Jethro Tull album by album

 

My first encounter with Jethro Tull was the Stand Up album, given to me by my father as a birthday or Christmas present. I found it dull and old fashioned, and sold it in order to buy a ticket to see Man at Watford. I have never regretted that decision. 

Aqualung was popular with a close friend of mine, so I became quite familiar with it. I may even have had it in my collection at that time. But, despite the general interest in the album by the music papers, and some friends around me, as with the Stand Up album, I found it rather dull and old fashioned. At the time Ian Anderson was making quite an impression due to his odd clothes and behaviour, his weird beard, and his tendency to stand on one leg while playing the flute. But the impression was odd, rather than cool. He certainly wasn't a Robert Plant or David Bowie. I don't think anyone wanted to be like Anderson - he was too creepy, and too much like a wino or a child molester.  And it didn't help that a weird cartoon character in the NME, The Lone Groover, somehow reminded me of him. 

I liked the single, "Living In The Past", and still do, but the rest of their output was too blues focused, too dull, and too introspective for my taste. There was some talk at the time regarding Thick As A Brick being Anderson's tongue in cheek retaliation to the press for calling Aqualung a concept album, and I did listen to it. But found it too earnest, too full of itself, and too boring. For me, Jethro Dull did not rock, did not spark, did not progress, and were locked in the late 60s. I don't think I paid much attention to the band after Thick As A Brick, though would note now and again what Anderson was up to - like buying a Scottish island in order to become a laird. 

As I'm currently looking into progressive rock, and, for some - to me - unlikely reason, Tull are classed as prog rock, it seems appropriate to spin through their history. Anderson's Tull have also been rather commercially successful - with Rolling Stone saying they are "one of the most commercially successful and eccentric progressive-rock bands". So I'm going to listen to all the albums to get a little closer to this quirky but (to me) rather dull band to see what they are about. Why are they classed as prog. And why did they become so popular (I wasn't even aware they were that popular!)? 

Wikipedia: 

Jethro Tull are a British band formed in Blackpool, England, in 1967. Initially playing blues and jazz influenced rock, the band soon incorporated elements of classical music, hard rock and folk, forging a signature progressive rock sound.^[3] The group’s bandleader and primary composer is Ian Anderson, a multi-instrumentalist who mainly plays flute and acoustic guitar, and is also the lead vocalist, performing his own lyrics. The group has featured a revolving door of musicians throughout the decades, including significant contributors Martin Barre (the longest serving member besides Anderson) and Mick Abrahams on electric guitar, keyboardists John Evan, Dee Palmer, Peter-John Vettese and Andrew Giddings, drummers Clive Bunker, Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow and Doane Perry, and bassists Glenn Cornick, Jeffrey Hammond, John Glascock, Dave Pegg and Jonathan Noyce.

After achieving moderate recognition performing in the London club scene, the band released their debut album This Was in 1968. After a lineup change which saw original guitarist Mick Abrahams replaced (briefly) by Tony Iommi, and then Martin Barre, the band released the folk-tinged second album Stand Up (1969). Stand Up saw the band achieve their first commercial success, reaching No. 1 in the UK, followed by regular tours of the UK and the US. Their musical style shifted in the direction of progressive rock with the albums Aqualung (1971), Thick as a Brick (1972) and A Passion Play (1973), and shifted again to contemporary folk rock with Songs from the Wood (1977), Heavy Horses (1978) and Stormwatch (1979). In the early 1980s the band underwent a major lineup change and shifted towards electronic rock, with the albums A (1980), The Broadsword and the Beast (1982) and Under Wraps (1984). The band won their sole Grammy Award for the 1987 album Crest of a Knave, which saw them returning to a harder rock style. Jethro Tull have sold an estimated 60 million albums worldwide,^[4] with 11 gold and five platinum albums among them.^[5] They have been described by Rolling Stone as "one of the most commercially successful and eccentric progressive rock bands."^[6]

The last works as a group to contain new material were released in 2003, though the band continued to tour until 2011. Both Anderson and Barre have continued to record and tour as solo artists, with Anderson saying in 2014 that Jethro Tull "came more or less to an end."^[7] However in 2017 Anderson announced plans for a tour to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of This Was. The current group—now billed as "Ian Anderson and the Jethro Tull band"—includes musicians who have been members of Anderson's solo band since 2012

AllMusic: 

Jethro Tull were a unique phenomenon in popular music history. Their mix of hard rock, folk melodies, blues licks, surreal, impossibly dense lyrics, and overall profundity defied easy analysis, but that didn't dissuade fans from giving them 11 gold and five platinum albums. At the same time, critics rarely took them seriously, and they were off the cutting-edge of popular music by the end of the '70s. But no record store in the country would want to be without multiple copies of each of their most popular albums (Benefit, Aqualung, Thick as a Brick, Living in the Past), or their various best-of compilations, and few would knowingly ignore their newer releases. Of their contemporaries, only Yes could claim a similar degree of success, and Yes had endured several major shifts in sound and membership by the '90s, while Tull remained remarkably stable over the same period. As co-founded and led by wildman/flutist/guitarist/singer/songwriter Ian Anderson, the group carved a place all its own in popular music.

Recordings

 

"Sunshine Day" / "Aeroplane" (Feb 1968)

Non-album debut single. A side written by Abrahams. The B side, "Aeroplane" by Len Barnard (Glenn Cornick) and Anderson,  had been recorded in Oct 1967 as the John Evans Band.  The single was credited to Jethro Toe. Has an American psychedelic pop/blues sound.  

Wikipedia  

AllMusic: - 
Score: 3 1/2 

This Was (Oct 1968)

Debut album is contemporary British blues rock, somewhat in the same vein as Cream, Yardbirds, Ten Years After, Savoy Brown, and Free. The flute and Anderson's distinctive voice are notable, and the album is solid, though without being outstanding. Mick Abrahams, the lead guitarist, left after this album to form Blodwyn Pig, a mostly unsuccessful and largely forgotten blues rock band who recorded Ahead Rings Out (1969) and Getting To This (1970) before splitting up.  "A Song For Jeffery" and "My Sunday Feeling" are songs the band have continued to play live. It's an acceptable British blues-rock album, with the added interest of Anderson's flute and distinctive voice.

Uncut article on "Song For Jeffrey". 

Released	4 October 1968 (UK))
Recorded	13 June  – 28 July 1968
Studio	Sound Techniques, Chelsea, London
Genre	Blues rock
Length	38:22
Label	Island (UK)
Producer	Terry Ellis, Jethro Tull

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"My Sunday Feeling"	Ian Anderson	3:43
2.	"Some Day the Sun Won't Shine for You"	Anderson	2:49
3.	"Beggar's Farm"	Mick Abrahams, Anderson	4:19
4.	"Move on Alone"	Abrahams	1:58
5.	"Serenade to a Cuckoo" (Instrumental)	Roland Kirk	6:07

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Dharma for One" (Instrumental)	Anderson, Clive Bunker	4:15
2.	"It's Breaking Me Up"	Anderson	5:04
3.	"Cat's Squirrel" (Instrumental)	Traditional, arranged by Abrahams	5:42
4.	"A Song for Jeffrey"	Anderson	3:22
5.	"Round" (Instrumental)	Anderson, Abrahams, Bunker, Glenn Cornick, Terry Ellis	1:03

2001 remaster bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"One for John Gee"	Abrahams	2:06
12.	"Love Story"	Anderson	3:06
13.	"Christmas Song"	Anderson	3:06

• Ian Anderson – lead vocals (all except track 4), flute
• Mick Abrahams – electric guitar, lead vocals (track 4), co-lead vocals (track 2), backing vocals
• Glenn Cornick – bass guitar
• Clive Bunker – drums

Tull website 

Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 6
Score: 4 1/2 

"Love Story" / "Christmas Song" (Nov 1968)

Non-album single, both sides written by Anderson, recorded a few days after This Was was released. Reached 29 in the UK charts. Both tracks are now included on CD copies of the debut album. 

Wikipedia

AllMusic: - 
Score: 4 

"Living In The Past" / "Driving Song"
(May 1969)

Non-album single released just before the Stand Up album; it reached no. 3 in the UK charts, and was largely responsible for the commercial success of Stand Up. Probably the best thing the band has ever done. Great song, and the first thing the band had done which could be later termed "progressive rock". It has a semblance of baroque pop about it, though there's no orchestration other than Anderson's flute, but that does dominate the sound and feel of the song, which has a distinct Latin music feel - something the Doors and Santana had also used (though Anderson would not have heard Santana's music until after he'd written "Living").  
Both tracks are now included on CD releases of  the Stand Up album.

