Jethro Tull Appreciation Thread

Interesting enough.

J.D. Salinger and Jethro Tull: The Coming of Age Story Soundtrack
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/121373-for-j.d.-salinger-jethro-tull-and-me/

Page 2: Looking for Truth with a Capital T
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/121373-for-j.d.-salinger-jethro-tull-and-me/P1/

 

House of Commons Brawl

Check out this Daily News article referring to the recent shenanigans of the assorted crooks, thugs and ex-convicts who comprise the disgraceful New York State legislature:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local..._parker_charges_towards_then_curses_out_.html

House of Commons Brawl? I'll say. Ian's words ring true.

Jeff

 

Currently on ebay with a starting bid of US $199.99 or Buy it now at US $249.99

 

Ok,now we all know that the new Album is not on the work...damn...
BUT...this week the new Jethro tull Tour begins.I believe we are very lucky as Fans to get the opportunity to listen to them nearly all over the world practically every year.Not fans by other historical bands like J.T could say the same.
Does anybody between us in this Forum is going to see them?
I got tickets for two shows.I' so impatient to be in the audience again!!

 

Tull Fan Tour History...I may not be coming back
http://jethrotull.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=tour&action=display&thread=778

This may be it for me as Tull returns to the Molson Amphitheatre Toronto. I won't return to the Molson Amphitheatre, IMO an awful music venue...I may not be coming back.
A new studio album, less living in the distant past. A concert freed from Aqualung material and maybe I'll reconsider. (all is not likely)

 

Music legend returns to Blackpool (video)
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Music-legend-returns-to-Blackpool.6106544.jp

 

Sorry, the link above is not working. (An Error Has Occurred) Here's the March 2010 Record Collector interview thanks to maddogfagin at the Jethro Tull Fan Forum http://jethrotull.proboards.com/index.cgi?:

 

No new album? New album? WTF

Jethro Tull eyes North American summer tour
http://www.livedaily.com/news/jethr...ll-eyes-north-american-summer-tour-21533.html

 

Ian Anderson interview December 2009
http://www.retrosellers.com/features198.htm

 

Good interview.

 

The beat goes on, the beat goes on - Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain - La de da de de, la de da de da. Charleston was once the rage, uh huh - History has turned the page, uh huh...
http://www.iphone-codes.com/20100304-1441111-electronic-arts-app-offerings/

 

I'm reading the autobiography of Keef Hartley. I didn't know that Keef played drums for two weeks in Tull after the recording sessions of This Was because Clive Bunker was on holiday (?!).

"It wasn't the most fun i'd ever had. Tull were a strange band at this time and they seemed wrecked with internal squabbling. Ian Anderson in particular obviously saw himself as the bandleader and had the most annoying habit of talking down to everyone else. He tried it with me a couple of times, but i had no plans to take the crap he dished out. I told him it was me doing him a favour and if he didn't change his attitude, he could stick the job up his ****. With my two-week stint completed, i pocketed the money and thankfully left."

 

Thank you for that Doctor Flang, great find, I never knew that before! I have started a thread on the subject, giving you all the credit of course, and linking to your post, at The Jethro Tull Board: http://thejethrotullboard.proboards.com/index.cgi. We'd love to have you over there!

Jeff

 

Thanks Jeff! You know, i wonder if even David Rees knows about Keef Hartley's short stint with Tull!

 

Probably not, I have never read that in his book or any other Tull book, article, etc. nor have I ever seen that on any Tull board, and I've been on various boards for the past seven or eight years. IA probably doesn't even remember it.

Why not sign up and say hello over at our place.....we've got some fun stuff going on there, and we enjoy complete, and I really mean complete, freedom of speech and expression.

Jeff

 

Not a story I've heard before and IMO can't be 100% sure it's genuine. If it is then I would surmise he was deputising during rehersals. It's funny it's mentioned now but hasn't been public knowledge previously - probably an addition to the "Let's Knock Ian Anderson" rumour mongers that have stuck their heads above the parapet lately

 

Damn, it's been three years since I've seen them? ROADTRIP! They're not coming anywhere near me......

 

It's quite apparent that Tull's sudden success in the summer of '68 took the band by surprise and that because Clive Bunker had already booked his holiday he refused to cancel it. Therefore, Mick Abrahams asked Keef if he would do the gigs. I see no reason why Keef would lie about it.

You know, Ian Anderson has a reputation of being a bit difficult person sometimes. This is what Dave Pegg said said about his first tour with Tull:

"It was quite strange, because...there would be a fight to avoid getting in the car with Ian. And it wasn't just because of what was...non-stop pipe smoking at the time. There was a general avoidance."

