Argh! I'll never bloody get TAAB2 I ordered it off "CDWOW" and 2 days agos they sent me an email saying, "Sorry there's a delay. It'll be with you in 6-10 days." And then yesterday another email, "Sorry we couldn't get stock of the item. Your order has been cancelled." So, I decided to do it the 'ol fashioned way and rang up my local record stores (by local I mean like 40 minutes away. Living in the country has its disadvantages) to see if they had it and none of them did. I should have gone with good 'ol reliable Amazon. Silly me...
5. Banker Bets, Banker Wins - I wasn't overly excited about this on the samples but now it sounds so familiar and close as if it's always been there. Ian has a gift of changing tempo in his vocals which is always useful for making a song sound more interesting (example "eat Hermione for lunch").
Brick Review Contains No Spoilers Glasgow Theatre Royal – Sunday April 15th 2012
I’m just a long time ordinary Tull fan, and I thought I’d give you a flavour of last night’s show as it was for me, if you are unable to get to a show or you are considering going. Let me set the scene.
The Theatre Royal is one of Glasgow’s oldest Theatres, and has never before played host to Jethro Tull or any part thereof. Inside the foyer it’s busy. Who are all these old people? Not many around under 40 tonight. It’s pretty much a sell-out. Quite a few folk asking for tickets.
Front row of the Dress Circle. And the lights go out. And in the darkness we can see only the glow of the equipment. And a figure walks on stage. And it’s Ian Anderson. And the spotlight is on him. And he’s playing the opening chords of ‘Thick as a Brick.’
I hope my bladder holds out until the interval. (it did thankfully)
About Last Night...
icyL verdict:
Very, very good, but not great (yet). If you are a Tull fan, you need to see this show. If you have a ticket, you can really look forward to it. If you don’t have a ticket for whatever reason, then get one. You’ll regret it if you don’t go. My fears about self-parody and over-theatricality turned out to be unfounded. Plenty of people filming the show.
The Venue
Yes, it’s a problem venue. This old Victorian theatre is the home of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet (yes we do have things like that even if we can’t afford them). The audience is on four levels with not a huge distance between the stage and the back of the hall. The ceiling is quite high giving a sort of funnel effect. This did not help the sound mix at all last night and although the venue is lauded for its acoustics – it didn’t really feel at home with this material. The other venue problem is that, being Victorian, it was built at a time when rickets was the Glaswegian’s disease of choice. If your waist is greater than 34 inches, and you are average height or above, and have legs, then you are going to struggle to be comfortable in these seats. The venue is hosting Scottish Opera’s Tosca soon. I think I’ll give that one a miss!
The Sound Mix
The sound from the louder instruments, drums (especially) and John's Hammond organ, were, for me, literally drowning out some of the vocals, both Ian’s and Ryan’s. It wasn't Scott or John's playing - it was the mix).The mix last night meant that in addition to some vocals I couldn’t hear bits of acoustic guitar and softer flute and even John’s accordion sometimes. I didn’t see a mixing desk and engineer – doesn’t mean there wasn’t one somewhere; this venue is full of nooks and crannies, and might be mission impossible for a sound engineer with this material – the 2008 and 2010 tours in a different but similar, smaller venue didn’t seem to me to suffer in this way but don’t let it put you off going. Audience wise last night was at least as noisy as any recent Tull show I’ve been too. No-one shouting for Aqualung though.
The Performances
The second vocalist Ryan, and the theatrical parts in this material were actually very good and did not detract at all from the experience. It added to it. It gave IA a rest vocally too - I thought Ian was fine vocally – not strong, but fine, especially good in the newer material as you would expect. Nobody rattles out an aggressive flute line like Ian and big cheers from the crowd when he did so. Only a couple of bits of banter from him but no issue with that from me. He looks fitter than someone half his age and obviously still has the appetite to perform. Sterling support from Dave and John - these guys are hugely talented and are as reliable as ever. Florian is Florian – he is not Martin. No-one I spoke to last night was really perturbed at all about who was or wasn’t in the band, but of course we all want to see Martin in or outwith Tull. A couple of really searing memorable solos from Florian. A real crowd pleaser. If I was a young drummer in such august company, very early in a tour, and playing in front of 1,500 Glaswegians not particularly noted for their patience, I would have been bricking it. If Scott was nervous he didn’t show it. He’s a top class drummer for a young man, and not out of place here. Now towards the end of TAAB 1, somebody lost their place. There was a collective intake of Glaswegian breath, and it took several seconds before the band all got back on track. Put this down to an early tour glitch. They are nor under re-hearsed.
