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Jethro Tull Appreciation Thread


GeddysMullet
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I remember Jethro Tull from the rock'n'roll magazines I read as a kid, but until recently I never listened to their music beyond what I heard on the radio. A few weeks ago, thanks to some gentlemen from chat, I started getting into the album Songs From The Wood. I'm actually a bit surprised by how much I've been enjoying that record, because it's definitely a different sound than my usual fare, and I've never thought of the flute as a sound I particularly like. But, this stuff is goooooooood! :D

 

My favourite thing about Songs From The Wood is that it's a real ALBUM that is very satisfying to listen to from start to finish. I wouldn't say that I like all the songs on it equally, but it flows so well that even the songs on it I don't like as much feel essential to the listening experience. I also love the atmosphere created by the album as a whole. It creates a world that I can picture in my head and feel in my heart, a rich and sensual world filled with strange characters and with pleasures both bright and dark. It's really not quite like anything else I've ever listened to.

 

I know there are some Tull fans around here, and I can't call myself one yet, but I suspect I might become one as I explore further. So I thought I'd start a thread in case anyone wants to talk Tull. Please share your thoughts!

Edited by GeddysMullet
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I know you picked up Heavy Horses at the same time. Have you listened to it much yet? These two albums plus the subsequent Stormwatch form the so-called "folk trilogy."

 

It was the live album from this era, Bursting Out, that introduced me to the wonders of Tull. I especially loved how Anderson blended his weird vocalizations -- grunting and whooping -- with his flute playing.

 

Edit: An example of said vocalizations follows. Start at about 5:10. Love the snorting at 5:32ish. Hee.

 

Edited by Chronos
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I've been known to listen to these guys from time to time.

 

I like the way you described the appeal that Songs has for you, GM. Heavy Horses also works very well as an album—in fact, I prefer it to Songs thematically since it's about animals rather than some lunatics in a forest. HH also kicks off with three of my favorite Tull songs. Mouse Police-Acres Wild-No Lullaby is an awesome 1-2-3 punch.

 

There's usually some sort of theme, musically or conceptually, that links most of the tunes on a given Tull album, and Ian usually has success with his themes of choice, though some aren't quite as compelling as others (adventures as a spy... :facepalm: ). He's also an excellent lyricist—looking over some of his lines for GM's non-Rush lyrics thread made me appreciate his work in this area even more.

 

Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy Tull, GM. If you do and you choose to delve deeper into their library, I highly recommend Benefit, an absolutely mind-blowing album.

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I've been known to listen to these guys from time to time.

 

I like the way you described the appeal that Songs has for you, GM. Heavy Horses also works very well as an album—in fact, I prefer it to Songs thematically since it's about animals rather than some lunatics in a forest. HH also kicks off with three of my favorite Tull songs. Mouse Police-Acres Wild-No Lullaby is an awesome 1-2-3 punch.

 

There's usually some sort of theme, musically or conceptually, that links most of the tunes on a given Tull album, and Ian usually has success with his themes of choice, though some aren't quite as compelling as others (adventures as a spy... :facepalm: ). He's also an excellent lyricist—looking over some of his lines for GM's non-Rush lyrics thread made me appreciate his work in this area even more.

 

Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy Tull, GM. If you do and you choose to delve deeper into their library, I highly recommend Benefit, an absolutely mind-blowing album.

 

Benefit is a wonderful record. My favourite JT album.

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Thick As A Brick is one of my favourite albums of all time. And despite it being two halves of one really long song it is really quite listenable for new fans, I think. Minstrel In The Gallery is fantastic, too, and comes at the transition from their more prog-focused period into the folk trilogy era (if you ignore Too Old To Rock n' Roll, which is the only 70's album I'd suggest taking your time to get).

 

Also, if you are a fan of the folk trilogy, as it sounds you are, if I remember correctly there are a number of good soundboard recordings from that era.

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Minstrel In The Gallery is fantastic, too

 

I agree that it's fantastic, and it's my favorite Tull album lyrically. But I advise anyone heading into Minstrel for the first time to be ready to be patient with it. For me, only Valhalla and One White Duck were accessible at once; I needed to listen to the other tracks quite a few times before I really started to get them, especially Requiem and Baker Street. Now I love them, but it took some time. I think Minstrel is their most challenging record—even more challenging than A Passion Play.

