Jethro Tull celebrates 50th Anniversary with new collections

[pb2015]

I thought M.U., Repeat and LITP were good anthologies.

I thought the Anniversary Collection from the early 90's was good. Especially since it included the Magus Perdé section of Passion Play.

[infandous]

Well, personally I don't understand the point of this at all. Surely there are plenty of compilations out there for the "casual fan" to get the hits and a few deep cuts? Not to mention, aside from us die hard physical media freaks (like myself), who is going to buy this? Most of the people I know my own age don't buy physical media at all anymore, and certainly the young people I know wouldn't even consider it (I work at a large university so I meet young people regularly........also my son and his friends are 16 and would never buy music physically). Of course, most of them don't "buy" music at all anyway.

I suppose they wouldn't be doing it if they didn't think they could at least recoup the investment, but it just seems kind of ridiculous to me. I actually only own one Tull album, Thick As A Brick, and despite being a minor fan of the band (I used to have cassette copies of the first few albums and the live album, along with those really early compilations people mentioned earlier in the thread) I have zero interest in this. I'd rather just get the albums, though I probably won't since I tend to prioritize new music over stuff I've already heard these days.

Anyway, more power to them I guess. Ever little bit will help Ian's retirement account I suppose

[JKL2000]

Have there been ANY recent classic rock comps that sold well? If so, why not this? If not, maybe this won’t.

I have no idea. Maybe there’ve been no other recent classic rock compilation albums.

[The Dark Elf]

Have there been ANY recent classic rock comps that sold well? If so, why not this? If not, maybe this won’t.

I have no idea. Maybe there’ve been no other recent classic rock compilation albums.

Well, sticking with Tull, Living in the Past went gold, and both M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull and Original Masters (1985) went platinum. So there is a market evidently.

[Mister Triscuits]

Have there been ANY recent classic rock comps that sold well?

Looking at the current Billboard Top 200 albums, I see compilations by Queen, Elton John, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Journey, the Beatles, Tom Petty, CCR, Michael Jackson, and the Eagles. None of them near the top, but it looks like there's still a market of some sort. (I also see Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. In 2018. Bloody hell!)

[Facelift]

Well, sticking with Tull, Living in the Past went gold, and both M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull and Original Masters (1985) went platinum. So there is a market evidently.

We mean, now, not 40 years ago.

[DocProgger]

Have there been ANY recent classic rock comps that sold well? If so, why not this? If not, maybe this won’t.

I have no idea. Maybe there’ve been no other recent classic rock compilation albums.

Genesis put out an Archive compilation a few years ago that I think was 2 or 3 CDs. Pink Floyd has put out compilation packages every few years it seems. The Beatles No 1s compilation sold like gangbusters. All these record companies must be run by morons I guess.

[JKL2000]

Looking at the current Billboard Top 200 albums, I see compilations by Queen, Elton John, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Journey, the Beatles, Tom Petty, CCR, Michael Jackson, and the Eagles. None of them near the top, but it looks like there's still a market of some sort. (I also see Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. In 2018. Bloody hell!)

This is what I expected. So the new Tull comps maybe aren’t so crazy. White people still need to buy dance music!

[BravadoNJ]

.....actually they should re-master Original Masters and add Teacher, Lucifer's Flight & A New Day Yesterday as bonus tracks.

[pb2015]

This is what I expected. So the new Tull comps maybe aren’t so crazy. White people still need to buy dance music!

There was that Zappa compilation Zappatite a couple years ago and I recall reading Joe Travers mentioning that it happened at Universal's request.

[Facelift]

This is what I expected. So the new Tull comps maybe aren’t so crazy. White people still need to buy dance music!

With I think one exception, these are all hits packages that have been available for more than 10 years, some of which function as the only album by a particular artist that the public has bought in years. They aren't new multi-disc albums released by bands that already have other compilations available. Their (minor) current success on the charts hardly validates a new triple-CD box set by band that already has best-ofs out there. It's still a terrible idea.

[The Dark Elf]

With I think one exception, these are all hits packages that have been available for more than 10 years, some of which function as the only album by a particular artist that the public has bought in years. They aren't new multi-disc albums released by bands that already have other compilations available. Their (minor) current success on the charts hardly validates a new triple-CD box set by band that already has best-ofs out there. It's still a terrible idea.

Terrible idea? Hardly. One may dislike his crass capitalism (and his eternal remastering of every Tull release for the last decade or two), but Ian Anderson is a shrewd businessman (and perhaps one of the richest rock stars). It costs relatively little to repackage published songs into a new compilation, just the cost of paper and plastic. The 3 CD set will go for about $21.99 in the States. The horde of Tull completionists will buy it (even though they already have the songs in every possible format), and non-completionists who perhaps have an old vinyl Aqualung or Thick as a Brick record moldering in a box in the basement may pick it up as well. Sell just 50,000 units worldwide and you're over $1 million with little expense.

[Mister Triscuits]

With I think one exception, these are all hits packages that have been available for more than 10 years, some of which function as the only album by a particular artist that the public has bought in years. They aren't new multi-disc albums released by bands that already have other compilations available. Their (minor) current success on the charts hardly validates a new triple-CD box set by band that already has best-ofs out there.

