Customer Reviews

The Best of Jethro Tull; The Anniversary Collection

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3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is another one of those two-disc compilations where you have to wonder whom the record company was targeting. This collection was first released by Chrysalis in 1993 between the multi-disc career retrospectives "20 Years of Jethro Tull" (1988) and "25th Anniversary" (1993). Since those two releases are currently out of print, that leaves "The Best of Jethro Tull" as the most comprehensive, covering songs from 1968's "This Was" to 1991's "Catfish Rising."

So why did I buy this? Simple. My budget can't afford to replace all of my vinyl Tull albums. This seemed like a cost effective way to have some of Tull's best songs on CD. [I have to admit that other than my vinyl copy of "20 Years of Jethro Tull," I hadn't bought a Tull release since 1979's "Bursting Out (Live)."]

Overall, this collection doesn't disappoint. Disc one contains familiar songs to longtime Tull Fans: "A Song for Jeffrey," "A Christmas Song," "Living in the Past," "Teacher," and of course key tracks from the landmark album "Aqualung." In fact, there are four tracks from that album: "Cross-Eyed Mary," "Mother Goose," "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath." There are also brief extracts from "Thick as a Brick" and "A Passion Play," 3:00 and 3:46 respectively.

If you think Jethro Tull peaked with "Aqualung" and "Thick As a Brick," I would also recommend the 1972 single-disc career retrospective "Living in the Past," which includes 20 songs (only five of which are duplicated on "The Best of Jethro Tull").

Where this set gets the nod over "Living in the Past," is the breadth of its scope--although it is a bit skimpy covering the post-seventies Tull. Consider, disc-one covers only six years (1968-1974), whereas disc-two covers sixteen years (1975-1991).

While much of disc-two was unfamiliar to me, there is little drop off in quality despite the band's constant revolving membership--Ian Anderson (flute, vocals) has remained the band's only constant through the decades. Well into the 1980's Tull continued to maintain a British folk element in its music on tracks like "Under Wraps II" and "Jump Start." They would also add a hard rock sound to songs like "Kissing Willie" and "This Is Not Love." The two songs from "Crest of a Knave"--"Farm on the Freeway" and "Jump Start"--however, give little evidence why this album received the first ever Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance in 1989.

Unlike the previous reviewer, disc-one is my favorite disc of the two, but it's nice to catch up on a band that I've followed only marginally over the past twenty years. RECOMMENDED

When one buys a best-of or a greatest hits comp. one may be confused by the meaning of these two titles. Nothing better gives a clearer distinction then comparing this to Living In The Past (the gold version that is).

The former is a greatest HITS. Yes, Living... features hits singles, b-sides, ep tracks, etc. This "best-of" is a compilation of Tull's best known TRACKS. They could be singles, or they could be album cuts.

This does have the concert staples: Aqualung, Farm On The Freeway, Teacher, Songs From The Wood, etc. However, it doesn't have the hit singles: Witches Promise, Love Story and Moths, replacing them with To Cry You A Song, Beggar's Farm, and Heavy Horses (all album tracks).

That being said, this is still the best career spanning anthology of Jethro Tull on the market. However, if you still want a great summary of Tull's hit making days: Living In The Past gets the nod. (If you buy that, Aqualung and Thick As A Brick) you've got the Tull Trilogy.

Also take note: the earlier tracks and singles are remixed contrary to what it says on the cover. This is notable if you compare A Song For Jeffrey on Living with this one.

The issue in "Best Ofs" is always track selection and space on the disk. Those are especially difficult matters with a band like Tull, which has been around so long, produced such a huge body of work, and with so much of their best work not fitting into the convenient 3-minute song format. What's happened here is that they've produced, for the most part, a "best of" on Disk 1, and realized they were quickly running out of space -- with about 16 years of work left to put on Disk 2. The best they could do with the later, more mature (and some of us would say "the better"), Tull works is produce a "sampler" of title tracks or opening tracks from the many albums covering those 16 years. What I'm left with are only a few quibbles about the first disk selection, and absolute dismay with the omissions made necessary by the lack of space on the second disk. Hey, they really needed 3 disks to do this right.

