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Post by TM on Jun 14, 2010 13:12:41 GMT -5
What a great night last night! It was really great to finally meet the Nonfatman after so many years of friendship on the Tull message boards. And it was really nice meeting Barry, Laura and Rob too. Barry was a very gracious host and entertained us with some fine acoustic Tull. I could have tailgated with these folks for hours! As both Jeff's stated, Tull were great last night! There's simply nothing critical I can say about it, except I wish they played longer. Ian's vocals seemed really strong. The best I've heard in a long time. Yes, he struggled a bit with Songs From The Wood, but I must say that I'm very happy they played it. Last night's rendition rocked! Got to run and catch up with work. I'll try to post more tonight. Cheers!
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Post by Nonfatman on Jun 14, 2010 16:01:15 GMT -5
The show last night at PNC was awesome. I had 3rd row center seats and in my opinion Tull has never sounded better. Yes it could have been longer and they could have played Thick as a Brick but let's not get greedy. Ian is a great performer, showman, and one of the most original rock legends of all time. There is no other performer that puts his personality into the performance quite like he does. For a 63 year old man he moves around quite well. To be able to balance on one leg like that for more than 10 seconds is quite an athletic feat. Go ahead and try it and you'll see. For me it was a dream come true to see Tull that close... I have never been that close for a concert ever in my life and it was certainly worth every penny. In 1976 I saw my first Tull show at MSG from the green seats with a pair of binoculars. To sit this close was just amazing. At least 3-4 times Ian and I made eye contact and all I could do was laugh. I just found myself smiling throughout the entire concert. I'm sure my wife enjoyed watching me enjoy myself as much if not more than she enjoyed the concert. Jeff From one Jeff to another, I've got to agree with every word you wrote! That was a memorable show, and come to think of it, I have never seen a bad Tull show at that venue. The sound system and acoustics are excellent. Tull are always red-hot there. Martin's searing guitar playing was incredible, nice and loud, and there was a lot of energy coming from the crowd, much more so than at Jones Beach. I think that makes a big difference. Nothing is Easy was my favorite last night. I was impressed by Ian's singing, which was better than it had been at Jones Beach, and I heard it through the grapevine that he had a bit of a cold at the Beach and also AC. He sure recovered last night though. The vocals were fairly strong and consistent, except for a few spots in SFTW, Budapest, Change of Horses and Aqualung where he struggled. But if he sang every show the way he did last night, I would be very happy. For most of the night if you closed your eyes, it was almost like the Tull of old. I wish it were longer though. Only 13 songs, including Jack in the Green and a one minute instrumental Whistler, which was not played at JB. Approximately 85-90 minute show, so about ten minutes longer than Friday night's show, but still not enough. By the way, I was right behind you, fourth row center. Nothing like seeing Tull from up close, there's no doubt about that. It's an entirely different experience. What a fun night that was! I would give this show a very solid B+. The only reason I didn't give it an A- was because of the short set. Jeff
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Post by Nonfatman on Jun 14, 2010 16:20:50 GMT -5
Hi Jeff. I' am very glad you and your family have had such a pleasant evening. I believe Tull never really disappointed anyone... M. Hi, Michele. It's always nice to see Tull, but some shows are better than others, and last night's show in PNC was very, very good. And the whole night was fun because I met Paul for the first time, we had a tailgate party with friends, and I saw a lot of people I know! Jeff
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2010 18:55:56 GMT -5
Nice to hear the positive PNC revues. Long live Jethro Tull.