Actually, it does. I didn't look them all up, but the Queen, Zeppelin, and Elton John comps at least are multi-disc sets. The fact that all these classic rock acts can keep greatest hits albums in the charts for years and years while their regular albums are nowhere to be found--Fleetwood Mac being an exception!--is very much an argument in favor of releasing a project like this.

[jkelman]

I'm happy to have the 2CD MOFI release of Living in the Past. It sounds fine to me.

Have you compared it to the original CD release? I'm a big fan of MOFI's SACD Hybrids, but not familiar with their gold cd "original master" reissues, other than Rickie Lee Jones' Flying Cowboy, which is definitely an improvement over the regular CD issue.

Just wondering if I should try to find a reasonably priced copy of the MOFI, if it even exists
Thanks!
J

[Jerjo]

Last time I bothered to stop at the CD area at a Target, the section that used to be the top sellers was now occupied by compilations. It seems that the casual buyers, the people who see a "hits" collection as they're pushing their cart past, can be counted on to still buy these things.

[jkelman]

Well, sticking with Tull, Living in the Past went gold, and both M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull and Original Masters (1985) went platinum. So there is a market evidently.

Also, let's not forget that having a new release, even if only a compilation, will be an appealing thing at the merchandise table for non-hardcore folks who go to see Anderson this year.

I don't know for sure, so this is just supposition, but I suspect that's exactly what this is aimed at: merch table sales. Other than eleven dates in April, the rest of Anderson's tour takes place after this anthology is released...and, as sometimes happens, I'd not be surprised if he had copies for sale at the April shows, even though street date isn't 'til May 25. Knowing that he's playing generally good sized venues (especially outdoor ones), I've no doubt there will be people who've heard of (or heard a little) Tull, but have little or none of the releases, so this compilation will be a great take-home for them from the concert.

I don't know about Anderson/Tull, but many artists sell more at gigs than they do anywhere else, and since Anderson is playing well over 60 dates this year, that could translate to a hefty sales figure for a compilation that would have been, relatively speaking, inexpensive to produce.

[Rael]

Have you compared it to the original CD release? I'm a big fan of MOFI's SACD Hybrids, but not familiar with their gold cd "original master" reissues, other than Rickie Lee Jones' Flying Cowboy, which is definitely an improvement over the regular CD issue.

Just wondering if I should try to find a reasonably priced copy of the MOFI, if it even exists
Thanks!
J

The MOFI disc is *outstanding*. IMO, it's the best way to hear this album on CD. Not only does it sound better than the original truncated CD, but you also get all the tracks from both the US and UK variants. I don't know what it's selling for but I hope you get your hands on a copy.

[Facelift]

Have you compared it to the original CD release? I'm a big fan of MOFI's SACD Hybrids, but not familiar with their gold cd "original master" reissues, other than Rickie Lee Jones' Flying Cowboy, which is definitely an improvement over the regular CD issue.

IMO, it's a case-by-case basis. I don't have that one, so I can't really say. I do think that the gold CDs are the best-sounding versions of A Passion Play, Songs From the Wood and Aqualung, though Aqualung wasn't done by MOFI, IIRC. For Stand Up, I don't think that MOFI improves on the regular ('80s) Chrysalis CD reissue of the album to any significant degree. The MOFI Thick as a Brick is nothing special.

Living in the Past is spoken very highly of over on the Hoffman site.

[Jerjo]

Yes, I've heard that version of Living in the Past and it's fantastic. Should have bought it when I had the chance.

[Progatron]

The MFSL edition of Living In The Past can be found fairly easily, but it ain't cheap. I've never heard it, but it's always praised and I'd love to have it someday.

[Rael]

Aqualung, though Aqualung wasn't done by MOFI, IIRC.
Living in the Past is spoken very highly of over on the Hoffman site.

Steve Hoffman did Aqualung for the DCC label. I haven't heard it myself so can't confirm how good it is.

[Facelift]

Steve Hoffman did Aqualung for the DCC label. I haven't heard it myself so can't confirm how good it is.

Although I'm generally not a fan of Steve Wilson's remixes, I do have to say that his Aqualung is a worthy consideration for best Aqualung, if only because much of what is commonly considered Aqualung's worst features were best suited to be corrected by a remix. It's possible that somebody else could do an even better remix, but for now Wilson's is what we have.

[arturs]

^^^ Are you talking about the "4oth Anniversary Edition" 2cd? Looks like I may have to get that. I have the remaster from the late 90s and it is not very good.

[Fracktured]

I have a cdr burned copy that someone made for me from their vinyl copy of aqualung that to my ears is about as good as it could get for all its flaws.


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[Mister Triscuits]

I have a cdr burned copy that someone made for me from their vinyl copy of aqualung that to my ears is about as good as it could get for all its flaws.

Of course there have been a ton of different vinyl editions of Aqualung over the years, with different "flaws" appearing here and there. US vinyl pressings were botched right from the beginning, with the opening riff of the title track left off. (There should be two riffs before the vocal, not just one.) Later pressings had all kinds of glitches and splices (as did early CD editions), including losing the final verse of "Wind-Up."