I saw the band once in the late 70's, but could never quite figure them out. Maybe it's because of an eccentric Ian Anderson and the flute. How important was Martin Barre contribution to the band's sound?

I never knew that Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath was a briefly a guitarist in the band back in 1968.

If you are a fan, which three albums would you consider to be their top three?
Is Aqualung a concept album? Ian Anderson says no but music critics say yes.
Most underrated album?

I do not really think they are either. I am a fan of Jethro Tull. Let me rephrase, I am a fan of the first 5 years of Jethro Tull. They kinda lose me after Thick As A Brick (and even that) but the stuff before it is super solid. I do not think they are progressive geniuses. They were riding the wave, or creating/furthering it, but to be a genius at it I feel like you need to be amazing with it. I do not believe they were, I believe they were very good. I believe Yes was much better, I believe Genesis were much better and more successful with it. I give credit to Jethro Tull for being adventurous, but with mixed results.

I did know about Tony being in there briefly, mainly from our own Rock And Roll Circus and because I was obsessed with that. Its also why I know they mimed that performance to a track, minus Ian's vocals and flute which were live.

As for Aqualung, I think its far and away their greatest album. IMO the only one that even remotely comes close is Stand Up and its still a ways off. Aqualung is a fairly perfect album as far as perfect albums go. Do I think its the most underrated album? Not really. I think most people see it as their peak, and if you ask anyone thats probably the album they know. It maybe doesn't get enough credit for songs like Wind Up, Up To Me, Hymn 43, but largely everyone knows the record and there have been many covers of stuff like Locomotive Breath and Cross Eyed Mary. Maybe a bit of an underrated album but most underrated is definitely a stretch.

I do not believe they are a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame level band. Listen, the Hall we have now, yes, I do believe they belong. But if this was a true Hall Of Fame for the best of the best, no way in hell would I say they should be in. They would go in that Very Good Hall Of Fame I think about. My father vehemently disagrees. Like me, he also only likes up to TAAB, so his argument is fairly weak IMO. To me, what kills them is they were very good for a small amount of time. And in that amount of time I don't think the albums are flawless, minus Aqualung. Bands like the Stones, Elton John, The Who, Prince, those guys were constantly reinventing themselves and pulling it off. They had strings of phenomenal records. They changed the game. To me THAT puts you in the Hall, and someone like Jethro Tull, who were good but more or less just around at the right time, I feel is a knock to those genuinely amazing bands. Again, with what is in now that shouldn't be, I feel Jethro deserves their chance. But to me they were always a pretty good band with a decent string of albums there in the beginning but that was never anything super special. Aqualung is, but its not like they had 3 Aqualungs. Ian is a pretty out there guy but seems cool. Martin gave as much to that band as Ian. I respect what they've done but I'd personally never call them underrated or geniuses.

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RollingFreak

That's a really good synopsis. Have you ever seen them live? You don't like "Songs from the Wood?"

LOVED the band, world's biggest fan during my high school years in the early 70s. The first time I saw them was in 1973, during the Passion Play tour, and I rank that show on my "top ten" list.

Saw them four more times, up until around 1978-1979, and drifted away to other bands after that. Really didn't care for any of their 80s releases.

As a drummer, I was a big fan of Barrimore Barlow, and once he left the band (along with John Evan on keys) they didn't hold as much interest to me.

You are not in the category of a "new fan," but for anyone new to the band, though, and to answer your question:

1. LIVING IN THE PAST (fantastic multi-disc set, great photos, nice retrospective)
2. AQUALUNG
3. THICK AS A BRICK

Honorable Mention: BENEFIT

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Mongoose

As a drummer, I was a big fan of Barrimore Barlow, and once he left the band (along with John Evan on keys) they didn't hold as much interest to me.

Singers and frontmen always get the accolades and attention, but I always love how more serious listeners and fans look deeper into a band and see importance of other members of the group and rhythm section. Many times their contributions have more meaning to the sound of the group than just the lyrics and singing.

For the most part, always loved them - from hearing my older brothers Aqualung album in the early '70s to seeing them live at the Santa Monica Civic in 1979 when I was 17. That was my first ever front row center concert, and have to say it still ranks near the top of greatest concerts ever - definitely left an impression. Studio output from the late '70's forward is erratic and leaves a bit to be desired (even some of the earlier stuff is a bit iffy), but to see them live at that point in my life under those front/center circumstances is indescribable. Saw them several times after that, but none of them matched that Santa Monica Civic show.