Before I get into gripes though -- as a sampler disk for those not yet familiar with the band and just looking for something to give them a taste, this'll do just fine. Most long-term Tull fans aren't really in this market anyway, already owning all the albums they are able to lay their hands on these days.

As far as the first disk goes, my only quibbles are the omission of "With You There To Help Me" from Benefit, one of Tull's greatest openers, and not including a few more edits from Thick As A Brick and Passion Play. I'd also prefer to see the "War Child" title track or "Back Door Angels" over "Bungle in the Jungle." But on this kind of album the single release will always win out.

Disk 2 gives me heartburn. Some of that is due to cramming too many years of work onto just one CD. We are left without true Tull classics like "Hunting Girl", "Velvet Green", "No Lullaby", "One Brown Mouse", "And the Mouse Police Never Sleeps", "Home", and "Flying Dutchman" from the great run of albums in the late 70's. Other than being the title track, I can not see how "Heavy Horses" made the list when "No Lullaby" and "One Brown Mouse" were left off.

There are some problems with mis-selection for the "Techno-Tull" albums of the early 80's as well. We are given "Flyingdale Flyer" from "A", while two of Tull's greatest works, "Black Sunday" and "And Further On" are inexplicably left off. Equally baffling is the omission of "Seal Driver" from "Broadsword and the Beast".

But maybe the worst omissions are from the latest Tull albums represented here. From what may be their finest album, "Crest of a Knave", we are simply given the opening three songs. While "Farm on the Freeway" might well make it on merit, the lack of "Said She Was a Dancer", the tone poem-like "Budapest", and what might be their most compelling and complex rocker "Mountain Men" is just inexcusable. Cripes! They alloted time for four tracks off Aqualung -- why not as much here for what was, musically, a far advanced album?

Rock Island and Catfish Rising got much the same treatment -- simply including the opening songs (both of which in this case are not up to Tull standards). I'd much prefer to see these albums represented by the likes of "The Whaler's Dues", or "Rock Island", or "Still Loving You Tonight", or "Rocks on the Road."

OK, my long-time, over-particular, nit-picky Tull-fan griping is out of the way. It's still a good sampler for those of you trying to find out about the band. While, in a number of cases, I'd much prefer to see the band's better work showcased here, there aren't really many inferior works presented. A strong argument could be made for almost all the tracks presented here. You won't be disappointed -- until you buy the individual albums and see what you were missing.

The issue with "Best ofs" of major bands is always track selection and space (for Tull, a band spanning 25 years at the time of this release, it is an even bigger issue). My general impression is that the selection is pretty solid on the first disk, with only a few minor complaints (the lack of "With You There To Help Me" from "Benefit" and the under-rated title track from "War Child"). However, given space limitations and the incredible volume of material to choose from they did as well as could be expected. I do take more exception with the selection of Disc 2 (admittedly, a more difficult job yet). While the absence of classics like "Hunting Girl" "No Lullaby" "One Brown Mouse" "Flying Dutchman" and "Home" from the great run of albums in the late 70's is bad enough what was done with the selection from some of the fine early and late 80's work is almost a crime. Three of Tull's finest works ever: "Black Sunday" "And Further On" and "Seal Driver" from the early 80's are conspicuously absent. Maybe even worse, the late 80's selections do not include "Budapest" "Mountain Men" "Said She Was a Dancer" "Rock Island" "Undressed to Kill" or "Whaler's Dues". I understand that most of these tracks are long, and "Best Ofs" absolutely loathe the longer works, but these are truly signature Tull works, superior in almost every case to the other (fine) works that are included. Ah well, if you buy the CD, and are not a big Tull fan, you'll still get a good introduction to the band which will whet your appetite for more, and more substantial, Tull fare. By the way, the remixes and remastering are very good -- EMI get on with remastering the rest of the catalogue please.

If you're new to Jethro Tull, or want to get some of the bands best material in one package, check out the 2-CD sampler Best of Jethro Tull.

