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Post by tootull on Jul 16, 2017 20:57:58 GMT
Tootull We are, we tried to share the love, but got shown the door. Some things are better left unsaid, and some situations are simply better left. Look out, little furry folk! He's the all-night working cat Eats but one in every ten leaves the others on the mat
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Post by tootull on May 8, 2017 20:57:40 GMT
Congrats once again on winning the name game. I'm glad to join the chorus if I can. It'll make of me an honest man. I owe you a scan from way earlier; another time. Cheers all!
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Post by tootull on Feb 22, 2017 15:15:52 GMT
Hi Tootull, Hope you're keeping well and busy. It's always difficult keeping secrets, but we try, don't want to spoil anyone's fun. Yep. we're looking forward to the SftW set, it should be of interest to those who crave something more than just a badly copied rendition of sight and sound in mock HD on someone's YouTube channel. The WOR stuff is interesting to say the least, and its reasonably good quality, no doubt it'll get bootlegged as soon as we let it see the light of day, you try to do something free for the fans and someone always wants to make a quick buck out of it. And, there'll be more stuff to follow, something quite nice is being worked on as we speak. We thought about padding the forum out, but decided against it, other than places like the Hoffmann forums, they're all pretty much dead in the water now, with the admins and moderators clinging on for dear life talking with one another about 'padding' [sort of incontinence pads for verbal waste]. We still drop by here, keep an eye on things, make sure the tumbleweeds don't drift over from other forums, dust it down now and then and redirect people to our party house. Plus, we've got some new media stuff opening soon, and all our attention is focussed on that and our page over at Facebook. Drop by, we've just passed 5000 members over there and we'd really love you to be part of the active gang of posters and contributors. We don't let anyone in, we run a tight ship, no bullshit stuff and we avoid the padding and filler posters, bu we've sort of got a collective DNA thing going on between us on the SW sets so you'd always be welcomed with open arms and minds! Well said. Thank you. Carry on Tulling. All good here!
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Post by tootull on Feb 17, 2017 16:45:07 GMT
pad out your forum. I know you can be kinder than this.
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Post by tootull on Feb 17, 2017 16:41:54 GMT
While we can't talk details about any possible bonus material for the "Songs From The Wood Anniversary Edition" we did stumble upon something else pretty interesting. This coming Feb 8th will be 40 years since Channel 9 WOR in New York aired the documentary "Minstrels in the Gallery" featuring some nice segments of Tull live, recorded throughout New York on the "Songs From The Wood" tour. A badly washed out copy has been traded by fans for decades and the quality leaves much to be desired. I had long searched and inquired to various people on the whereabouts of the raw films assuming a full show may have been sitting around somewhere?
Several months ago I a got a break. A former WOR producer contacted me and was kindly able to fill me in on some details of the filming. They shot at 3 separate concerts using 3/4" tape (dubbed down to 2") but were only able to shoot one entire concert which they used as the master shot. This was from THE BROOME COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL ARENA in BINGHAMTON, NY on Dec 3, 1977.(a show my family and many friends were at). Being able to only shoot one full concert and wanting to use different angles, they picked certain songs and shot one at each venue. All the cutaways were from The Nassau Coliseum,and Madison Square Garden shows. Of course Tull's choreography was so exact that you couldn't tell in the edited version that it all wasn't shot in the same place at the same time.
Q: So where's the raw tapes? Including the entire Binghampton show, full songs from Madison Square Garden, and Nassau Coliseum shows, soundchecks, interviews, parking lot footage etc?
A: Channel 9 went through 3 or 4 owners and a move from Midtown Manhattan to Secaucus, New Jersey and all the 2" videotape ended up in a dumpster.
Q: How about A soundboard or multitrack audio recording?
A: They were originally going to let us plug into their board but then someone decided that they didn't want us to bootleg an album so we had to set up a few mics in front of speakers.
