The Jethro Tull/Ian Anderson Discography

[El Barto]

What is the latest any of these songs remained in their setlists?

Sunday Feeling, Beggar's Farm, Some Day, and Song for Jeffery would pop up until the very end. I've seen all four of them at various shows since 98.

Add Dharma For One to that as well.  We're jumping ahead a bit (again!) so I want to be clear I'm not saying El Barto is wrong at all, but SF, SFJ and DFO have been in Ian Anderson's setlist as recently as this past fall.

That doesn't surprise me. I've pretty much tuned Ian Anderson out. Honestly, I don't much like the guy personally, so I'm no longer interested in paying to see him. I did really enjoy the Bricks 1 and 2 tour, but the last tour I saw really sucked. Martin Barre comes to town and I'm all over that, though.

If you don't want to share, that's fine, and I can sort of guess why, but I'd be interested in the discussion of why you dislike Anderson.  I know for me, he's polarizing; there are some things I really like about him, and others... not so much.

He's always kind of struck me as a dick towards his bandmates, and somewhat pretentious. Not a good combination. He's quick to fire people and not necessarily in a reasonable way. THere's a famous story about a couple of his bandmates that were sacked by the manager at the airport when they were to head home from the tour. Something along the lines of "where do you think you're going? This flight's for bandmembers only." That's probably apocryphal, but only slightly. And the way he finally disbanded Tull was also pretty uncool. He told Barre that he was tired of Tull and wanted to move on, then promptly released a sequel to a Tull album and toured playing both. I'm a big Doan Perry fan, and as far as I know he wasn't even really informed. Despite (I believe) being the third longest tenured member of the band. For my part, once his voice really hit rock bottom I was going to see the band and not him, other than as a very good flute player. It was a group effort and not the Ian Anderson band, which he presumably was wanting it to be. The last time I saw him, I believe touring as Ian Anderson's Jethro Tull, he was very clearly just going through the motions. It was obviously a cashgrab and nothing more. I'm a big fan of their music, and his contributions, but no so much him.

[Stadler]

Yeah, I kind of figured that's where you were going.   The whole Martin Barre thing is fascinating to me.  I cannot for the life of me fathom that in 50 years (well, 40-ish for the period Barre was in the group) that he wrote almost NOTHING that deserved credit.  Maybe he and Dave Murray are just cut from the same humble cloth, but it's baffling to me.  And you didn't even mentioned the firing of Dee Palmer by mail.   

On other things, though, he's spot on.  He's handled the catalogue pretty well; the box sets are legit and with value (their first box set is one of the best I own, for various reasons).   And they were fun live until his voice went.

[Evermind]

Orbert, I don't know if you're planning to include them, but I wouldn't mind seeing Ian's solo albums here too. Up to you, of course.

[Orbert]

I don't have any of Ian's solo albums, except for Thick as a Brick 2.  I was planning to include that one, for hopefully obvious reasons, but wasn't sure about the others, since I don't think I've even heard them.  But if I can find them and find time to listen to them, I'll try to include them.

[Evermind]

The Secret Language of Birds is one of my personal favourites, so even if you won't include them, listen to that one.

[KevShmev]

I will read along to this thread, but might not contribute a lot.  Tull has always been a band I like more than I love.  They have some songs I definitely love like crazy, yet they've never really been a band that has grabbed me in a big way. No clue why.

[Orbert]

After Mick Abrahams' departure, Jethro Tull needed to find another guitarist.  The list of names to potentially replace Abrahams reads almost like a Who's Who of the London scene at the time.  The first was David O'List, guitarist from The Nice (which had recently broken up when Keith Emerson left to form Emerson Lake & Palmer).  They rehearsed with him for a week, then O'List suddenly stopped showing up, and the band lost all contact with him.

Their next choice was Mick Taylor, who turned them down because he already had a band (John Mayall's Bluesbreakers) and Taylor of course would go on to join The Rolling Stones after the departure of Brian Jones.

So they put out an ad in Melody Maker, which was answered by Tony Iommi.  Iommi left the band he was in at the time (Earth) and they started rehearsing together.  After one very strange gig (The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus), Iommi decided to go back to his old band Earth, who later changed their name to Black Sabbath.