Wikipedia
AllMusic: - 
Score: 8 

Stand Up (July 1969) 

Second album was more commercially successful than the debut, though still has the progressive blues sound (which is not the same as prog rock! - this is progressive blues, this is prog rock). However, there has been development (progression) with added elements of folk, something Anderson may have picked up from Zeppelin's debut album, Led Zeppelin, released in January, particularly "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", which perhaps best exemplifies Jimmy Page's desire to balance light and dark with its contrasting light folky and hard rock elements, later taken up by Nirvana as soft/loud which then became a 90s music fashion. 
It's a listenable album; not one I'd recommend or seek out to play, but decent, and an improvement on the debut.  Martin Barre replaces Abrahams on lead guitar - though his guitar work is mainly rhythmic, in support of the bass.  The opening track, "A New Day Yesterday", is very muscular and fluid; as is, though less so, the opening tracks to Side Two - "Nothing Is Easy" and "Fat Man".  "Bouree" is a rock arrangement of a classic piece by Bach - something associated with both baroque and progressive rock artists. "For A Thousand Mothers" is a fast paced rocker. There are some psychedelic rock touches on the album, such as the phase sounds on "Look Into The Sun" and "Reasons For Waiting", but essentially neither the music nor the approach here can be seen as progressive. This is muscular and fluid blues rock with some psychedelic, baroque, and folk  touches. 

Released	25 July 1969 (UK/Europe)
Recorded	17 April – 21 May 1969
Studio	Morgan Studios, London
Genre	Blues rock
Length	37:48
Label	Island (UK)
Producer	Terry Ellis and Ian Anderson

All songs written by Ian Anderson

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"A New Day Yesterday"	4:10
2.	"Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square"	2:12
3.	"Bourée" (Instrumental; J. S. Bach, arr. by Anderson)	3:46
4.	"Back to the Family"	3:48
5.	"Look into the Sun"	4:20

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Nothing Is Easy"	4:25
2.	"Fat Man"	2:52
3.	"We Used to Know"	4:00
4.	"Reasons for Waiting"	4:05
5.	"For a Thousand Mothers"	4:13

2001 remaster bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Living in the Past"	3:23
12.	"Driving Song"	2:44
13.	"Sweet Dream"	4:05
14.	"17"	3:07

2010 collector's edition

15.	"Living in the Past" (Original Mono Single Version; 2001 Digital Remaster)	3:22
16.	"Bourée" (John Peel Session, 16 June 1969)	3:57
17.	"A New Day Yesterday" (John Peel Session, 16 June 1969)	4:13
18.	"Nothing Is Easy" (John Peel Session, 16 June 1969)	5:03
19.	"Fat Man" (John Peel Session, 16 June 1969)	2:53
20.	"Stand Up (US Radio Spot #1)" (2010 Digital Remaster)	1:02
21.	"Stand Up (US Radio Spot #2)" (2010 Digital Remaster)	0:51

CD 2: Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, 4 November 1970

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Nothing Is Easy"		5:43
2.	"My God"		12:43
3.	"With You There to Help Me" / "By Kind Permission Of"	Ian Anderson, John Evan	13:34
4.	"A Song for Jeffrey"		5:25
5.	"To Cry You a Song"		6:03
6.	"Sossity, You're a Woman" / "Reasons for Waiting" / "Sossity, You're a Woman"		5:28
7.	"Dharma for One"	Ian Anderson, Clive Bunker	13:37
8.	"We Used to Know"		3:41
9.	"Guitar Solo"	Martin Barre	8:24
10.	"For a Thousand Mothers"		4:43
Total length:			79:21

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, Hammond organ, piano, mandolin, balalaika, mouth organ, production
• Martin Barre – electric guitar, additional flute (on tracks 2 and 9)
• Glenn Cornick – bass guitar (all tracks but 5 and 7)
• Clive Bunker – drums, percussion

Tull website 
Wikipedia
AllMusic: 7

Score: 5

  

"Sweet Dream" / "17" (Oct 1969)

Non-album single, now included on CD releases of the Stand Up album.  "Sweet Dream" is in the muscular blues rock style that the band had developed on Stand Up, and which they would employ to great effect on Aqualung and Thick As A Brick.  An orchestra is used to sweeping effect on the track, adding depth and colour. The muscular sound comes from the bluesy rhythm section of  Bunker and Cornick, which is given harmony and folky colour by Anderson's 12 string guitar. Barre's simplistic electric blues guitar is used to little effect late on.  It reached No. 7 on the UK singles chart. 


Wikipedia

AllMusic: - 

Score: 4 

"Witch's Promise" / "Teacher"
(Jan 1970)

Non-album single, later included on CD releases of the Benefit album. Includes John Evan on keyboards as a session player. The band appeared on TOTP miming to the song. It reached No. 4 in the UK singles chart. It is a folk inflected blues-rock based number with pop elements. Anderson's appearance and behaviour is quite striking - it is an image he built on and used a lot in Tull's peak period. He looks like a somewhat deranged alcoholic country tramp. There's a more folk than rock look to him, and there's links with the past, both in the name, and in Anderson's clothing. 


Wikipedia

AllMusic: -
Score: 5 

Benefit (April 1970)

Acts as the bridge between the more direct blues rock with folk of the earlier albums, with the more developed folky sound of Aqualung.  "To Cry you A Song" is one of the better tracks, similar to "Living In The Past". There is a flavour of Roy Harper (Folkjokeopus - 1969) in some of the tracks. Roy Harper was much respected by fellow musicians, but largely ignored by critics and listeners.  "With You There To Help Me" is a moody psychedelic rock number with the flute recorded backwards - it's a number that Anderson revived for live performances in the Nineties. Not as appealing as Stand Up. 

 

Released	20 April 1970 (UK)
Recorded	3 September 1969 – 25 February 1970
Studio	Morgan Studios, London
Genre	Hard rock, folk rock
Length	42:49
Label	Chrysalis/Island (Europe)
Producer	Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis

All songs written by Ian Anderson

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"With You There to Help Me"	6:15
2.	"Nothing to Say"	5:10
3.	"Alive and Well and Living In"	2:43
4.	"Son"	2:48
5.	"For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me"	3:47

Side two

No.	Title	Length
6.	"To Cry You a Song"	6:09
7.	"A Time for Everything?"	2:42
8.	"Inside"	3:38
9.	"Play in Time"	3:44
10.	"Sossity; You're a Woman"	4:31

2001 CD bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Singing All Day"	3:07
12.	"Witch's Promise"	3:52
13.	"Just Trying to Be"	1:37
14.	"Teacher" (Labelled Original U.K. Mix, but actually US version)	3:49

• Ian Anderson – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar (uncredited), flute, balalaika, keyboards, production
• Martin Barre – electric guitar
• Glenn Cornick – bass guitar, Hammond organ (uncredited)
• Clive Bunker – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
• Dee Palmer – orchestral arrangements
• John Evan – piano, organ

Tull website 
Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 8

Score: 4 

Aqualung (Mar 1971) 

