SONGS FROM THE WOOD - 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - THE COUNTRY SET

First off, this is no ordinary reissue. Besides having the original album receive an incredible Steven Wilson re-mix, CD1 also includes 8 "associated recordings." Some of those recordings are unedited alternate versions of the originals. Newly revived, they become quintessential Jethro Tull.

The most jaw-dropping of those associated recordings on CD1 is Track 10, "Old Aces Die Hard." It will blow away any longtime Tull fan. Previously unreleased and recorded in '76/77, it is an amalgam of what would become "Dark Ages" and "Living In These Hard Times" intersecting with "A Passion Play" and the "Chateau D'isaster Tapes." At nearly 9 minutes, it feels like a whole new Tull mini-album that after repeated listens, only gets better. A true prog rock gem, "OADH" is a soft, loud, rocky, acoustic, weirdly complex and abstract thrill ride of 70s Jethro Tull. Seriously GREAT vintage Tull.

That track is followed by another previously unreleased original version of "Working John, Working Joe" with energy and instrumentation that totally eclipses the rather subdued version that eventually appeared on the "A" album.

And if the CD re-mix of SFTW and associates isn't enough, there is also a Wilson DVD surround sound re-mix of those tracks that is sublime. Oh yes, they also throw in the best songs from SFTW in their original Quad format and 4.0 surround. Why not?

But wait, there is more. 2 CDs worth of the full 1977 SFTW tour concert -- 112 minutes of the best live recording of JT that I have heard...a front row seat with Tull in their performance prime.

There is also a DVD of that same concert...great audio and video quality that is better than expected given the age of the original. Thank you Jakko Jakszyk for that production miracle!

A very cool, hard-cover 96 page booklet accompanies the 5 pieces of media, containing stories, lyrics, interviews, anecdotes, etc. Very professionally produced.

Five stars for this well engineered slice of prog rock history!