargazer. Don't try to recreate the iconic. He also had along two chick singers who, among other things, did Slipstream and a folksy[er] rendition of Wond'ring Aloud. Also an interesting approach. Overall i thought he pulled it off quite well. The strange bit was swapping Wind Up and Locomotive Breath. Presumably he wanted to end it on a hard rocking note. Really, though, Wind Up needs to wind it up. That's kind of the point.

I prefer what Barre is doing over Anderson, mostly because I like him and don't like IA. It's also interesting to note that MB is taking 6 people along with him (two drummers, two chick singers). Ian Anderson is touring much more comfortably, I suspect his tour bus days are long since past, and can't be bothered to take along performers that perform in his show. As I suggested a week or two ago, it just seems like IA just wants my money, and doesn't feel that a quality show isn't really necessary. At the same time, Anderson's flute is such an integral part of what you're wanting to see, Barre's show isn't really everything you want to see, either. I get Martin wanting to do his rock approach to Tull, and enjoy it, but it'd be nice to see them both put together the real thing. Between them they've definitely got the players to pull it off very well.

I'd post a video or two from the tour, but apparently this was only the second night with the chick singers, so what I saw hasn't really made it to YT yet.

Martin Barre has this 50th anniversary CD with a second disc with female singers, it sounds pleasant. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4J6m_96tDw

Ian Anderson shows would be truly great if he did not sing most songs (and have another singer do most of that). But unfortunately he seems set on his ways. Live Ian has sounded really bad since the early 90's and it has only gotten worse. Somehow he is never in sync with the music, he always sings slightly too late.

[MinistroRaven]

With the band now back on the road in Europe, they recently added new fan-favorite song "Mine Is The Mountain" to their live stage. To celebrate, a new video for the song is sure to be released, created by Tom Hicks, who previously did the "Shoshana Sleeping" clip. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/dwn6_qikkwQ

[ErHaO]

A heads up to people wanting the nice anniversary books of classic Tull albums; they reprinted the Thick as a Brick book and the prices have gone down massively, making it an afforable buy of the 5.1 Steven Wilson mix. The repress is the "fixed" version and the safest buy. Last year they were like 200 something dollar/euro, now you can get them for like 30-40.



And they are apparently releasing another new album in the new year. One thing I hope is a larger focus on instrumental sections and Ian's vocals lower in the mix. The guy obviously lost his vocal capabilities and I think the music should accomodate to that more.

Personally I am looking forward to the anniversary release of Broadsword and the Beast, which apparently has a lot of bonus stuff. I thought the A book was great as well, in particular the live concert with remixed sound.

[jammindude]

Link?

[ErHaO]

Link?

You are US, no? Over here it is in most record stores. I don't know a lot of US stores.

But this may help:

This is the release as listed on Discogs:
2022: https://www.discogs.com/release/25347985-Jethro-Tull-Thick-As-A-Brick
2012:https://www.discogs.com/release/4024114-Jethro-Tull-Thick-As-A-Brick
Productcode is 5099970461923 (same for both releases, but early 2012 releases may have a faulty DVD)..

It just released over here (about a week ago), maybe the release is later in the US?

I am seeing january at merchbar, which I think is US? (I did import a Ghost album there once, I paid non-EU taxes).
https://www.merchbar.com/rock-alternative/jethro-tull/jethro-tull-thick-as-a-brick-40th-anniversary-edition-cd

And the official UK store (via the bands own site): https://burningshed.com/tag/Jethro%20Tull

[Stadler]

Are they reprinting any of the others?  I could go for some "Songs From The Wood".  I have Heavy Horses and Stormwatch, and they are EXCELLENT.  I love that period of Tull. 

[ErHaO]

New single:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoBAD-TRxYA

Norse mythology theme for the new album.

[ErHaO]

Another new song, I think this one is good, I enjoy the the guitarwork and keys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUTtSU_6y1c&ab_channel=JethroTull

[Orbert]

Wow, both of those sound like classic Jethro Tull.  Ian's voice is different now, of course, but it still sounds like him.

