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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Oct 6, 2015 15:26:32 GMT
Pre Order AMAZON UK www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0155YD1YC?keywords=jethro%20tull%20too%20old%20to%20rock%20%27n%27%20roll%20too%20young%20to%20die%20box%20set&qid=1444144516&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1From Steven Wilson Facebook Page Steven Wilson Remixes Parlophone Records have announced the next in the series of expanded Jethro Tull 40th anniversary sets for release on 27th November, this time for 1976 album "Too Old To Rock’n’Roll: Too Young to Die". “The TV Special Edition" contains my remixes in stereo and 5.1 surround sound. As with the previous three releases in the series, it consists of 2 CDs and 2 DVDs. CD1 contains a 2015 remix of a version of the album re-recorded for a TV special, and remixes of the 5 album multitrack masters that could be located (alas 5 could not). CD2 consists of a complete flat transfer of the original stereo mix, and 8 bonus tracks, 7 of which are 2015 remixes. Among these are 2 previously unheard songs; Salamander’s Ragtime (completely unrelated to album track Salamander), and Commercial Traveller. A further previously announced out-take Advertising Man was ultimately found to be not sufficiently complete to merit inclusion. DVD1 features the TV special broadcast in full, making it’s commercial debut and with the remixed soundtrack in high res stereo and 5.1 surround sound. The 5 album track remixes are also included in 5.1 surround sound and high resolution stereo. DVD2 features the bonus tracks in high res audio, 4 also in 5.1 surround sound, and flat transfers of the original stereo and quadraphonic mixes. As with all of the Tull deluxe editions, this is a limited run, presented in a case-bound DVD book that includes an 80-page booklet with an extensive history of the album, track-by-track annotations by Ian Anderson, plus rare and unseen photographs. www.nika.si/Rock__Rock__Classic_Rock/Too_Old_to_Rock_N_Roll_Too_Young_To_Die/\Too Old to Rock ‘N’ Roll: Too Young To Die (2015) CD1 RE-RECORDED ALBUM FOR TV SPECIAL: MORGAN STUDIO, MARCH 1976 Prelude Quiz Kid Crazed Institution Salamander Taxi Grab From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser Bad Eyed And Loveless Big Dipper Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! Pied Piper The Chequered Flag (Dead Or Alive) From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser Bad Eyed And Loveless Big Dipper Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! The Chequered Flag (Dead Or Alive) Quiz Kid (Version 1) (Monte Carlo Out-take) CD2 ASSOCIATED RECORDINGS Salamander’s Rag Time Commercial Traveller Salamander (Instrumental) A Small Cigar (Acoustic Version) Strip Cartoon One Brown Mouse (Early Version) A Small Cigar (Orchestrated Version) Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! (Demo) Prelude Quiz Kid Crazed Institution Salamander Taxi Grab From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser Bad Eyed And Loveless Big Dipper Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! Pied Piper The Chequered Flag (Dead Or Alive) DVD1 AUDIO & VIDEO Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! - TV film with DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Digital Stereo Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! - TV audio in 96/24 stereo PCM Five Original LP Tracks with DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM. DVD2 ASSOCIATED RECORDINGS Salamander‘s Rag Time, Commercial (with DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM) Traveller, A Small Cigar (Acoustic Version) (with DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM) Strip Cartoon (with DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM) Quiz Kid (version 1) (in 96/24 stereo PCM) One Brown Mouse (early version) Original Master Mix (in 96/24 stereo PCM) Salamander (Instrumental) (in 96/24 stereo PCM) Strip Cartoon Original Master Mix (in 96/24 stereo PCM) A Small Cigar (orchestrated version) (Original Rough Mix) (in 96/24 stereo PCM) Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! Demo (in 96/24 stereo PCM) A flat transfer of the original 1976 Quad LP Production Master with DTS 4.0 and Dolby Digital AC3 4.0 surround sound. A flat transfer of the original 1976 LP master at 96/24 stereo PCM. To follow its stellar 1975 release Minstrel In the Gallery, Jethro Tull’s ambitious plans included a group album, in addition to a stage musical about an aging rock star. Midway through the process, however, the band decided to abandon the stage musical and use the musical songs as the basis for what would become its ninth studio album, Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! Before the album’s 40th anniversary next spring, Parlophone will release a deluxe edition of TOO OLD TO ROCK ‘N’ ROLL: TOO YOUNG TO DIE! in the fall. This 2CD/2DVD set will be available on November 27. Highlights from the set include: An unreleased, alternate version of the album recorded for a British television special and remixed by Steven Wilson Bonus tracks (18 previously unreleased), all mixed to 5.1 surround and stereo by Steven Wilson Flat transfer of the original LP mix at 96/24 Commercial debut of footage from the television special Presented in a case-bound DVD book that includes an 80-page booklet with an extensive history of the album, track-by-track annotations by Ian Anderson, plus rare and unseen photographs Includes the gatefold cartoon from the original album drawn by renowned comic artist Dave Gibbons TOO OLD TO ROCK ‘N’ ROLL: TOO YOUNG TO DIE! was the band’s first with John Glascock on bass and backing vocals. But it wasn’t just the band dynamic that was changing, the music was evolving too, and this album helped bridge the progressive rock of Tull’s early years with the folk-rock that would shape its musical direction throughout the late Seventies. The first disc features an unreleased, alternate version