The band's most famous and most acclaimed album (and best cover). It stands up well. Well, certain tracks do, and the album as a whole is still quite listenable without being that compelling or engaging. Again there is a sense of Roy Harper (Flat Baroque And Berserk - 1970) in some of the tracks. Because the title character is mentioned in two songs it was assumed to be a concept album, though there is no evidence of that in the lyrics, and Anderson denied it then and to this day, recording Thick As A Brick in response. I see no connecting theme in the songs, but some people claim to see it as an album about religion. If people wish to see it as a concept album, they are free to do so, but they might benefit from listening to some early concept albums such as Woody Guthrie's Dust Bowl Ballads (1940), West Side Story (1961),  Frank Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours (1955), and Johnny Cash's Bitter Tears (Ballads of the American Indian) (1964). There's no struggle at all recognising the concept in these albums. And, for me, that is an essential key to a concept album.  
Original bass player Cornick is replaced by Anderson's friend Jeffrey Hammond - the Jeffrey that had been named in three Tull songs, and John Evan "officially" joins on keyboards., making the band a five piece.  
The music is a mix of muscular, fluid blues rock with quite folky folk-rock. There's no sense of progressive music in this album, it's fairly standard early Seventies rock with some folk thrown in. If this is prog rock, then so is Led Zeppelin III and IV. Random 1971 hard rock or related albums: Toad by Toad, Osibisa by Osibisa (I loved this album at the time - haven't played it for years),  NeverNeverLand by The Pink Fairies (messy band - fun live, but albums didn't really work), Nazareth by Nazareth (not a band I liked at the time), Mogul Thrash by Mogul Thrash, Do You Like It Here Now by Man (my 2nd favourite live band of the early Seventies), Dive Deep by Quintessence (another decent live band, though not so good on record);  Stormcock by Roy Harper (an extraordinary musician who deserves to be better known than just for being accused of underage sex); Santana III by Santana; Nursery Chryme by Genesis; In Search Of Space by Hawkwind (my favourite live band at the time); Surf's Up by The Beach Boys (the album where the Boys grew up); Edgar Broughton Band by the Edgar Broughton Band (capable, and good live, but albums didn't really deliver); The Yes Album by Yes (one of my favourite albums of the year and of all time); Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison (this album was my revelatory introduction to Morrison); Tarkus by ELP (it was ponderous then, it is still ponderous now); Tago Mago by Can (I admired this then, and I admire it still); Fearless by Family; Fireball by Deep Purple; Indelibly Stamped by Supertramp;  In The Land of Grey and Pink by Caravan; Master of Reality by Black Sabbath; Killer by Alice Cooper (love this album, always have and I suspect always will - its Cooper's best album, and way better than anything else he/they made);  Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin (one of the most awesome albums ever made - I saw them on the tour to promote this album - one of my top concerts); LA Woman by The Doors (totally awesome). 

Lyrics

Released	19 March 1971
Recorded	April 1970 – February 1971[1]
Studio	Island Studios, Morgan Studios
Genre	Folk rock, hard rock
Length	42:55
Label	Chrysalis/Island (Europe)
Producer	Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis

All songs written by Ian Anderson

Side one: Aqualung

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Aqualung" (Ian Anderson, Jennie Anderson)	6:34
2.	"Cross-Eyed Mary"	4:06
3.	"Cheap Day Return"	1:21
4.	"Mother Goose"	3:51
5.	"Wond'ring Aloud"	1:53
6.	"Up to Me"	3:15

Side two: My God

No.	Title	Length
1.	"My God"	7:08
2.	"Hymn 43"	3:14
3.	"Slipstream"	1:13
4.	"Locomotive Breath"	4:23
5.	"Wind-Up"	6:01

2016 40th anniversary adapted edition

CD 2: Associated recordings 1970–1971 - Steven Wilson remaster and remix of tracks 1–10

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Lick Your Fingers Clean"	2:49
2.	"Just Trying to Be"	1:38
3.	"My God" (Early Version)	9:43
4.	"Wond'ring Aloud" (13 December 1970, the second known version of this song)	1:52
5.	"Wind-Up" (Early Version)	5:22
6.	"Slipstream" (Take 2)	0:55
7.	"Up the 'Pool" (Early Version)	3:13
8.	"Wond'ring Aloud, Again" (21 June 1970) The first recording of this song, actually made up of two parts: a. Wond'ring Aloud (the first version of Wond'ring Aloud) b. Wond'ring Again (Part II of Wond'ring Alound, originally released on Living In The Past)	7:08
9.	"Life is a Long Song"	3:20
10.	"Up the 'Pool"	3:13
11.	"Life is a Long Song" (Original EP Flat Transfer)	3:21
12.	"Up the 'Pool" (Original EP Flat Transfer)	3:13
13.	"Dr. Bogenbroom" (Original EP Flat Transfer)	3:01
14.	"From Later" (Original EP Flat Transfer)	2:09
15.	"Nursie" (Original EP Flat Transfer)	1:38
16.	"Reprise Radio Advert"	0:53

• Ian Anderson – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, production
• Martin Barre – electric guitar, descant recorder
• John Evan – piano, organ, Mellotron 
• Jeffrey Hammond –  bass guitar, alto recorder, odd voices, backing vocals on "Mother Goose"
• Clive Bunker – drums and percussion

Lyrics 

Tull website 

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 9 

Score: 6 1/2

Thick As A Brick (Mar 1972)

This is Anderson's satirical response to critics calling Aqualung a concept album, and to the whole area of music now known as prog rock. It was done very tongue-in-cheek, very quickly composed on the spot, with the band seeing it as a spot of humour influenced by Monty Python. Yes, it's proggy. And, yes, it's actually quite good - more energy and creative musical ideas than Aqualung.  There's a strong affinity with Roy Harper in the style of singing, and perhaps also the lyrics, which are free and spontaneous, taking ideas from Harper and Dylan, and constructing a loose and meaningless story which flows and intrigues and by the swift random carefree nature of the writing is open to to interpretations and understands not intended but valid enough for the individual and collective audience. Though intended as a tongue-in-cheek parody of prog bands such as Yes and ELP, the music is among the best prog ever recorded. The band simply launched themselves into it with energy, anger, humour, and a sense of freedom - and it all fell together precisely because of that freedom, energy and anger. It's joyous, creative, flowing, fun, and very entertaining. Side 1 is more open and joyous than Side 2. 
  

Original drummer Bunker is replaced by Barlow - Anderson is now the only member left of the original band. 

Lyrics. 

Released	3 March 1972[1]
Recorded	December 1971
Studio	Morgan Studios, London
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	43:46
Label	Chrysalis (Europe)
Producer	Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis (ex.)

All songs written by Ian Anderson

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Thick as a Brick, Part I"	22:40

Side two

No.	Title	Length
2.	"Thick as a Brick, Part II"	21:06

• Ian Anderson – vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, violin, trumpet, saxophone, accordion
• Martin Barre – electric guitar, lute, flute
• John Evan – piano, organ, harpsichord
• Jeffrey Hammond  – bass guitar, spoken word
• Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion, timpani

JethroTull 

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 9

Score: 7 1/2

Living In The Past (1972)

A collection of tracks, mostly previously unreleased on album, nearly half previously unreleased in any format; only four tracks taken from previous albums. It's not a collection that has held my attention. The well known songs, "Witch's Promise" and "Living In The Past" are good, but the rest feel more like filler than killer. Not an essential album - for Tull fans only. 

 

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"A Song for Jeffrey" (remix of album track from This Was)	3:18
2.	"Love Story" (stereo remix of 1968 UK single)	3:00
3.	"Christmas Song" (stereo remix of 1968 UK single)	2:56
4.	"Living in the Past" (stereo remix of 1969 UK single)	3:18
5.	"Driving Song" (stereo remix of 1969 UK single)	2:37
6.	"Bourée" (Bourrée in E minor by Bach arr. Jethro Tull) (from the album Stand Up)	3:40

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Sweet Dream" (stereo remix of 1969 UK single)	4:00
2.	"Singing All Day" (previously unreleased, recorded in 1969)	3:03
3.	"The Witch's Promise" (stereo remix of 1970 UK single)	3:48
4.	"Teacher" (remix of track from the US version of Benefit)	4:06
5.	"Inside" (from the album Benefit)	3:42
6.	"Just Trying to Be" (previously unreleased, recorded in 1970)	1:34

Side three – recorded live at Carnegie Hall in New York City, 4 November 1970

No.	Title	Length
1.	"By Kind Permission Of" (instrumental – John Evan, previously unreleased)	10:07
2.	"Dharma for One" (Anderson/Clive Bunker, previously unreleased)	9:55

Side four

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Wond'ring Again" (previously unreleased, recorded in 1970)	4:11
2.	"Locomotive Breath" (from the album Aqualung)	4:24
3.	"Life Is a Long Song" (from 1971 UK EP)	3:17
4.	"Up the 'Pool" (from 1971 'Life Is A Long Song' UK EP)	3:09
5.	"Dr. Bogenbroom" (from 1971 'Life Is A Long Song' UK EP)	2:58
6.	"From Later" (instrumental, from 1971 'Life Is A Long Song' UK EP)	2:06
7.	"Nursie" (from 1971 'Life Is A Long Song' UK EP)	1:35

JethroTull 

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 9 

Score: 3 1/2

A Passion Play (July 1973)

After an accidental concept album and a spoof concept album, Anderson makes a proper serious concept album. Sadly it's the least interesting and least attractive album he's done so far. It's a little tedious and overblown. Ho hum. Looking at reviews, it was widely regarded as tedious and overblown at the time, and though critics have slightly softened toward it over time, few regard it as successful, though Bruce Elder of AllMusic is fairly effusive in its praise, oddly comparing it to The Waste Land, which perhaps suggests he's not actually read The Waste Land, but has read about it.  

