A start for Tull?

I got The Best Of Jethro Tull, a 2001 release I think. It was a really good compilation of songs but Ian cut some songs like Heavy Horses down.

Only get remastered albums. You will find almost 2 albums worth of material on the Warchild remaster. It has the original album of commercial songs from the Warchild movie soundtrack and almost an album worth of bonus tracks. The bonus tracks are the real Tull songs which are typically heavy prog folk songs. Try listening to the remaster starting from the last song in reverse order. I listen to it in this order because I consider most of the original songs to be the actual album rejects. I think this would have been the case if the band weren't recording this album as a soundtrack. Some of those original songs may not have even been written or recorded either. But there are some pretty cool original songs like Warchild, Queen and country, Only solitaire and Skating away. These 4 songs and the 7 bonus tracks make a great album worth of prog

Edited by smithers - December 09 2006 at 03:33

KeysToAscension wrote: Other recommended order:      1) Stand Up            1969      2) Benefit          ;      1970      3) Aqualung            1971      4) Thick as a Brick    1972

those are the 4 I'd recommend... in that order...

Go out and buy yourself the following remastered albums.

Aqualung(1971)-also download the super remix version of Life is a long song from my site from 1971. If you pick up Living in the past(1972), you will find even more Aqualung bonus songs. I'll provide the cooler version of Locomotive breath on my site soon

Living in the past(1972)

Thick as a brick(1972)

Warchild(1974)-many strong bonus tracks

Songs from the wood(1977)

Heavy horses(1978)-several strong bonus tracks. Also download Blues instrumental from my site from 1978

Bursting out(1978)-live

Stormwatch(1979)-several strong bonus tracks

A(1980)

Broadsword(1982)-several strong bonus tracks. Also download the much better version of Jackalynn from my site as well as Motoreyes from 1981. If you pick up Nightcap(1992), you will find even more Broadsword bonus songs.

Roots to branches(1995)-hopefully the future remaster includes the 5 unreleased bonus tracks

Dotcom(1999)-also download It all trickles down from my site from 1999

If this isn't a brilliant appertiser, you need to see a doctor ;)

Thick as a brick! Thats how i started in not only jethro tull, but in Prog in general

Your idea sounds like a good one Mr. Trane, and I happen to be in strong belief as well that chronologically is the way to go whenever possible, but the only Tull albums I've ever even seen in my music-deprived city of Winnipeg (I know you know where that is...) are TAAB and the Too old to rock and roll one
But thank-you everyone for being so wonderfully helpful in my search for Tull. I appreciate it, being able to talk with people who actually like GOOD music

Since you have a lot of 70's prog album the safest thing (and most enjoyable too) is to:

 

Start chronologically << there is no way you will not like them , and soon or later you will have lots of their albums, >> so you are in the enviable position where you can discover them as they evolved. I wish I had that opportunity when I first approched them

Start chronologically from This Was until Passion Play

Once you get to War Child >> find the Chateau D'Ysater album aznd listento both. Do listen to Living In The past>>> integral part of Tull >> never has a compilation album has been so essential

Skip the awful TOTRNR:TYTD but keep tto the other albums until the very average Stormwatch.

The next albums (early 80's) are a diffferent group >> only Anderson and Barre remains from the 70's Tull and it sure sounds like it!!! I would say avoid the whole period but especially Under Wraps

All three hard blues-rock albums between 87 and 91 are expandable also, but not bad either. RtB is a fine return to form

my suggestion is:  Songs from the wood, Ministrel in the gallery and then with Thick as a brick and A passion play

Alternately, any number of compilations are available.  I have the 2-disc "25th Anniversary Collection", which provides a pretty solid overview from "This Was" all the way through to "Rock Island".

 

I was introduced with Aqualung myself about a year ago, but I can't say that it impressed me all that greatly... I then got Thick As A Brick and was pretty much immediately sold on the band! A while after that even Aqualung started to sound like a fine album in my ears... One just never knows what may take a person's fancy, but TAAB surely must be regarded as one of those must-have prog albums for somebody as into prog as you seem to be, VdGG! (Then again, who am I to preach about must-have albums, while still lacking 'In The Court' in my own collection, lol)