About Jethro Tull

Excellent group i have almost everything that they have released including the box sets and BTW the bonues tracks of the remastered were previously released in those box sets, the 20 years of JT and 25 years of JT, very good boxes that contains unreleased tracks, bonus live and excellent booklets.

Bitterblogger wrote: The Whistler wrote: Broadsword, best eighties prog I've heard to date (WARNING! Very uneducated). The first side alone is worth it.  Stormwatch, not too bad, but SOME of those bonuses should have made it onto the final cut... Rock Island, not my cuppa tea. Like me those "Whaler's Dues" though; how many other songs are about blowing up whales? HOW MANY ACTYRONG? HOW MANY?!? Well, there's Don't Kill The Whale (Yes, 1978) although they don't actually sing about explosions. Would that do for at least an honorable mention?

Hmm...on the one hand, it does have more of Jon's hippy crap, but on the other hand, it does have a pretty keen guitar solo via Mr. Howe... Well, lemme put it this way: if the song ended with an explosion, symbolizing the end of the whale, then yes, it'd pretty frickin' qualify. Sadly, it don't. But nice try.

A great band,very close to symphonic prog,I guess.People don't seem to like Ian Anderson's voice that much,but It's what gives the band some of their charisma.I have to say,I don't like a good share of their work.The first album is awfull,and Stand Up is nice,but not prog at all.Their post mid-70's work is also generally weak compared to their gold period(but I guess that happened to almost all the great seventies prog bands).

My favs are Aqualung,Thick As a Brick(a masterpiece!)and Benefit.

Songs From the Wood is also great,but kind of overated IMO.
One of my absolute favourite songs,Witche's Promise,  was orginally released as a single in 1970 and was only album-featured in Living in the Past,years later(also a GREAT compilation).

Jethro Tull got me hooked with Cross Eyed Mary. My favourite songs are the latter, Wond'ring Again, Thick As A Brick ( Side 1 ). The Third Hoorah, and Minstrell In The Gallery. This is my short list as I have all of their music. Ian Anderson is a genius even if he is a bit extravagant.. Their early period ( Living In The Past ) was I feel their finest music or their "Peak". Too bad John Evans faded away album by album.

One thing which really sets them apart is how they have continued to make music which both has their trademark sound, but has moved with the times for 40 years now. They have aged very gracefully in my opinion by embracing world music sounds to complement their folk-leaning side. I lost track of them for a while, but enjoy RTB, etc. for what it is; may not gain many new fans, but has kept the old ones (at least this one) on board.

Who is this Jethro Tull guy anyway? 

Edited by Slartibartfast - February 10 2009 at 20:42

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Jethro Tull

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Most played, but absolutely not my favourite band. I absolutely adored them initially, but nowadays I just don't get the same kick out of their music, and find many of the albums kind of uneven. Still, a number of extraordinary songs

  

Vibrationbaby wrote: He`s left over. Right now my favourite Tull album is jtull.com. The only Tull album with a female vocalist.

Slartibartfast wrote: Who is this Jethro Tull guy anyway?

Remember that witch in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz who melts after a young girl tosses water on her. That would be Jethro Tull. Don`t believe all the nonsense of him being an 18th century agronomist who invented some kind drill for planting seeds in a straight row. He was definitely the Witch in that movie.

Another overlooked one is Broadsword. Apparently much more popular in Europe than the Americas. Upon reflection, it may be his goodbye to the Tull as they had been, and the turning point toward a lighter, more mature style, in keeping with their advancing years.