 

(if you ignore Too Old To Rock n' Roll, which is the only 70's album I'd suggest taking your time to get).

 

Yeah, I like Too Old, but as far as Tull albums go, it's down at the bottom.

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I know you picked up Heavy Horses at the same time. Have you listened to it much yet? These two albums plus the subsequent Stormwatch form the so-called "folk trilogy."

 

It was the live album from this era, Bursting Out, that introduced me to the wonders of Tull. I especially loved how Anderson blended his weird vocalizations -- grunting and whooping -- with his flute playing.

 

Edit: An example of said vocalizations follows. Start at about 5:10. Love the snorting at 5:32ish. Hee.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oSeTtUt2xw

 

Well, THAT was weirdly exhilarating! That's the first time I've ever seen any live footage of Tull but I remember those pictures in Creem magazine of Ian Anderson looking pop-eyed and utterly insane :LOL: I recall my opinion of Jethro Tull when I was 13 as being that they looked too weird to be a rock band.

 

I've listened to Heavy Horses casually a couple of times, but up to this point I haven't really been ready to move on from Songs From The Wood. Probably later today, though, after watching that video. Getting to know a new sound that catches my imagination is a process I cherish, and a rare opportunity. I'm starting to get really excited about discovering this band.

Edited by GeddysMullet
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I agree that it's fantastic, and it's my favorite Tull album lyrically. But I advise anyone heading into Minstrel for the first time to be ready to be patient with it. For me, only Valhalla and One White Duck were accessible at once; I needed to listen to the other tracks quite a few times before I really started to get them, especially Requiem and Baker Street. Now I love them, but it took some time. I think Minstrel is their most challenging record—even more challenging than A Passion Play.

 

Good point. It is a challenging record, and I'm thinking about it through *ahemcoughcough* years since I've been listening to them. :) So right about the lyrics being great, though!

 

I've listened to Heavy Horses casually a couple of times, but up to this point I haven't really been ready to move on from Songs From The Wood. Probably later today, though, after watching that video. Getting to know a new sound that catches my imagination is a process I cherish, and a rare opportunity. I'm starting to get really excited about discovering this band.

 

I love reading about people discovering a band I've liked for years, because it reminds me how exciting it was to discover them, and it gives me an itch to give them a listen if I haven't in a while (which I think I will take care of right now by putting on some Tull :) ).

 

Also, I feel like parts of the Tull folk albums were my gateway to Gentle Giant, but maybe that's a whole thread in and of itself. :D

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Also, I feel like parts of the Tull folk albums were my gateway to Gentle Giant, but maybe that's a whole thread in and of itself. :D

 

I could see how interest in one would lead to interest in the other. GG tunes like Raconteur Troubadour and Talybont aren't too far off from a lot of the stuff Tull produced during their medieval and rustic periods.

 

The Tull song that most reminds me of Gentle Giant is actually A Passion Play, as it's constantly shifting from one idea to the next and doesn't stick with one theme or melody for very long. I know this had a lot to do with the fact that Anderson was stitching together pieces that were composed separately, but still, the end result is very GG-like to me.

 

My interest in Tull led me to Gentle Giant as well, in an indirect sort of way. I believe the first time I ever even heard of GG was when I was reading an interview in which Ian said it was a conversation with Derek Shulman that led him to seriously consider doing Thick as a Brick 2.

 

Speaking of interviews and GG, I always like to read comments the Giant guys have made regarding the time they spent opening for Tull. They'd really been struggling to that point, being paired up with headliners that either treated them like crap or were a poor match for them. But with the Tull guys, they finally found big-time musicians who were very friendly and encouraging—and almost just as wacky as they were.

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I used to love Jethro Tull and had about four or five of their albums. Aqualung was my favorite, and I don't think there is a song on that album that I don't like. One of the few albums that I could listen to right through without skipping any songs.

 

I watched a documentary on the Moody Blues a while back and Ian Anderson was interviewed in it. I was amazed how sane :laughing guy: he is. He always came across as not playing with a full deck on stage, but he really weathered those crazy years quite well. He looks good too.

Edited by Lorraine
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I used to love Jethro Tull and had about four or five of their albums. Aqualung was my favorite, and I don't think there is a song on that album that I don't like. One of the few albums that I could listen to right through without skipping any songs.

 

I watched a documentary on the Moody Blues a while back and Ian Anderson was interviewed in it. I was amazed how sane :laughing guy: he is. He always came across as not playing with a full deck on stage, but he really weathered those crazy years quite well. He looks good too.