You will hear a lot more about the young actor, Ryan.
Stand-out tracks?
Well, the whole of TAAB 1 of course. Great to hear it – and sounding so fresh too. From the second half, Old School, Wooton, Adrift, Change of Horses, Shunt and Shuffle and Kismet. In other words, just what’s on your playlist. You can easily see the tracks that could fold into a future Tull show.
The Video
A couple of parts were imaginative, surprising, well synchronised and thought through. Some of the stills used were not as effective as during the 2008 tour – it’s a different thing though: in 2008 they were band-related. Here they are material related. Some of the stills looked like they were taken quickly straight off the web, and fair enough, but they had a kind of cheap feel and not especially effective. During ‘Old school’ and ‘Wooton’ they didn’t really work for me personally. Also they seemed a bit jittery, sticking and getting out of sync during Wooton, a sensitive subject. Time for more RAM in the laptop Ian?
Encore?
TAAB1 and 2 only and no encore (no surprises there - its the right decision), but huge cheers for each player (especially newcomer Scott – nice to see) when taking a bow. TAAB1 and 2 sat quite well together. No cringeworthy moments, I'm glad I went. I would expect the glitches and the mix to be sorted out as the tour progresses. IA will see to that. So. You need to see this show. Get your ticket now. What are you waiting for?
I’d go again if I could.
Good luck to all Tullies! Enjoy the show!
icyL
PS check out Issue 103 of Dave Rees' A New Day mag for an interview with IA - well worth reading: if you don't have a subscription see www.anewdayrecords.co.uk
« Last Edit: Apr 16, 2012, 12:06pm by Icy Lucifer »
as far as the playing of Aqualung and Locomotive Breath, lets just have a break from them this tour and hear TAAB 1 and TAAB2 and be satisfied with that. I know I will....
Thanks, Charlie, and it's good to see you feeling okay and being so involved here on the Board. I've been going through a difficult stretch lately with some things that are causing me a lot of anxiety, but it will pass. As Winston Churchill once said, "when you are going through hell, keep on going."
Jeff
I agree, keep on going.
Deaf to dark, unheavenly host, at 25 Mulberry Close.
Excellent review Icy Lucifer! I'm not an expert audiophile (is that the right word?) but I thought the sound and venue were both excellent and without doubt this was my favourite of all the Tull/IA shows I've attended (my first was on the Catfish tour). Having Ryan O'Donnell singing many of the parts might have seemed a bad sign (has-beens like Gary Glitter latterly turned over most of the actual vocals to his "backing" singers in a quite lamentable effort I saw on TV many years ago) and I wondered how the fans would react but I agree with you that it was a great move - Ryan's rich singing was a huge bonus to the show, I loved it. Indeed, the only disappointment of the night was that they didn't have either of the t-shirts I wanted in size medium!
Brick Review Contains No Spoilers Glasgow Theatre Royal – Sunday April 15th 2012
I’m just a long time ordinary Tull fan, and I thought I’d give you a flavour of last night’s show as it was for me, if you are unable to get to a show or you are considering going. Let me set the scene.
The Theatre Royal is one of Glasgow’s oldest Theatres, and has never before played host to Jethro Tull or any part thereof. Inside the foyer it’s busy. Who are all these old people? Not many around under 40 tonight. It’s pretty much a sell-out. Quite a few folk asking for tickets.
Front row of the Dress Circle. And the lights go out. And in the darkness we can see only the glow of the equipment. And a figure walks on stage. And it’s Ian Anderson. And the spotlight is on him. And he’s playing the opening chords of ‘Thick as a Brick.’
I hope my bladder holds out until the interval. (it did thankfully)
About Last Night...
icyL verdict:
Very, very good, but not great (yet). If you are a Tull fan, you need to see this show. If you have a ticket, you can really look forward to it. If you don’t have a ticket for whatever reason, then get one. You’ll regret it if you don’t go. My fears about self-parody and over-theatricality turned out to be unfounded. Plenty of people filming the show.