of the album that the band recorded for a British television special. At the time, union rules forbid bands from lip-syncing the original album on television, which is why Jethro Tull found itself in a studio re-recording the album in March 1976. For this deluxe edition, Steven Wilson re-mixed that alternate version of the album, as well as five songs earmarked for the finished album, including “Big Dipper,” “From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser” and the title track. It should be noted that the album couldn’t be totally remixed because multi-track recordings for several songs are missing. The second CD includes nine rare and unreleased bonus tracks like “Commercial Traveller,” “Salamander Ragtime” and an early version of “One Brown Mouse”, plus a flat transfer of the original album. The first DVD includes the commercial debut of the entire British television special along with several audio mixes of the show: DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, and Dolby Digital Stereo. The audio from the special is also included in 96/24 stereo PCM. The five tracks from the original LP are here as well, in DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM. The second DVD includes some mixes of the associated recordings in DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM. Also featured is a flat transfer of the original LP at 96/24 stereo PCM, in addition to a flat transfer of the original 1976 Quad LP Production Master with DTS 4.0 and Dolby Digital AC3 4.0 surround sound.
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Oct 7, 2015 18:19:26 GMT
OK...not quite the Box Set...but just a little display to get us prepared...LOL  Lps from the USA,Argentina and Spain.....amd a few CD's and a centerfold... |
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Oct 12, 2015 14:36:10 GMT
...A little piece from Classic Rock Magazine: ultimateclassicrock.com/jethro-tull-too-old-to-rock-n-roll-reissue/A new expanded edition of Jethro Tull‘s Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die! will include an alternate version of the 1976 album that was recorded for a British television special. Originally a Top 20 hit in the U.S., Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die! is set to be reissued in two-CD/two-DVD, vinyl and single-disc formats on Nov. 27. Nearly 20 previously unreleased bonus tracks, and the content from that British TV show, were remixed by Steven Wilson. The DVD booklet features 80 pages of history, including the story of the album, track-by-track annotations by Ian Anderson and rare photographs. You can see the complete track listings for the various formats below. Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die!, Tull’s first project with bassist John Glascock, was envisioned as a stage musical about an aging rock star, before Anderson and band decided to abandon those ambitious plans. Instead, the songs were fashioned into the group’s ninth studio album and the follow-up to 1975’s Minstrel in the Gallery, which was also recently reissued with an anniversary remix by Wilson. Jethro Tull’s ‘Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die!’ Reissue Track Listing Disc 1 (Re-recorded album for TV special; all songs previously unreleased) “Prelude” “Quiz Kid” “Crazed Institution” “Salamander” “Taxi Grab” “From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser” “Bad Eyed and Loveless” “Big Dipper” “Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die!” “Pied Piper” “The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)” (Five original LP tracks) “Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die!” “The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)” “Big Dipper” “From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser” “Bad Eyed and Loveless” (Monte Carlo Out-Take; previously unreleased) “Quiz Kid” (Version 1) Disc 2 “Salamander’s Rag Time” “Commercial Traveller” “Salamander” (Instrumental) “Small Cigar” “Strip Cartoon” “One Brown Mouse” – Early Version (Original Master Mix) “Strip Cartoon” – (Original Master Mix) “A Small Cigar – Orchestral Version (Original Rough Mix) “Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die!” – Demo (Paris -July 1975) (Original album flat transfer) “Prelude” “Quiz Kid” “Crazed Institution” “Salamander” “Taxi Grab” “From a Dead Beat to an Old Greaser” “Bad Eyed and Loveless” “Big Dipper” “Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die!” “Pied Piper” “The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)” DVD Disc 1 TV Special Footage in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, and Dolby Digital Stereo TV Special (audio only) in 96/24 stereo PCM Five Original LP Tracks in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM DVD Disc 2 (In DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM) “Salamander’s Rag Time” “Commercial Traveller” “Small Cigar” (Acoustic) “Strip Cartoon” (In 96/24 stereo PCM) “Quiz Kid” (Version 1) “One Brown Mouse” – Early Version (Original Master Mix) “Salamander” (Instrumental) “Strip Cartoon” – (Original Master Mix) “A Small Cigar – Orchestral Version (Original Rough Mix) “Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die!” – Demo (Paris -July 1975) Flat transfer of the original LP at 96/24 PCM Flat transfer of the original 1976 Quad LP Production Master with DTS 4.0 and Dolby Digital AC3 4.0 surround sound Read More: Jethro Tull's 'Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!' to Get Expanded Reissue | ultimateclassicrock.com/jethro-tull-too-old-to-rock-n-roll-reissue/?trackback=tsmclip |
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Oct 12, 2015 19:50:24 GMT
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Post by tootull on Nov 11, 2015 21:38:30 GMT
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Post by Quizz Kid on Nov 11, 2015 23:45:25 GMT
I know this album get's a bit of a bum's rush amongst fans when it comes to the Tull back catalogue but I've always had a place for it in my heart.
