Minstrels In The Gallery: A History Of Jethro Tull (Music) [Paperback]

David Rees (Author)

Book Description

Series: Music | Publication Date: July 1, 2001

“Rees has interviewed all the key players and told the Tull tale with zest and candor. A fine read for Tull fans and non-believers alike.”—Mojo “The author manages to maintain both his enthusiasm and enough perspective to make his narrative believable, and his chronicling of the band ’s sometimes turbulent history is gripping without slipping into sensationalism. Essential reading for Tull’s vast fanbase, of course.”—Record Collector

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Publishing; Printed In England edition (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0946719225
• ISBN-13: 978-0946719228
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,784,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Somewhat Superficial Read, January 11, 2000

By 

Joseph Kimsey (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Minstrels In The Gallery: A History Of Jethro Tull (Music) (Paperback)

I'm grateful to Dave Rees for writing the first real bio of Jethro Tull; at first I was exhilarated that there was finally (!) a book on Tull, and I read it in one sitting. But, not to be unkind, it could have been better. David, in my opinion, could have made it more interesting and insightful by choosing many of the songs and explaining what makes them so fascinating (for me at any rate)to people who may have picked up the book but are not familiar with Tull. For example: One Brown Mouse was inspired, according to Ian, by Robert Burns. The song North Sea Oil was written about the touch and go oil economy in Aberdeen in the late 70's, Farm on the Freeway about the financial problems of the American farmers, Moths: the clever metaphor of the lovers being consumed by the flame, Fylingdale Flyer: about an incoming nuclear missle,and the multitude of songs based on Anglo-Scots-Celtic subject matter: Kelpie, Pibroch, Solstice Bells, Jack In The Green, Beltane, etc. And also describe the instrumentation of the songs. Unfortunately, most people seem to know Jethro Tull only by their few radio hits Bungle In The Jungle, Aqualung, & Living In The Past. While these songs are great(except for Bungle), they certainly are not the limit of what Tull are capable of. Perhaps by describing the different changes and nuances of the music, for example: the twists and turns of Thick As A Brick, the unexpected dynamics changes in Minstrel In The Gallery and Baker Street Muse, the charm of Moths and One Brown Mouse, would perk up the interest of people reading the book but are not very familiar with the band. Tull has put out a much greater variety of music than just Bungle In The Jungle. It would have been great to read why Ian is particuarly interested in Celtic subjects (I know he's Scottish, but maybe there are more reasons), what spurs his different interests, what are his favorite books, his political opinions, his views on his music. Also, I would love to know more of Martin Barre's background. Why, exactly, is he attracted to Ian's music? Which guitarists influenced him? Has he ever contemplated leaving Tull? Has he and Ian ever disagreed on the direction of the music? His favorite Tull music? In short, stuff that Tull fanatics (such as I) don't already know and that would intrigue budding Tull neophytes. And not to be ultra-cranky, but I disagreed with a lot of David's opinions on Tull's work. Contrary to David's views, I think Heavy Horses is awesome: JT's best, better than anything I've ever heard from them or anyone else; Stormwatch is excellent, certainly not mediocre; Broadsword is overpraised, Tull sounds dated on it; Too Old Too Rock N' Roll, while not their best, isn't, in my opinion, their least creative album, and most of Under Wraps is dire indeed. I hope people don't think that I disliked the book, I just think it could have been a little better. David's writing style is great: it's very laid-back and familiar, and I love his use of British slang; after all, you can't get much more British than Jethro Tull, can you? All in all, a good book that is certainly worth reading.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very informative; raises questions., June 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Minstrels In The Gallery: A History Of Jethro Tull (Music) (Paperback)

Congratulations to Dave Rees on putting out very good history of a very good and enigmatic band. This chatty book fills in many details that true Tull fans will have been wondering about. However, it also raises questions. For example, WHY was (is) the management of Chrysalis so inept at marketing Tull? HOW has Martin Barre managed to stay so long? WHY does Ian have to be such a prick? -- All in all this is a very good book. Nobody but Rees could've written such an objective and appreciative history without fawning over the band. Way to go Dave.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad read, but not much new about IAN!, April 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Minstrels In The Gallery: A History Of Jethro Tull (Music) (Paperback)

This is a basic, thorough review of the career of Jethro Tull that is a must for all fans. I especially enjoyed the Ian Anderson quotes; however, if you are expecting a biography of JT's mastermind, you'll have to wait. Maybe someday, Ian Anderson could be convinced to write an autobiography...The book does succeed in accomplishing its objectives and provides a concise history of the evolution of the band and an opinionated analysis of their music.