Jethro Tull - thanks Wiz

[SoundMaster]

Any fan of old school metal/hard rock must do themselves a favor ASAP: invest time and money into Jethro Tull's early 70s discs!

Awesome band.....highly original, highly inventive. And another classic band that I'd overlooked for too long. But thanks to Wiz's recommendations, will NO longer ignore!

The 1977 album, Songs from the Wood and the 1978 album, Heavy Horses, feature fantastic songwriting, intrumentation and melodies. And the music is very 'organic' and full of 'breath'.....not really sure how else to articulate this.

Again, I highly recommend this band to any fan of old school hard rock.
But perhaps, unlike me, you've all already been into them all these years!

 

[Wyvern]

I'm not into them except for "Aqualung" that kick serious ass. But if you want to get into their 70's be sure to check Thick As A Brick (72), Minstrel In The Gallery (75) and Stormwatch (79) besides the ones you already mentioned.

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Yeah, Aqualung, Thick as a Brick and Songs from the Wood are all awesome. Those are the albums I'm most familiar with. I love all the flute mixed in! Early prog rock outside the standard Yes/ELO/Camel veins.

NP: Riot - Born in America

 

[ElectricWiz]

For what it's worth, I was a latecomer myself. I started with Aqualung and went from there. I still don't have it all, but I think Ian Anderson is a maginificent songwriter, a top notch acoustic guitar player, and the flute thing becomes essential once you get the vibe.
I listen to them more than anyone else just now, and couldn't nail down a favorite if I tried.
Of course, the cool thing about finding a band with a large catalogue is, well, the large catalogue. Just think if you discovered Maiden like that now. Man, to hear all those again for the first time. Jethro Tull has definately afforded me an experience that is rarer and rarer for me - a band I don't know with a BUNCH of kickass records.
Jethro Tull is definately thinking mans music.

Can't wait for the show in Ipswich!

 

[ElectricWiz]

Oh, further, let me reeeeeeally recomend the DVD "Nothing is Easy - Jethro Tull Live at the Isle of Wight." Whoa daddy! Such a monster, MONSTER performance. Ian Anderson is clearly a maniac. Really it's in documentary form, so there is a lot of stuff about the Isle of Wight festival (primarily in relation to Tull), but it's good stuff. The performances though, seriously, amazing.

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

I hear ya Wiz. At an ancient 41 years of age, I rarely discover a band I totally dig that has a large back catalogue. I didn't miss much, but every once in a while a band pops up that totally flew under my radar.

Right now I've got Rage, after being mesmerized by their 2003 album Soundchaser. With something like 17 albums out, I'll be exploring their back catalogue for the next year!

NP: Gary Moore - Run for Cover

 

[ElectricWiz]

I hear ya Wiz. At an ancient 41 years of age, I rarely discover a band I totally dig that has a large back catalogue. I didn't miss much, but every once in a while a band pops up that totally flew under my radar.

Right now I've got Rage, after being mesmerized by their 2003 album Soundchaser. With something like 17 albums out, I'll be exploring their back catalogue for the next year!

NP: Gary Moore - Run for Cover

Cool! Yeah, such discoveries are a treat. In the last few years I discovered two bands (who now rank amongst my favorites) with large catalogues; the Grateful Dead and Tull. It's great fun getting to know the eras of such storied bands. That is, the eras within their career. I envy people who don't now Sabbath for instance. The chance to go, "These Ronnie James Dio records are awesome too!" is something you can never know again. I am just plain running out of bands. I mean, there's always good stuff to listen too, and in truth you there are bands that, right now, I know nothing about but will be obsessed with someday. Only that such storied career discoveries are rarer and rarer.
Oh, Glenn Huges was another recent boon. Soundmaster had been mentioning him, and now I have to have everything. Cool too, because his career spreads across several bands, plus solo stuff.

 

[desert_demon]

I started listening to Tull 2 or three years ago when I bought The Very Best of Jethro Tull (a compilation album). I really didn't plan on buying anythjing else but I was hooked with their unique sound. I then started branching out and buying their studio albums, Songs From the Wood (excellent folk rock), Broadsword and the Beast (great songs and a TON of bonus tracks if you buy the Remastered edition), Crest of a Knave (more great tracks) and the very rocking live albums Bursting Out and Living With the Past.
Jethro Tull is very non-metal and it's a stretch to even call them hard rock but their progressive style and unique sound can be enjoyed by many a metal head.

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

I am just plain running out of bands. I mean, there's always good stuff to listen too, and in truth there are bands that, right now, I know nothing about but will be obsessed with someday. Only that such storied career discoveries are rarer and rarer.

Amen! I keep thinking my most recent "veteran" discovery (and they are getting fewer and farther between) will be my last. Maybe it won't ever end completely for us old geezers, as long as we're out there looking, reading review mags/websites and participating in an awesome society like UMOS.

NP: Devin Townsend - Synchestra

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

I'd also recommend getting Crest of a Knave. That's probably the best of the latter day Tull albums.

 

[zeppelin]

Aqualung is great album indeed, they tend to lean on the flute alot which irretates me after a while, good classic rock though.

 

[ElectricWiz]

Interesting to see the recommendations for latter day Tull here! I actually like those albums quite alot, but frankly wouldn't expect anybody else too. Between Broadsword and the Beast and Crest of a Knave I prefer Broadsword. Crest of a Knave is of course the one that one the very first ever grammy for best "metal or hard rock," performance, simultaneously pissing off Tull fans and fans of metal. Haha. Not that I cared (grammy=lame). Still, an interesting point of trivia though.

Anyway, I really dig late era Tull, but go with earlier stuff as the prime for sure. I do hold them in the same respect as keyboard era Rush though, which is a little higher than most Tull fans (I have no problem whatsoever with Hold Your Fire, etc.)