Jethro Tull appreciation thread
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=110167
Printed Date: March 06 2025 at 14:14
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Jethro Tull appreciation thread
Posted By: Kingsnake
Subject: Jethro Tull appreciation thread
Date Posted: February 06 2017 at 01:17
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I couldn't find a thread about Jethro Tull. Weird. But here it is. I'm in a Tull-mood, playing all my favorite albums coming days. Almost all albums are favorite with me, so instead of a top-something best Tull-albums I will post a top-something least favorite Tull-albums: 1. A 2. Under Wraps 3. Too Old to Rock'n'Roll, Too Young to Die 4. This Was 5. The Christmas Album Why Tull? Becaus they have it all: the skills, the humour, the folkish/pastoral sound, the heavy rocksound, the transversal flute I love so much, the heavy rock lead guitar, the over-the-top drumming, the sometimes jazzfusion interplay, the best metalalbum of the year-grammy award, great lyrics, great voice, the symphonic rock epics, the acoustic ballads with chamber orchestra.
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Replies:
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: February 06 2017 at 03:24
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A is one of my faves. Too old could have been a lot better if they used the tracks that weren't on the album ------------- All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock. |
Posted By: resurrection
Date Posted: February 09 2017 at 15:47
| Personally I think Benefit was the best Jethro Album. I consider 'Cry me a song' the closest they ever came to writing a true song. Also sad that the original lineup (like King Crimson too) only lasted for one album. |
Posted By: Kingsnake
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 01:28
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Original line-up, with Mick Abrahams? I didn;t like the bleus they were playing. For me Tull started with Stand Up. And that line up (Bunker, Anderson, Barre, Cornick with Evan) lasted two albums and recorded a sh*tload of non-albumtracks (Live in the Past) The classic line up (Anderson, Barre, Evan, Palmer with either Hammond or Glascock) lasted for at least 10!! albums. Most of the times the Original line up isn't the best line up (compare with Rush, Marillion, Moody Blues, etc.)
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Posted By: TheH
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 02:44
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^^ In the case of Marillion I doubt that even great fans of the band are aware who was in the first line up : Doug Irvine, Martin Jenner, Neil Cuttle, Mike Pointer 3 of those guys I guess are tottaly forgotten. (although Neil Cuttle still plays in a Neo Prog band called "The Mighty Bard") |
Posted By: Kingsnake
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 02:47
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^ on topic I heard some music of Blodwyn Pig and Mick Abrahams Band, and I'm glad Ian Anderson took over, because he led Tull into musical terratories I much more adore than the bluesrock of Abrahams.
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Posted By: TheH
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 03:14
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^^ I heared the original Mono Version of "This was" once (this one was withdrawn on the day of release), and there was a lot more to hear from Abraham. Most of his parts where removed more mixed to the back on the Stereo Version. There is nothing wrong with Blodwyn Pig and Mick Abrahams Band, but I'm also very glad the band went the way they did. |
Posted By: Kingsnake
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 03:25
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Of course nothing wrong with what Mick Abrahams did, but I'm glad he did it with other bands, and Jethro Tull became Jethro Tull. Otherwise we would have had 3 or 4 bluesrock-ish albums and that would be it. I think Ian is the most diverse songwriter ever to walk the face of the earth (paired maybe with Freddy Mercury and David Bowie). I'm glad he got the chance and the band to pursue his weird, musical adventures.
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Posted By: npjnpj
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 12:17
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One of my, if not my favourite bands. But I like the idea of mentioning the least favourites, and that wouild be This Was, as well as anything from J-Tull.com onwards. Everything in between was brilliant. |
Posted By: Kingsnake
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 12:35
What do you mean? Thick as a Brick2, Rupi's Dance, Secret Language of Birds and Homo Erraticus? They are amongst my favorites.... |
npjnpj wrote:Posted By: npjnpj
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 13:32
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I thought we were talking Jethro Tull albums here, not Ian Anderson solo? |
Posted By: doompaul
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 13:42
| The only record off that list that I don't much care for is Too Old. It just never connected with me. It was JT trying to be traditional Tull and just falling flat. Later works like A and Under Wraps, while in now way being masterpieces were at least trying to push the envelope. Not always successfully, sure, but still... |
Posted By: Watchmaker
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 14:07
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Is it just me or does anyone else include A in the folk albums run? Despite the changes in the line-up and all. SftW = Woods Heavy Horses = Country life Stormwatch = Seas A = Cities A stretch maybe? I don't know... |
Posted By: Kingsnake
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 14:31
You said JTull.com and onwards. Because that and the Cristamas were their last albums, I thought maybe you meant the Ian solo stuff. |
Posted By: doompaul
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 15:07
| While we are on the subject of JT. Can anyone suggest the best boots? I have almost completed the regular discography and am looking to expand my collection. Not sure if that is cool to talk about here, so forgive me if I'm out of line. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 15:10
Interesting take (cities). I regard the folk trilogy as the three albums before A, because A has such a different sound, and it's originally a solo album of Ian's (thus the different line-up) that was turned into a proper Tull album. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: npjnpj
Date Posted: February 10 2017 at 16:42
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@Kingsnake: Hey, you're right, I never realised. So, come to think of it, J-Tull.com and This Was are the only ones I don't really like. that's quite a run of terrific albums then. For the record: I think that A and Under Wraps are brilliant albums. And as for the IA solo albums: I'm not keen on TaaB2, and Homo Erraticus, the others are great, even Walk into Light. |
Posted By: Kingsnake
Date Posted: February 11 2017 at 02:52
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Walk into the Light, Under Wraps and A are kind of a trilogy aswell :-) Just like Crest of a Knave - Rock Island - Catfish Rising. A lot of trilogies in the Tull-discography... |
Posted By: Kingsnake
Date Posted: February 11 2017 at 02:53
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There's so many excellent and wonderful live-albums, I have no boots of Tull. Just check the Tull-page here on Progarchives, so many live albums it will make your head spin !
