where is the love for JETHRO TULL?

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LITTLE MILTON DISQUALIFIED IN LAST-MINUTE RUMPUS

― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 26 February 2005 02:44 (8 years ago) Permalink

but my teens were pre-bangs kenneth! (well pre-anyone bar like nick kent knowing who bangs wz in england)

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 26 February 2005 02:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

Sorry mark s I was responding to the other fellow, more about my early 90s generation's version of Tull disdain. It's funny that whenever I'd play one of my hipster peers Aqualung they'd have nothing bad to say anymore about it. Maybe it's classic rock radio's fault.

― Kenneth Rung-Sprat, Saturday, 26 February 2005 02:48 (8 years ago) Permalink

I really don't mind if you sit this one out.

― Ferlin Husky (noodle vague), Saturday, 26 February 2005 02:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

Isn't it vaguely disquieting how much Crest of a Knave sounds like Dire Straits?

― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 26 February 2005 02:50 (8 years ago) Permalink

It's also practically a concept album about failing to pick up young Russian women.

― Pangolino again, Saturday, 26 February 2005 03:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

I just watched "Rock'n'Roll Circus" for the first time last night.

It added to my lack of love for Tull.

― bangor, Saturday, 26 February 2005 05:02 (8 years ago) Permalink

JT live + UK with un-fucking-believable Terry Bozzio on drums + several spliffs of the good stuff + friend in wheelchair with front-row seats = one of the best nights of my life circa 1980.

Whoah, I say. And on the Eddie Jobson-assisted A tour, no less.

I saw them several times myself, the best close up on the Rock Island tour, where the BJ song "Kissing Willie" featured Ian behind a screen with some chick going down on him, sillouette-style. Classy stuff.

Still, was and remain a fan of Aqualung, Songs From the Wood, Minstrel and the Living In the Past comp -- all hold up quite well, as do many of Ian's gentle acoustic songs. I think many people instinctively got ish with the flute.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 26 February 2005 05:29 (8 years ago) Permalink

Ouch! I forgot about "Kissing Willie". Yeesh.

― Pangolino again, Saturday, 26 February 2005 06:32 (8 years ago) Permalink

I can't say that I hate Jethro Tull simply because it is the farthest thing to the music I like I've ever listenened. I could clearly not have an unbiased opinion about them.

― daavid (daavid), Saturday, 26 February 2005 06:43 (8 years ago) Permalink

How about Ian Anderson's Walk into Light? He was an Electronic Pioneer!!! Today's musicians owe a debt of gratitude!!!! ha ha ha

― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 26 February 2005 12:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

haha i am plannin out my response to the "b-but ELP invented techno" thread, joe

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 26 February 2005 12:53 (8 years ago) Permalink

What's interesting about Walk into Light is that, even though Anderson was trying to get away from Jethro Tull and more towards drawing inspiration from what the early 80s keyboard-based groups were doing, it still ends up sounding basically like a Jethro Tull album played on Yamaha CP80, Roland's Jupiter 8, Promars, and MC202, and Linn Drums. Still, hoping for that unreleased Depeche Mode cover of "Trains" or "User-Friendly" to pop up one day...

― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 26 February 2005 13:08 (8 years ago) Permalink

Did "Walk Into Light" have peter john vetesse on it? I sort of remember him being briefly in JT, and he was this zelig-like figure in early eighties music, I'm sure I saw him appear as the keyboard player w/three different acts on top of the pops one week.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Saturday, 26 February 2005 13:13 (8 years ago) Permalink

Yes, Vetesse co-wrote about half of the album with him and handled all the synths, and then later joined the band for the much-maligned Under Wraps.

― Joe (Joe), Saturday, 26 February 2005 13:15 (8 years ago) Permalink

now it's mornin i can remember the rest of the babysitter anecdote: the guitarist wz martin barre (?that right?), and my friend (foaf really, i don't remember his name) was doin something in the kitchen b4 barre left for the evenin, and chattin to him, and i.anderson arrived to go off w.barre and said "don't talk to HIM martin he's just the help"

this may have been madey-uppey i spose but it does kinda capture the way IA wz perceived back then (late 70s) eg as a monumentally up-himself fella

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 26 February 2005 13:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

Lester Bangs wrote that they're not cool. Since he is cool people take his word.

