Jethro Tull questions...

i have a copy of one of the later cd issues i believe. i will rip it to music server give a fresh listen and report back.

after a quick listen to the cd with bonus tracks copyrighted in 1998 versus original vinyl copy, one of the first rock albums i ever bought, i'd say the cd ranges from ok to quite good fromtrack to track. the acoustic guitar as a whole is done quite well. dynamics of drums and bass in some tracks including the title track leaves a lot to be desired but other than dynamics is not done badly. the cd is not overly loud either. some decisions were apparently made during the mastering to go for a tighter cleaner sound overall compared to my vinyl copy. the vinyl was murkier sounding overall but thetitle track had abit more meat tothe bones that added something.

i forget what a fine work aqualung is overall when i donot hear it for awhile.

In the case of Benefit, maybe Tull should have listened to their company/producer more, since I believe that is their best album. Explains why they don't play Benefit songs live.

My favorites are Benefit and Stand Up. Unfortunately I've never heard an excellent version of either album.

I have a original release of Stand Up and it has moments of greatness.Benefit is somewhat compressed but again, has moments.

Looking for decent (earlier) Tull recordings on CD, here I find myself having read all these posts. I have been a fan of the band since I was a teenager, saw them play the Aqualung tour. I consider Aqualung one of the great rock albums of all time. My favorite Tull albums are definitely Stand Up, Benefit, Aqualung and Thick as a Brick.

The discussion here leading to Fairport Convention and Sandy Denny reminded me of David Cousins and a band I already had in mind- The Strawbs. Denny was once a member of the Strawbs. I know Cousins was a close friend, he wrote 'Ringing Down the Years' after Denny's death.
The Stawbs started as an English folk-rock band and evolved to kind of glam and then prog rock. Rick Wakeman was an early member, left for Yes, lots of other interesting connections.
I saw the Strawbs in the 70s, the Hero and Heroine tour. Again just a few years ago as the Acoustic Strawbs. Both shows were wonderful.
My Faves are From the Witchwood, Grave New World, Bursting at the Seams , Hero and Heroine, and Ghosts. Just as with Tull, their later music was not as much to my liking.
I especially enjoyed the lyrics on many cuts, poetic with a flair for the dramatic, sometimes very dark. Some songs are pure pop rock. A very interesting mix of musical styles over the years. I consider The Strawbs greatly overlooked band.

The Sunlight filtered softly
Through the pale and watery sky
To catch the mirrored salmon
As it rose to take the fly
The flowers on the riverbank
Were left alone to die

I saw the Acoustic Strawbs twice in Atlanta a few years ago. They were two of my favorite shows.

The Acoustic Strawbs are touring the US (northeast) this September.

Blkadr, Agree totally with you about The Strawbs. I have all their recordings on vinyl, and like the earlier ones best. A huge amount of talent has passed through that band, and Cousins' lyrics are truly excellent.Witchwood, Grave New World, and Bursting at the Seams are my faves, and Best of Strawbs 2-LP set is very good.--Mrmitch

I hope they return to Atl.

I'm going to see Jethro Tull on Tuesday in Boston.

I would travel to Atlanta if they came back. I doubt they will return to Charlotte, although they did get a warm reception at the little hall they played. I was disappointed they were coming acoustic at first, knowing they had played electric up north. But the show was a gem just as it was and now feel lucky to have seen them acoustic.

They played at the Red Light Cafe in Atl. It's a small dinner club/bar with tables. You can order your food and drink and stay at the table and watch the show.

Agree with Rwwear - Heavy Horses (vinyl) is the best sounding Tull I've heard. The re-release of Aqualung from Classic Records is not as good as the original release from Chrysalis even tho it's from the original pressing from Chrysalis and pressed at RTI! Go figure.

I've bought (read wasted my money) on so many vinyl re-issues in the hopes they'd be as good if not better pressing, and come to the conclusion - they don't sound better than the original pressings in most if not all cases.

Save your money that you'd waste on re-issues and buy a Loricraft record cleaning machine instead and seek out used copies for $5. Seriously.

As for CD, why bother?

Tull were a great band in their day. Teacher is still one of my all-time favorites....

Tull is still a great band!!

I agree with Notec on reissues.

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I've always thought that it's extremely hard to find great recording on Chrysalis ever.