He did manage to salvage and pass along to us his own 40yr old VHS master copy of the 30min show. He believes this is "all that exists" and has entrusted it to us at the Jethro Tull group for possible usage. We will hopefully be able to make this available to the Tull fans here soon. We are working on it. The bootleggers make it very difficult. In the meantime something else might come along before too long?
Thanks for this. It has been tough keeping secrets this time - too tough. Cheers to good health & 5.1 studio glory. ADD: They have mentioned you at Steve Hoffman Forums regarding this - all good.
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Post by tootull on Dec 23, 2015 14:07:40 GMT
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Post by tootull on Dec 16, 2015 13:53:57 GMT
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Post by tootull on Dec 16, 2015 13:53:01 GMT
Best Reissue Albums of 2015 Jethro Tull: “Minstrel in the Gallery: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition” (Chrysalis) – Another entry in the terrific Jethro Tull reissue program, this 2 CD/2 DVD edition of “Minstrel in the Gallery” adds a 1975 concert from Paris and several studio outtakes and BBC performances, making what was already one of Jethro Tull’s strongest efforts even better. –Rating: 4 stars www.myrtlebeachonline.com/entertainment/weekly-surge/article49658110.html
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Post by tootull on Dec 15, 2015 15:48:27 GMT
Well! Amazing what a Steven Wilson remix can do... As a fan of JT for 36 years, I had always placed "Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die" at the bottom of my list of Tull albums. There were a couple of songs that I liked ("Crazed Institution," "Salamander"), but overall it was not for me. Until now! The remixes on this new boxed set... Wow! Perhaps it was a poor mix that sabotaged this collection all those years ago, but I am finding myself really enjoying the remixes done by Mister Wilson. The songs, instruments, and (most dramatically) the VOCALS have a vitality that I never experienced in these songs before. It's a wonderful surprise, and a new lease on life for this album (Still don't like "Bad Eyed and Loveless," though!). It makes me wonder what a remix of "Homo Erraticus" would do for me... -David Hey now! "Homo Erraticus" 5.1 by Jakko Jakszyk is not too shabby. I can't stand the stereo mix after listening in 5.1. www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?19015-Ian-Anderson-Homo-Erraticus-%28DTS-DVD%29&highlight=Homo+Erraticus
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Post by tootull on Dec 12, 2015 14:00:42 GMT
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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 10, 2015 22:29:35 GMT
What The Fix? There's a story behind every signature. ? HINT, HINT. It's genuine, I got a email fram a very nice lady telling me I'd won it! Total coincidence, Honest Guv'! Coincidence, that's the ticket. Too cool be coincidence. Really, that's great.
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Post by tootull on Dec 10, 2015 17:10:06 GMT
Lucky old me :-) WTF What The Fix? There's a story behind every signature. ? HINT, HINT.
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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 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 tootull on Dec 1, 2015 20:11:24 GMT
(as expected) Me three.
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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 tootull on Nov 30, 2015 19:01:22 GMT
Yes,
, could be a wink,
, ,
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Post by tootull on Nov 29, 2015 13:43:27 GMT
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Post by tootull on Nov 24, 2015 14:23:31 GMT
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Post by tootull on Nov 24, 2015 14:21:52 GMT
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Post by tootull on Nov 20, 2015 18:26:29 GMT
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Post by tootull on Nov 20, 2015 17:40:58 GMT
THANKS - I'll continue to bring peace to Tull-land whenever I can. >>>and that's just a preview...lol (here's hoping) I agree Peace in the Tull world... , and goodwill to us all. So I think I'll go back to the family Your fingers may freeze, worse things happen at sea, there's good times to be had.