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Post by Quizz Kid on Nov 12, 2015 10:18:25 GMT
Here's another video with a taster of a few of the tracks we can expect to enjoy on the new release.
Thanks to Tulltapes for his help!
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Nov 12, 2015 12:28:10 GMT
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Nov 12, 2015 12:29:16 GMT
Pat thats a great video teaser for the upcoming box
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Post by Quizz Kid on Nov 17, 2015 13:10:51 GMT
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Post by bambooflute on Nov 17, 2015 13:45:50 GMT
It's amazing to me that there are still unreleased songs in the archive. Not that I'm complaining, mind you...  -David |
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Nov 28, 2015 20:44:15 GMT
 well it seems that a few members of this board have once again been thanked for their contributions...a shout out to Pat, Erin, Charlie founders of the group and our friend John "TooTull" Norman Also our friend Carsten Bergman, who helped but for some reason was not credited |
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Post by tootull on Nov 29, 2015 13:43:27 GMT
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Post by Quizz Kid on Nov 30, 2015 15:03:11 GMT
And, merely seperated by a comma or two. It's a pity that for some, life's punctuation marks are so much less forgiving, but it's a little better than a full stop I suppose.  I'll raise a cup to any future releases now, as some liner notes once read...things change, so I'll get that in early. |
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Post by tootull on Nov 30, 2015 19:01:22 GMT
Yes,
, could be a wink,
, ,
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Nov 30, 2015 19:04:37 GMT
...and a nod...
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Nov 30, 2015 19:09:56 GMT
I think me's got a defective DVD ...  Plays this way in my TV as well.... |
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Post by tootull on Nov 30, 2015 19:10:45 GMT
Definitely a wink to a blind horse. That doesn't matter because the 96/24 5.1 audio only Too Old TV special is the best sounding part. No clear vision required. , , Talking about Rod Stewart , , Right,  |
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Nov 30, 2015 20:07:15 GMT
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Nov 30, 2015 20:07:30 GMT
Definitely a wink to a blind horse. That doesn't matter because the 96/24 5.1 audio only Too Old TV special is the best sounding part. No clear vision required. , , Talking about Rod Stewart , , Right, ... I Agree !!!! |
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Post by Quizz Kid on Dec 1, 2015 0:32:40 GMT
It's fortuitous that no clear vision is required, I'm blind in one Luckily though I see more with one than many see with two |
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Dec 1, 2015 14:08:02 GMT
It's fortuitous that no clear vision is required, I'm blind in one Luckily though I see more with one than many see with two Me two... |
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Post by tootull on Dec 1, 2015 20:11:24 GMT
(as expected) Me three.  |
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Post by tootull on Dec 1, 2015 20:16:50 GMT
 It's your responsibility to tell us if they all sound the same. Nice stash!