This is a very proggy album. And I mean that in a negative way. It's dull. 

Lyrics 

Released	13 July 1973 (UK)
Recorded	March 1973
Studio	Morgan Studios, London
Genre	Progressive rock[1]
Length	45:07
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis

All songs written by Ian Anderson

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"A Passion Play, part I I. "Act 1: Ronnie Pilgrim's funeral — a winter's morning in the cemetery" a. "Lifebeats" (instrumental) b. "Prelude" (instrumental) c. "The Silver Cord" d. "Re-Assuring Tune" (instrumental) II. "Act 2: The Memory Bank — a small theatre with a cinema-screen (the next morning)" a. "Memory Bank" b. "Best Friends" c. "Critique Oblique" d. "Forest Dance #1" (instrumental) III. "Interlude: The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" a. "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" (Anderson, Hammond, Evan)	23:09

Side two

No.	Title	Length
2.	"A Passion Play, part II I. "Interlude: The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" a. "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" (Anderson, Hammond, Evan) II. "Act 3: The business office of G. Oddie & Son (two days later)" a. "Forest Dance #2" (instrumental) b. "The Foot of Our Stairs" c. "Overseer Overture" III. "Act 4: Magus Perdé's drawing room at midnight" a. "Flight from Lucifer" b. "10:08 to Paddington" (instrumental) c. "Magus Perdé" d. "Epilogue"	21:58

• Ian Anderson – lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, soprano and sopranino saxophone
• Martin Barre – electric guitar
• John Evan – backing vocals, piano, organ, synthesizer
• Jeffrey Hammond – bass guitar, spoken word (on "The Story of the Hare")
• Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion, timpani, glockenspiel, marimba

JethroTull 

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 6 

Score: 3 

War Child (Oct 1974) 

A series of rather ineffective folk rock songs. The most gripping is "Bungle In The Jungle", which was a chart single in the US. The album charted on pre-sales, and, though most were disappointed with the content, the band continued to be popular with the public, largely through their strong live performances, dominated by Anderson's personality.  

Released	26 October 1974 (UK)
Recorded	7 December 1973 - 24 February 1974 at Morgan Studios, London Tracks 6 & 8: 15 September 1972, at the Château d'Hérouville, France
Genre	Progressive rock, hard rock
Length	39:21
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis

All songs written by Ian Anderson

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"War Child"	4:35
2.	"Queen and Country"	3:00
3.	"Ladies"	3:17
4.	"Back-Door Angels"	5:30
5.	"Sealion"	3:37

Side two

No.	Title	Length
6.	"Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day"	4:09
7.	"Bungle in the Jungle"	3:35
8.	"Only Solitaire"	1:38
9.	"The Third Hoorah"	4:49
10.	"Two Fingers"	5:11

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, saxophone
• Martin Barre – electric guitar, Spanish guitar
• John Evan – piano, organ, synthesizers, accordion
• Jeffrey Hammond – lead vocals and spoken word (on "Sealion II"), bass guitar, string bass
• Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 5 

Score: 3 

Minstrel In The Gallery (Sept 1975)

Starts innocently as folky English folk rock then gets into rock and prog. As it settles, it is clear that this is a blues based  rock album with elements of English folk/folk rock and elements of prog, but it is neither folk or prog.  It is not hard or fast enough to be hard rock, and Anderson's voice is too English folky to be taken serious as rawk. Essentially it is what it is, and it reminds me more of Savoy Brown or Ten Years After or Family than of Yes, Genesis or Pink Floyd; or of  The Stones, Alice Cooper, or Deep Purple.  I like the overall sound of it, which is largely due to Anderson's attractive and slightly quirky voice. I'm not so keen on the orchestration, which gives the album a bloated and dated feel, but it does add some baroque texture, and is more acceptable today than it would have been in the late Seventies. I dislike the lead guitar, which doesn't drive the music, but interludes with it, and often simply holds it up. 

I like "One White Duck" - it reminds me, again, of Roy Harper. Indeed, there is much of Harper's spirit and sound in this album, as it is also in Tull's early albums, including Aqualung, with which this must be compared. It many ways, this is a better album, more assured, better sounding, better produced, but it lacks some of Aqualung's good songs, and - of course - Aqualung's strong reputation, which always lifts an album. Overall, I think I may like this more than Aqualung, though if asked which album I would recommend, I would point to Aqualung.  

Released	5 September 1975 (UK)
Recorded	15 May 1975 – 7 June 1975
Studio	Maison Rouge Mobile Studio, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Genre	Progressive rock[1][2] hard rock[1] folk rock[3]
Length	45:02
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson, except as noted. Arrangements for string quintet were written by Dee Palmer. 

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Minstrel in the Gallery"	Anderson, Martin Barre	8:13
2.	"Cold Wind to Valhalla"		4:19
3.	"Black Satin Dancer"		6:52
4.	"Requiem"		3:45

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"One White Duck / 010 = Nothing at All"	4:37
2.	"Baker St. Muse" a)  "Pig-Me and the Whore" b)  "Nice Little Tune" c)  "Crash-Barrier Waltzer" d)  "Mother England Reverie"	16:39
3.	"Grace"	0:37
Total length:		45:02

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar
• Martin Barre – electric guitar
• John Evan – piano, organ
• Jeffrey Hammond – bass guitar, string bass
• Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 8

Score: 5 1/2 

 

M.U. The Best of Jethro Tull (Jan 1976)

Reissued as The Essential, with the same track list, and then Essential with five additional tracks and a new play order (which is the one that Spotify have).  A very useful and attractive summary of  Tull's best/most popular tracks. I like this album. 

Side one

1. "Teacher" () – 4:07 (alternative mix)
2.  "Aqualung" () – 6:34 
3. "Thick as a Brick Edit #1" () – 3:01 (The first three minutes of "Thick as a Brick, Part One")
4.  "Bungle in the Jungle" () – 3:34
5.  "Locomotive Breath" () – 4:23 (alternate mix)

Side two

1.  "Fat Man" () – 2:50
2.  "Living in the Past" () – 3:18
3.  "A Passion Play Edit #8" () – 3:28 ("Overseer Overture", which occurs about 11 minutes into "A Passion Play, Part Two")
4. "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" () – 4:02
5. "Rainbow Blues" () – 3:37
6. "Nothing is Easy" () – 4:23 

Essential tracklist 

1.  Living In The Past
2. * A New Day Yesterday 
3. * Bouree 
4.  Nothing Is Easy 
5.  Fat Man 
6. * Sweet Dream 

7. * The Witch's Promise 

8.  Teacher 

9.  Aqualung
10. Locomotive Breath 

11. * Life Is A Long Song 
12. Thick As A Brick Edit #1 

13. A Passion Play Edit #8 

14. Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day 

15. Bungle In The Jungle 

16. Rainbow Blues

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 8

Score: 5 

Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! 
(April 1976)

Another "concept" album. Ho hum. Apparently Anderson's last attempt at doing such a thing. I hope so.  The title song works as a modest pop-rock song. The usually quirky mix of folk, blues and pop-rock with prog leanings. I'm not sold on the notion that Tull are/were a prog rock band in terms of symphonic prog rock, which is the form most readily identified with prog rock; however, there is an "art rock" attitude at play in which blues, folk, and pop-rock musical aspects are blended, and there is a conscious "artistic" approach with the lyrics. Anyway, this is a listenable and attractive album.  