I did something recently I hadn't done in about 20 years. After hearing an interview with Ian Anderson and his playing cuts from his new solo release, The Secret Language of Birds, while driving home from work. I pulled into the first record (are they still called that?) store I passed and bought the CD. At the ripe age of 40, I usually don't just buy any recording on impulse, I either replace old favorites, or carefully consider my spending. Hearing new Ian Anderson music on the radio reminded me of just how much I loved Jethro Tull when I was in high school. My two favorite Jethro Tull albums are Aqualung and Thick As A Brick. I chose the former to include on my top 100 list because it has such great music on it and it really holds together as one of the first "concept" albums of the Rock Era. ~ I recommend the Gold Cd release of this classic, even though it costs a lot more. Reason? It doesn't include the unnecessary extra tracks included on the much cheaper re-release from EMI/Chrysalis of 1999. GET THE ORIGINAL!

Due to the fact that Tull music is becoming increasingly hard to find,this set does showcase some of the band's best work and certainly the best known material.It's a shame that a group who's music was so influential and so popular,won't be available for a new generation of intelligent rockers!

This has over 77 minutes on each CD. Within the constraint of a 2-CD format, you can't ask for much more. I like EVERY song on this collection. I was 18 when "Aqualung" came out in 1971 and really liked the heavier Jethro Tull songs on "Stand Up", "Benefit" and "Aqualung." I eagerly purchased the "Thick As A Brick" LP when it came out in 1972 but found it somewhat tedious and really lost interest in this band after that. So I was familiar with most of the songs on CD-1 in this collection and love having them together on one CD. Maybe one other 3 minute excerpt from TAAB would have been nice as well as the Aqualung ballad "Wond'ring Aloud" but what do you cut out?

I had not heard most of what was on CD-2 except the great "Minstrel In the Gallery" and I like the edit on this - it's still over 6 minutes. But I have to say I LOVE the other CD-2 tunes. "Farm On the Freeway" is an unbelieveable Dire Straits-sounding rocking epic of over 6 minutes. "Jump Start" has a kicking flute and guitar interplay and rips for almost 5 minutes - wow!! The music on "Pussy Willow" is fantastic, a beautiful transition of lilting woodwinds with driving guitar and drums - I just wish Ian had come up with something besides the phrase "Pussy Willow" - sounds kinda dorky, sorry. How about "wishing you well" or "missing my hell". Sorry, it's just hard to tell my rocker friends (yep - and we're over 50!) that I found a great new song called "Pussy Willow!" But I digress....

Great, great stuff overall. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Too bad there are no liner notes about the songs, but at least it says what album and year each song came from. Also, it would have been nice if the songs were numbered in the booklet. Can't tell you how many times I've had to count down the list to see if it's song 10, 11 or 14. There are a few booklet essentials that should be mandatory such as that in spite of all the needs for "artistic" expression of booklet designers. But I digress again - just bring me my broadsword and clear understanding (wow, what a devastating line from "Broadsword" - sums up the whole torment of going to battle - pretty relevant today isn't it?). Thanks, Mr. Anderson!!

This is an amazing collection of Jethro Tull in my opinion. It's more comprehensive in my opinion, expanding across both early and late Tull, than any other best of collection.

If you want to get a taste of a great band you've never heard before, or if you've heard Tull, but only his early stuff, as I've heard many people claim, this is the way to go.

Although the first disk is a lot of Tull's earlier and more familiar songs, it isn't in any way better than the second one. Both cover different styles of Tull, and give a great all around effect. The music is crisp and clear.

Also of note, the Songs from the Woods on this cd is longer than the title track on the original album. They added about an extra minute and a half of Barre and Anderson soloing, and it sounds great.

Other reviews have pointed out that this is a good set for the casual, rather than die hard fan, and I would agree. Of course, concept tracks like Thick as a Brick and Passion Play were necessarily truncated. My biggest gripe is the utter lack of liner notes. Given the significance and history of this band, the least Chrysalis/Capitol could have done was a decent booklet. Other than that, it's a decent package.

Took my then 14 year old Grandson to see Jethro Tull in 2002 bought him the CD back then. We lost my beloved boy this year so decided to buy one for myself Thanks for the memory........