Lester Bangs is not cool. The buck stops here. Didn't you see Almost Famous?

― Anyone Who Can Pick Up A Frying Pan Pwns Death (AaronHz), Saturday, 26 February 2005 13:28 (8 years ago) Permalink

Lester Bangs was huge once upon a time yet in all my life (which to date has been long) i only once met someone who liked him more than anything else.

― Ferlin Husky (noodle vague), Saturday, 26 February 2005 15:31 (8 years ago) Permalink

Also, this thread made me listen to Thick as a Brick at high volume last night. I hope the twat next door who keeps listening to Oasis enjoyed it.

― Ferlin Husky (noodle vague), Saturday, 26 February 2005 15:32 (8 years ago) Permalink

I didn't realize they were considered a prog band. I just thought they were a smarty-pants boogie band. With flute. I remember I was really jealous of Little Milton when I was ten years old. Him and Tatum O'Neal. And I was scandalized and turned on by the "your sperm's in the gutter, your love's in the sink" lyric.

Hi, mark s! So glad you're back, you bring out the best in ILX.

― Guitarthur and the Ecstasy Defecators (Arthur), Saturday, 26 February 2005 15:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

Passion Play's a little overblown, but Songs From the Wood has got lots to recommend it to anyone with a tolerance for folk-based songs.

― Dave Vinson (Gaughin), Saturday, 26 February 2005 15:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

Then there's the fact that Iommi played for Tull there for a couple of months...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 26 February 2005 16:31 (8 years ago) Permalink

Jethro Tull has been a huge secret pleasure of mine since I found the album "Benefit" in my dad's record collection (he never listened to it). That one is still my favorite--the instrumentation is simple and the songwriting beautiful. "This Was" and "Minstrel in the Gallery" are my next faves. In those days they had a great balance of pretentiousness and tongue-in-cheek, before they got completely embarrassing. The day they won the grammy was a great day for heavy metal, I don't care what VH1 says.

― Lalena Fissure, Saturday, 26 February 2005 17:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

5 years pass...

― xhukx, Thursday, 25 March 2010 05:24 (3 years ago) Permalink

Tull is very very great

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 25 March 2010 06:29 (3 years ago) Permalink

one of my best friends in high school was a huge Tull fan and I never really got it or made an attempt to. but a few years ago I heard "Thick As A Brick" on the radio and it just blew me away, I love that album now. need to start checking out some other ones.

― what's pooping ahn (some dude), Thursday, 25 March 2010 06:50 (3 years ago) Permalink

I always thought I hated them, but I couldn't resist the Living In The Past comp for £3 in Fopp, and...it's ok really. I picked up Benefit and Stand Up too, and they were a reallyy imaginative blues band for those early albums. I suspect they started disappearing up Ian Anderson's arse from Aqualung onwards though. Maybe Under Wraps is considered to be a synth rock classic these days though?

― Matt #2, Thursday, 25 March 2010 09:26 (3 years ago) Permalink

This thread is kind of weird since I've always thought of Jethro Tull as a classic rock staple. I have definitely known some big fans, although I suppose I don't know many people who rank them as their single favourite band ever. Do like them though. Search: Allan Moore's writing on them. (The musicologist not the comic book guy.)

― Sundar, Thursday, 25 March 2010 10:19 (3 years ago) Permalink

Thick As A Brick was right after Aqualung, so I guess I like the inside of Ian Anderson's arse.