Released	23 April 1976 (UK)
Recorded	19 Nov 1975 - 27 Jan 1976
Studio	Radio Monte Carlo by the Maison Rouge Mobile Studio, except tracks 8 and 10, recorded at Morgan Studios, in Brussels
Genre	Progressive rock, folk rock, hard rock, blues rock
Length	42:26
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson

All songs written by Ian Anderson

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Quizz Kid"	5:09
2.	"Crazed Institution"	4:48
3.	"Salamander"	2:51
4.	"Taxi Grab"	3:54
5.	"From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser"	4:09

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Bad-Eyed and Loveless"	2:12
2.	"Big Dipper"	3:35
3.	"Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die"	5:44
4.	"Pied Piper"	4:32
5.	"The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)"	5:32

• Ian Anderson – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, harmonica, additional electric guitar and percussion
• Martin Barre – electric guitar
• John Evan – piano, keyboards
• John Glascock – backing vocals, bass guitar
• Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion

Lyrics 

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 6

Score: 4

Songs From The Wood (Feb 1977)

Solidly British folk rock, though out of time and place. This sounds like 1970 rather than 1977, the year of punk. Gee. I note that some sources are calling this prog-rock. I don't think Tull were ever prog, they started out blues-rock with an ear to British folk rock, and then gradually moved more firmly into British folk rock, Anderson played around with the notion of concept albums, and found that critics would lambast him when he did, but the public loved the idea. But concept albums do not equal prog rock. Concept albums have been around since 1940, and have been released by a range of artists, long before prog rock was ever thought of.  Frankly I see little difference between the tracks on this folk rock album and the tracks on Aqualung. But don't let reality get in the way of a good prog fanatic. 

On the whole a pleasant, easy listening folk rock album with the individual characteristics that Anderson brings to the game. It's an album I can listen to with no problem, but nothing really stands out (other than perhaps "Ring Out, Solstice Bells"), and it's not an album I'd reach for. Though, if I were stuck on a desert island with this album I wouldn't complain, and would likely end up loving it. 

Released	11 February 1977
Recorded	14 September – 16 November 1976
Studio	Morgan Studios, London
Genre	Folk rock, progressive folk, progressive rock, hard rock
Length	41:17
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson

All songs written by Ian Anderson

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Songs from the Wood"	4:52
2.	"Jack-in-the-Green"	2:27
3.	"Cup of Wonder"	4:30
4.	"Hunting Girl"	5:11
5.	"Ring Out, Solstice Bells"	3:43

Side two

No.	Title	Length
6.	"Velvet Green"	6:03
7.	"The Whistler"	3:30
8.	"Pibroch (Cap in Hand)"	8:35
9.	"Fire at Midnight"	2:26

• Ian Anderson – lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar
• Martin Barre – electric guitar, lute
• John Evan – keyboards
• Dee Palmer – keyboards 
• John Glascock – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 8

Score: 5

Heavy Horses (Apr 1978)

Steady, accomplished, but unimaginative and plodding British folk rock. Similar to Songs From The Wood, but slightly less attractive. 

Released	21 April 1978 (UK)
Recorded	May 1977 - January 1978
Studio	Maison Rouge Studio, Fulham, London[1]
Genre	Folk rock, progressive rock, hard rock
Length	42:25 (original release) 43:11 (2018 remix)
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson

All songs written by Ian Anderson

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"...And the Mouse Police Never Sleeps"	3:11
2.	"Acres Wild"	3:22
3.	"No Lullaby"	7:55
4.	"Moths"	3:24
5.	"Journeyman"	3:55

Side two

No.	Title	Length
6.	"Rover"	4:17
7.	"One Brown Mouse"	3:21
8.	"Heavy Horses"	8:58
9.	"Weathercock"	4:02

• Ian Anderson – lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, additional electric guitar, mandolin
• Martin Barre – electric guitar
• John Glascock – backing vocals, bass guitar
• John Evan – piano, organ
• Dee Palmer – keyboards, portative pipe organ, orchestral arrangements
• Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 8

Score: 3

  

Bursting Out  (1978)

Recorded just after Tull's creative period had ended, but while the band still commanded respect and excitement from live audiences clinging to the past who had not yet embraced New Wave and Punk. It's a long album, and would have benefitted from being released as a single disc rather than a double.  It's the band's first official live album - shame it came too late to catch the band at their height rather than at the start of their decline. 

Released	22 September 1978
Recorded	May-June 1978
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	93:31[1]
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson, except where noted

Disc one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Introduction by Claude Nobs"	Claude Nobs	0:50
2.	"No Lullaby" (from Heavy Horses)		4:48
3.	"Sweet Dream" (single)		6:30
4.	"Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" (from War Child)		4:30
5.	"Jack in the Green" (from Songs from the Wood)		3:13
6.	"One Brown Mouse" (from Heavy Horses)		3:53
7.	"A New Day Yesterday" (from Stand Up)		2:27
8.	"Flute Solo Improvisation / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Bourée [medley]" (Instrumental; from Stand Up)	Anderson / Traditional, arr. Anderson / Johann Sebastian Bach, arr. Anderson	6:08
9.	"Songs from the Wood" (from Songs from the Wood)		2:40
10.	"Thick as a Brick" (from Thick as a Brick)	Anderson, Gerald Bostock	12:27

Disc two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"Introduction by Ian Anderson"		0:43
12.	"Hunting Girl" (from Songs from the Wood)		5:45
13.	"Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die" (from Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!)		3:57
14.	"Conundrum" (Instrumental)	Martin Barre, Barriemore Barlow	6:57
15.	"Minstrel in the Gallery" (from Minstrel in the Gallery)		5:41
16.	"Cross-Eyed Mary" (from Aqualung)		3:58
17.	"Quatrain" (Instrumental)	Barre	1:33
18.	"Aqualung" (from Aqualung)	Anderson, Jennie Franks	8:38
19.	"Locomotive Breath" (from Aqualung)		5:33
20.	"The Dambusters March" (Instrumental)	Eric Coates	3:26

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar
• Martin Barre – electric guitar, mandolin, marimba
• John Glascock – bass guitar, additional electric guitar
• John Evan – piano, organ, synthesizers, accordion
• Dee Palmer – portative organ, synthesizers
• Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion, glockenspiel.

Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 6
Score: 4

I've looked at reviews and opinion of the rest of  Tull's career, and it seems largely that what is to come is less respected than what I have already listened to, and best of compilations almost exclusively draw from the early albums, so I'm unlikely to go much further with this.  

Well, actually I might.... 

  

Stormwatch (1979) 

A pleasant pop-rock album. Lacks songs that stand out, but it's a professionally made and listenable album with typical Tull elements.  Considered by fans to be the last in trilogy of folk-rock albums that began with Songs From The Wood. I'm seeing less folk in this album than is usual for Tull, and this album does not match the overt folk feel of the previous two - I find this album quite rocky. 

Released	14 September 1979
Recorded	Aug 1978, Feb 1979-July 1979
Studio	Various
Genre	Folk rock  progressive rock  hard rock
Length	44:58 (original release) 46:00 (2019 Remix)
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson Robin Black

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson except where noted

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"North Sea Oil"	3:08
2.	"Orion"	3:55
3.	"Home"	2:44
4.	"Dark Ages"	9:07
5.	"Warm Sporran" (Instrumental)	3:31

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Something's on the Move"		4:24
7.	"Old Ghosts"		4:20
8.	"Dun Ringill"		2:37
9.	"Flying Dutchman"		7:42
10.	"Elegy" (Instrumental)	Dee Palmer	3:30
Total length:			44:58

2004 Bonus tracks

The remastered CD added bonus tracks that were on the 20 Years of Jethro Tull boxed set and extensive liner notes:

No.	Title	Length
11.	"A Stitch in Time"	3:40
12.	"Crossword"	3:38
13.	"Kelpie"	3:37
14.	"King Henry's Madrigal" (instrumental, King Henry VIII)	3:01

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, bass guitar (on tracks 1, 3-8 & 11)
• Martin Barre – electric guitar, classical guitar, mandolin
• John Glascock – bass guitar (on tracks 2, 9, 10, 12 & 13)
• John Evan – piano, organ
• Dee Palmer – synthesizers, portable organ and orchestral arrangements (credited as "David Palmer")
• Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow – drums, percussion

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 4

Score: 4 1/2 

A (1980) 

Intended as a solo Anderson album, it was released under the Tull name, though with a radical personnel change, only Martin Barre remaining. Dave Pegg from Fairport Convention joins on bass. I find this a little pedestrian and plodding, with little of the charm and energy of previous Tull albums. Most of the folk element has gone, and some electronic elements, synthesisers, are brought to the fore. 

