Jethro Tull *official*

Friggin' cool!!!!

Let me know when they get around to Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses and Stormwatch

S.D. wrote:

For those keeping up with Jethro Tull reissues:

Steven Wilson is continuing work on their catalog, he did the recent 40th anniversary editions of Aqualung and Thick As A Brick where he did full 5.1 and stereo remixes (the stereo master tapes were so damaged that the only way to do a faithful reissue of the material was to go back to the multi-tracks and remix the entire album...but these match the original mixes very closely, no major changes were made). Both of these reissues were revelations, neither album had ever sounded this good.

Coming soon is a deluxe edition of Benefit (Ian Anderson had always disliked the mix of this album, so he worked together with Steven to capture the sound he always wished it had) which will contain several bonus tracks on a separate disc.

The other deluxe edition is A Passion Play which will also contain newly remixed versions of the Chateau D'isaster Tapes (for those unfamiliar these tapes were an aborted concept album that was shelved and then A Passion Play was recorded instead).

'A Passion Play' is an album I never cared for, despite me being a huge Jethro Tull fan, this is one of their few albums from the 70's that just did not do it for me

manny wrote:

'A Passion Play' is an album I never cared for, despite me being a huge Jethro Tull fan, this is one of their few albums from the 70's that just did not do it for me

I've grown to enjoy it over the years.

I'm hoping they can find the mulit-track tapes to Stand Up (currently missing) so Wilson can work on that one.

I know a priest who loves Jethro Tull/Ian Anderson. Favorite song is "Wind Up" naturally

Maybe I just never "got" them, but it's never too late I guess. I have Aqualung hiding somewhere in my collection.

manny wrote:

S.D. wrote:

For those keeping up with Jethro Tull reissues:

Steven Wilson is continuing work on their catalog, he did the recent 40th anniversary editions of Aqualung and Thick As A Brick where he did full 5.1 and stereo remixes (the stereo master tapes were so damaged that the only way to do a faithful reissue of the material was to go back to the multi-tracks and remix the entire album...but these match the original mixes very closely, no major changes were made). Both of these reissues were revelations, neither album had ever sounded this good.

Coming soon is a deluxe edition of Benefit (Ian Anderson had always disliked the mix of this album, so he worked together with Steven to capture the sound he always wished it had) which will contain several bonus tracks on a separate disc.

The other deluxe edition is A Passion Play which will also contain newly remixed versions of the Chateau D'isaster Tapes (for those unfamiliar these tapes were an aborted concept album that was shelved and then A Passion Play was recorded instead).

'A Passion Play' is an album I never cared for, despite me being a huge Jethro Tull fan, this is one of their few albums from the 70's that just did not do it for me

Funny, that is actually my favorite album! I can't wait to hear that in surround.

Jethro Tull was almost all I listened to when I was a high school freshman.  I bought M.U. The Best Of... LP from a used record shop when I read what a big influence that band was on my favorite band at that time: Iron Maiden.  I liked that LP so much that I bought the 20th Anniversary CD box set that had recently been released (yes, a loooong time ago).  That was a big commitment for me as the set probably cost around $65 which was quite an investment for me at the time. I listened to Disc 3 (essential Tull) first and, as soon as I heard the first track "Witch's Promise," I knew I made a wise purchase.  I eventually purchased their back catalog on cassette and a few CDs and later got vinyl for the additional artwork.

I like all their albums except their first, This Was, as I'm not into blues and A Passion Play (couldn't get into that one like Thick As A Brick).  Crest Of A Knave was the first JT album I got when it was first released.  I remember waiting for the video "Steel Monkey" on MTV with great anticipation.  I've recently started listening to it again. "Raising Steam" kicks!

I'm a little weird as I really dig their early 1980s output which most fans don't like.  Albums like A and Under Wraps have gotten a lot of plays from me as well as Ian Anderson's solo album Walk Into Light.

Not a big fan of their later stuff, though, although I remember liking J-T Dot Com.

80s Metal Lady, I recommend you listen to the albums "Roots To Branches" and "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album", both later records that nicely capture some of their earlier 70s style.  

I would also check out Thick As A Brick II that Ian Anderson released last year.

S.D. wrote:

80s Metal Lady, I recommend you listen to the albums "Roots To Branches" and "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album", both later records that nicely capture some of their earlier 70s style.  

I would also check out Thick As A Brick II that Ian Anderson released last year.

SD speaks the truth!

I actually listened to Thick As A Brick II on Spotify a while back. Couldn't get into it. I really wanted to like it.

I can't remember if I bought Roots And Branches when it came out. I know I had Rock Island and Catfish Rising (that was the one time I saw them live). Didn't care for those albums except for "This Is Not Love" off Catfish. That song is great. I still have the tape recording I made of it before selling the CD. I'll give Roots And Branches a chance on Spotify.

Catfish Rising is my favorite latter day Tull album.

80s Metal Lady wrote:

I can't remember if I bought Roots And Branches when it came out. I know I had Rock Island and Catfish Rising (that was the one time I saw them live).  Didn't care for those albums except for "This Is Not Love" off Catfish.  That song is great.  I still have the tape recording I made of it before selling the CD. I'll give Roots And Branches a chance on Spotify.  

I didn't like Rock Island or Catfish Rising, it was Roots To Branches that restored my faith in the modern Tull albums. I also saw that tour and it was incredible.

