All things J E T H R O T U L L

[Kim Olesen]

I'd welcome a new TULL album, doubt that it'll ever happen. Ian has said to Barre that he "don't want to be in Tull anymore". I know this is i failure of mine but i'm a Tull fan with no interest in tull members solo albums. Not even Ians. I am like that with most bands. I have very few Beatle solo recordings as well despite being a huge Beatles fan.

I can take his singing on studio recordings but live it's just too painfull. Phrasing several beats behind the rhythm as if he is totally out of breath (really it's the phrasing that throws me off more than his inability to hit the high notes). Watching him standing with his head stretched upwards while it looks as if his eyes are about to pop out. Painfull painfull painfull..... I've seen him when he was in better shape and i'll just cherish that memory instead of tarnishing it with how he was when i last saw Tull.

The thing is, the completist in me is more forgiving of a medoicre album from a band i love simply because i love to have some new music from that band. But if it's a solo album it will have to be real good because i'm not inherently a fan of the solo artist. And TAAB2 was mediocre. Had it been a tull album i would have enjoyed it a bit more because it was new music from a band i love. But as an album that have to prove itself by its merits only i just didn't like it enough. Same thing if the Crimson Project should decide to record an album of new music. It would have to be damn good for me to be interested, whereas if King Crimson should release a "lesser" album i'd be more acceptant of it because i'm a King Crimson fan.

Most will disagree and say only the music should count, not who played it, but i am always a bit emotionally attached to bands / artists that i love and have followed many years.

[Vic2012]

I know this is i failure of mine but i'm a Tull fan with no interest in tull members solo albums. Not even Ians. I am like that with most bands

We must've been separated at birth because this is exactley how I feel. I had two McCartney solo albums that everyone raved about. I thought they were boring and got rid of 'em.

I can take his singing on studio recordings but live it's just too painfull

Yep. In the studio they can use all kinds of wizardry like auro-tuning, but live he just doesn't have the strength. I've gotta believe that Ian's just stubborn and doesn't want anyone besides him in Jethro Tull to sing those songs. I wouldn't have a problem if he hired a singer to sing his songs and he just plays flute, guitar, etc. and do some harmonizing. But then the band wouldn't be "Jethro Tull" I guess.

[ronmac]

Yeah, anyone else singing would be hard to swallow. Is he able to pull off a nice toned-down acoustic set? He could really shine with a tour like that and just think of the gems he could dust off.

[TheH]

Speaking of the 1984 Under Wraps tour, this audience cam show just went up on Youtube a few weeks ago. Despite the poor video quality, it is quite a mesmerizing show. The first half hour is successful in drawing you in to the dark electronic landscape, so much so that (I at least found that) the jump over to Thick as a Brick was jarring and unwelcome.

I'm sad I missed the tour.

Thank you very much for posting this, that tour was my first Jethro Tull concert. I remember that I didn't like the album to much back then, but I was blown away by the concert.
I saw the band around 2003 the last time, and compared to the concerts before that was a very dissapointing experience.

[Progatron]

In the studio they can use all kinds of wizardry like auro-tuning, but live he just doesn't have the strength. I've gotta believe that Ian's just stubborn and doesn't want anyone besides him in Jethro Tull to sing those songs.

Well, I think he does have the strength to pull off whatever newer material he wants to play, since it was written for his current capabilities. I must admit, I haven't paid a ton of attention to live footage of TAAB2, I just enjoy the album, but perhaps I should check it out to see how he does. Old material, there's no question he can't pull it off anymore. He IS a stubborn guy, but the fact that he's got this younger guy singing the tougher sections of TAAB1 proves that he is willing to let go of some of that at his tender age. I don't think there was anyone in the most recent Tull lineups who could have sung lead, to be honest.

Yeah, anyone else singing would be hard to swallow. Is he able to pull off a nice toned-down acoustic set? He could really shine with a tour like that and just think of the gems he could dust off.

I completely agree, I think that kind of tour would be a treat, and he did mention only last year that he would like to do something along those lines with just him and Martin - I would see that show in a heartbeat. And yeah, lots of great back catalogue tracks could be dusted off. But now he is alluding to TAAB3, and it being a harder rock album, so who knows what's to come? I know I'll be watching and waiting to see though.

[trurl]

Woah- that video is amazing! I can't wait until I have time to watch it all. That was the first Tull tour I missed since 1975.

[Progatron]

Wow, they even played "Fly By Night", "Made In England", and a snippet of "Different Germany"! I love Walk Into Light. Such a moody record. I particularly like side two. Loving this video, thanks again man!

[PeterG]

Top 5
Songs From The Wood
Aqualung
Benefit
JT Christmas Album
Heavy Horses

[syncopatico]

Nice to see some appreciation for the 1984 Under Wraps tour! The songs from that album certainly had more oomph in concert due to the energy & power of new drummer Doanne kicking them along! There are a couple of excellent sounding multitrack pro-recorded complete shows from that tour available too since the KBFH recorded two nights at the Hammersmith Odeon in September 1984. (WV used to have them available for free streaming--but now you have to be a paid member to listen to them now i think )

(Also, for the real old diehards out there, back in the mid-80's MTV did a special on progressive rock (believe it or not!) and this special featured some live footage of the '84 Under Wraps tour filmed at the Capitol Theater in NJ, i think. The show was hosted by Meatloaf's female duet partner in concert, Karla De Vito, real time capsule stuff with some decent clips along with the Tull concert footage.)