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Dec 2, 2015 11:55:48 GMT
(as expected) Me three. I guess the three of us should start the seeing eye club for men, but you did not see that here |
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Dec 2, 2015 11:56:35 GMT
It's your responsibility to tell us if they all sound the same. Nice stash! Actually the Box set is better....LOL more "stuff" to listen too |
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Post by tootull on Dec 10, 2015 15:34:52 GMT
www.yorktonthisweek.com/opinion/columnists/music-reviews-re-release-from-iconic-jethro-tull-1.2129596Jethro Tull - Too Old Too Rock and Roll; Too Young To Die (TV Special 2015 Reissue) Although this is not new material from the iconic band Jethro Tull, this new re-issue includes previously unreleased material, so it can best be described as “Kinda New”. This concept album was initially intended to be produced for a British television special in 1976, and then a musical. Unfortunately the musical never materialized, but the result was another Tull classic. So all in all not a bad consolation prize. Jethro Tull, as a band, had the rare skill of brilliantly infusing rock, classical and folk music into a cohesive sound. The result is the distinctive din that is easily recognizable as Jethro Tull. Jethro Tull has had many incarnations in personnel over the past 40 plus years, but for two main members that were there from the beginning. Ian Anderson, whose familiar flute playing and singing style like no other, is also the leader of the band for sure. He is also the main lyricist and is in fine form here. Penning some of the most clever and cerebral tunes of his repertoire. Martin Barre provides the virtuoso guitar playing and has influenced Tull’s sound over the years. Providing the ever-recognizable driving riffs over the years, Barre has definitely become a guitar player’s guitar player. Barre is in top form on this album. On “Quiz Kid”, his guitar riff in concert with Anderson’s flute playing is the epitome of the Jethro Tull brand. Tull seamlessly travels from hard rock to folk throughout and I really appreciate the quieter moments on the disc. “Salamander” with its acoustic nature satisfies this 1970’s hippy wannabe’s hunger. The bonus material included on this special edition is a real hoot. Too many to mention in this review but trust me, there is a lot of cool content to discover. So dust off your musical sextant and navigate through the Tull universe. There are many interesting versions of the classic tunes on the original disc. One of the best is the demo offering of the commercially successful title track. You know it, I know you sing along to the chorus when on your radio, don’t lie. This album is the latest re-issue of the many Tull albums that have been rebooted over the past few years. I also highly recommend you checking out the recent 40th anniversary editions of “Thick As A Brick” and “Aqualung”. The remixes of these two masterpieces should not be missed. So, if you are, were, or never have been a fan of Jethro Tull. I recommend that you buy “Too Old To Rock And Roll”, or any of the latest re-issues. Jethro Tull may be considered an acquired taste, but like a good scotch, they get better with age.
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Post by galeans on Dec 11, 2015 12:23:05 GMT
Thanks for approving me! I thought I was already a member of this forum, but it turns out I was not! This is my review of the box as posted on the Steve Hoffman forums. "After a couple of days of close to non-stop listening (with only a pause to play Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas") to the boxset and non-stop reading to its 80-page booklet, I finally feel ready to post my review. I'd like to start by stating my overall opinion of the album. I always thought it was a nice breather between the introspective "Minstrel in the Gallery" and the tour-de force "Songs from the Wood". It is obviously a transition album and one that should not be picked as a representative for the classic era of Jethro Tull and I can understand why it was perceived by some as a bit of a letdown when it came out. However, I wonder why time hasn't softened up much that opinion, now that we are able to place it in context. Personally, I think it's a very clever album, with good songs, a very good variety of musical tones and great orchestral arrangements by David Palmer. I really dig rockers like "Quizz Kid", "Big Dipper" and "Taxi Grab", "Pied Piper" is a nice sneak peek of what we will find in the next years and "The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)" never fails to send shivers up my spine. Just like other fellow posters, I didn't care much for "From A Dead Beat to an Old Greaser" at first, but it became a favorite, lately. I rate this album as a 7.5/10. On to the box now. The re-recorded version, as mentioned previously, sounds a bit rougher than the regular version, but it's stil actually quite polished (hard to imagine that this stuff was recorded just in two separate sessions!) and the relative roughness actually works in favour of certain songs, mostly the rockers. I feel that this take of "Pied Piper" is superior to the one on the album and these versions of "Taxi Grab" and "Quizz Kid" are also quite neat. The more elaborate and delicate sounding songs ("Salamander") are the ones which I prefer in their official version. A very worth alternative: I won't say it's better than the one we have known for all of these years, but it's as much as enjoyable. The five tracks from the original album that could be remixed from the surviving multitracks follow the same pattern used by Wilson in the other remixes. He is generally pretty faithful to the original mixes, concentrating on