― what's pooping ahn (some dude), Thursday, 25 March 2010 15:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

Knocking Tull music for being "I'm all high and mighty better than you" really only extends to their lyrics being cocky in that they are occasionally tongue-in-cheek and purposely atypical. The music doesn't show any other signs of cockyness imo. No more than prog music or jazz

So what if Ian acts pompous? The music is what matters. Every album from their first one to Heavy Horses has some great material on it (I never tried to get into their later stuff). Their albums may be a little scatterd but there's so much good stuff. One time I made a 80 minute soft rock mix using only pretty ballads like Wonderin' Aloud, Moths and Summerday Sands.

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 25 March 2010 20:22 (3 years ago) Permalink

Btw the cuts that were taken off of Passion Play for Best of Jethro Tull volume 1 & 2 are amazing songs.

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 25 March 2010 20:26 (3 years ago) Permalink

One of the Best of cds sneaks in an amazing song called "Rainbow Blues" that was never released with their standard albums

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 25 March 2010 20:29 (3 years ago) Permalink

could never get past the totally obnoxious performance on Rock n Roll Circus w/these guys.

also RR Kirk hated them and I'm kinda inclined to take his side

― Whats with all the littering? (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 25 March 2010 20:33 (3 years ago) Permalink

have you uh given their albums a chance?

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 25 March 2010 20:42 (3 years ago) Permalink

I still listen to the song-form ren-prog trilogy of Songs From The Wood/Heavy Horses/Stormwatch with total admiration and, esp in the case of SftW, wonder.

― yes, said Cam'ron & the thing was in the impression of J. Timberlake (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 25 March 2010 20:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

Heavy Horses is way 2 fonkay

― And guess what? I think Pitchfork is going to give it a BM. (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 25 March 2010 20:51 (3 years ago) Permalink

i can never get into "This Was" though

A Passion Play is beyond redonkulous

― And guess what? I think Pitchfork is going to give it a BM. (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 25 March 2010 20:51 (3 years ago) Permalink

Passion Play is too much. But Minstrel In The Gallery fits with the abovementioned run, tho not as concise and song-y.

Hmmm if there's fonkay trax on Heavy Horses I might have deleted them... the song to the lil mouse is so cute!

― yes, said Cam'ron & the thing was in the impression of J. Timberlake (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 25 March 2010 20:56 (3 years ago) Permalink

And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony
shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously
into her geography revision.
(The examining body examined her body).

The lyrics are fun!

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 25 March 2010 21:01 (3 years ago) Permalink

haha i'm half kidding, but honestly "journey man" is sorta funky in a tull way, i could totally see parts of it being chopped into a good hip hop beat:

― And guess what? I think Pitchfork is going to give it a BM. (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 25 March 2010 21:03 (3 years ago) Permalink

There WERE like two tracks that I deleted from Heavy Horses, should figure out what they were.

'No Lullaby' is totally essential heavy-stadium Tull.

― yes, said Cam'ron & the thing was in the impression of J. Timberlake (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 25 March 2010 21:07 (3 years ago) Permalink

Tull were one of the first album / prog bands I LOVED, so I always stan for them.

― Earth Dye (u s steel), Thursday, 25 March 2010 21:10 (3 years ago) Permalink

Yeah SftW was my first 'favorite album'.

― yes, said Cam'ron & the thing was in the impression of J. Timberlake (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 25 March 2010 21:11 (3 years ago) Permalink

I remember being a stoner in high school and going off in the woods with my friend, finding a clearing, and building a fire at midnight while we played that album on my boombox. One of my favorite memories

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 25 March 2010 21:22 (3 years ago) Permalink

Haha love it!

― yes, said Cam'ron & the thing was in the impression of J. Timberlake (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 25 March 2010 21:25 (3 years ago) Permalink

Tull were one of my favorite bands when I was 12 and only listened to 12 bands, and spent a lot of time rolling 12 sided dice. I think the AMG entry rates the albums about right. Except for Stand Up. For a while, Stand Up was my favorite album, period. Not really prog yet, very much a 60s record. There's a huge drop-off after Heavy Horses, where they don't seem to know what kind of band they want to be. The synths are so tempting, but anti-pastoral. Even as the records get weak, there's still decent songs like "Fallen on Hard Times".