Released	29 August 1980
Recorded	16 May – 6 June 1980
Studio	Maison Rouge Studios, Fulham, London Maison Rogue Mobile, Radnage
Genre	Electronic rock progressive rock
Length	42:30
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson  Robin Black

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson with additional music material from Eddie Jobson; arranged by Jethro Tull

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Crossfire"	3:55
2.	"Fylingdale Flyer"	4:35
3.	"Working John, Working Joe"	5:04
4.	"Black Sunday"	6:35

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Protect and Survive"	3:36
2.	"Batteries Not Included"	3:52
3.	"Uniform"	3:34
4.	"4.W.D. (Low Ratio)"	3:42
5.	"The Pine Marten's Jig" (instrumental)	3:28
6.	"And Further On"	4:21

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute
• Martin Barre – guitar
• Dave Pegg – bass guitar, mandolin
• Mark Craney – drums

Guest personnel

• Eddie Jobson – keyboards, synthesizer,

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 6

Score: 3 

  

The Broadsword and the Beast (1982)

Standard Tull blues-rock album. Lacks the ambition and ideas of the  key Tull albums, but is competent and professional. Listenable, but also trivial and forgettable.  Peter-John Vettese joins on keyboards, also assisting with the song-writing. I think he drags Tull in a more modern, but less interesting direction. 

Released	10 April 1982 [1]
Recorded	24 March 1981 – 5 February 1982
Studio	Maison Rouge Studios, Fulham, London
Genre	Progressive rock  hard rock  art rock  folk rock electronic rock
Length	38:49
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Paul Samwell-Smith

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson with additional material by Peter-John Vettese

Side one – Beastie

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Beastie"	3:58
2.	"Clasp"	4:18
3.	"Fallen On Hard Times"	3:13
4.	"Flying Colours"	4:39
5.	"Slow Marching Band"	3:40

Side two - Broadsword

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Broadsword"	5:03
2.	"Pussy Willow"	3:55
3.	"Watching Me, Watching You"	3:41
4.	"Seal Driver"	5:10
5.	"Cheerio"	1:09

• Ian Anderson – lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, Fairlight CMI
• Martin Barre – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Dave Pegg – backing vocals, bass guitar, mandolin
• Peter-John Vettese – backing vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizer
• Gerry Conway – drums, percussion

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 3 

Score: 4

Under Wraps (1984)

Tedious album lacking ideas and feel. This is more synthpop than Tull pop.  80s production makes it worse - even the cover is an unattractive 80s style cover. There are not many classic artists whose output in the 80s was good, though there are few who made something as poor as this.   

Released	7 September 1984
Recorded	1984
Studio	Ian Anderson's home studio
Genre	Synth-pop
Length	43:13 (Vinyl) 58:39 (CD)
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson and Peter-John Vettese except where indicated

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Lap of Luxury"	Anderson	3:35
2.	"Under Wraps #1"	Anderson	3:59
3.	"European Legacy"	Anderson	3:23
4.	"Later, That Same Evening"		3:51
5.	"Saboteur"		3:31
6.	"Radio Free Moscow"		3:40

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Nobody's Car"	Anderson, Martin Barre, Vettese	4:08
2.	"Heat"		5:37
3.	"Under Wraps #2"	Anderson	2:14
4.	"Paparazzi"	Anderson, Barre, Vettese	3:47
5.	"Apogee"		5:28

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, drum programming, Fairlight CMI
• Martin Barre – electric guitar
• Dave Pegg – bass guitar, double bass
• Peter-John Vettese – keyboards, electronic programming

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 2 

Score: 3

  

A Classic Case (1985)

This is simply rather cheesy orchestrated versions of Jethro Tull songs - there's no new songs and no evidence of collaboration. Indeed, it's not clear exactly how much involvement the band had with the recording, though it's possible they turned up and played some kind of instrument on a track or two. It's pap. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Locomotive Breath"	4:16
2.	"Thick as a Brick"	4:24
3.	"Elegy"	3:41
4.	"Bourée"	3:10
5.	"Fly by Night"	4:12
6.	"Aqualung"	6:22
7.	"Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die"	3:27
8.	"Teacher / Bungle in the Jungle / Rainbow Blues / Locomotive Breath"	3:58
9.	"Living in the Past"	3:29
10.	"War Child"	4:56

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 4 

Score: 2 1/2 

  

Crest of a Knave (1987)

Rather dull. There's a feel of Dire Straits about some of this. I like Dire Straits so that's not a negative comment in itself, just that Anderson has not taken the interesting parts of Dire Straits - the lyrics, song structures, and guitar, just the quiet, mannered, middle of the road rock sound. This is the album that stunned and dismayed the rock world when it won the Grammy Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Award over AC/DC, Jane's Addiction, Iggy Pop, and favourites Metallica.  

Released	11 September 1987
Recorded	Early 1987
Genre	Rock
Length	39:30 (vinyl) 48:50 (CD)
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Jethro Tull

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Steel Monkey"	3:39
2.	"Farm on the Freeway"	6:31
3.	"Jump Start"	4:55
4.	"She Said She Was a Dancer"	3:43
5.	"Dogs in the Midwinter"	4:37
6.	"Budapest"	10:05
7.	"Mountain Men"	6:20
8.	"The Waking Edge"	4:49
9.	"Raising Steam"	4:05

 

10.	"Part of the Machine"	6:54

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, Synclavier, drum prog (tracks 1, 5 & 9)
• Martin Barre – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Dave Pegg – bass guitar, acoustic bass (track 4)

Additional musicians

• Doane Perry – drums, percussion (tracks 2 & 7)
• Gerry Conway – drums, percussion (tracks 3, 4, 6 & 8)
• Ric Sanders – violin (tracks 6 & 8)

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 5 

Score: 3 1/2 

   

Rock Island (1989)

Closer to Tull rock than other 80s albums by the band.  This shows the heavy rock side of the band. Competent and while not exciting or engaging is listenable. Though there's little here to attract repeat listens, it is quite acceptable while it's on the player. And some of this stuff could have been acceptable filler on some of the classic albums.  

Released	21 August 1989
Recorded	Early 1989
Genre	Rock
Length	50:21
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Jethro Tull

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Kissing Willie"	3:32
2.	"The Rattlesnake Trail"	4:02
3.	"Ears of Tin"	4:55
4.	"Undressed to Kill"	5:25
5.	"Rock Island"	6:54

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Heavy Water"	4:12
2.	"Another Christmas Song"	3:32
3.	"The Whaler's Dues"	7:53
4.	"Big Riff and Mando"	5:58
5.	"Strange Avenues"	4:10

2006 remaster bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Christmas Song" (Live)	3:06
12.	"Cheap Day Return/Mother Goose" (Live)	3:10
13.	"Locomotive Breath" (Live)	3:38

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, keyboards, Synclavier, mandolin, drums, percussion (on tracks 2 & 7)
• Martin Barre – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• David Pegg – bass guitar, acoustic bass, mandolin
• Doane Perry – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Maartin Allcock – keyboards (on tracks 1 & 10)
• Peter-John Vettese – additional keyboards (on tracks 3-6)

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 7 

Score: 4 1/2 

Catfish Rising (1991)

Pleasant enough, but fairly trivial wallpaper music. It's clear that Anderson is able to write and deliver songs professionally with a Tull sound, but whatever it was that marked out his songs and delivery in the Seventies has escaped him for a while. But people continue to buy his albums and go to concerts; albeit in fewer numbers, sufficient to keep Chrysalis interested (well, for three more albums anyway). 

Released	10 September 1991
Recorded	Early 1991
Genre	Rock
Length	42:49/60:01 (Vinyl/with bonus 12") 60:01 (CD)
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Jethro Tull

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson

No.	Title	Length
1.	"This Is Not Love"	3:56
2.	"Occasional Demons"	3:48
3.	"Roll Yer Own"	4:25
4.	"Rocks on the Road"	5:30
5.	"Sparrow on the Schoolyard Wall"	5:21
6.	"Thinking Round Corners"	3:31
7.	"Still Loving You Tonight"	4:30
8.	"Doctor to My Disease"	4:34
9.	"Like a Tall Thin Girl"	3:36
10.	"White Innocence"	7:43
11.	"Sleeping with the Dog"	4:25
12.	"Gold-Tipped Boots, Black Jacket and Tie"	3:38
13.	"When Jesus Came to Play"	5:04

2006 remaster bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
14.	"Night in the Wilderness"	4:06
15.	"Jump Start" (live; recorded at the Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, 25 November 1987)	7:49

• Ian Anderson – vocals, guitars and mandolins, flute, keyboards, drums, percussion
• Martin Barre – electric guitar
• Dave Pegg – acoustic bass guitar, electric bass guitar
• Doane Perry – drums, percussion

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 6

Score: 4 

  

A Little Light Music (1992)

A live recording from scattered locations on a mostly acoustic European tour. The band was half Tull and half Fairport. It makes for a solid and pleasant listen, though is not an essential recording. It is, as it says, a little light. 