enhancing the clarity more than changing the sound image. Since half of the album is missing and the original mix is included in this edition, one might have wished that he took a more creative approach in this case but, admittedly, those particular tracks never sounded better than this before. The outtakes and the associated recordings were, as usual, very interesting and the part that I was more excited to hear. Once again, the two tracks that were previously released are presented in crystal clear versions: it's especially a blast to finally hear a dry sounding version of the acoustic take of "A Small Cigar" without those dreadful 90s artifacts that were present on "Nightcap". I find Version 1 of "Quiz Kid" amusing to hear because it contains quite a lot of superfluous things in the arrangement: a short haircut and voilà, a great rocker is born. Early drafts of "Salamander" and "Too Old To Rock'n'Roll; Too Young To Die" are included and are very nice, but the major discovery is the complete orchestrated take of "A Small Cigar"; it was previously a song that I didn't consider more than nice filler, but this arrangement elevates it to a quasi-masterpiece status: the final minute of the song had actually me in tears the first time I heard it! The selections include two previously unreleased compositions as well. "Salamander's Rag Time" is quite a strange tune; while I really like the vocals and the orchestration, especially the French Horn at the end, I feel that the song itself is a bit lackluster and the very definition of outtake... Still glad I got to hear it and judge it after 40 years of being locked in a vault! "Commercial Traveller" is a bouncy, well written, great tune with, once again, great vocals and thunderous drumming by Barriemore Barlow; the track is possibly slightly penalized by an orchestral arrangement that becomes a bit overbearing in the chorus. A very good song, nevertheless, and one that was inexplicably missing from the previous outtake releases. There is also a nice early version of "One Brown Mouse" (actually recorded in sessions that came after the release of the album), even though the one that would appear two years later on "Heavy Horses" is better. Nothing much to say regarding the flat transfer of the original album: it sounds much better than any CD and vinyl version I've heard so far. I can't judge some of the contents of the DVDs because I do not own a surround system. All I can say is that the video version of the TV special looks (and sounds) much better than the copy I used to have and that a 2-channel reduction listening of the previously unreleased Quad Mix of the album revealed quite a different mix, even though I can't be more specific at the moment. The TV special itself is exactly as described by Anderson and Barlow in the booklet: terribly silly. But it's silly in an enjoyable way and, actually, one of the many reasons for which Jethro Tull is one of my favorite bands is that they are successfully able to take the piss out of themselves, in spite of being sometimes accused of self-indulgence. Speaking of the booklet, Martin Webb's essay is, once again, a great read with lots of informations and some funny comments by the man himself. Anderson's track by track comments are, again, very insightful even because most of the songs included in this box are obscure and, hence, rarely discussed. Dave Gibbons' story of how he got to draw the iconic artwork for the LP is very interesting as is John Glascock's minibiography at the end: a great bass player that shouldn't be forgotten. Since I'm not interested in motorbikes, I didn't care much about Ian's essay about the ones he owned, but the story about Captain Beefheart's Rockette Morton (aka Mark Boston) and the conclusion had me chuckling. Verdict: another great addition to this ongoing serie and one that looks great on my shelf as well. Worth for every Tull fan and, maybe, especially to those who are intrigued by their music and are getting into their discography. As I've already mentioned plenty of times: these releases are definitely my Jethro Tull dream becoming true and I hereby thank those involved in the process: you really deserve my money!" Link to the original review: forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/jethro-tull-too-old-to-rock-and-roll-too-young-to-die-deluxe-2016.434431/page-20#post-13453689 |
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Post by tootull on Dec 11, 2015 14:05:19 GMT
Thanks for approving me! I thought I was already a member of this forum, but it turns out I was not! This is my review of the box as posted on the Steve Hoffman forums. "After a couple of days of close to non-stop listening (with only a pause to play Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas") to the boxset and non-stop reading to its 80-page booklet, I finally feel ready to post my review. I'd like to start by stating my overall opinion of the album. I always thought it was a nice breather between the introspective "Minstrel in the Gallery" and the tour-de force "Songs from the Wood". It is obviously a transition album and one that should not be picked as a representative for the classic era of Jethro Tull and I can understand why it was perceived by some as a bit of a letdown when it came out. However, I wonder why time hasn't softened up much that opinion, now that we are able to place it in context. Personally, I think it's a very clever album, with good songs, a very good variety of musical tones and great orchestral arrangements by David Palmer. I really dig rockers like "Quizz Kid", "Big Dipper" and "Taxi Grab", "Pied Piper" is a nice sneak peek of what we will find in the next years and "The Chequered Flag (Dead or Alive)" never fails to send shivers up my spine. Just like