The Venue
Yes, it’s a problem venue. This old Victorian theatre is the home of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet (yes we do have things like that even if we can’t afford them). The audience is on four levels with not a huge distance between the stage and the back of the hall. The ceiling is quite high giving a sort of funnel effect. This did not help the sound mix at all last night and although the venue is lauded for its acoustics – it didn’t really feel at home with this material. The other venue problem is that, being Victorian, it was built at a time when rickets was the Glaswegian’s disease of choice. If your waist is greater than 34 inches, and you are average height or above, and have legs, then you are going to struggle to be comfortable in these seats. The venue is hosting Scottish Opera’s Tosca soon. I think I’ll give that one a miss!
The Sound Mix
The sound from the louder instruments, drums (especially) and John's Hammond organ, were, for me, literally drowning out some of the vocals, both Ian’s and Ryan’s. It wasn't Scott or John's playing - it was the mix).The mix last night meant that in addition to some vocals I couldn’t hear bits of acoustic guitar and softer flute and even John’s accordion sometimes. I didn’t see a mixing desk and engineer – doesn’t mean there wasn’t one somewhere; this venue is full of nooks and crannies, and might be mission impossible for a sound engineer with this material – the 2008 and 2010 tours in a different but similar, smaller venue didn’t seem to me to suffer in this way but don’t let it put you off going. Audience wise last night was at least as noisy as any recent Tull show I’ve been too. No-one shouting for Aqualung though.
The Performances
The second vocalist Ryan, and the theatrical parts in this material were actually very good and did not detract at all from the experience. It added to it. It gave IA a rest vocally too - I thought Ian was fine vocally – not strong, but fine, especially good in the newer material as you would expect. Nobody rattles out an aggressive flute line like Ian and big cheers from the crowd when he did so. Only a couple of bits of banter from him but no issue with that from me. He looks fitter than someone half his age and obviously still has the appetite to perform. Sterling support from Dave and John - these guys are hugely talented and are as reliable as ever. Florian is Florian – he is not Martin. No-one I spoke to last night was really perturbed at all about who was or wasn’t in the band, but of course we all want to see Martin in or outwith Tull. A couple of really searing memorable solos from Florian. A real crowd pleaser. If I was a young drummer in such august company, very early in a tour, and playing in front of 1,500 Glaswegians not particularly noted for their patience, I would have been bricking it. If Scott was nervous he didn’t show it. He’s a top class drummer for a young man, and not out of place here. Now towards the end of TAAB 1, somebody lost their place. There was a collective intake of Glaswegian breath, and it took several seconds before the band all got back on track. Put this down to an early tour glitch. They are nor under re-hearsed.
You will hear a lot more about the young actor, Ryan.
Stand-out tracks?
Well, the whole of TAAB 1 of course. Great to hear it – and sounding so fresh too. From the second half, Old School, Wooton, Adrift, Change of Horses, Shunt and Shuffle and Kismet. In other words, just what’s on your playlist. You can easily see the tracks that could fold into a future Tull show.
The Video
A couple of parts were imaginative, surprising, well synchronised and thought through. Some of the stills used were not as effective as during the 2008 tour – it’s a different thing though: in 2008 they were band-related. Here they are material related. Some of the stills looked like they were taken quickly straight off the web, and fair enough, but they had a kind of cheap feel and not especially effective. During ‘Old school’ and ‘Wooton’ they didn’t really work for me personally. Also they seemed a bit jittery, sticking and getting out of sync during Wooton, a sensitive subject. Time for more RAM in the laptop Ian?
Encore?
TAAB1 and 2 only and no encore (no surprises there - its the right decision), but huge cheers for each player (especially newcomer Scott – nice to see) when taking a bow. TAAB1 and 2 sat quite well together. No cringeworthy moments, I'm glad I went. I would expect the glitches and the mix to be sorted out as the tour progresses. IA will see to that. So. You need to see this show. Get your ticket now. What are you waiting for?
I’d go again if I could.