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Post by tootull on Nov 20, 2015 14:52:57 GMT
www.browardpalmbeach.com/music/martin-barre-recorded-an-entire-album-and-rejected-it-because-the-benchmark-was-jethro-tull-7398791Martin Barre Recorded an Entire Album and Rejected It Because the Benchmark Was Jethro Tull By Lee Zimmerman - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 Martin Barre knows what it's like to reach the stratosphere of superstardom. He's toured the world, played the biggest arenas and, for more than four decades, recorded dozens of classic albums, all as chief guitarist for Jethro Tull. So it's no small turnaround to find him scaling back in the role of a solo troubadour, narrowing his expectations and playing intimate venues under his own auspices. Although he's had his own band for three years and, by his count, plays an average of 100 gigs a year, Barre's current jaunt marks his first series of solo gigs in the United States. "It's very difficult to get over there," Barre says, explaining the delay via phone from his home in the United Kingdom. "I'm an unknown quantity. But through word of mouth and through YouTube, I hope and I guess I have a good reputation." It sounds strange to hear Barre undercut his credence, given the fact that his guitar riffs, like that on the Tull showstopper "Locomotive Breath," make for some of the most indelible encounters in all of rock 'n' roll. Barre concurs but quickly points out that even though he reinterprets several Tull tunes in his solo shows, there's a big difference between his individual efforts and what he did in his former day job. "In real terms, I'm very happy with my solo career." "Let's just say far fewer people want to see Mick Jagger than want to see the Rolling Stones," he points out. "It's the same thing here. Everyone wants to see Jethro Tull, but when it's not Jethro Tull, promoters become nervous about what they're going to get. However, when people see us play, it breaks the ice. I'm not in my normal environment, but I hope people will trust me." So can audiences expect to hear that classic riff? Barre demurs. "I don't do it because I think it's the easy way out," he insists. "I don't want to be predictable. I do a lot of cool stuff that I think works really well, a lot of my own stuff, as well as blues standards we've worked up on our own. The Tull stuff I play hasn't been played in a long time — 'Minstrel in the Gallery,' 'To Cry You a Song,' 'Song for Jeffrey,' and 'Fat Man.' I've sort of reinvented them and given them a fresh spin." Still, he concedes that the high bar set by Jethro Tull adds increased pressure. "There certainly was a lot of that in the '90s when I first started recording solo albums," he says. "I recorded an entire album and rejected it because the benchmark was Jethro Tull, and it didn't reach that plateau. Now, after six or seven albums, I'm more comfortable. The music I'm doing now doesn't compare to Jethro Tull or what Ian [Anderson] is doing, so I don't feel that pressure now. I'm enjoying myself so much, the danger is that I might get a bit self-indulgent." That's the opposite of how he felt about being in Jethro Tull, particularly in its final few years. "In the beginning, we were unpredictable. We could go from rock to folk to that kind of showy extravagance. But in the end, it got safe and repetitive. It was a good time to stop, although it wasn't of my making... Everyone who played in Jethro Tull came in with so much enthusiasm and energy, but if you're restrained from using that energy and giving it to the band — if you're on a very tight leash — it doesn't work. I want my musicians to have total freedom. It's important that it works on an equal basis." Of course, the obvious question is, with Barre venturing out on his own and Ian Anderson doing his own reimagining of the band's music, what's the future for Tull? Or is there any at this point? "It's a safety net to say you never know, but in real terms, I'm very happy with my solo career," he responds. "I'm not looking at money at all. I'd like to play Madison Square Garden and sell it out, but you have to take that out of the equation. I'm talking about the emotion and the music, and I'm in a really good place... My goal is that people will like it, and that will be my reward." Still, doesn't he miss the money, the fame, the headlining gigs, the cache of being a superstar? "I think looking back can be negative. I don't have time for that," Barre asserts. "So I'm looking forward. I don't go up to people and say, 'Hey, you. Know who I am? You know what I've done?' I'd rather say to people, 'This is what I'm doing now!' I've wiped the slate clean." The Martin Barre Band 8 p.m. Saturday, November 21 and 7 p.m. Sunday, November 22, at Arts Garage, 94 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach. Tickets cost $45 plus fees. Call 561-450-6357, or visit artsgarage.org. CONGRATS on POST 100 THANKS - I'll continue to bring peace to Tull-land whenever I can. >>>and that's just a preview...lol (here's hoping)