At the same auditions as Tony Iommi was a gentleman named Martin Barre.  Barre played the flute as well as the guitar, which presented some interesting possibilities.  They arranged a second audition with him, and Barre ended up joining Jethro Tull.  The new lineup was complete.


Stand Up (1969)



Ian Anderson - Vocals, Flute, Acoustic Guitar, Hammond Organ, Piano, Mandolin, Balalaika, Mouth Organ
Martin Barre - Electric Guitar, Flute
Clive Bunker - Drums
Glenn Cornick - Bass

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A New Day Yesterday 4:10
Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square 2:12
Bourée 3:46
Back to the Family 3:48
Look into the Sun 4:20
Nothing Is Easy 4:25
Fat Man 2:52
We Used to Know 4:00
Reasons for Waiting 4:05
For a Thousand Mothers 4:13

Andy Johns - Bass on "Look into the Sun"
Dee Palmer - String Arrangements, Conductor

----------

Although Stand Up starts off with the bluesy "A New Day Yesterday", which is very similar in sound to the first album, the next track "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square" takes you in a completely different direction.  It is here that we first hear the Scottish Folk influence, complete with Anderson on mandolin.  Martin Barre provides the second flute, as he would continue to do on occassion throughout his time with the band.

Next up is "Bourée", taking the listener in yet another direction.  Anderson called it a "cocktail jazz" version of J.S. Bach's "Bourée in E minor".  So far, three songs in three different genres (four if you count "Bourée" as both Classical and Jazz, which it is).

"Back to the Family" is... hard to describe.  It starts with something like an R&B vibe, but after a brief odd-metered segue, the chorus cuts loose into full blown Rock, with Anderson's flute and Barre's guitar swapping fours.

I'm not going to bore you with my impressions of every single track.  Let's just say that this is where "the Jethro Tull sound" was fully formed.  Classical, Folk, Jazz, Blues, and of course Rock and Roll, plus string arrangements, Ian Anderson's unique voice, and two damn flutes!  This is a solid album, made even better by the various CD reissues which include a couple of Top Ten singles as bonus tracks.

Stand Up went to Number 1 on the U.K. album charts, and reached #20 on the Billboard charts in the U.S.  This is the album where Ian Anderson was first able to realize his vision for the band, and he has called it his favorite Jethro Tull album.  I was surprised by how many songs I recognized from the Classic Rock radio stations.  I know I've heard "Nothing is Easy" many times, and "Reasons for Waiting" with its beautiful flute duet interludes.  But apparently "Bourée" was the only official single from this album, with "Fat Man" as the B side.  It reached #5 on the U.K. singles chart.

"Living in the Past", recorded prior to the Stand Up sessions, and "Sweet Dream", recorded during the sessions, were both released as standalone singles.  "Living in the Past" reached #3 and "Sweet Dream" reached #7.  As mentioned, both are usually included among the bonus tracks on CD.


About the Cover

The cover art is a woodcut of the band by American artist James Grashow.  He followed them around for a week, getting to know them, so that he could "properly represent them in wood".  The original album gatefold was a cutout, also by Grashow, which "stood up" when you opened it.



In 2016, this album got the full "Steven Wilson treatment", with 2 CDs and a DVD, including a full 5.1 mix, some video, and other goodies, but perhaps most important (okay, maybe not), the "stand up" woodcut was back!



----------

Ian says:

"The coming of age, in a way. The birth of more original music for us. It was then that what was referred to as progressive rock music was coming into being. If it's in that vein, it's rock music rather than folky, but it's progressive in that it reflects more eclectic influences, bringing things together and mixing and matching and being more creative. For me, it's a very important album, a pivotal album."

From Every Jethro Tull album in Ian Anderson's own words

[TAC]

Ian Anderson - Vocals, Flute, Acoustic Guitar, Hammond Organ, Piano, Mandolin, Balalaika, Mouth Organ

While I have no idea what a Balalaika is, WTF is a Mouth Organ?

[El Barto]

(if you count "Bourée" as both Classical and Jazz, which it is).

True enough, which is a hard thing to do. At times it's classical tonally with an upbeat jazz rhythm, and other times it's exactly opposite. Not sure how many other tunes are so very baroque and very jazzy at the same time.