Good luck to all Tullies! Enjoy the show!
icyL
PS check out Issue 103 of Dave Rees' A New Day mag for an interview with IA - well worth reading: if you don't have a subscription see www.anewdayrecords.co.uk
Joined: Dec 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 0 Location: Canada
Re: TAAB2 « Reply #394 on Apr 17, 2012, 2:21pm »
Blankfein is Aqualung? Dimon Thick As A Brick? Published: Tuesday, 17 Apr 2012 By: Jane Wells CNBC Correspondent http://www.cnbc.com/id/47076670 Have the last few years left you looking like a cross-eyed Mary? Were your retirement plans bungled ... in the jungle?
Maybe the financial collapse has left you feeling like a dead duck, spitting out pieces of your broken luck. Oh, Aqualung.
Fortunately, Jethro Tull is on your side.
The classic British rock band is out with a new album for new times called "Thick as a Brick 2, Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock", which follows up on the story of the fictional young poet who wrote the lyrics to the original album 40 years ago. (40 YEARS!?)
One of the songs on the new album is called "Banker Bets, Banker Wins", and like all good Tull songs, it's angry. "Banker bets and banker wins," sings Ian Anderson, "Never missed yet, for all his sins."
And the banker's sins are aplenty: "Hedge funds, wraps and equities," goes the song, "Trusts and gilts, reserve currencies."
I never thought I'd see the day when Ian Anderson is singing about reserve currencies.
Maybe Lloyd Blankfein isn't quite Aqualung, eyeing little muppets with bad intent. Nor is it likely that Jamie Dimon is thick as a brick ("so come on, all you criminals!). But Anderson likens them and their ilk to "pigs a-troughing."
Still, as far as I can tell, Anderson has not exactly been made destitute by the banking crisis, and the youthful rage of Aqualung has been replaced by the stinging sarcasm of maturity. As for government "solutions" to rein in greedy bankers, here's what the band sings:
Draconian calls for regulation
are drowned in latte with Starbucks muffin.
Mortgage melt-down: non est mea culpa.
Threatened exit, stage left, laughing...
Banker bets and banker wins, never missed yet, for all his sins.
Banker bets, cheque's in the post: not worth the ink it's written in.
I also thought I'd never see the day when Jethro Tull is singing about Starbucks. Oh, Aqualung.
Brick Review Contains No Spoilers Glasgow Theatre Royal – Sunday April 15th 2012
I’m just a long time ordinary Tull fan, and I thought I’d give you a flavour of last night’s show as it was for me, if you are unable to get to a show or you are considering going. Let me set the scene.
The Theatre Royal is one of Glasgow’s oldest Theatres, and has never before played host to Jethro Tull or any part thereof. Inside the foyer it’s busy. Who are all these old people? Not many around under 40 tonight. It’s pretty much a sell-out. Quite a few folk asking for tickets.
Front row of the Dress Circle. And the lights go out. And in the darkness we can see only the glow of the equipment. And a figure walks on stage. And it’s Ian Anderson. And the spotlight is on him. And he’s playing the opening chords of ‘Thick as a Brick.’
I hope my bladder holds out until the interval. (it did thankfully)
About Last Night...
icyL verdict:
Very, very good, but not great (yet). If you are a Tull fan, you need to see this show. If you have a ticket, you can really look forward to it. If you don’t have a ticket for whatever reason, then get one. You’ll regret it if you don’t go. My fears about self-parody and over-theatricality turned out to be unfounded. Plenty of people filming the show.
The Venue
Yes, it’s a problem venue. This old Victorian theatre is the home of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet (yes we do have things like that even if we can’t afford them). The audience is on four levels with not a huge distance between the stage and the back of the hall. The ceiling is quite high giving a sort of funnel effect. This did not help the sound mix at all last night and although the venue is lauded for its acoustics – it didn’t really feel at home with this material. The other venue problem is that, being Victorian, it was built at a time when rickets was the Glaswegian’s disease of choice. If your waist is greater than 34 inches, and you are average height or above, and have legs, then you are going to struggle to be comfortable in these seats. The venue is hosting Scottish Opera’s Tosca soon. I think I’ll give that one a miss!