Anyway, i guess there's lots of unheard stories to be told. Steve Howe was one candidate guitarist for Tull after Mick had left but he turned them down. This story was revealed in 1999 IIRC.

 

"A bit difficult" is an understatement. There is absolutely no reason to doubt that story, Dr. Flang, it is entirely in keeping with what other long and short-term band members, such as Matt Pegg, have said about working with IA, and, as you say, there is no reason for Keef to make up such a story. The reason why it has not previously come to light is most likely because IA had forgotten about it, since it was only a two week stint in 1968.

Jeff

 

I don't find the quote or story particularly damning anyway, nor unbelievable. So Ian acted like "the boss" and talked down to some people in the band. How horrible...
Seriously, Ian shouldered most of burden in making Tull a success, and like most driven types he is tough, opinionated and sometimes difficult. The tension in Tull during this time is also corraborated by Tony Iommi.

I don't hear stories of Ian being particularly rude, demeaning or dishonest to his fellow band members. Eddie Jobson's recollections of recording and touring with Tull in 1980-81, were very positive, and he is not shy about speaking his mind when he feels mistreated (like how most of Yes treated him).

 

Ian seems at least to be quite generous with praise and recalls fond memories of various people involved with Tull, when he reminisces in his reissue liner notes, anyway.

Ian is a very serious artist and musician. Not everyone involved with him would have naturally had the same demanding outlook and level of dedication, I imagine.

 

That's actually a very good point. Most super-successful people are absolute sons of bitches to work for or with, which may explain how they became so successful in the first place.

Actually, there are plenty of such stories by former band members, but you are correct about Eddie Jobson, who speaks well of his experience with Tull.

Jeff

 

I always like to add, probably at least the third time I have made such an addition to aspects of Tull threads that concern Ian Anderson's personality, that in three trips to his sometimes home on the Isle of Skye in the early and mid eighties other than meeting the then Laird of Strathaird himself twice, and inadvertently his then two very young children, I had the occasion to be picked up hitchhiking by his farm manager Ian MacKinnon (In a jeep that had a small sticker saying Maison Rouge Mobile Unit which made me think it was Ian as I ran to the car) who some may have seen in that Lords of the Isles thingy, and amongst what he told me about his boss is these words deeply imprinted in my memory "I could not imagine working for a finer gentleman." I also cannot help but notice he seems to get on just fine with the Mikhail Gorbachev's, Tony Snows of the world, I believe he has always been an uneasy fit in the party time aspects of his own generation, and knows exactly what he wants from his baby, Jethro Tull. In fact when I met Maddy Prior and inquired about her experience with Ian what she said was, "That man knows exactly what he wants." And that coupled with most of his detractors, (not referring to that aspect of his fandom that regularly finds fault with him)who usually have something kind to say alongside whatever there was to find fault with, (I think in Mick Abrahams case the problem was expecting him to work more than 4 days a week on their fledgling enterprise, and apparently was not even reliable for that amount of time, bless his soul nevertheless)most if not all of those detractors would have had one hell of a lot less visibility and likely much less income, were it not for that nasty dictator concerned only with his wealth, (is that why he kept his residence in Britain in all those heavily taxed years and creating 500 jobs in the Scottish Highlands with his ill gotten wealth?)I for one, and I have missed no Tull or IA tour since 71, am imminently grateful though hardly surprised of their continued existence. And I will close with the single audacity of marking the Christmas Album as the third best thing they have ever done, behind TAAB and SFTW, with War Child and Minstrel being among their most wanting. But not wanting too badly, it is Tull and they were great tours. But I will take Eurology any day over Back Door Angels or Queen and Country. Indeed I wonder what makes Eurology or other more recent instrumental outings of less worth than the continually great if overplayed, (I don't think so) Bouree, Pan Dance, Elegy or others of earlier vintage. Muzak? I think not. Prog rock? Thankfully not. It will never again be 1973, Ian Anderson has continued to evolve.

 

Strange band indeed Doctor I've emailed Keef Hartley to see if he will elaborate on his drumming stint with Tull and await his reply. If he does I'll post it here for all to see.

 

I have a technical (nerdy) question..... When the album THICK AS A BRICK was released in 1972, my understanding is that there was "One" track contained in the LP, that being "Thick As A Brick".

For the CD release, additional titles have been ascribed to the album, that being (Part 1) and (Part 2).

For a CD release, if the title was just "Thick As A Brick", then that should be without a Part 1 & 2. I find it interesting that Jethro Tull would want to divide up the song, instead of having it just be a 43:50 (or 43:55) "Thick As A Brick".

Anyone know the rationale for this ??