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Post by magicjeff on Jun 14, 2010 19:56:16 GMT -5
I don't know about any of you but all day today I could not get one bit of work done. My head was totally in the Tull concert all day. I simply could not stop thinking about it. My wife agreed with me 100 % and she is practically a Tull illiterate. The good news is that she didn't ask me which one was Jethro (although I think she did when we we first started dating 28 years ago)... and I married her anyway, imagine that. On a different note, I stumbled upon this web site when I was searching this site the other day and if you haven't read this lately I urge you to. I probably should post this in a different section but... www.world-enlightenment.com/Jethro-Tull-Thick-As-A-Brick-home.htmI have always tried to make some sense of my favorite Tull album without much luck until I read this. I just wish they continued past the first section. What's interesting to me is that with the recent oil disaster TAAB is right on the money. It's all about putting profit ahead of what is morally and ethically right. Boy I tell you that Gerald Bostock guy is one smart guy... Jeff
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Post by Nonfatman on Jun 14, 2010 21:07:44 GMT -5
I'm so saddened to hear this report about Jones Beach. I was on the fence about going and since I was really exhausted from work this Friday I bailed. Since we're in the '10s decade this would been my fifth Tull decade (seeing a show in the 70's, 80's etc). But hearing this report, and seeing the youtube clips, I'm not certain I can bring myself to see such an anemic performance. Maybe Tull have to be creative, the way YES are doing it. Let Ian concentrate on the impeccable musicianship. Get someone who is a real soundalike (from the heyday era), and have him do the singing. Maybe have Ian do one song a night if he's up for it. It's never been made clear to me if there is any reason why he drifts so far out of key. I would think it cannot be his hearing since he plays perfectly. Has he ever actually consulted with doctors and/or voice coaches? Is there actual permanent damage, or is it a breathing issue? If you told me that he'd had a lung removed due to emphysema, I wouldn't bat an eyelash. It would fit the facts. I feel we're not getting the whole story. Hey, Bob, the Jones Beach show was good, don't get me wrong. It's just that it was not a memorable show, like the PNC show was last night. The main problems really were the half-empty venue, lack of crowd energy and short set list. The band and vocals were good, but were even better at PNC. I think our member Donl may be right when he says that Ian's voice doesn't carry too well, or gets lost in the wind and carried out to sea, at Jones Beach. That was not the case for the 40th anniversary show, but I know what he means. I have seen some excellent Tull shows there, but also some run of the mill ones, especially the one where ELP opened for them in 1996, I believe. Were you at that one? PNC is a different story. There's only about 5,000 seats (compared with 15,000 at Jones Beach) and space on the lawn for another few thousand, but the seating is underneath a domed canopy-like structure which has great acoustics, and I was told that the sound system at PNC is excellent too. Jeff
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Post by Just Me on Jun 14, 2010 22:39:15 GMT -5
its true theres something lost over jones beach. its worth the money to sit close. i was 2nd row center this time around and loved every second! pnc blew it away though! personally, i'll be there when they wheel ian out w/a trach and play it loud. what better way to listen to great music, but in the presence of greatness. and, i too, enjoyed the tailgate
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Post by TM on Jun 15, 2010 9:13:45 GMT -5
Jethro Tull takes a progressive turn toward folk Frontman Ian Anderson led Jethro Tull through a 90-minute performance of the band's lesser-known works with a sprinkling of hits Sunday in Holmdel. They didn’t do “Teacher.” No “Thick As A Brick” or “Cross-Eyed Mary,” or “Bungle In The Jungle” either. There was no “Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day” at PNC Bank Arts Center on Sunday night. And by no means was Jethro Tull “Living In The Past .” It took Ian Anderson an hour and a quarter before he got around to playing a classic rock radio standard. The crowd didn’t seem to mind. During its 90-minute set, Tull scoured the archives for several lesser-known songs from the band's first two albums (including a rollicking version of “Beggar’s Farm”), charged through a rocking version of a madrigal written by Henry VIII, put a jazz spin on a Bach piece, introduced two unrecorded tunes, and danced through two more from “Songs From The Wood,” the brightest, folkiest album in the its catalogue. Only after that did the group tear into “Aqualung .” In so doing, Ian Anderson made a convincing case for what his band is, and more importantly, what it is not. Jethro Tull is not a classic rock dinosaur, Anderson insists, dragging its way through the umpteenth live rehash of greatest hits. Tull’s music is present, fluid, improvisational. And by performing “Aqualung” next to madrigals and ragas and the electric blues on “Stand Up" and “This Was," Anderson aligned the band’s best-known work with traditional folk forms, rather than with the elaborate conceptual projects that followed the 1971 classic. Anderson — an intellectual’s rock star if ever there was one — has kept his argumentative voice in fine shape. He’s a true raconteur, full of lively between-song banter. Had he been born in medieval Britain (sometimes it seems he wishes he’d been) he would have made an outstanding court jester: entertaining, observant, caustic when necessary, and a trusted advisor to the king. Alas, at PNC, Anderson’s voice often betrayed him. Battling a cough, he strained for every high note; by the end of the set, the singer was practically talking his way through his verses like Rex Harrison in “My Fair Lady.