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Post by tootull on Nov 18, 2015 15:54:36 GMT
www.browardpalmbeach.com/music/martin-barre-recorded-an-entire-album-and-rejected-it-because-the-benchmark-was-jethro-tull-7398791Martin Barre Recorded an Entire Album and Rejected It Because the Benchmark Was Jethro Tull By Lee Zimmerman - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 Martin Barre knows what it's like to reach the stratosphere of superstardom. He's toured the world, played the biggest arenas and, for more than four decades, recorded dozens of classic albums, all as chief guitarist for Jethro Tull. So it's no small turnaround to find him scaling back in the role of a solo troubadour, narrowing his expectations and playing intimate venues under his own auspices. Although he's had his own band for three years and, by his count, plays an average of 100 gigs a year, Barre's current jaunt marks his first series of solo gigs in the United States. "It's very difficult to get over there," Barre says, explaining the delay via phone from his home in the United Kingdom. "I'm an unknown quantity. But through word of mouth and through YouTube, I hope and I guess I have a good reputation." It sounds strange to hear Barre undercut his credence, given the fact that his guitar riffs, like that on the Tull showstopper "Locomotive Breath," make for some of the most indelible encounters in all of rock 'n' roll. Barre concurs but quickly points out that even though he reinterprets several Tull tunes in his solo shows, there's a big difference between his individual efforts and what he did in his former day job. "In real terms, I'm very happy with my solo career." "Let's just say far fewer people want to see Mick Jagger than want to see the Rolling Stones," he points out. "It's the same thing here. Everyone wants to see Jethro Tull, but when it's not Jethro Tull, promoters become nervous about what they're going to get. However, when people see us play, it breaks the ice. I'm not in my normal environment, but I hope people will trust me." So can audiences expect to hear that classic riff? Barre demurs. "I don't do it because I think it's the easy way out," he insists. "I don't want to be predictable. I do a lot of cool stuff that I think works really well, a lot of my own stuff, as well as blues standards we've worked up on our own. The Tull stuff I play hasn't been played in a long time — 'Minstrel in the Gallery,' 'To Cry You a Song,' 'Song for Jeffrey,' and 'Fat Man.' I've sort of reinvented them and given them a fresh spin." Still, he concedes that the high bar set by Jethro Tull adds increased pressure. "There certainly was a lot of that in the '90s when I first started recording solo albums," he says. "I recorded an entire album and rejected it because the benchmark was Jethro Tull, and it didn't reach that plateau. Now, after six or seven albums, I'm more comfortable. The music I'm doing now doesn't compare to Jethro Tull or what Ian [Anderson] is doing, so I don't feel that pressure now. I'm enjoying myself so much, the danger is that I might get a bit self-indulgent." That's the opposite of how he felt about being in Jethro Tull, particularly in its final few years. "In the beginning, we were unpredictable. We could go from rock to folk to that kind of showy extravagance. But in the end, it got safe and repetitive. It was a good time to stop, although it wasn't of my making... Everyone who played in Jethro Tull came in with so much enthusiasm and energy, but if you're restrained from using that energy and giving it to the band — if you're on a very tight leash — it doesn't work. I want my musicians to have total freedom. It's important that it works on an equal basis." Of course, the obvious question is, with Barre venturing out on his own and Ian Anderson doing his own reimagining of the band's music, what's the future for Tull? Or is there any at this point? "It's a safety net to say you never know, but in real terms, I'm very happy with my solo career," he responds. "I'm not looking at money at all. I'd like to play Madison Square Garden and sell it out, but you have to take that out of the equation. I'm talking about the emotion and the music, and I'm in a really good place... My goal is that people will like it, and that will be my reward." Still, doesn't he miss the money, the fame, the headlining gigs, the cache of being a superstar? "I think looking back can be negative. I don't have time for that," Barre asserts. "So I'm looking forward. I don't go up to people and say, 'Hey, you. Know who I am? You know what I've done?' I'd rather say to people, 'This is what I'm doing now!' I've wiped the slate clean." The Martin Barre Band 8 p.m. Saturday, November 21 and 7 p.m. Sunday, November 22, at Arts Garage, 94 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach. Tickets cost $45 plus fees. Call 561-450-6357, or visit artsgarage.org.