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The Sicilan
If you are a fan, which three albums would you consider to be their top three?

Stand Up - 1969
Benefit - 1970
Aqualung - 1971

These are holy trinity for me, and as a bonus I would throw in the Living in the Past compilation (1972) which contained outtakes, non-album singles, and other special oddities.

Living in the Past

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-10-20 21:58 by Hairball.

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The Sicilian

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Mongoose

As a drummer, I was a big fan of Barrimore Barlow, and once he left the band (along with John Evan on keys) they didn't hold as much interest to me.

Singers and frontmen always get the accolades and attention, but I always love how more serious listeners and fans look deeper into a band and see importance of other members of the group and rhythm section. Many times their contributions have more meaning to the sound of the group than just the lyrics and singing.

I think thats what initially got me for the band. For the albums I like I love that BAND. I never saw Jethro Tull as the Ian Anderson Project even though it is. I saw it as a great band. Jeffrey Hammond, John Evan, Clive Bunker. It was a truly great group of musicians. Once that old guard left I became a bit less interested. To be fair to you and the band, to answer your question no, I have not heard Songs From The Wood. I really don't know anything after A Passion Play. I've heard a couple things here and there (Bungle In The Jungle and such) and its just not my cup of tea or just too much of what I saw as the same things they've already done. Another reason I know them as a band because I got off the train way before it just became Ian and Martin and rotating musicians. I have never seen them live unfortunately for that reason. Again, liked them, but never enough to bring me to a show and they never played enough I wanted to see, so that might also paint a less than full picture of the band for me. I have some live albums which are good. If they did all of Aqualung live, which they might have, I would have seen that. Otherwise, I'd rather see Martin Barre these days who does a lot of old Tull stuff.

Any opinions on the 1970 Isle of Wight show?

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The Sicilian
Any opinions on the 1970 Isle of Wight show?

I like it although personally prefer the bonus live disc from Carnegie Hall that came with the recent Stand Up re-release. Similar setlist from 4 months later with basically Song For Jeffrey and Sossity You're A Woman/Reason For Waiting in place of My Sunday Feeling and Bouree. Both are pretty solid though.

Back when Aqualung came out we all thought the lyric verse was:

"Sitting on a park bench
Five little girls with satin pants" instead of:

"Sitting on a park bench
Eying little girls with bad intent"

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Hairball
For the most part, always loved them - from hearing my older brothers Aqualung album in the early '70s to seeing them live at the Santa Monica Civic in 1979 when I was 17. That was my first ever front row center concert, and have to say it still ranks near the top of greatest concerts ever - definitely left an impression. Studio output from the late '70's forward is erratic and leaves a bit to be desired (even some of the earlier stuff is a bit iffy), but to see them live at that point in my life under those front/center circumstances is indescribable. Saw them several times after that, but none of them matched that Santa Monica Civic show.

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The Sicilan
If you are a fan, which three albums would you consider to be their top three?

Stand Up - 1969
Benefit - 1970
Aqualung - 1971

These are holy trinity for me, and as a bonus I would throw in the Living in the Past compilation (1972) which contained outtakes, non-album singles, and other special oddities.

Living in the Past

What he said-I would throw in This Was,which if I remember correctly is their first album.i couldn’t name one song off of it now but I remember it being really good.
I went through a phase where I listened to it constantly.
Saw them live a few times in the 70s somewhere between Aqualung and Songs from the Wood,just an absolutely phenomenal band.
I remember seeing the Grammys a few years ago and Tull got an award for best rock/heavy metal album and all the losers who care about this kind of crap were mad at them,they wanted Metallica to win.
When Metallica one the next year one of the guys said sarcastically,”good thing Jethro Tull didn’t put out an album this year”
I was thinking “what a pathetic little twat,as if any band worth shit Would care about winning a “Grammy”.
Ian Anderson was probably somewhere deep in the heart of England,sitting in his country estate using that Grammy for a doorstop.

When I first saw them perform, I would say that they were rockers, not necessarily underrated. It was in 1969 at a 3-day festival near Los Angeles. I was enthralled for a number of reasons. Firstly, they were musically and visually exciting, unique. Secondly, I loved that a frontman played the flute, as I also play the flute. I bought Stand Up and learned every flute lick on the record! And also, they were excellent musicians. It was the incarnation of Anderson, Clive Bunker, Martin Barre and Glenn Cornick. Later that summer, in '69. I saw them open for Led Zeppelin, and I thought they were, at least on that night, much better than LZ. At one point in the show, Barre played a semi-extended guitar solo, and had I closed my eyes, I would have sworn it was Cream playing. Not long after that, Anderson fired Cornick, inexplicably. The albums up to and including Aqualung I thought were brilliant. But, then they began to take a different musical direction. and though I give props to Anderson for always being creative, they became too experimental, too un-rockish for me.
But, they remain a favorite of mine to this day, particularly those first few albums.