[NoseofNicko]

Anyone listened to the new album?

[ErHaO]

Anyone listened to the new album?

I just did. I like it and can safely say I prefer it to Zealot Gene. Instrumentally this album frequently has that playfulness and proggyness I enjoy from late 70's Tull. Vocals are modern Ian, but a tad better than the Zealot Gene to me. And personally I am just a sucker for songs like Trickster.

[NoseofNicko]

Anyone listened to the new album?

I just did. I like it and can safely say I prefer it to Zealot Gene. Instrumentally this album frequently has that playfulness and proggyness I enjoy from late 70's Tull. Vocals are modern Ian, but a tad better than the Zealot Gene to me. And personally I am just a sucker for songs like Trickster.

That’s good to hear since I really like The Zealot Gene.

[MinistroRaven]

My album review:

https://lotsofmuzik.com/jethro-tulls-rokflote-a-mythical-exploration-of-norse-paganism-and-flute-mastery/

[DTwwbwMP]

My album review:

https://lotsofmuzik.com/jethro-tulls-rokflote-a-mythical-exploration-of-norse-paganism-and-flute-mastery/

 

[DragonAttack]

That was beyond well written. 

Considering that time has not been kind to Ian's vocals, was wondering what you thought about them on this release, since there was nothing mentioned.

[ErHaO]

Nice review. The vocals aren't good, but there are definitely some enjoyable lines and melodies there for me. But one thing I do appreciate is that Ian pronounces the words clearly. This album has more prominent instrumental sections and elements than Zealot Gene, which is part of why it works better for me.

It is a good sign that I feel a couple of the tracks could be a minute or more longer.

I got my dad the special book LP version for his birthday and it is a very nice release. It also has two mixes of the album on vinyl, but I don't know how much the second stereo mix differs.

[MinistroRaven]

Thanks for the compliment on the album review. It's cool that we can vibe with some parts of it, even if the vocals aren't exactly hitting the mark, and maybe that's why I tried to focus the review of the album on the things I liked. But yeah, Ian's clear pronunciation and those catchy melodies definitely help make it enjoyable.

I'm with you on the more prominent instrumentals compared to Zealot Gene. It's pretty rad when a band tries "new stuff" and creates a different listening experience.

[ErHaO]

The Broadsword 40th anniversary version was announced and up for order. A bit more pricey, but also 8 discs of content (5 CD's, as well as 3 DVD's worth of surround versions).

https://burningshed.com/jethro-tull_the-broadsword-and-the-beast-monster_boxset

There is also a vinyl boxset.

[jammindude]

I’m wondering how much further they will go with these sets. I’d be shocked if they did one for Under Wraps, considering that it was nearly universally hated. Although the 3 after it were at least somewhat well received.

[ErHaO]

I’m wondering how much further they will go with these sets. I’d be shocked if they did one for Under Wraps, considering that it was nearly universally hated. Although the 3 after it were at least somewhat well received.

If they did Under Wraps, I can see it work when the mix is vastly different. You can hear some great playing in the background, but it is almost completely overtaken by synth sounds and not-so-great sounding porgrammed drums. A remix with the guitars more up front and perhaps new drums would go a long way. Wilson mostly stayed true to the original vision in his remixes, in case he would do Under Wraps, I wish he strays from that.

[Stadler]

I’m wondering how much further they will go with these sets. I’d be shocked if they did one for Under Wraps, considering that it was nearly universally hated. Although the 3 after it were at least somewhat well received.

If they did Under Wraps, I can see it work when the mix is vastly different. You can hear some great playing in the background, but it is almost completely overtaken by synth sounds and not-so-great sounding porgrammed drums. A remix with the guitars more up front and perhaps new drums would go a long way. Wilson mostly stayed true to the original vision in his remixes, in case he would do Under Wraps, I wish he strays from that.

Isn't he notoriously finicky (or just a dick) about doing records he didn't connect with?  Do we know if he would even DO Under Wraps?