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Post by tootull on Nov 17, 2015 14:19:06 GMT
The 25 Best Classic Progressive Rock Albums www.popmatters.com/column/the-25-best-classic-progressive-rock-albums/P0/ by Sean Murphy - 17 November 2015 5. Jethro Tull—Thick As a Brick Jethro Tull was on top of the world (and the charts) in 1972 when Thick As a Brick became the first pop album comprised of one continuous song to reach a widespread audience. The concept may have been audacious, but the music is beyond belief: this is among the handful of holy grails for prog-rock fanatics, no questions asked. If Aqualung doubled down on the “concept album” concept, Thick As a Brick functioned as a New Testament of sorts, signifying what was now possible in rock music. Even with the side-long songs that became almost obligatory during this era, nobody else had the wherewithal to dedicate a full 45 minutes to the development and execution of one uninterrupted song (and Tull did it twice). Anderson had already proven he could write a hit and create controversial work that got radio play; now he was putting his flute in the ground and throwing his cod-piece in the ring. 10. Jethro Tull—Aqualung One thing that plagues even some of the better progressive rock music is how utterly of its time it can sound. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!) Like most of the bands already discussed, few people would have difficulty tying the majority of these albums to their era. Jethro Tull, particularly on Aqualung, nevertheless manages to present a song cycle—meshing Ian Anderson’s acoustic strumming with Martin Barre’s abrasive electric guitar chords—that manages to sound not only fresh, but vital, even today. Understanding that the tunes are essentially asking “What Would Jesus Do?” in the context of a mechanized and materialistic society (circa 1971; circa 2015), Aqualung is prog-rocks J’accuse. Anderson makes a case for the better angels of the ‘60s ethos, with nary a flower, freak-out or paean to free love. The ugliness of the way we tend to treat one another is, at times, reflected in the brutality of the music, and drives the relentless soundtrack to a state of affairs that arguably worsened as the “Me-Decade” got its malaise on. 17. Jethro Tull—A Passion Play It was a shame, then, and remains regrettable, now that some folks don’t have the ears or hearts for this material, as it represents much of Ian Anderson’s finest work. His voice would never sound better, and he was possibly at the height of his instrumental prowess: the obligatory flute, the always-impressive acoustic guitar chops and, for this album, the cheeky employment of a soprano saxophone. It’s a gamble (and/or a conceit, depending upon one’s perspective) that pays off splendidly: a difficult, occasionally confrontational, utterly fulfilling piece of work. The subject matter, so perplexing at first blush, is a relatively straightforward examination of what happens after death. Literary allusions abound, and one wonders if this project had been described as rock music’s version of Dante’s Inferno it may have fared a bit better. (Probably not.) A quick shout out to some (but not all!) of the selections that didn’t quite make the final cut. from Jethro Tull, Minstrel in the Gallery and Songs from the Wood
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Post by tootull on Nov 11, 2015 21:38:30 GMT
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Post by tootull on Oct 30, 2015 21:30:04 GMT
Whats more fitting for this time of year ..... "Heavy Horses" and as the opening to Rock Opera that is set to hit our shores in a few days !!! "iron clad-feather- fee tpouding the dust An October sky towards evening.. Sweatembossed veins standing proud to the plough Last of the line at an honest day's toil" Time to spin the (Canadian vinyl) black circle. Waiting for this to appear in 5.1. .
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Post by tootull on Oct 29, 2015 13:21:17 GMT
Top 10 Concept Albums WM TOP - Published on Oct 29, 2015
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Post by tootull on Oct 29, 2015 12:23:41 GMT
So good. The teacher gives this an A+. Love the fact that you discussed the solo projects. Just great. Noticed this at SHtv Following the trace you leave unwittingly. I wanna be no Saboteur. Oh, no, me no Saboteur.
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