S.D. wrote:

80s Metal Lady wrote:

I can't remember if I bought Roots And Branches when it came out. I know I had Rock Island and Catfish Rising (that was the one time I saw them live).  Didn't care for those albums except for "This Is Not Love" off Catfish.  That song is great.  I still have the tape recording I made of it before selling the CD. I'll give Roots And Branches a chance on Spotify.  

I didn't like Rock Island or Catfish Rising, it was Roots To Branches that restored my faith in the modern Tull albums.  I also saw that tour and it was incredible.

To the surprise of no one, I'm the reverse; I like both Rock Island and Catfish Rising but I find Roots To Branches to be too proggy for my tastes.

But to be fair, I haven't spun RtB in ages so maybe I need to give it another spin. Wouldn't be the first time a Tull album clicked with me after repeated listens.

There is no such thing as too proggy as far as I'm concerned.

Well there definitely is in my book and Jethro Tull frequently straddles the border. Fortunately, Tull usually lands safely on my listenable side of the fence. I'll have to spin RtB again and still see if I think it falls over my proggy cliff.

There is more of the late 70s Tull sound on Roots To Branches, that's the main reason I like it so much. A track like "Valley" illustrates this.

It's my favorite post-1980 Jethro Tull album.

tohostudios wrote:

But to be fair, I haven't spun RtB in ages so maybe I need to give it another spin.  Wouldn't be the first time a Tull album clicked with me after repeated listens.

I was that way with Under Wraps. I didn't like it at all at first but, I kept playing it, and it soon became maybe my favorite JT album, especially with the extra tracks like "General Crossing" and "Automotive Engineering."

I like Under Wraps well enough.  "A" is the album from that era that I just can't get into at all.

I only had Under Wraps on vinyl so I haven't listened to it in literally decades but looking at the track list it's amazing how many of those songs I still remember. The title track, Saboteur, Nobody's Car, European Legacy, Paparazzi...I remember those pretty well all these years after the last time I heard them.

tohostudios wrote:

I like Under Wraps well enough.  "A" is the album from that era that I just can't get into at all.

I only had Under Wraps on vinyl so I haven't listened to it in literally decades but looking at the track list it's amazing how many of those songs I still remember.  The title track, Saboteur, Nobody's Car, European Legacy, Paparazzi...I remember those pretty well all these years after the last time I heard them.

The 4 extra tracks on the CD (2 were on the cassette version) are among the best songs on that album. They're available on Spotify. Definitely worth a listen (or many).

"A" is awesome. One of my 100 favorite albums of all time (I keep a list). The only song I'm not crazy about is "4WD (Low Ratio)" (though I don't think it's terrible) and the instrumental is good, not great. The rest are stellar. I also really like the album cover. It is so gloriously early '80s retro.

I just ordered the version of Under Wraps with the bonus tracks!

Before this thread, I didn't realize I remembered so many tracks from that album.

R.I.P. Glenn Cornick, original bassist for Jethro Tull who played on This Was, Stand Up and Benefit, in addition to some tracks on the Living In The Past compilation. He can also be seen in the live concert DVD - Live At The Isle of Wight 1970.

S.D. wrote:

R.I.P. Glenn Cornick, original bassist for Jethro Tull who played on This Was, Stand Up and Benefit, in addition to some tracks on the Living In The Past compilation.  He can also be seen in the live concert DVD - Live At The Isle of Wight 1970.  

My late father-in-law was on one of the film crews at the Isle of Wight 1970 - I know he filmed, Free, Joni Mitchell, and Hendrix and more - I don't think he filmed Tull though. In fact, my mother-in-law found a forgotten Hendrix reel that she had in the back of a closet last year.  She sold it to the BBC for mucho bucks.

Witchfinder wrote:

My late father-in-law was on one of the film crews at the Isle of Wight 1970 - I know he filmed, Free, Joni Mitchell, and Hendrix and more - I don't think he filmed Tull though. In fact, my mother-in-law found a forgotten Hendrix reel that she had in the back of a closet last year.  She sold it to the BBC for mucho bucks.

Very cool story, thanks for sharing!

S.D. wrote:

Witchfinder wrote:

My late father-in-law was on one of the film crews at the Isle of Wight 1970 - I know he filmed, Free, Joni Mitchell, and Hendrix and more - I don't think he filmed Tull though. In fact, my mother-in-law found a forgotten Hendrix reel that she had in the back of a closet last year.  She sold it to the BBC for mucho bucks.

Very cool story, thanks for sharing!  

Very cool, also that was the last show that was filmed of Jim Morrison with the Doors.

I have to admit, whatever my feelings on Steven Wilson's solo material of late, I have to tip my (nonexistent) hat to him for some amazing remix/remaster work. The last few Tull reissues have been amazing. I always loved Benefit, but getting to hear the hi-def version of the album that was put together for the recent release was amazing. I knew the album was dense, but getting to hear all of those little bits and pieces so clearly was a revelation.

Ditto for A Passion Play. Admittedly, it's probably my LEAST favorite Tull album, but Wilson did it more justice than the previous releases had. Actually, the Chateau tapes included were a lot more interesting to my ears than the album proper. Stripped of the weird reverb and overdubs in the previously released versions, it was a really interesting piece taken on its own merits, even unfinished.