I don't know much about this groups' discography, only the songs played on classic rock radio.
I am not really interested in purchasing a greatest hits compilation. I would like to purchase the separate CDs, but I would like some feedback as to how their CDs sound.
I tried to find a remastered version of "Aqualung" but apparently only the gold disc exists and it usually can be found on Ebay for hundreds of dollars.
So my question is, do Tull plan on remastering this album?
Also, what about War Child, Benefit and Thick as a Brick?
Are there remastered versions of these albums available and how do they sound?
Oh my...I read this thread and just chuckled :) Jethro Tull concerts were always the most wonderful party with most wonderful friendly audiences. On one occasion, the opening band was "Steeleye Span" and THEY were awesome. In fact, they were SO good that the entire audience who came to see Tull didn't want them to close their set. Finally Tull comes out, plays like madmen, and the encores were BOTH bands together on stage. That concert went on and on for hours and NO ONE left. One of the best experiences I ever had. Oh yeah...IMHO Benefit is my favorite of their albums :)
Viridian is right. I was lucky to have seen Tull when Stand Up was released- they opened for Blind Faith. D. and Bonnie on the same bill (which became Derek and The Dominoes. Of course, the real treat was seeing Rhassan Roland Kirk on a beautiful sunny day on the U f O campus in Eugene. I though UFOs brought him and his band down to me. Then (now I'm really bragging) about 20 years later I met Ken Kesey and mentioned the Hoo-Hah Festival which featured Rhassan, and, was put together by Kesey. He told me I was the only person he had ever met who was there!!!
Something of interest: I saw Tull live in a small auditorium in Frankfurt, Germany. This was like Feb or March 1970. The audience was about 70% US soldiers (me being one) and 30% German. Tull was fantastic and the Americans were clapping, yelling carrying on and smoking Mary Jane. The Germans displayed only polite applause.
I have nearly every album on either vinyl, cd or both, can't even remember the sonics since I haven't listened to them in so long. Happy to see this posted, have to include them in this weekend's listening sessions. Its all good, although the earlier the better for me. The critics nearly always hated them, used to call them Jethro Dull. It may have been Ian Anderson pissing off the press, he reportedly had a condescending attitude towards them.
Also saw them live back in 73, just after Passion Play was released, great concert. Ian Anderson was a madman on stage, a menacing presence. I remember pre-concert, this huge projection screen with the dancer from the cover of the Passion Play album. The lights in the house up, talking to friends, whatever, look up at the screen and you swear the dancer moved. You then watch the screen and the dancer moves just the slightest perceptable bit, over a period of fifteen, twenty minutes each movement slowly picks up in pace until just prior to them coming out on stage the dancer is moving in real time. Probably doesn't sound all that impressive, but having smoked a lot of that sweet stuff made it strangely surreal.
Well all of you have beaten me to it.. same comments on Stand Up, Benefit, and the RRK flute comment by Viridian. I have 'em all on vinyl so I couldn't tell you what to buy on CD..
Aqualung will probably never sound good since it was recorded badly. Heavy Horses is one of the best sounding albums as is Crest of A Knave, Broadsword and Stand Up. The MoFi releases are better than the new remasters, at least the ones I have are.
The Chrysalis remaster of Thick as a Brick sounds excellent; strangely, the remaster of Aqualung sounds like there are pillows over the speakers. Go figure.
The whole catalog has been remastered. The albums you mentioned all sound great, but the gold DCC Aqualung is supposed to be better than the current remastered version.
In terms of Jethro Tull, in my opinion, nothing is better than Stand Up and Benefit, in any form. Thick as a Brick is a very good concept album with exceptional musicianship and writing. Aqualung is a great album for catchy tunes as well as muscianship.
I've been a huge Tull fan since their beginning in the '60's, which kind of dates me I guess. Oh well.
Anyway, I thought your post was sort of unexpected after I read the first line. If you're just discovering the group and are not familiar with their discography, then shouldn't you maybe get some opinions on their different phases and albums first? You seem to be looking for sound quality without first exploring their music to determine what you might subsequently like to buy. Do that first, then look for the best available master/remaster. Or maybe you've done this and I just misread your intention.
My Tull collection is almost entirely vinyl, so I'm not familiar with any digital remasters. I can't help you there, but I might refer you to the Tull website. It will have their discography. You should also be able to link into some dedicated Tull discussion boards for further questions from people more familiar with the CD releases.
It's certainly a no brainer to start with Aqualung though.
Well here is something I know about as my very good mate Dave Pegg played bass/mandolin in this organization from 1979-1995. If you like Aqualung and care about sound quality, then by all means pick up Aqualung Live which was recorded for a studio audience in 2005. The best sounding studio version IMO is on the latest Chrysalis remasters.
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