Released	14 September 1992 (UK) 22 September 1992 (US)
Recorded	2–23 May 1992
Genre	Rock
Length	77:20
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson

1. "Someday the Sun Won't Shine for You" (Athens, 13/14 May 1992) – 3:59
2. "Living in the Past" , instrumental (London, 2 May 1992) – 5:06
3. "Life Is a Long Song" (Frankfurt, 12 May 1992) – 3:36
4. "Rocks on the Road" (Caesarea, 23 May 1992) – 7:03
5. "Under Wraps" , (Instrumental) (Zurich, 6/7 May 1992) – 2:29
6. "Nursie" (Mannheim, 5 May 1992) – 2:27
7. "Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die" (Ankara, 16 May 1992) – 4:43
8. "One White Duck" (Prague, 10 May 1992) – 3:15
9. "A New Day Yesterday" (Graz, 9 May 1992) – 7:33
10. "John Barleycorn" (Athens, 13/14 May 1992) – 6:34
11. "Look into the Sun" , instrumental (Caesarea, 23 May 1992) – 3:45
12. "A Christmas Song" (Caesarea, 23 May 1992) – 3:45
13. "From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser" (Munich, 7 May 1992) – 3:49
14. "This Is Not Love" (Caesarea, 23 May 1992) – 3:52
15. "Bourée" , instrumental (Berlin, 11 May 1992) – 6:04
16. "Pussy Willow" , instrumental (Dortmund, 4 May 1992) – 3:30
17. "Locomotive Breath" (Jerusalem, 21 May 1992) – 5:50

• Ian Anderson – flute, mandolin, harmonica, acoustic guitar, percussion, vocals
• Martin Barre – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
• Dave Pegg – bass, mandolin
• Dave Mattacks – drums, cymbal, glockenspiel, percussion, keyboard

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 4

Score: 4 

  

Roots to Branches (1995) 

Indian music influenced British folk rock. Professionally done, but rather ordinary.  There's a lack of creativity here. Just a band going through the paces. 

 

Released	4 September 1995 (UK) 12 September 1995 (US)
Recorded	December 1994 until June 1995
Genre	Progressive rock  folk rock
Length	60:00
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	Ian Anderson

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Roots to Branches"	5:11
2.	"Rare and Precious Chain"	3:35
3.	"Out of the Noise"	3:25
4.	"This Free Will"	4:05
5.	"Valley"	6:07
6.	"Dangerous Veils"	5:35
7.	"Beside Myself"	5:50
8.	"Wounded, Old and Treacherous"	7:50
9.	"At Last, Forever"	7:55
10.	"Stuck in the August Rain"	4:06
11.	"Another Harry's Bar"	6:21

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar
• Martin Barre – electric guitar
• Dave Pegg – bass guitar (on tracks 3, 5 & 11)
• Andrew Giddings – keyboards
• Doane Perry – drums, percussion

Wikipedia 

AllMusic: 5

Score: 4

  

J-Tull Dot Com (1999)

The usual stuff. The usual sound. Professionally done, with a general Tull sound, but nothing stands out. As is typical for later Tull albums, I quite like the first song. 

Released	23 August 1999 (UK)
Genre	Rock
Length	54:20
Label	Papillon/Varèse Sarabande
Producer	Ian Anderson

All tracks are written by Ian Anderson, except where noted

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Spiral"		3:50
2.	"Dot Com"		4:25
3.	"AWOL"		5:19
4.	"Nothing @ All" (Instrumental)	Andrew Giddings	0:56
5.	"Wicked Windows"		4:40
6.	"Hunt by Numbers"		4:00
7.	"Hot Mango Flush"	Martin Barre, Anderson	3:49
8.	"El Niño"		4:40
9.	"Black Mamba"		5:00
10.	"Mango Surprise"		1:14
11.	"Bends Like a Willow"		4:53
12.	"Far Alaska"		4:06
13.	"The Dog-Ear Years"		3:34
14.	"A Gift of Roses"		3:54

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, bouzouki
• Martin Barre – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Jonathan Noyce – bass guitar
• Andrew Giddings – piano, keyboards, Hammond organ, accordion
• Doane Perry – drums, percussion

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 4 

Score: 4 

The Very Best Of  (May 2001) 

An attractive compilation, though songs from the post-Seventies albums add nothing, and the album would be better without them.

No.	Title	Original Album	Length
1.	"Living in the Past"	Non-album single, 1969	3:39
2.	"Aqualung" (Anderson, Jennie Anderson)	Aqualung, 1971	6:35
3.	"Sweet Dream"	Non-album single, 1969	4:02
4.	"The Whistler"	Songs from the Wood, 1977	3:28
5.	"Bungle in the Jungle"	War Child, 1974	3:35
6.	"The Witch's Promise"	Non-album single, 1970	3:49
7.	"Locomotive Breath"	Aqualung	4:24
8.	"Steel Monkey"	Crest of a Knave, 1987	3:36
9.	"Thick as a Brick (Edit #1)"	Thick as a Brick, 1972	3:00
10.	"Bourée" (Anderson, Johann Sebastian Bach; instrumental)	Stand Up, 1969	3:44
11.	"Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die" (single edit)	Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!, 1976	3:54
12.	"Life Is a Long Song"	Life Is a Long Song, 1971 (EP)	3:16
13.	"Songs from the Wood"	Songs from the Wood	4:51
14.	"A New Day Yesterday"	Stand Up	4:08
15.	"Heavy Horses" (edit)	Heavy Horses, 1978	3:19
16.	"Broadsword"	The Broadsword and the Beast, 1982	4:59
17.	"Roots to Branches"	Roots to Branches, 1995	5:11
18.	"A Song for Jeffrey"	This Was, 1968	3:17
19.	"Minstrel in the Gallery" (single edit; Anderson, Martin Barre)	Minstrel in the Gallery, 1975	3:49
20.	"Cheerio"	The Broadsword and the Beast	1:10

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 6 

Score: 4 

The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003)

It does what it says on the tin. And Anderson makes a real attempt at making a serious Christmas album. But it comes across as dull, trivial, and somewhat exploitive, lacking in ideas other than copying other Christmas records in what appears to be an attempt to catch a commercial Christmas audience.  However, Dave Sleger of AllMusic found it an exciting and satisfying recording - feeling it was the best Tull album for 25 years, matching the creativity, energy, and spirit of Tull's early 70s classics.  Listen and make up your own mind. 

Released	30 September 2003 (US)
Genre	Folk rock
Length	62:31 126:29 (with Christmas at St Bride's 2008)
Label	Fuel 2000, RandM
Producer	Ian Anderson

1. "Birthday Card at Christmas" (Ian Anderson) – 3:37
2. "Holly Herald" ("The Holly and the Ivy" (Trad.) / "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (F. Mendelssohn); instrumental medley arranged by Anderson) – 4:16
3. "A Christmas Song" (Anderson) – 2:47
4. "Another Christmas Song" (Anderson) – 3:31
5. "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" (Trad. instrumental arranged by Anderson) – 4:35
6. "Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow" (Anderson) – 3:37
7. "Last Man at the Party" (Anderson) – 4:48
8. "Weathercock" (Anderson) – 4:17
9. "Pavane" (Instrumental, Gabriel Fauré, arranged by Anderson) – 4:19
10. "First Snow on Brooklyn" (Anderson) – 4:57
11. "Greensleeved" (Trad. instrumental based on "Greensleeves". Arranged by Anderson) – 2:39
12. "Fire at Midnight" (Anderson) – 2:26
13. "We Five Kings" (Instrumental "We Three Kings", Rev. J. Hopkins, arranged by Anderson) – 3:16
14. "Ring Out Solstice Bells" (Anderson) – 4:04
15. "Bourée" (Instrumental J. S. Bach, arranged by Anderson) – 4:25
16. "A Winter Snowscape" (Instrumental, Martin Barre) – 4:57

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, piccolo, percussion
• Martin Barre – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Jonathan Noyce – bass guitar
• Andrew Giddings – keyboards, accordion
• Doane Perry – drums, percussion

Wikipedia

AllMusic: 8

Score: 3 

The Zealot Gene (2022)

Using the same musicians who recorded for Anderson's solo albums and performances, this is a Jethro Tull album in name only, yet it sold better than Anderson's solo albums, and - presumably because of the interest in the first "new" Tull album for roughly two decades - it was the best selling Tull album since Thick As A Brick. It's listenable in varying proportions. It's all done in a competent manner with the expected Tull sounds - a bit of hard rock, a touch of blues rock, a smidgen of jazz, a healthy dose of folk here and there, some flute trilling. Job done. The songs are sometimes quite acceptable. But there's nothing compelling here, as there's been nothing compelling about Tull since the Seventies. And Anderson's voice and vocal energy is weak. Credit for producing a pleasant and mostly listenable album, but there's nothing here that's really worth getting out of bed for. And it's a plain ugly cover. 