[Orbert]

I don't know if I'd call it being a dick, but yes, he's stated many times that he does the album that he chooses.  He's done a great job with pretty much everything he's done, as far as I can tell, but he's so in-demand right now as the go-to guy for 5.1 remixes that he has the luxury of being picky.  Why would he do an album he's never heard or doesn't like, when there are so many others?

[Zydar]

I’m wondering how much further they will go with these sets. I’d be shocked if they did one for Under Wraps, considering that it was nearly universally hated. Although the 3 after it were at least somewhat well received.

If they did Under Wraps, I can see it work when the mix is vastly different. You can hear some great playing in the background, but it is almost completely overtaken by synth sounds and not-so-great sounding porgrammed drums. A remix with the guitars more up front and perhaps new drums would go a long way. Wilson mostly stayed true to the original vision in his remixes, in case he would do Under Wraps, I wish he strays from that.

I'm reading an interview with Ian Anderson, and he talks about the album Under Wraps.

https://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/jethro-tulls-ian-anderson-new-album-overlooked-tull-salmon-farming

AllMusic: Which is the most underrated or overlooked Jethro Tull album?

Anderson: "Possibly the album Under Wraps, which was a bold experiment back then in the new technology of sequencers, samplers, and drum machines. Computers in music. It was an opportunity for me to see what I could do in that type of 'technical music production.' It's got great songs on it and it's really well played by the band. One of the best performances of Martin Barre's was Under Wraps – he plays really great guitar that doesn't depend on the blues heritage. So, from that point of view, it ain't the blues, and in its way, it's inventive, original music."

"But clearly, in today's hindsight, it is derivative of the sounds of that era, when other artists and musicians were started to use that technology. It would be all the better today if it were re-recorded with real drums with a human being playing the parts. But that would be expensive. And I think that perhaps in a way, the cost of rerecording, remixing, remastering, and all the rest of it might not be something that Warner Music – who own the copyrights – would want to engage in. I have mentioned it to them on more than one occasion, but they haven't taken the bait yet."

[ErHaO]

I know fuck all about the music industry behind the scenes, but would getting a drummer (the current one from JT?) to record new drum tracks be that expensive? Assuming they are doing a remix by someone at some point, the additional costs would be hust the drums right?

If a niche band like, say,  Theocracy can do it, why would it be a problem from Jethro Tull?

[Stadler]

I think it depends on what has to be done.  If it's JUST the drums, maybe not, but if by doing the drums you now have to go in and re-tweak the vocals or the bass, or whatever, the cost goes up pretty quickly.  And it's always balanced against what the expected sales will be.

Fish has a studio right in his house, but he's sort of declined to do the 5.1 mixes on all the remasters because it would take too long to pay (I guess) Callum Malcolm, and the return just isn't there.

[Pappy]

Kinda pissed none of you told me how good Hymn 43 is.

[jammindude]

My BSATB 40th Anniversary Set just arrived in the mail. This one should actually be interesting because I bought this one completely blind. I’ve never heard a single note of this album.

I ended up ordering it somewhat on a whim because 1. The album itself has a fairly good reputation among Tull fans (and I do like JT). 2. Every set I’ve gotten, I’ve been absolutely thrilled with. And 3. I feel that all of these sets offer a lot of bang for the buck.  $85 includes the international shipping and I feel the set itself is worth at least $100. I’m just really impressed by the quality of these sets. And of course, with SW at the helm, the sound quality is always going to be top notch.

Can’t wait to dive into this one.

[Stadler]

My BSATB 40th Anniversary Set just arrived in the mail. This one should actually be interesting because I bought this one completely blind. I’ve never heard a single note of this album.

I ended up ordering it somewhat on a whim because 1. The album itself has a fairly good reputation among Tull fans (and I do like JT). 2. Every set I’ve gotten, I’ve been absolutely thrilled with. And 3. I feel that all of these sets offer a lot of bang for the buck.  $85 includes the international shipping and I feel the set itself is worth at least $100. I’m just really impressed by the quality of these sets. And of course, with SW at the helm, the sound quality is always going to be top notch.

