WAR CHILD - THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY THEATRE EDITION

Jethro Tull's return to shorter-form songwriting after two releases consisting of album-long suites (and the abortive "Chateau D'Isaster" sessions, some of the products of which got revisited during this era) has always been one of the trickier albums of theirs to appreciate. From this deluxe rerelease, with a bonus disc comprising an entire album's worth of off-cuts, it's evident that the band were workshopping a lot of material at the time - and one could debate for hours which songs truly merited a spot on the album proper and which belonged on the cutting room floor. Still, thanks to this charmingly presented set, you don't need to choose any more! As always, the accompanying booklet is a thick fascinating read in its own right - no shallow, terse essays here, this is a deep dive into Tull's bizarre 1974 that's well worth digesting.