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Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: February 11 2017 at 08:49
I disagree, because Broadsword comes after A, and A doesn't really sound like WIL and UW (while those two have some of the same personnel and do sound similar). But it's all good.  ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Kingsnake
Date Posted: February 11 2017 at 09:38
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^ I always tend to forget about Broadsword and the Beast. I will give that record another spin. Underappreciated album...
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Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: February 11 2017 at 09:52
| Strangely, I've found the material left off of the Broadsword album to better than what was included, such as tracks like Jack A lynn. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: February 11 2017 at 14:20
I agree!
I couldn't believe it when I opened the 20 Years box and saw all the bonus tracks! ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: prog4evr
Date Posted: February 13 2017 at 07:24
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SftW is my favorite Tull album. The guitar work on 'Pibroch' is Martin Barre at his best; Barriemore Barlow has quintessential drum riffs on several songs as well... |
Posted By: Kingsnake
Date Posted: February 13 2017 at 08:06
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My favorites are and will Always be: 1. Thick as a Brick 2. Minstrel in the Gallery 3. Benefit 4. Crest of a Knave 5. Aqualung No particular order. All other albums are also very nice, but these albums are sure 5* albums in my book.
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Posted By: Gully Foyle
Date Posted: February 13 2017 at 08:23
http://bootlegstullianos.blogspot.com.br/p/lista-dos-bootlegs.html
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Posted By: Jeffro
Date Posted: February 13 2017 at 08:30
| I'm really digging Songs From The Wood right now. Tull is a band that I've only dabbled in. Time to dig a little deeper I think |
Posted By: doompaul
Date Posted: February 13 2017 at 10:30
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Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: February 13 2017 at 13:22
A stupendous album from beginning to end!  ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Watchmaker
Date Posted: February 13 2017 at 13:50
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Every Jethro Tull studio album ranked best to worst (spaces represent the tiers): 1 Songs from the Wood (1977) 2 Thick as a Brick (1972) 3 Minstrel in the Gallery (1975) 4 Stand Up (1969) 5 Aqualung (1971) 6 Benefit (1970) 7 Heavy Horses (1978) 8 A Passion Play (1973) 9 War Child (1974) 10 A (1980) 11 This Was (1968) 12 The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003) 13 Roots to Branches (1995) 14 Rock Island (1989) 15 Stormwatch (1979) 16 The Broadsword and the Beast (1982) 17 J-Tull Dot Com (1999) 18 Crest of a Knave (1987) 19 Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976) 20 Catfish Rising (1991) 21 Under Wraps (1984) 1-2: Masterpieces, 3-7: Near masterpieces, 8-13:Great, 14-17: Listen every now and then, 18-19: Poor, 20-21: Bad |
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: February 13 2017 at 19:25
That's the same with a lot of their albums. Too old, Aqualung and Warchild have lots of strong extras. I worked out that the band did 20 albums worth of studio material(not including multiple versions of any songs) from the 1968-1984 period. If I picked my fave 20 songs from this period, half of them would be non album tracks. I could probably pick 100 pretty strong tracks from this period and 50 of them would be non album tracks.
------------- All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock. |
Posted By: Kingsnake
Date Posted: February 14 2017 at 00:53
Wow. What's wrong with Catfish Rising and Crest of a Knave? Too hardrockish? |
Posted By: Watchmaker
Date Posted: February 14 2017 at 04:10
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Crest is too 80's rock Catfish is just bad. I've only listened to it once and I remember the chorus lyrics were the same words repeated over and over again  . Not to mention that it is 60 minutes long...and boring... |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: February 14 2017 at 12:01
Benefit has always been my favorite and I've been into Tull from the very beginning....Mick Abrahams was only on the first- This Was- because he wanted to do blues rock and Anderson wanted to expand the band's sound. But Martin Barre was better suited to what Anderson wanted to do in the end. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: February 14 2017 at 19:40
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My favorites in order: Aqualung This Was Minstrel in the Gallery Benefit Thick as a Brick Living in the Past (some original material in there) ------------- A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now) |
Posted By: ProfPanglos
Date Posted: July 25 2017 at 22:05
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I'm a huge Tull fan, and have been ever since I was a kid in the early '70's. I think their music, from 1970's "Benefit" to 1977's "Songs From The Wood" is their best output; the pre-Benefit albums seem like they hadn't found their groove quite yet, and the post-Songs albums lack fire. In fact, as much as it pains me to say it, the post-Songs albums not only lack fire, but they get consistently worse, in terms of songwriting, musicality, etc. Tull lost it. There is some good stuff here and there... I actually enjoy Under Wraps quite a bit, but by the time they get to Crest of a Knave, the magic is gone. Quite a bit of their more recent stuff (Dot Com and Roots to Branches in particular) are downright dismal. (Don't even get me started on how bad Homo Erraticus or TAAB2 is.) I'd go so far as to say that Jethro Tull, from 1970-1977, put out music at the very pinnacle of progressive rock greatness. But they did *not* age well. I feel like Ian lost his muse in '78, and his voice by '87. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: July 26 2017 at 02:04
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Songs From The Wood has always been my favourite, always will be. At one stage, I had, at least, 22 Tull vinyls. It's dropped back to 13 now. Still love 'em. And I really love 'A' ! Welcome the 80's !! |
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: July 26 2017 at 14:47
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------------- All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock. |