The Sound Mix
The sound from the louder instruments, drums (especially) and John's Hammond organ, were, for me, literally drowning out some of the vocals, both Ian’s and Ryan’s. It wasn't Scott or John's playing - it was the mix).The mix last night meant that in addition to some vocals I couldn’t hear bits of acoustic guitar and softer flute and even John’s accordion sometimes. I didn’t see a mixing desk and engineer – doesn’t mean there wasn’t one somewhere; this venue is full of nooks and crannies, and might be mission impossible for a sound engineer with this material – the 2008 and 2010 tours in a different but similar, smaller venue didn’t seem to me to suffer in this way but don’t let it put you off going. Audience wise last night was at least as noisy as any recent Tull show I’ve been too. No-one shouting for Aqualung though.
The Performances
The second vocalist Ryan, and the theatrical parts in this material were actually very good and did not detract at all from the experience. It added to it. It gave IA a rest vocally too - I thought Ian was fine vocally – not strong, but fine, especially good in the newer material as you would expect. Nobody rattles out an aggressive flute line like Ian and big cheers from the crowd when he did so. Only a couple of bits of banter from him but no issue with that from me. He looks fitter than someone half his age and obviously still has the appetite to perform. Sterling support from Dave and John - these guys are hugely talented and are as reliable as ever. Florian is Florian – he is not Martin. No-one I spoke to last night was really perturbed at all about who was or wasn’t in the band, but of course we all want to see Martin in or outwith Tull. A couple of really searing memorable solos from Florian. A real crowd pleaser. If I was a young drummer in such august company, very early in a tour, and playing in front of 1,500 Glaswegians not particularly noted for their patience, I would have been bricking it. If Scott was nervous he didn’t show it. He’s a top class drummer for a young man, and not out of place here. Now towards the end of TAAB 1, somebody lost their place. There was a collective intake of Glaswegian breath, and it took several seconds before the band all got back on track. Put this down to an early tour glitch. They are nor under re-hearsed.
You will hear a lot more about the young actor, Ryan.
Stand-out tracks?
Well, the whole of TAAB 1 of course. Great to hear it – and sounding so fresh too. From the second half, Old School, Wooton, Adrift, Change of Horses, Shunt and Shuffle and Kismet. In other words, just what’s on your playlist. You can easily see the tracks that could fold into a future Tull show.
The Video
A couple of parts were imaginative, surprising, well synchronised and thought through. Some of the stills used were not as effective as during the 2008 tour – it’s a different thing though: in 2008 they were band-related. Here they are material related. Some of the stills looked like they were taken quickly straight off the web, and fair enough, but they had a kind of cheap feel and not especially effective. During ‘Old school’ and ‘Wooton’ they didn’t really work for me personally. Also they seemed a bit jittery, sticking and getting out of sync during Wooton, a sensitive subject. Time for more RAM in the laptop Ian?
Encore?
TAAB1 and 2 only and no encore (no surprises there - its the right decision), but huge cheers for each player (especially newcomer Scott – nice to see) when taking a bow. TAAB1 and 2 sat quite well together. No cringeworthy moments, I'm glad I went. I would expect the glitches and the mix to be sorted out as the tour progresses. IA will see to that. So. You need to see this show. Get your ticket now. What are you waiting for?
I’d go again if I could.
Good luck to all Tullies! Enjoy the show!
icyL
PS check out Issue 103 of Dave Rees' A New Day mag for an interview with IA - well worth reading: if you don't have a subscription see www.anewdayrecords.co.uk
Finally I got to listen TAAB2 in my car on a nearly two hours long journey. Utterly different from listening it on my headphones at home. Freedom to turn volume up you wish up to shattering my ears, with pleasure of course, and to be able to figure what the hell of good out we have to relish again from IA. The whole is perfectly acted. Banker bets Banker wins, in the very beginning the album, soon raises your temperature and makes you the first goosebumps and so the same all along this materpiece. I can honestly say that yesterday I touched Heaven again, I felt one more time in my life under an ecstasy mood as I'd never got so after a long time ago. Highly recommended. Thanks also to this Board that I could learn how to get my TAAB2 order by online way, and much more appreciated because this release isn't on sale at stores in my city yet. I'm feeling the most fortunate man in town for this. THANKS CHICOS
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