[El Barto]

Ian Anderson - Vocals, Flute, Acoustic Guitar, Hammond Organ, Piano, Mandolin, Balalaika, Mouth Organ

While I have no idea what a Balalaika is, WTF is a Mouth Organ?

It's what people call a harmonica if they don't want to sound like hillbillies.

[Podaar]

Love, love this album! I had the LP with the original stand up cover (it was a birthday gift from my best friend in elementary school), but some low life stole it from me when I had a party at my apartment around 1978 or so. I'll listen to it again, and get back in here tomorrow to reminisce.

[TAC]

Ian Anderson - Vocals, Flute, Acoustic Guitar, Hammond Organ, Piano, Mandolin, Balalaika, Mouth Organ

While I have no idea what a Balalaika is, WTF is a Mouth Organ?

It's what people call a harmonica if they don't want to sound like hillbillies.

I'd rather sound like a hillbilly than some sort of perv.

[Orbert]

Yeah, I was gonna say I'd rather play a harmonica than be known for playing the mouth organ.  That just sounds wrong.  But I'm including the album credits pretty much the way they are on the album (hopefully, anyway.  I'm getting a lot of these from Wiki, since I don't own physical copies).

[Indiscipline]

I love how the first post-Abrahams album starts with a Cream-esque blues, even featuring some harmonica; sounds like a big playful "screw you, pal!"

We Used to Know made me a fan of Barre's playing, and showed me who actually wrote Hotel California.

[Orbert]

I love how the first post-Abrahams album starts with a Cream-esque blues, even featuring some harmonica; sounds like a big playful "screw you, pal!"

I never thought of it that way!  I just figured they'd start with the bluesiest tune, so fans wouldn't figure they'd changed, before hitting them with all the eclectic stuff.  But the effyu to Abrahams angle is a fun way to look at it.

We Used to Know made me a fan of Barre's playing, and showed me who actually wrote Hotel California.

Tull opened for the Eagles on a tour back in the 70's, and Ian Anderson has speculated that they must have subconsciously remembered the song and it showed up later on an Eagles album.  But "Hotel California" was written by Don Felder, who didn't join the Eagles until a few years later.  So who knows?  It's a basic circle-of-fifths type of progression, though, not entirely uncommon, so it's probably just a coincidence.  Anderson is very good-natured about it; he doesn't say they ripped him off or anything.  He even gives them credit for creating a better song out of it.

[Orbert]

I had the LP with the original stand up cover (it was a birthday gift from my best friend in elementary school), but some low life stole it from me when I had a party at my apartment around 1978 or so.

I knew a guy, a huge Tull fan, who had the original jacket, but it had been wrecked by a drunken roommate.  One side was ripped and it didn't stand up correctly anymore.  He had tried to tape it, but structural integrity was compromised.  There was no way that tape could hold it properly to make it work.

He still seemed pissed about it, which I guess I would be, too.

[ErHaO]

Late to the party but gave This Was a listen. I enjoyed it. Actually more flute than I expected in some parts, but overall indeed a different feel than the albums I am familiar with.

As for Stand Up I only know Look into The Sun and Bouree, and I really like those (when I started with vinyl my dad gave a bunch of his 7" doubles, so I do know some seperate JT tracks outside the context of their albums). Looking forward to listening it.

[El Barto]

Ian Anderson - Vocals, Flute, Acoustic Guitar, Hammond Organ, Piano, Mandolin, Balalaika, Mouth Organ

While I have no idea what a Balalaika is, WTF is a Mouth Organ?

It's what people call a harmonica if they don't want to sound like hillbillies.

I'd rather sound like a hillbilly than some sort of perv.

Haven't you ever seen Deliverance? Ask Ned Beatty what the difference is. Actually, don't. I hear he's still rally sensitive about that whole thing. 

[TAC]

That was the first thing I thought of when I read you post in the first place.

[Orbert]

I have no idea what a Balalaika is

By the way:



The Balalaika is a traditional Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck and three strings.

[TAC]

Ahh, a three stringed ancient flying V.



