Jethro Tull's Chateau D'Isaster album 1972

Hello all-

Since we've been talking about A Passion Play, I thought I'd follow up on my mention of their aborted Chateau D'Isaster album. I think I've figured out how this album was to be constructed, giving that the order presented to us on "Nightcap" certainly is not the original order or complete recording. Fans know that in late '72 Tull recorded 3 sides of a double album before scrapping the project. Ultimately, Ian only allowed about 70% of it released on Nightcap in 1993 and presented it in an order better suited to his critical and subjective ear. Another 10% was released on the Warchild album in 1974. Because this music is my favorite of all Tull music, except for A Passion Play Side 2 and Baker St. Muse, I've been searching for the identity of this album for a while. This is how I think it was meant to be:

Chateau D'Isaster

Side 1 (22 min)

1. Prelude
2. Scenario
3. Audition
4. Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day)
5. Sailor
6. No Rehearsal

Side 2 (22 min)

1. First Post
2. Animelee
3. Tiger Toon
4. Look at the Animals
5. Law of the Bungle
6. Law of the Bungle Part II
7. Bungle in the Jungle (without strings)

Side 3 (21 min)

1. Left Right
2. Solitaire
3. Critique Oblique
4. Post Last

Side 4 (?? min)

Unrecorded



Well, having the bootleg that contains the very rare additions Prelude, Skating Away, and Sailor, as well as the altered versions of Scenario, Audition and No Rehearsal all helps to make more sense of the album. It also provides more enjoyment and gives a better cohesive feel to listenings. The 3 recorded sides all have similar lyrical content and musical segues. Side 1 carries the God and Theatre concept, Side 2 has the Man and Animal concept, and Side 3 has the Man and Critic concept. Side 4 - who knows? I believe that Bungle in the Jungle was written for this album, but possibly not recorded until the Warchild sessions. So it may have been placed on Side 4 if they hadn't abandoned the project. Obviously, since it contains the word "bungle" like two other songs on this album, it must have been meant to be placed somewhere here. Side 2, at only 18 minutes (without Bungle in the Jungle) and the side containing the other "bungle" songs is also a real possibility, so I included it there. Personally, since Side 1 of A Passion Play contains many musical elements of this album, I like to think the last 19 minutes of A Passion Play (Side 2 following the Hare story) would be the perfect Side 4 to Chateau D'Isaster. If presented in 1973 as a double album with the above order and Side 2 of APP as Side 4 of Chateau, it would have been the ultimate and by far best Tull album; a true prog classic!
Some of you have been used to hearing Scenario/Audition/No Rehearsal all in a row and at the end of the album, but I think they were originally to be placed near the front. Ian I'm sure knew that fans were familiar with those pieces from the 20th Anniversary box set, so he placed them at the end of the cd; also to leave the end on a better note, since they actually never completed the end of the album. Also, Scenario and Audition are connected without a true break, whereas No Rehearsal does have a second or two of silence. Additionally, each Side I've presented has songs that contain no audible breaks between them (for the most part), but do have breaks between the proposed Sides. So that reinforces my position as well.
Well, hopefully I've piqued the curiosity of those who love this period of Jethro Tull and the rest just delete the overly long thread. Any thoughts anyone?

-thanks

 

Somewhere there is an interview with Ian Anderson where he says that "Bungle In The Jungle" was from the first version of Passion Play. The early version of "Sealion" on Nightcap sounds like it could have been started in the "Chateau" sessions.

 

I have always felt that Passion Play should have been a double, what is there never seemed to be fully developed. I also once made an extended tape by dropping the Nightcap tracks between the two sides of Passion Play but had no idea as to original order.
(I kept "The Hare" as a whole piece.)

 

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

There has always been some mystery surrounding those sessions amongst Tull fans. I never considered the sequence before so it was interesting to read your conclusion. I'd also be interested in knowing which boots you have from the period. The only one I have is the May 17th, 1973 Hampton Rhodes Coliseum show.

Let me quote some passages from Flying Colours written by Greg Russo regarding the D'Isaster tapes.

He goes on to write:

I'm confused here. The first quote says that only two tracks, "Only Solitaire" and Skating Away", were rescued from those sessions but in the second quote we have the addition of "Bungle In The Jungle" as a third track. Hmmmmm.

Here's a quote by Ian from the book:

So only a small portion was used to create APP. Greg Russo explains:

So apparantly "Left Right" and "No Rehearsal" was the thesis behind APP. Anyway, interesting subject matter for a Tullhead like myself. For those who really like Tull and want to know their history in greater detail, I highly recommend Greg's book, Flying Colours: The Jethro Tull Reference Manual.

Cheers.

 

It looks like I need to get that book. I'm interested in where "Rainbow Blues" comes from, as the vocals on it have the same character of other songs from that period, and the subject seems to jibe with the goal of that project.

 

The only live boot I have is one that says May 1973 European Tour. It simply contains tracks from A Passion Play.
I do have a boot though that has what appears to be the original Side 1 of Chateau D'Isaster. It is 22 minutes of studio recordings. It is Prelude (which must be the same as Intro), Scenario, Audition, Skating Away, Sailor, and No Rehearsal. They are all linked without silence in between. I like Prelude, and Sailor while repetitve in the middle has some very tasty guitar work from Barre toward the end. Skating Away is very, very similar to the official version and fades in directly from Audition. I prefer the version of No Rehearsal here because it doesn't have the flute overdubs from 1993, so Barre's guitar is WAY more prominent, and quite fitting to these ears. It also has a long weird-synth fade-out.
If you would like a copy, I'd be happy to send you one.

 

And some of Critque Oblique.

 

So are you sourcing the tracks mostly from Nightcap and the 20th Anniv Box?

 

Not the boxset. Just Nightcap and the Chateau boot I mentioned. The exception is the Bungle in the Jungle (without strings) I listed. I don't have that, so I just add on the one from Warchild.