That's it really: Tull is remembered for making overblown, overly filagreed music, but Anderson generally added in enough concise songs to string you along between the 15 minute suites. Those suites certainly require a certain mood.

I've been thinking about Tull a lot lately, because in the 29 subsequent years since I found music beyond what was on FM Rock Radio (Last scene of SLC Punk was so true to life) I haven't liked anything with that overblown, overly filagreed sorta-classical sound (Maybe Foetus). But I'm really into Sigh's Scenes From Hell. Like Tull, Sigh don't come across as classically trained musos trying to make fretboard challenges to keep themselves interested. Anderson's jumbles have a learning-on-the-job quality, if one's job was to make folk rock bombastic.

A few years ago Dead Man did a great nine minute Tullish jazz-folk-metal suite, "Rest in Peace."

Looking back, when I dropped prog for three chords and some lies, Anderson's scolding sense of humor has totally prepared me for Lydon, Biafra and MacKaye.

― bendy, Thursday, 25 March 2010 22:37 (3 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Digging into Heavy Horses for the first time in, god, 20 years probably. This may be their last album where Anderson had much to add. I never had spent much time w it before, finding it to be a bit of a sub-Songs From the Wood. But after eyeballing some reviews on ProgArchives, I gave it a whirl whilst at my parents' place in Massachusetts as the kids nap. And I like it -- less self-consciously Elizabethan than SFTW, his voice is gruffer, but it suits the "country living (for better or worse)" vibe of the record. Songs about mice, cats pursuing mice, the beauty of moths. But there's also two off-color epics -- one about terrorizing young children ("No Lullaby") and a post-apocalyptic dirge about horses, tractors, technology and values (the title track), as well as possibly the world's only celtic disco song ("Acres Wild").

All in all, an odd, interesting record -- made by a guy who was all of thirty when it was recorded.

― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 25 June 2011 21:01 (1 year ago) Permalink

10 months pass...

Btw the cuts that were taken off of Passion Play for Best of Jethro Tull volume 1 & 2 are amazing songs.

One of the Best of cds sneaks in an amazing song called "Rainbow Blues" that was never released with their standard albums

Digging these cuts quite a bit. Also, delving into A Passion Play for the first time really. Good summary of the concept on Wikipedia: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Passion_Play

― Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 21:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

most of my favorite stuff is 69-70; Aqualung, Cross Eyed Mary, Sweet Dreams, Locomotive Breath...but that stuff is great

― cinco de extra mayo (loves laboured breathing), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 22:59 (1 year ago) Permalink

This may come from the Department of the Obscenely Obvious, but it's entirely possible that Aqualung is the greatest riff record of all time. Whatever you think of the songs, the lyrics or aesthetic--and after all this time I'm still a little unsure of whether I really connect w the *heavy* aspects of Tull--every riff on this record, from the title track to "Cross-Eyed Mary" to "My God" to "Hymn 43" to "Locomotive Breath," is just completely killer.

― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 9 May 2012 13:03 (1 year ago) Permalink

OTM. The lack of a top 40 rap single swiping 'Locomotive Breath' truly confounds me.

― Hierophantiasis (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 16:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

I have a lot of time for Aqualung and Thick As A Brick (which is my favourite), and select moments from their discography throughout the first half of the '70s.

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 16:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

A Passion Play has some decent ideas on it, but I think it lacks the tongue-in-cheek nature that Thick As A Brick has and it also sounds a lot more laboured over, which sinks the album for me. I think it plods a bit in places and seems very pieced-together too, whereas Thick As A Brick is very seamless and all the different 'movements' are perfectly sequenced.

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Wednesday, 9 May 2012 16:52 (1 year ago) Permalink

would gladly go the rest of my life w/o hearing those classic tracks from Aqualung ever again. that said, Benefit is a good just-post-hippie rock LP.

― (REAL NAME) (m coleman), Thursday, 10 May 2012 09:55 (1 year ago) Permalink

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