I thought A New Day Yesterday sounded familiar. Then I remembered Indiscipline sent it to me in my Opposites Attract Roulette.

12. Indiscipline-Jethro Tull-A New Day Yesterday
"I was thinking about this band while putting together my Banned List. A kind of premonition. I appreciate getting this song very much."


I have literally only heard 4 Jethro Tull songs in my life..the classic radio hits. I have never disliked anything I've heard. But I have never taken the time to investigate them. I'm a metal guy, not a flute man. But I loved this old school sound and feel. Some fantastic drumming too. And I never knew Ian Anderson had such a soulful voice. This song was quite different than anything else in this round. This was easily the best song in this round, but would probably rank 5th or 6th against the Night songs. This song really took me back big time. This was a risk, but it paid off.

[TAC]

Back To the Family is excellent.

I cannot stand the vocal effects of Look Into The Sun. Feels like Jimmy Page is playing.




The first thing I thought of when Fat Man started was Van Halen's Dance The Night Away.



Nice album.

[DragonAttack]

'Look Into The Sun' has that 'Hat's Off To Roy Harper' irritating echo affect, but not AS irritating.

Took me until 2001 to get the CD, as it had the non album 45 tracks included.  As I'm want to do with some albums, my 'improved' version. 

New Day Yesterday
Living In The Past *
Driving Song *      
Bourée
Back To The Family
Look Into The Sun

Side Two
Sweet Dream *
Nothing Is Easy
Fat Man
We Used To Know
Reasons For Waiting
For A Thousand Mothers

bonus:  Nothing Is Easy [live], Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square, 17

*non album songs

'Nothing Is Easy' [live] is from the 'Isle of Wight' 1970 performance (2004 release)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axEK3x5KIYc  Very much worth the listen

[Stadler]

I really dig this period of Tull.

Living In The Past, Driving Song, Fat Man, 17...  all solid, all songs I go back to fairly frequently.

FYI, in case anyone tries to seek it out, the RnR Circus footage with Iommi I believe is mimed, except for the vocals themselves.   He doesn't play; he does wear a bitchin' hat.

EDIT:   Tull starts at 2:26, but for sheer ridiculousness, the first two minutes are hard to top.   (Check the video out; I can't tell if he's plugged in, and honestly, I can't even tell if there are strings on his guitar). 

[El Barto]

I really dig this period of Tull.

Living In The Past, Driving Song, Fat Man, 17...  all solid, all songs I go back to fairly frequently.

FYI, in case anyone tries to seek it out, the RnR Circus footage with Iommi I believe is mimed, except for the vocals themselves.   He doesn't play; he does wear a bitchin' hat.

EDIT:   Tull starts at 2:26, but for sheer ridiculousness, the first two minutes are hard to top.   (Check the video out; I can't tell if he's plugged in, and honestly, I can't even tell if there are strings on his guitar).

Edited by Steve Harris's dad.

[LudwigVan]

Just an anecdote to the Iommi/Tull side story.  Iommi has said that his short stint was an eye-opener for him. It showed him how tight a ship it was, with Anderson having set rehearsal times with mandatory attendance and no one strolling in whenever they wanted.  He took this revelation back with him and applied it when he re-started Earth/Sabbath.  Iommi also found the Tull vibe weird, with Anderson eating lunch at one table while the other members were together at another table.

I'm an unapologetic Ian Anderson fan. He certainly may have been dickish to quite a few members of his band, but I chalk it up to being the control freak that has kept the band together, allowing it to flourish all these decades. Obviously every band has its own dynamic, but whatever he did seemed to work. 

The Ian Anderson/Martin Barre relationship really seemed to fit hand-in-glove, lasting longer than almost any musical partnership I can think of.  When you have two strong personalities (Gilmour/Waters and Lennon/Mccartney come to mind), it can serve to tear a band apart.  To my mind, Steven Wilson and Michael Akerfelt are modern-day Ian Andersons in the spirit with which they run their bands. 

[Stadler]

^  I'm in tune with this; I've often used the analogy of a sports team with a band; I think there has to be a dick (of some sort) in the band, someone to push the band and to make sure the t's get crossed and the i's get dotted.  I think there, in most cases, has to be one or more people for whom the role isn't to make the decisions, it's to carry them out.   We can name these people all day long:  Alex Van Halen, Dave Murray, Roger Glover... and in this case, maybe Martin Barre. 

