Customer Reviews

Jethro Tull - Slipstream

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

 

 

Believe this is actually a Brazilian pressed DVD, but rest assure, it appears to play fine on all DVD players. This concert is from the band's 'A' tour that took place in later 1980. I remember that, because I missed them and Tull had Whitesnake as support act. I mean, how cool is that? The ten song DVD is good, for most Jethro Tull fans. You might have seen a couple of the clips here, "Too Old To Rock 'N Roll,Too Young To Die" and the live version of "Aqualung" now and then on VH1 Classic's All Request Hour. Really enjoyed experiencing the flawless "Black Sunday", "Songs From The Wood" and the awesome encore "Locomotive Breath". There's also some 'concept' footage here that I thought was kept at the right length. Not too much, yet enough to add diversity to the overall producing the music DVD. Line-up: Ian Anderson-flute,guitar&vocals, Martin Barre-guitar, Eddie Jobson-keyboards&violin, Dave Pegg-bass&vocals and Mark Craney-drums. An absolute should-have.

This DVD is also available as a bonus disc with the remastered "A" CD. Completists will probably buy this one also anyway, but for most fans, it's a redundant offering.

As for the DVD itself, Jethro Tull fans will love seeing the 1980 incarnation of the band, especially in the reliably excellent concert segments. Unfortunately, this video collection has always suffered from an abundance of completely unnecessary special effects. It was irritating enough in 1980, but 24 years later, the effects are not only irritating but laughably dated. Who wouldn't rather just watch one of the most visually captivating live acts of all time? Also, music videos have never been Ian Anderson & Company's strong suit, and the set pieces here are beloved to Tull fans mostly because we can smile at them in retrospect. I give the DVD four stars because Tull fans will definitely appreciate seeing and hearing Tull in all their mature mastery. If only this much attention had been lavished on the classic 1970s line-ups.

This is a strange concert. The actual footage is great; Black Sunday is played flawless, especially. However, the need to have stupid "concept" pieces ruined parts of songs, and songs are cut and left out and the special effects are awful; witness mirroed a thousand times during the first singing section of "songs from the wood" which is, by the way, began in the middle. if you get the A remaster, dont' bother with this.

For showing your pals what Tull is about, I wouldn't recommend this. Although the sonics are perfectly adequate in comparison to most concert recordings, the video quality is not terribly good, the concert's lighting is crude, and I'm afraid I have to agree with other reviewers who find fault with the "concept" footage -- bloody silly at best, I would sadly say, and a distraction from the reason you bought the DVD in the first place, i.e. to get a glimpse Tull in action. This by itself almost had me drop the rating to two stars. (And then there's also the need to fast-forward through all the Portuguese commercial bits at the beginning, though that's minor.) But on the upside, the musicianship is beyond reproach, all the songs done well, all the boys in fine form. I have to admit that the "A" era is my least-visited incarnation of Tull, as I prefer those that came before and after; but it's really just a matter of keeping an open mind about the synth-heavy sound of the band at that time. If you're going to be a Tullist, you have to take Eddie Jobson as you find him.