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RollingFreak
I do not really think they are either. I am a fan of Jethro Tull. Let me rephrase, I am a fan of the first 5 years of Jethro Tull. They kinda lose me after Thick As A Brick (and even that) but the stuff before it is super solid. I do not think they are progressive geniuses. They were riding the wave, or creating/furthering it, but to be a genius at it I feel like you need to be amazing with it. I do not believe they were, I believe they were very good. I believe Yes was much better, I believe Genesis were much better and more successful with it. I give credit to Jethro Tull for being adventurous, but with mixed results.

I did know about Tony being in there briefly, mainly from our own Rock And Roll Circus and because I was obsessed with that. Its also why I know they mimed that performance to a track, minus Ian's vocals and flute which were live.

As for Aqualung, I think its far and away their greatest album. IMO the only one that even remotely comes close is Stand Up and its still a ways off. Aqualung is a fairly perfect album as far as perfect albums go. Do I think its the most underrated album? Not really. I think most people see it as their peak, and if you ask anyone thats probably the album they know. It maybe doesn't get enough credit for songs like Wind Up, Up To Me, Hymn 43, but largely everyone knows the record and there have been many covers of stuff like Locomotive Breath and Cross Eyed Mary. Maybe a bit of an underrated album but most underrated is definitely a stretch.

I do not believe they are a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame level band. Listen, the Hall we have now, yes, I do believe they belong. But if this was a true Hall Of Fame for the best of the best, no way in hell would I say they should be in. They would go in that Very Good Hall Of Fame I think about. My father vehemently disagrees. Like me, he also only likes up to TAAB, so his argument is fairly weak IMO. To me, what kills them is they were very good for a small amount of time. And in that amount of time I don't think the albums are flawless, minus Aqualung. Bands like the Stones, Elton John, The Who, Prince, those guys were constantly reinventing themselves and pulling it off. They had strings of phenomenal records. They changed the game. To me THAT puts you in the Hall, and someone like Jethro Tull, who were good but more or less just around at the right time, I feel is a knock to those genuinely amazing bands. Again, with what is in now that shouldn't be, I feel Jethro deserves their chance. But to me they were always a pretty good band with a decent string of albums there in the beginning but that was never anything super special. Aqualung is, but its not like they had 3 Aqualungs. Ian is a pretty out there guy but seems cool. Martin gave as much to that band as Ian. I respect what they've done but I'd personally never call them underrated or geniuses.

Hey, they beat Metallica for the first Best Metal Grammy ever! That counts for something, lol.

Jethro Tull are the only one of my childhood favorites I still want in the Hall Of Fame now that Yes and The Moody Blues finally made it! I first saw Tull on the This Was tour in '68 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, they were more of a jazz band then, Mick Abrahams was their guitarist. My favorite albums started with Stand Up and ended with Heavy Horses. I saw them advance from a ballroom the first time to a football stadium in '76, always innovative and fun to see live!

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DaveG

I loved that a frontman played the flute, as I also play the flute. I bought Stand Up and learned every flute lick on the record!

I can't think of any other musician for a rock band that played a flute. The only other instance I can relate is Jimi Hendrix at the Winterland in 1968 playing "Are You Experienced" with flutist Virgil Gonzales. Do you know of any others?

I was somewhat into them in the early 70s, My tastes veered from that sort of thing as time wore on but some stuff still sounds good ("Nothing is Easy"). What I can tell you is that I saw them on the "Benefit" tour when I was about 15. They hadn't hit it big quite yet, playing the 3000 seaters with strong opening acts (Edgar Winter's White Trash maybe?). Anyway, I was really struck by their tightness and sense of show business. Ian Anderson ruled the room. I was used to the "Hello Cleveland!/do you wanna rock and roll?" level of stagecraft at that point. Anyway, talented group, just not regular fare for me.

Ian McDonald and Mel Collins in Crimson, Peter Gabriel in Genesis, to name a few.

Thijs van Leer from the band Focus plays the flute, keyboards, and is the vocalist.