Can’t wait to dive into this one.

I just got mine too.  These sets have been excellent across the board; I'm pissed I missed the Songs From The Wood one, because now it's getting $250 to $300 online.   Vultures!!!

[jammindude]

My BSATB 40th Anniversary Set just arrived in the mail. This one should actually be interesting because I bought this one completely blind. I’ve never heard a single note of this album.

I ended up ordering it somewhat on a whim because 1. The album itself has a fairly good reputation among Tull fans (and I do like JT). 2. Every set I’ve gotten, I’ve been absolutely thrilled with. And 3. I feel that all of these sets offer a lot of bang for the buck.  $85 includes the international shipping and I feel the set itself is worth at least $100. I’m just really impressed by the quality of these sets. And of course, with SW at the helm, the sound quality is always going to be top notch.

Can’t wait to dive into this one.

I just got mine too.  These sets have been excellent across the board; I'm pissed I missed the Songs From The Wood one, because now it's getting $250 to $300 online.   Vultures!!!

I was just thinking today and last night how sorry I am that I missed out on some of the box sets that I really wanted.

I have:
Benefit
A Passion Play
Minstrel in the Gallery
Stormwatch
A
The Broadsword and the Beast

Killing myself that I’m missing:
Aqualung
Thick as a Brick
Too Old to Rock’n’Roll
Songs from the Wood
Heavy Horses

The ones I’m a bit more indifferent to, but if I had the rest, I would probably get them to complete the set:
Stand Up
Warchild

EDIT - not sure if they made a “book edition” of This Was or not, but I picked up a single disc of that remaster a long time ago, and that’s probably enough.

[ErHaO]

It seems Broadsword did not get a streaming release, which is disappointing for a casual listener like me.

My BSATB 40th Anniversary Set just arrived in the mail. This one should actually be interesting because I bought this one completely blind. I’ve never heard a single note of this album.

I ended up ordering it somewhat on a whim because 1. The album itself has a fairly good reputation among Tull fans (and I do like JT). 2. Every set I’ve gotten, I’ve been absolutely thrilled with. And 3. I feel that all of these sets offer a lot of bang for the buck.  $85 includes the international shipping and I feel the set itself is worth at least $100. I’m just really impressed by the quality of these sets. And of course, with SW at the helm, the sound quality is always going to be top notch.

Can’t wait to dive into this one.

I just got mine too.  These sets have been excellent across the board; I'm pissed I missed the Songs From The Wood one, because now it's getting $250 to $300 online.   Vultures!!!

I was just thinking today and last night how sorry I am that I missed out on some of the box sets that I really wanted.

I have:
Benefit
A Passion Play
Minstrel in the Gallery
Stormwatch
A
The Broadsword and the Beast

Killing myself that I’m missing:
Aqualung
Thick as a Brick
Too Old to Rock’n’Roll
Songs from the Wood
Heavy Horses

The ones I’m a bit more indifferent to, but if I had the rest, I would probably get them to complete the set:
Stand Up
Warchild

EDIT - not sure if they made a “book edition” of This Was or not, but I picked up a single disc of that remaster a long time ago, and that’s probably enough.

This was got a 50th anniversary release in book form, fairly recently I think. The initial release was a regular CD.

And yes, they are very nice releases. My dad now is only missing Stand Up. I recently gifted him Songs From the Wood, which I found sealed for about 110 euros locally (which is expensive but a great deal given discogs/ebay prices).

[jammindude]

3-4 spins into Broadsword and I have to say I like it so far. I suppose it’s to be expected, but it feels much more like a natural progression of Stormwatch which (for obvious reasons) makes A feel even more like an outlier.  I mean ya, you still have some keyboards, but they seem more for “color” and less prominent in the mix than on A. And the “feel” of the album is just a bit warmer than A as well.

I’ll dig into the live discs soon.

[LudwigVan]

A is quite good, but I rate Broadsword a touch higher than A.  But I don't have Broadsword higher than Stormwatch.