 

"Not playing with a full deck" is putting it mildly! :LOL: I watched some Tull videos today, and he looks like absolutely the maddest of madmen with that hunched-over stance and those twitchy jumps, the pervert's leer and those obscene flute gestures. Honestly, I prefer to listen to this band than watch, because Anderson makes me laugh too hard with some of that stuff. I'll bet those were absolutely amazing, exciting shows to be at with all that manic high energy on stage, but in the videos it's just too much like comedy and it distracts me from the music.

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I love Tull . :cool: .

Got into Tull from my Tull obssessed mate who lent me Bursting Out which sealed it and we went round a mates house to watch the Madison Square Garden Concert on the T.V..

Tough call to say which is my fav as I kinda narrow it down to three

Aqualung , Heavy Horses and Songs from the wood .

 

I have seen them a few times in the 80`s and met the band twice . I was a bit of an back stage autograph hunter in those days .

I bet you would like to see them ;)

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I love Tull . :cool: .

Got into Tull from my Tull obssessed mate who lent me Bursting Out which sealed it and we went round a mates house to watch the Madison Square Garden Concert on the T.V..

Tough call to say which is my fav as I kinda narrow it down to three

Aqualung , Heavy Horses and Songs from the wood .

 

I have seen them a few times in the 80`s and met the band twice . I was a bit of an back stage autograph hunter in those days .

I bet you would like to see them ;)

 

Show us! :yes:

 

I've been known to listen to these guys from time to time.

 

I like the way you described the appeal that Songs has for you, GM. Heavy Horses also works very well as an album—in fact, I prefer it to Songs thematically since it's about animals rather than some lunatics in a forest. HH also kicks off with three of my favorite Tull songs. Mouse Police-Acres Wild-No Lullaby is an awesome 1-2-3 punch.

 

There's usually some sort of theme, musically or conceptually, that links most of the tunes on a given Tull album, and Ian usually has success with his themes of choice, though some aren't quite as compelling as others (adventures as a spy... :facepalm: ). He's also an excellent lyricist—looking over some of his lines for GM's non-Rush lyrics thread made me appreciate his work in this area even more.

 

Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy Tull, GM. If you do and you choose to delve deeper into their library, I highly recommend Benefit, an absolutely mind-blowing album.

 

Songs From The Wood packaged with Heavy Horses for an extra twenty cents was a no-brainer, but do you reckon that the deluxe version of Benefit is worth an extra $10?

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Songs From The Wood packaged with Heavy Horses for an extra twenty cents was a no-brainer, but do you reckon that the deluxe version of Benefit is worth an extra $10?

 

I'm probably not a good person to comment, as I didn't bother with the deluxe version. It seemed like I'd be spending extra cash just for the sake of hearing eighteen different versions of Teacher and other largely redundant tracks.

 

I recommend the 2001 release that has four bonus tracks (Singing All Day, Witch's Promise, Just Trying to Be, and Teacher). All four of those tracks are good (though the first three will be redundant if you eventually get the Living in the Past comp CD, which you should :) ), and just one version of Teacher will probably suffice. Just make absolutely certain that whatever version you buy has Alive and Well and Living In. I'm not sure what was done with that tune as far as all the CD releases go (the 2001 version does indeed have it), but as I recall it was left off the original US vinyl release many moons ago.

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I used to love Jethro Tull and had about four or five of their albums. Aqualung was my favorite, and I don't think there is a song on that album that I don't like. One of the few albums that I could listen to right through without skipping any songs.

 

I watched a documentary on the Moody Blues a while back and Ian Anderson was interviewed in it. I was amazed how sane :laughing guy: he is. He always came across as not playing with a full deck on stage, but he really weathered those crazy years quite well. He looks good too.

 

"Not playing with a full deck" is putting it mildly! :LOL: I watched some Tull videos today, and he looks like absolutely the maddest of madmen with that hunched-over stance and those twitchy jumps, the pervert's leer and those obscene flute gestures. Honestly, I prefer to listen to this band than watch, because Anderson makes me laugh too hard with some of that stuff. I'll bet those were absolutely amazing, exciting shows to be at with all that manic high energy on stage, but in the videos it's just too much like comedy and it distracts me from the music.

