The other night my friend Kim and I went to hear Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull in an acoustic concert here in L.A. Way back in my high school days I was a big Jethro Tull fan, back when they were in their prime (yeah, I’m that old), and I saw them a couple times in Denver in the late 70s, when they were awesome. Friday night’s concert was very good, though also a little bittersweet to see the inevitable passage of time. Ian Anderson’s voice is just a shadow of what it used to be, but he can still really rock out on the flute and acoustic guitar. There were about six other backup musician with him – not the usual Tull lineup, though their drummer did sit in on the bongos for a few tunes. The set list included some surprisingly obscure tunes. I’m not a “super fan,” like some of the people at the show who were just in heaven, but I’m pretty familiar with a lot of their stuff, so it was surprising to hear some “B” tracks that never even made it onto an album. They also played some compositions from some of the backup musicians, including a young woman on viola who was really amazing and quite cute too.
Kim and I didn’t dress for the concert, but ironically enough there were two crossdressers in the seats directly in front of us, so maybe we should have. It could have been the tranny corner. In any case, it was a fun show and definitely colored with nostalgia for me and reminders of one’s mortality and the relentless march of time. One thing that didn’t change, though, is they finished up with interesting and energetic acoustic versions of “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath,” which are the tunes they almost always wind up their shows with. And for a 62 year old guy they really rocked.
Sandra,
I seem to have the idea from other areas on your site, that you do not dress and go out in public very often.
Is that true?
I remember in high school at a school Halloween dance, I won a Jethro Tull album, yes a record, for having the best costume. I was dressed as a gangster. Have liked Ian’s music ever since.
Hi PF – I still have the LP for “Thick as a Brick” with the cool newspaper pages that were printed up with it. That’s the one drawback of CDs – some of the artwork and “extras” back then were really neat.
And yeah, Dim, when I dress and go out it’s usually to a party or a club or getting hogtied out in the mountains! ;-)
Hi Sandra,
I’m too a very great fan of Jethro Tull that i discovered when I was about fifteen. One of their song, called “Bourrée”, is very known here in France, because it was the song that introduced a broadcast in the late 60’s.
I love Thick as a brick wich is on of the most touching song I know. The other one is Skating away on the thin ice of a new day…
I love the electric guitar in Locomotive Breath and Aqualung, I remember dansing as a mad on this song in night clubs here.
One good album too is The Minstrel in the Gallery, Do you remember the very first album wich were a bit jazy (Song from Jeffrey, …).
Ian Anderson is a still very fine guitarist. You were sure lucky to see his swhow !!!
Hugs
Paddy
Hi Paddy,
I love all those songs too! “Thick As A Brick” is probably my favorite, as I first heard it when I was about ten years old! I didn’t understand much of it then (heck, I’m not sure if I still do!) but I could tell even at that early age that it was something very special.
The “Minstrel In the Gallery” album is also one of my favorites, and I especially like “Baker Street Muse” and “One White Duck.” It’s really an excellent collection of songs.
And yes, during the concert, Ian performed “Bourrée,” and “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day.” He told a funny story about that last song, saying that it was originally written about the threat of Global Cooling, which was currently in the news! It seems things have changed a bit in thirty years!
Hi Sandra,
I’m glad that we share other things than transvestism and bondage … !!!
I discovered Jethro Tull whan I was about 16, with friends of my class who were more musically evoluate then me (I was stuck with the Beattles …).
I like the entanglement of the style of J.T. : some songs are very quiet, cool and with a great melody (Ian have a great voice and i knows how to sing and touch your guts) and other song are very metal, with the guitar of Martin Barre (A Gibson Lespaul, of course …).
Jethro Tull remains one of my 3 favorite groups, through the age …
I’ve never have the chance to see J.T. in concert (but I had the chance to see The Boss, last summer, here in a festival named “les Vieilles
Charrues”)