“The playful Anderson is impossible not to pull for, and the audience was firmly in his corner as he mimed, gesticulated, and craned his neck to squeeze out every chorus. He never gave up. Still, those used to the clear pitch and confident delivery on Jethro Tull recordings had to have been disappointed. The agile frontman refused to let his hoarseness affect the rest of his performance. He charged around the stage, eyes popping, leaping in and out of the spotlight, gesturing to his bandmates with theatrical waves of his hands. His flute-playing was, as always, exuberant: he snorted, grunted, overblew, flutter-tongued, forced guttural noises out of his axe, executed runs at blinding speed, and alternated between wet, breathy, and mockingbird-sweet tones. He stalked the curved front of the PNC stage, piping as he went; from time to time, he sustained that famous stork-legged pose that is to Anderson what the moonwalk was to Michael Jackson. Anderson’s strong musical rapport with guitarist Martin Barre — who has been with Jethro Tull almost as long as Anderson has — is a joy to watch. Barre’s jaunty playing on the folkier numbers was assured, but the veteran rocker seemed thrilled to get to the rougher material from “Aqualung .” Multi-instrumentalist John O’Hara also impressed: his stuttering digital harpsichord solo on “King Henry’s Madrigal” was an highlight of a show distinguished by its displays of virtuosity. (Anderson returns to the region this autumn — he’ll be doing solo shows at the Mayo Center in Morristown on Oct. 21, and Wellmont Theater in Montclair on Nov. 17.) During the opening set, Gary Brooker’s electric piano sported a “Beyond The Pale” sticker. It’s an in-joke for prog-rock fans: Procol Harum, Brooker’s group, is all-too-frequently dismissed as a one-hit wonder, notable for “Whiter Shade Of Pale” and little else. In fact, they’re one of the most unjustly overlooked bands of the '70s prog-rock movement. Procol Harum balances classical, folk, and blues influences nearly as deftly as Jethro Tull does, and, as long as the husky-voiced Gary Brooker is on the mike, they’ve got plenty of soul. The quintet played a strong version of “Pale” at PNC Arts Center, and received a standing ovation from the hard-to-please Tull faithful afterward. A brooding take on “A Salty Dog,” the title track from their excellent 1969 release, was even finer. They kept current, too, throwing stones at bankers in the recently released “Wall Street Blues.” Apparently Brooker has had some lousy investment advice. Bad for him, but good news for us — he’ll have to keep touring. www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2010/06/jethro_tull_takes_a_progressiv.html
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Post by tootull on Jun 15, 2010 9:42:06 GMT -5
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Post by tootull on Jun 15, 2010 10:31:13 GMT -5
Sometimes the links sink, and it's best to cut&paste. Some workplaces don't allow certain links. www.patriotledger.com/entertainment/music/x1980745235/CHIT-CHAT-Ian-Anderson By Peggy Mullen The Patriot Ledger Posted Jun 14, 2010 @ 01:15 PM Under the tent with Jethro Tull Ian Anderson is the leader of the band Jethro Tull and has been for its entire 40-plus years. While members of the band came and went, Anderson is the fixed star around whose orbit the entire enterprise revolves. It is Anderson’s musical muse that defines the band, from its roots in the blues, to progressive rock, to heavy metal and more than a few musical journeys into the heart of English folk music. In the early 1970s, Jethro Tull would easily sell out the old Boston Garden for two nights running, such was their popularity. Anderson talked to us from the road. Does playing at an outdoor venue such as Bank of Boston Pavilion affect the sound of the music? It does. The concerts I like to play are truly outdoors, not just big tents. I’m not fond of them, but they’re there because the weather can’t be trusted. I like a grand old opera house, that’s my favorite and my second favorite is a really outdoor, natural place like Red Rocks in Denver. What about the old Boston Garden? The last time we played at Boston Garden back in the late ’70s, 19 people got stabbed in the audience. A big Irish cop gave me his whistle and told me to blow it if the guy tried to get onto the stage. You never did do the kind of love songs that most rock ’n’ roll bands do. Was that a conscious choice? I’m an uptight British person and I don’t do that sort of stuff very often. It’s very much a relative rarity. I’m an observational writer, I write about people and things in a context. I don’t like portraiture. I like the person in a context in a story line. Put in painterly terms, I like my characters in an environment with something going on. As an example, “Budapest” is one of those songs. Who are your favorite musicians? For classical music, I like Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven, who probably tops the list. In jazz, I love the wonderful Mose Allison. I prefer to listen to classical flute or folk music, Irish or Indian. There’s lots of rock music I like, but I tend to not listen to much of it. WHAT: Jethro Tull WHERE: Bank of Boston Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave., Boston WHEN: Tuesday TICKETS: $35-$65, www.ticketmaster.comCopyright 2010 The Patriot Ledger. Some rights reserved
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Post by TM on Jun 15, 2010 10:54:05 GMT -5
I think Striped Bassists are a protected species 'round here.