[Podaar]

He still seemed pissed about it, which I guess I would be, too.

I'm still pissed about the thief, 42 years later.  I'm pretty sure the bastard swiped a spare bottle of Elsha cologne, too. 

Anyway, I'll spare ya'll they stupid tales of trying to sing Fat Man as a sort of impromptu audition to be a singer for a JHS garage band.

Side one is brilliant and iconic. Barre really made his presence felt right away and Ian was able to branch out from the blues a bit. I get the criticism with the vocal effects on Look into the Sun (sounds like the recorded his voice through a Leslie speaker, to me) but I have never been bothered by it.

Side two's start with Nothing Is Easy through We Used To Know is probably my favorite Tull three song stretch. I know, there's more to come, and my feelings are rooted in youthful nostalgia. So sue me.

[Orbert]

Just an anecdote to the Iommi/Tull side story.  Iommi has said that his short stint was an eye-opener for him. It showed him how tight a ship it was, with Anderson having set rehearsal times with mandatory attendance and no one strolling in whenever they wanted.  He took this revelation back with him and applied it when he re-started Earth/Sabbath.  Iommi also found the Tull vibe weird, with Anderson eating lunch at one table while the other members were together at another table.

Thanks for those details.  One of the accounts I read of the early days of Jethro Tull mentioned in passing how they'd rehearse/record 9 to 5 during the day, then Anderson would work on stuff during the evening -- reviewing and/or editing tapes, preparing the agenda for the next day's sessions, etc -- and then the band would work 9 to 5 the next day.  Basically like a "regular" job, and Anderson was the boss.  And of course, no one eats lunch with the boss.

I can see how Iommi, or most people really, would find that kinda weird.  A rock and roll band by nature is rebellious, crazy, impulsive, etc.  If you were in Jethro Tull, you worked hard, and you were serious about the band and the music.  None of this rock and roll hippie bullshit.

Apparently Jethro Tull was invited to play at Woodstock, and Anderson told them No.  The band was still in the early stages, and he didn't want them to become pigeonholed as one of "those" bands (whatever that means).  I got the impression that he really didn't care for the hippie scene in general.  He's a pretty straight-laced guy.  Anderson seems much like Zappa, or Fripp with King Crimson.  Leave your rock and roll rebel or diva shit at the door.  If you're in this band, it's 100% about the music.

[Orbert]

Benefit (1970)



Ian Anderson - Vocals, Guitars, Flute, Balalaika, Keyboards
Martin Barre - Electric Guitar
Clive Bunker - Drums
Glenn Cornick - Bass

Dee Palmer - Orchestral Arrangments
John Evan - Piano, Organ

----------

U.K. Track Listing

With You There to Help Me 6:15
Nothing to Say 5:10
Alive and Well and Living In 2:43
Son 2:48
For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me 3:47
To Cry You a Song 6:09
A Time for Everything? 2:42
Inside 3:38
Play in Time 3:44
Sossity; You're a Woman 4:31


U.S. Track Listing

With You There to Help Me 6:15
Nothing to Say 5:10
Inside 3:46
Son 2:48
For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me 3:47
To Cry You a Song 6:09
A Time for Everything? 2:42
Teacher 3:57
Play in Time 3:44
Sossity; You're a Woman 4:31

----------

In 1970, Ian Anderson finally convinced John Evan to join Jethro Tull.  Evan appeared on Benefit as a session player, but after the recording was complete, Anderson pointed out that they would need a keyboard player on the tour, and Evan agreed to become a full-fledged member of the band.  He'd been resistant, as he had enrolled at the University of London to study music, which meant he had free access to a studio.  Evan was living with Anderson at the time, the two of them having stayed together since the breakup of The John Evan Band.  It seems to me that Anderson's thoughts were never far from the old band, as evidenced by "A Song for Jeffrey" on This Was and "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square" on Stand Up, both for Jeffrey Hammond, and now "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me" from this album.