 

Well, you'll be happy to know it must have all been a stage act. No one, if he had been that off the wall and unstable, could regain their sanity to the extent that the man in the documentary obviously possessed. You would never know by watching the film that he was the madman Ian Anderson from yesteryear.

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Saw every Tull tour 1972 - 1978 and most at MSG in NY. Others include... Minstrel tour ( LAFAYETTE COLLEGE w/UFO ) and Too Old tour ( Shea Stadium ). Saw Thick As a Brick II last year in NJ.

 

Lost interest in the releases post- Heavy Horses

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Songs From The Wood packaged with Heavy Horses for an extra twenty cents was a no-brainer, but do you reckon that the deluxe version of Benefit is worth an extra $10?

 

I'm probably not a good person to comment, as I didn't bother with the deluxe version. It seemed like I'd be spending extra cash just for the sake of hearing eighteen different versions of Teacher and other largely redundant tracks.

 

I recommend the 2001 release that has four bonus tracks (Singing All Day, Witch's Promise, Just Trying to Be, and Teacher). All four of those tracks are good (though the first three will be redundant if you eventually get the Living in the Past comp CD, which you should :) ), and just one version of Teacher will probably suffice. Just make absolutely certain that whatever version you buy has Alive and Well and Living In. I'm not sure what was done with that tune as far as all the CD releases go (the 2001 version does indeed have it), but as I recall it was left off the original US vinyl release many moons ago.

 

:LOL: This is good, because I reckoned 46 tracks would be too intimidating at this point anyway! I ordered the 2001 release for my birthday and look forward to hearing it.

 

I saw somewhere that Beltane was a bonus track on Songs From The Wood. The album must have felt a bit different ending with Fire At Midnight in the original release. I must come from a tradition of albums that end with rocking songs rather than slower songs, though, because to me, Beltane sounds perfect as a closing track!

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I saw somewhere that Beltane was a bonus track on Songs From The Wood. The album must have felt a bit different ending with Fire At Midnight in the original release. I must come from a tradition of albums that end with rocking songs rather than slower songs, though, because to me, Beltane sounds perfect as a closing track!

 

Many of my favorite final tracks are rockers or epics, but Fire works really well for me as a closer. It wraps things up on such a pleasant note, like "time to relax with your loved ones and call it a day." :)

 

Looking back, some of them albums I listened to most as a kid ended with slow songs. Both Toys in the Attic and Rocks concluded with ballads, and even Nevermind had Something in the Way. I guess those records did a good job preparing me for other slower-paced last tracks. :)

 

But my favorite Tull album closer is actually Weathercock on Heavy Horses. Its final stretch always leaves me wanting more, which can be a great feeling to have when a record ends (some albums, of course, work better with solid resolutions).

 

I like Beltane up until Ian starts going "Bel-ta-a-a-a-a-ane" over and over again. I usually have to stop the song at that point or it'll drive me nuts!

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I saw somewhere that Beltane was a bonus track on Songs From The Wood. The album must have felt a bit different ending with Fire At Midnight in the original release. I must come from a tradition of albums that end with rocking songs rather than slower songs, though, because to me, Beltane sounds perfect as a closing track!

 

Many of my favorite final tracks are rockers or epics, but Fire works really well for me as a closer. It wraps things up on such a pleasant note, like "time to relax with your loved ones and call it a day." :)

 

Looking back, some of them albums I listened to most as a kid ended with slow songs. Both Toys in the Attic and Rocks concluded with ballads, and even Nevermind had Something in the Way. I guess those records did a good job preparing me for other slower-paced last tracks. :)

 

But my favorite Tull album closer is actually Weathercock on Heavy Horses. Its final stretch always leaves me wanting more, which can be a great feeling to have when a record ends (some albums, of course, work better with solid resolutions).

 

I like Beltane up until Ian starts going "Bel-ta-a-a-a-a-ane" over and over again. I usually have to stop the song at that point or it'll drive me nuts!

 

When I first listened, I didn't know that Beltane was a bonus track. So to me, until yesterday when I was on Amazon, it just was the album closer, with the live Velvet Green being obviously a bonus track. I like Beltane a lot, but really, Fire At Midnight makes a lot more sense. Casualty of the digital age, I suppose! :LOL:

 

I'm getting to know Heavy Horses a bit now. I've listened to it enough that I'm wanting to listen more, though I don't have any standout tracks yet. Just enjoying this feeling that treasure awaits! :D

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