Focus - Hocus Pocus

Chris Wood from Traffic plays the flute (he also played flute on Hednrix's Electric Ladyland album):

Traffic - Rainmaker

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

I liked how they followed the old school script with the individual solos at the live shows. Seems every musician got his turn showcasing their instrument and talent. I will say this, Clive Bunker was a hell of a drummer.

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The Sicilian

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DaveG

I loved that a frontman played the flute, as I also play the flute. I bought Stand Up and learned every flute lick on the record!

I can't think of any other musician for a rock band that played a flute. The only other instance I can relate is Jimi Hendrix at the Winterland in 1968 playing "Are You Experienced" with flutist Virgil Gonzales. Do you know of any others?

I saw the Moody Blues in ‘69 and one of the band played flute on one or two songs.

Gotta give the guy credit, this is a pretty good setlist here even without me caring about most of the second half. That first set is flawless.

[www.setlist.fm]

I'm not quite sure why he dropped Martin and now tours under his own name, even though usually kinda hiding it as Tull, but looks like a damn good setlist if you're looking for a retrospective of their creative period.

I just never liked to look at them much. But Ian Anderson is an incredible acoustic guitar player; Martin Barre is one of those underrated monsters; John Evans another one of those Hammond B3 players that for a while seemed to be coming out of England by the dozen - all great.
The early Blues phase was good but I have to say I really loved 'Thick as a Brick'.

Heavy Horses is one of my favourite albums of all time. Back in the day Anderson was as good as any frontman in Rock (a lot of it performed standing on one leg!)

This Was and Stand Up for me, as I'm a blues rock man.

This Was with Mick Abrahams on the guitar; a modern blues fest.
Stand Up with Martin Barre still rather bluesy.

Check out all of Mick Abrahams work, with Blodwyn Pig, and solo, electric and accoustic : wonderful

resotele

Heavy Horses
Minstrel in the gallery
Benefit

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resotele
Check out all of Mick Abrahams work, with Blodwyn Pig, and solo, electric and accoustic : wonderful

resotele

[www.loudersound.com]

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ROLLINGSTONE
Heavy Horses is one of my favourite albums of all time. Back in the day Anderson was as good as any frontman in Rock (a lot of it performed standing on one leg!)

I watched a couple shows of the last decade or so and Andersons voice really struggles badly even in the mid range. But those early shows are just priceless. He actually had one of the smoothest pitched voices I've heard. But his voice is tough to describe, sort of old salty sailor like. Maybe it's the Welsh accent. It's amazing, maybe someone here can give a proper description because I can't quite put it in words.

Not underrated. I`ve never liked stop-start music, so I jumped ship at Thick As A Brick. To tell the truth, both Stand Up and Benefit are a bit uneven, so that era ain`t as brilliant as we would like to think.-But I like Martin Barre and his Zeppelin approach, and of course Ian Anderson`s flute. Aqualung is my favourite!

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The Sicilian

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ROLLINGSTONE
Heavy Horses is one of my favourite albums of all time. Back in the day Anderson was as good as any frontman in Rock (a lot of it performed standing on one leg!)

I watched a couple shows of the last decade or so and Andersons voice really struggles badly even in the mid range. But those early shows are just priceless. He actually had one of the smoothest pitched voices I've heard. But his voice is tough to describe, sort of old salty sailor like. Maybe it's the Welsh accent. It's amazing, maybe someone here can give a proper description because I can't quite put it in words.

Saw him last month. His voice is GONE. The band is fine, and he can work a room and play flute and guitar. But he was no range anymore. His attempts to hit any high notes were painful.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-10-21 17:58 by ab.

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ab

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The Sicilian

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ROLLINGSTONE
Heavy Horses is one of my favourite albums of all time. Back in the day Anderson was as good as any frontman in Rock (a lot of it performed standing on one leg!)

I watched a couple shows of the last decade or so and Andersons voice really struggles badly even in the mid range. But those early shows are just priceless. He actually had one of the smoothest pitched voices I've heard. But his voice is tough to describe, sort of old salty sailor like. Maybe it's the Welsh accent. It's amazing, maybe someone here can give a proper description because I can't quite put it in words.

Saw him last month. His voice is GONE. The band is fine, and he can work a room and play flute and guitar. But he was no range anymore

That really sucks. His voice has been going for a very long time now but its sad when its just not there anymore. Especially because, as you say, he can still work the room and play his instruments, but that voice was such a massive part of Jethro Tull. No one sang or spoke like Ian Anderson.