other fellow posters, I didn't care much for "From A Dead Beat to an Old Greaser" at first, but it became a favorite, lately. I rate this album as a 7.5/10. On to the box now. The re-recorded version, as mentioned previously, sounds a bit rougher than the regular version, but it's stil actually quite polished (hard to imagine that this stuff was recorded just in two separate sessions!) and the relative roughness actually works in favour of certain songs, mostly the rockers. I feel that this take of "Pied Piper" is superior to the one on the album and these versions of "Taxi Grab" and "Quizz Kid" are also quite neat. The more elaborate and delicate sounding songs ("Salamander") are the ones which I prefer in their official version. A very worth alternative: I won't say it's better than the one we have known for all of these years, but it's as much as enjoyable. The five tracks from the original album that could be remixed from the surviving multitracks follow the same pattern used by Wilson in the other remixes. He is generally pretty faithful to the original mixes, concentrating on enhancing the clarity more than changing the sound image. Since half of the album is missing and the original mix is included in this edition, one might have wished that he took a more creative approach in this case but, admittedly, those particular tracks never sounded better than this before. The outtakes and the associated recordings were, as usual, very interesting and the part that I was more excited to hear. Once again, the two tracks that were previously released are presented in crystal clear versions: it's especially a blast to finally hear a dry sounding version of the acoustic take of "A Small Cigar" without those dreadful 90s artifacts that were present on "Nightcap". I find Version 1 of "Quiz Kid" amusing to hear because it contains quite a lot of superfluous things in the arrangement: a short haircut and voilà, a great rocker is born. Early drafts of "Salamander" and "Too Old To Rock'n'Roll; Too Young To Die" are included and are very nice, but the major discovery is the complete orchestrated take of "A Small Cigar"; it was previously a song that I didn't consider more than nice filler, but this arrangement elevates it to a quasi-masterpiece status: the final minute of the song had actually me in tears the first time I heard it! The selections include two previously unreleased compositions as well. "Salamander's Rag Time" is quite a strange tune; while I really like the vocals and the orchestration, especially the French Horn at the end, I feel that the song itself is a bit lackluster and the very definition of outtake... Still glad I got to hear it and judge it after 40 years of being locked in a vault! "Commercial Traveller" is a bouncy, well written, great tune with, once again, great vocals and thunderous drumming by Barriemore Barlow; the track is possibly slightly penalized by an orchestral arrangement that becomes a bit overbearing in the chorus. A very good song, nevertheless, and one that was inexplicably missing from the previous outtake releases. There is also a nice early version of "One Brown Mouse" (actually recorded in sessions that came after the release of the album), even though the one that would appear two years later on "Heavy Horses" is better. Nothing much to say regarding the flat transfer of the original album: it sounds much better than any CD and vinyl version I've heard so far. I can't judge some of the contents of the DVDs because I do not own a surround system. All I can say is that the video version of the TV special looks (and sounds) much better than the copy I used to have and that a 2-channel reduction listening of the previously unreleased Quad Mix of the album revealed quite a different mix, even though I can't be more specific at the moment. The TV special itself is exactly as described by Anderson and Barlow in the booklet: terribly silly. But it's silly in an enjoyable way and, actually, one of the many reasons for which Jethro Tull is one of my favorite bands is that they are successfully able to take the piss out of themselves, in spite of being sometimes accused of self-indulgence. Speaking of the booklet, Martin Webb's essay is, once again, a great read with lots of informations and some funny comments by the man himself. Anderson's track by track comments are, again, very insightful even because most of the songs included in this box are obscure and, hence, rarely discussed. Dave Gibbons' story of how he got to draw the iconic artwork for the LP is very interesting as is John Glascock's minibiography at the end: a great bass player that shouldn't be forgotten. Since I'm not interested in motorbikes, I didn't care much about Ian's essay about the ones he owned, but the story about Captain Beefheart's Rockette Morton (aka Mark Boston) and the conclusion had me chuckling. Verdict: another great addition to this ongoing serie and one that looks great on my shelf as well. Worth for every Tull fan and, maybe, especially to those who are intrigued by their music and are getting into their discography. As I've already mentioned plenty of times: these releases are definitely my Jethro Tull dream becoming true and I hereby thank those involved in the process: you really deserve my money!" Link to the original review: forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/jethro-tull-too-old-to-rock-and-roll-too-young-to-die-deluxe-2016.434431/page-20#post-13453689I thought you were here too. Cool review. Always good to read your posts. Friday cheers! |
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Post by tootull on Dec 12, 2015 14:00:42 GMT
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It's your responsibility to tell us if they all sound the same. Nice stash! 