And i agree with the live acoustic set being a good way to go. In fact, the only time in the last 20 years or so that i thought Ian's voice sounded really serviceable was on the 'Rubbing Elbows Tour' in 2002 which was a low-key all acoustic set. He even broke out some nice old rarities done in a acoustic manner like Up The 'Pool, etc.

[Progatron]

A month or so after that video was filmed, on the U.S. leg of the Under Wraps tour, Canadian band Honeymoon Suite was the opening band. They were a pretty good straight-ahead rock band from Niagara Falls - I'm not sure how big they ever made it in the States (although they did have some success with the theme song from 'Lethal Weapon'), but they had some big hits up here ('New Girl Now', 'Burning In Love', 'Wave Babies'), and Ian actually guested on this track from their second album:

[mogrooves]

Top 5

Benefit
Stand Up
This Was
Living In The Past
Aqualung

[PeterG]

Living In The Past

Never quite understood LitP in the JT discog, isn't it a compo of sorts?

[BarryLI]

TAAB is awash in Hammond.

[Progatron]

Never quite understood LitP in the JT discog, isn't it a compo of sorts?

Yes, a 2LP compilation mostly consisting of non-album singles, live tracks and the Life Is A Long Song EP.

[syncopatico]

A month or so after that video was filmed, on the U.S. leg of the Under Wraps tour, Canadian band Honeymoon Suite was the opening band. They were a pretty good straight-ahead rock band from Niagara Falls - I'm not sure how big they ever made it in the States (although they did have some success with the theme song from 'Lethal Weapon'), but they had some big hits up here ('New Girl Now', 'Burning In Love', 'Wave Babies'), and Ian actually guested on this track from their second album:

Never heard this one before with Ian's uniquely distinctive flute playing, but (I Want A) 'New Girl Now' just brought on a major flashback for me!!

[ronmac]

A month or so after that video was filmed, on the U.S. leg of the Under Wraps tour, Canadian band Honeymoon Suite was the opening band. They were a pretty good straight-ahead rock band from Niagara Falls - I'm not sure how big they ever made it in the States (although they did have some success with the theme song from 'Lethal Weapon'), but they had some big hits up here ('New Girl Now', 'Burning In Love', 'Wave Babies'), and Ian actually guested on this track from their second album:

I saw them open for Tull at the Philly Spectrum. We hated them.

That was the only time I ever got good seat at the Spectrum. Fourth row center. I was loving it. The first thing my friend said after the show was what a great singer Ian was.

[yogibear]

jethro tull was/is a fave . top five would be, a passion play, thick as a brick, minstrel in the gallery, aqualung, songs from the wood. the early blues stuff hasd some killer tunes, heavy horses and those after had some good stuff also.didn't include living in the past as it imo is a compilaiton of stuff but some still consider it one of their best(i think its really excellent) .

[gregory]

A Passion Play
Thick As A Brick
Minstrel In The Gallery
Benefit
Songs From The Wood
Living In The Past
Aqualung
War Child
Heavy Horses
Too Old To Rock'n Roll, Too Young To Die!

[syncopatico]

Ok, since we're now allowed 10 :
A Passion Play
Songs From The Wood
Heavy Horses
A
Thick As A Brick
Benefit
Minstrel In the Gallery
This Was
Stand Up
Aqualung

[Facelift]

My top 5

Heavy Horses
Minstrel in the Gallery
TAAB
Aqualung
Stand Up

Love most Tull from the '60s/'70s; find the quality to be very hit-and-miss after that.

[noisynoise]

The 20 Years of JT box set is up there with my favorites.

-noisynoise

[Dave (in MA)]

Here's an '84 clip that seems to be showing him having some trouble singing already.

[Dave (in MA)]

(Also, for the real old diehards out there, back in the mid-80's MTV did a special on progressive rock (believe it or not!) and this special featured some live footage of the '84 Under Wraps tour filmed at the Capitol Theater in NJ, i think. The show was hosted by Meatloaf's female duet partner in concert, Karla De Vito, real time capsule stuff with some decent clips along with the Tull concert footage.)

[Jerjo]

Songs from the Wood
Thick as a Brick
Stand Up
Heavy Horses
Aqualung
Benefit
Minstrel in the Gallery
Stormwatch
Too Old to Rock n Roll
Roots to Branches

And I will keep screaming this to the heavens, I want Ian to release some live shows from the actual tours of those classic albums.

[Vic2012]

My top 10 Tull albums:

Minstrel In The Gallery
A Passion Play
Songs From The Wood
A
Heavy Horses
This Was
Benefit
Stand Up
J-Tull.com
Warchild