Anderson was excited about the new possibilities that came with having a full-time keyboard player, but he also says that this is primarily a "guitar riff" album, and that its darker sound was part of the natural evolution of the band.  Martin Barre said that this album was a lot easier than Stand Up, as the success of that album gave them more artistic latitude for this one.  There may be a few more songs more clearly based on a guitar hooks, but I hadn't really noticed or thought of it that way.  The album overall feels proggier, with the average track length increasing and the band taking more chances musically.  The U.K. and U.S. versions differ slightly, but both start with the longest track "With You There to Help Me" which treats the listener to some great instrumental work.  But that's true of every song.  The instrumentals and arrangements are tight, and the production is great.  Anderson has sole writing credit on every track here.

Ian Anderson also continues to draw upon personal experience for inspiration, including his family.  On Stand Up we had "Back to the Family" and "For A Thousand Mothers"; here we have "Son".

This one took me a few more listens to get into, but wow, once it clicked, it clicked hard.  I guess I can see how the band themselves thought of it as more guitar-driven.  It's heavier, but there are many sides to Jethro Tull.  We get some really nice interplay between the guitar and flute here, and the keyboards add some new textures.  I like that Tull albums seem to each have their own nature, but all sound like Jethro Tull.

----------

Ian says:

"A darker album. You have to put that into the context of a band returning from the first of three forays into the USA and that altered my mindset. It's not all gloom and doom, but it's a slightly more oddball album. On For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me, we referenced Michael Collins, the astronaut who was stuck in the command module and we now know was given the instructions to leave the others behind. The loneliest man in space, and also he gets no glory because he's not the guy who walked on the moon."

From Every Jethro Tull album in Ian Anderson's own words

[Indiscipline]

If not my favourite of theirs, surely the one I've played the most; this is where the classic JT progressions and harmonies are established. Arrangements and orchestration will virtually vary with every album, but many constant ideas in their career can already be found here. Plus, there's a certain dark edgy, almost uncomfortable mood keeping the songs from ever becoming stale.

Personal highlights: With You There to Help Me, Nothing to Say (dress rehearsals for Aqualung's atypical rock chord progression), and - above all - To Cry You a Song: great joke on Bach's Bandinerie, and - bear with me, I like to dick around with musical similarities - a four bars instrumental break we'll hear almost verbatim ten years later in Charlotte The Harlot's intro.

Orbert, thank you with all my heart for giving me an excuse to play one of the most beloved records from my pre-teen years. 

[TAC]

OK, I just listened to Benefit. I definitely recognized Teacher, though I had no idea what the title was.

I must say I almost gave up on it halfway through. I liked the previous album much better. I felt that save for To Cry You A Song and Play In Time, this album has no life. To Cry You A Song rocks pretty good though.

Stand Up made me want to hear what was next. Benefit does not. But I'm in this for the long haul.

[Stadler]

Minor point, but in case anyone cares, there are two versions of "Teacher":  the UK single version and the US album version, and they are rather different.   I'm stealing this from Wikipedia because I think "fluteless" is funny:  "the US version (with flute) of "Teacher" was placed on side two of the album and the track "Alive and Well and Living In" was excluded. In the UK "Teacher" was the B-side of the non-album single "Witch's Promise" and fluteless."  While I like the flute generally (phrasing!) "Teacher" is one of my favorite Tull songs, and I prefer the UK version myself.

So TAC, if you're put off with the flute... 

[Podaar]

I don't know if I've ever heard this album before...listening now to the Steven Wilson mix. With You There to Help Me is a real ripper, innit?

[TAC]

Minor point, but in case anyone cares, there are two versions of "Teacher":  the UK single version and the US album version, and they are rather different.   I'm stealing this from Wikipedia because I think "fluteless" is funny:  "the US version (with flute) of "Teacher" was placed on side two of the album and the track "Alive and Well and Living In" was excluded. In the UK "Teacher" was the B-side of the non-album single "Witch's Promise" and fluteless."  While I like the flute generally (phrasing!) "Teacher" is one of my favorite Tull songs, and I prefer the UK version myself.

So TAC, if you're put off with the flute... 

Actually, the damn flute wasn't the issue. This album just felt dead to me. There was some nice guitar in the first song. I forgot to mention that.