RK 50: Jethro Tull

8-25-08 RK50: Jethro Tull

A British rock band with a flute player! I first heard of Jethro Tull on a Warner Brothers sampler LP, with “My Sunday Feeling” being the cut I remember. It wasn’t hard to find their LP’s, so in no time at all – I had everything released in the US by Ian Anderson & Company. Always did like their 3^rd album “Benefit” the best, and – with the recent re-mastered CD’s – I am now listening to some that I’ve heard infrequently…or not at all!

LP THIS WAS ISLAND UK ILPS 9085

1968 10 TRKS UK original issue

CD THIS WAS CHRYSALIS US 35459.2

1968 13 TRKS re-mastered, 3 x bonus tracks; will likely get the new 2CD 40^th anniversary version…

LP STAND UP ISLAND UK ILPS 9103

1969 10 TRKS UK original issue, with ‘pop up’

CD STAND UP CHRYSALIS US 35458.2

1969 14 TRKS ('01 re-issue) (4 x bonus tracks)

7" SWEET DREAM / 17 ISLAND/CHR UK WIP 6070

1969 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, long vers. of "17" – only available on this 45!~

LP BENEFIT ISLAND/CHR UK ILPS 9123

1970 10 TRKS UK original; when this was released, I got the U.S. vers. with “Teacher” on it, too.

CD BENEFIT CHRYSALIS US 35457.2

1970 14 TRKS ('01 issue) (4 x bonus tracks)

LP MY GOD! ATHAPASCAN 20.5

1970? 8 TRKS pirate LP, blue vinyl; Live + studio (rare singles, making their LP debut)

LP AQUALUNG ISLAND/CHR UK ILPS 9145

1971 11 TRKS original UK issue

LP AQUALUNG (QUAD remix LP) CHRYSALIS US CH4 1044

1971 11 TRKS Quad test pressing, remixed !

CD AQUALUNG CHRYSALIS US 95401.2

1971 17 TRKS (6 x bonus tracks) ('98 issue)

7" LIFE IS A LONG SONG (EP) ISLAND/CHR UK WIP 6106

1971 5 TRK EP; with pic sleeve – I am rather fond of this EP

LP THICK AS A BRICK CHRYSALIS UK CHR 1003

1972 2 TRKS orig. UK issue, with big newspaper

CD THICK AS A BRICK CHRYSALIS US 95400.2

1972 4 TRKS (2 x bonus tracks – one of which is an interview) ('98 issue)

LPx2 LIVING IN THE PAST (Collection) ISLAND/CHR UK CJT 1/2

1972 21 TRK Collection, UK original; large booklet – an excellent collection set

CDx2 LIVING IN THE PAST (Collection) TOSHIBA JPN TOCP-67369/70

1972 21 TRKS ('04 issue) kami sleeve, exact replica of original 2LP package

This was as far as I got at the time. I was ‘pulled away’ from J.T. by the burgeoning European music scene; French artists, German artists, Italian artists – some of whom appear to have been greatly influenced by J.T. It took me a few years to hear:

CD PASSION PLAY, A CHRYSALIS US F2 21040

1973 1 TRK not the re-mastered vers.

LP PASSION PLAY, A CHRYSALIS US CHR 1040

1973 2 TRKS booklet

LP WAR CHILD CHRYSALIS US CHR 1067

1974 10 TRKS

CD WAR CHILD EMI UK 41517.2

1974 17 TRKS (7 x bonus tracks) ('02 issue) – really like the bonus tracks!

LP MINSTREL IN THE GALLERY CHRYSALIS US CHR 1082

1975 7 TRKS

CD MINSTREL IN THE GALLERY CHRYSALIS US 41572.2

1975 7 TRKS ('02 issue) (5 x bonus tracks)

LP TOO OLD TO ROCK 'N' ROLL… CHRYSALIS US CHR 1111

1976 10 TRKS poster

CD TOO OLD TO ROCK 'N' ROLL… CAPITOL US 41573.2

1976 12 TRKS (2 x bonus tracks) ('02 issue)

And, really, after these titles, I am a bit iffy about continuing to follow J.T. – I own LP’s of some of the later albums…”Too Old” was the album that came out while I was at my first record store job – I all but ignored it at the time it came out.

I’ve seen them live in San Francisco; I saw them play an acoustic set on NBC TV a few years back (’96?), and it was excellent – it was the late 90’s, and they were playing songs from the “Life Is A Long Song” EP!

If Ian Anderson wrote an autobiography, I’d probably try and read it.