Released	28 January 2022
Recorded	March 2017–July 2021
Studio	Modern World Studios, Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Genre	Heavy folk rock
Length	46:45
Label	InsideOut
Producer	Ian Anderson

All music and lyrics by Ian Anderson.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Mrs. Tibbets"	5:53
2.	"Jacob's Tales"	2:12
3.	"Mine Is the Mountain"	5:40
4.	"The Zealot Gene"	3:54
5.	"Shoshana Sleeping"	3:40
6.	"Sad City Sisters"	3:41
7.	"Barren Beth, Wild Desert John"	3:38
8.	"The Betrayal of Joshua Kynde"	4:05
9.	"Where Did Saturday Go?"	3:52
10.	"Three Loves, Three"	3:29
11.	"In Brief Visitation"	3:01
12.	"The Fisherman of Ephesus"	3:40
Total length:		46:45

• Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, whistle, harmonica
• Florian Opahle – electric guitar
• David Goodier – bass guitar
• John O'Hara – piano, keyboards, accordion, organ
• Scott Hammond – drums

Wikipedia

AllMusic: - 

Score: 4 

  

RökFlöte (2023)

I like the name and the album cover. I like the concept. 

Released	21 April 2023
Genre	Folk rock
Length	44:47
Label	Inside Out Music
Producer	Ian Anderson

All music and lyrics by Ian Anderson.

RökFlöte track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Voluspo"	3:43
2.	"Ginnungagap"	3:49
3.	"Allfather"	2:46
4.	"The Feathered Consort"	3:40
5.	"Hammer on Hammer"	3:09
6.	"Wolf Unchained"	4:58
7.	"The Perfect One"	3:51
8.	"Trickster (And the Mistletoe)"	3:01
9.	"Cornucopia"	3:53
10.	"The Navigators"	4:27
11.	"Guardian's Watch"	3:30
12.	"Ithavoll"	4:00
Total length:		44:47

• Ian Anderson – vocals, concert flutes, alto flutes, flute d'amour, Irish whistle, production, mixing, engineering
• Joe Parrish-James – electric guitars, acoustic guitars, mandolin^[14]
• David Goodier – bass guitar
• John O'Hara – piano, keyboards, Hammond organ
• Scott Hammond – drums

Wikipedia

AllMusic: - 

Score:

TV Clips

* Bourée (French TV, 1969 'La Joconde') 

* Back To The Family - Live in Stockholm 1969
* Song for Jeffery - French TV 1969  
* 1969 Sweet Dream TV TOTP

* Living In The Past 1969 

* Witch's Promise TOTP 1970 

* IOW Festival 1970 6 songs 

Films

* Full Concert - Tanglewood  - 1970

* Jethro Tull: Their Fully Authorised Story 

* Fish 'n Sheep & Rock 'n Roll - documentary 

* The Laird Of Strathaird - documentary 

* Albums That Changed Music - Aqualung 
* BBC Lively Arts Documentary 1979  

Discography 

• 
  
• This Was (1968)
• Stand Up (1969)
• Benefit (1970)
• Aqualung (1971)
• Thick as a Brick (1972)
• A Passion Play (1973)
• War Child (1974)
• Minstrel in the Gallery (1975)
• Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976)
• Songs from the Wood (1977)
• Heavy Horses (1978)
• Stormwatch (1979)
• A (1980)
• The Broadsword and the Beast (1982)
• Under Wraps (1984)
• Crest of a Knave (1987)
• Rock Island (1989)
• Catfish Rising (1991)
• Roots to Branches (1995)
• J-Tull Dot Com (1999)
• The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003)

Best songs 

Aqualung (1971)  ***** ***** * 

Thick As A Brick Side 1 or Edit 1 (1971) ***** ***** 

Locomotive Breath (1971)  ***** ***** *

Songs From The Wood (1977)  ***** *

Cross-Eyed Mary (1971) ***** *

A New Day Yesterday (1969) ***** *

Living In The Past (1969)  ***** ***

Hymn 43 (1971) ****

Too Old To Rock n Roll, Too Young To Die (1976) ***** *

Song For Jeffrey (1968) *****

Heavy Horses (1978) ***** 

Bouree ***

Skating Away (1974) ** 

Sweet Dream (1969) **

Life Is A Long Song (1971) **
Minstrel In The Gallery (1975) *

Bungle In The Jungle (1974) *

Teacher (1972) *

Nothing Is Easy (1969) **

A Christmas Song (1969) 

My God 

Nothing To Say 

Wond'ring Aloud 

We Used To Know 

The Witch's Promise (1970) 

War Child (1974) 
Fat Man 

A Passion Play Edit#8 

* UCR 

* ChaosSpin 

* i95 
* LouderSound 
* Ranker 

* TopTens 

* ReturnOFrock 

* Very Best of (CD) 

* ThisIsDig 

* CRH 

* Essential / MU - The Best of (album) 

Links

* Jethro Tull   
* Nostalgia Central
* Rolling Stone   
* TullPress  
* SetLists 

Summary 

Voice/Musicianship (15%)

Anderson has a distinctive and attractive voice, and he always got decent musicians to play with him. [12]

Image/Star quality (5%)

They were briefly popular, and were close to being stars at and just after the IOW festival. But their shaggy, slightly odd image, and the blurring with prog music has given them a slightly naff image. [2.5]  

Lyrics/Music (20%)

Good music and lyrics. [12]

Impact/Influence (10%)

Not much. [7]

Popularity (5%)

For a while. [2.5]

Emotional appeal (5%)

Hmmm. [2.5] 

Authenticity (15%)

Close. [10]

Art (5%)

Skittering on the edges. [3]

Classic albums/songs (5%)

Yes. Aqualung and Thick. [4]

Originality/Innovation (5%)

They were always of their time rather than ahead. [2] 

Legacy (10%)

Small. They do still have a dedicated following, and their output in the Seventies was solid, and has impressed me looking back at it. I think on the whole they are somewhat under-rated. [5] 

Total: 63/100

Conclusion

As I've been doing this Kitchen Table Music Blog, it's become apparent that most artists have a peak creative period which gets them noticed. Very rarely do artists have a second peak, with exceptions like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. For most artists the peak period will range from one album up to five albums or five years. Very rarely do artists have a peak period which extends beyond five albums or five years, with exceptions like Neil Young. Once past their peak period an artist will either decline, swiftly or slowly, and in general everyone loses interest; or they may turn out professional decent quality stuff that sounds like their peak period, but without the inspiration or spark that made them noticed. Jethro Tull's peak period was from 1969 to 1978, after which they turned out professional decent quality stuff for the rest of their career.  
The heart of Jethro Tull is of course Ian Anderson - main (mostly only) songwriter, lead vocalist, key instrumentalist with the flute, front man, and creative driver and owner. 
There have been various musicians on bass, keyboards, and drums, with some lasting longer than others, but none who can really said to be essential to the band.  Martin Barre the lead guitarist was with Anderson from the second album in 1969 until The Christmas Album in 2003, and announced in 2011 that Jethro Tull was over - that he would have his own band and Anderson would have his own band. When Anderson reformed Tull in 2017, he did not invite Barre. How important Barre was to the direction and sound of Tull is up for debate.  
Tull's most significant album is Aqualung.  The next most important and respected album is Thick As A Brick. 

***

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