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Post by tootull on Jun 15, 2010 11:54:24 GMT -5
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Post by Nonfatman on Jun 15, 2010 12:28:59 GMT -5
Thank you for that, John, it's much appreciated. And thanks for all the links and reviews as well. I really enjoy reading your posts and I like your offbeat sense of humor, which sometimes keeps me guessing a little! Thanks for your contributions and interest here. Jeff
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Post by Nonfatman on Jun 15, 2010 12:34:35 GMT -5
its true theres something lost over jones beach. its worth the money to sit close. i was 2nd row center this time around and loved every second! pnc blew it away though! personally, i'll be there when they wheel ian out w/a trach and play it loud. what better way to listen to great music, but in the presence of greatness. and, i too, enjoyed the tailgate Welcome to The Jethro Tull Board, Laura, and I wholeheartedly agree with those sentiments! It's great to have you as a new member of the board, and I look forward to hanging out with you and the rest of the gang at future Tull and War Child shows! Cheers, Jeff
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Post by tootull on Jun 15, 2010 14:09:08 GMT -5
Thank you for that, John, it's much appreciated. And thanks for all the links and reviews as well. I really enjoy reading your posts and I like your offbeat sense of humor, which sometimes keeps me guessing a little! Thanks for your contributions and interest here. Jeff Laugh, you're causing a problem with a Procol Harum fan on SHtv, already. You better sort that out. www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=218334&page=2 Offbeat sense of humor, which sometimes keeps me guessing a little!
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Post by Nonfatman on Jun 15, 2010 14:53:47 GMT -5
From the PNC show Sunday night:
Jeff
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Bwanabob
One of the Youngest of the Family
Posts: 66
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Post by Bwanabob on Jun 16, 2010 8:41:02 GMT -5
Now I'm even more distressed. If the PNC examples shown are what passes for a good show these days, then things have gotten worse than I remember them. Can anyone chime in who's seen the Ian A solo shows in a small venue recently. Without the need to really sing loudly, can Ian keep in key, or stick to the established melodies? My attendence at Westbury this fall hangs in the balance. Thanks.
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Tullist
One of the Youngest of the Family
Posts: 63
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Post by Tullist on Jun 16, 2010 9:08:59 GMT -5
On the one hand so very few of these You Tube videos would I estimate are of much value to make any written in stone judgements upon. Having said that I think alot of folks would be surprised to see that he is singing in key, possibly even moreso than the golden throated warbler days of 68-76, just not the key that lives somewhere in your memory. But even if the solo tours do have moderately more disparate setlists, I would warn that if you don't like what u are hearing out of the post seventies Tull, (or where ever one marks their sell by date)or are there to hear a Tull that bares the faintest resemblance to prog, they are bound to disapoint. Although I do see folks who are more pleased with the solo outings, although they do mention missing Martin, I think if u don't like one, the other is not going to impress so much either.
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Post by mothermonkey1 on Jun 16, 2010 9:19:42 GMT -5
Now I'm even more distressed. If the PNC examples shown are what passes for a good show these days, then things have gotten worse than I remember them. Can anyone chime in who's seen the Ian A solo shows in a small venue recently. Without the need to really sing loudly, can Ian keep in key, or stick to the established melodies? My attendence at Westbury this fall hangs in the balance. Thanks.
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Post by mothermonkey1 on Jun 16, 2010 9:20:49 GMT -5
Hey Bwanabob,where were you sitting?
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Post by Brown Mouse on Jun 16, 2010 9:40:14 GMT -5
The solo shows are longer and more acoustic than the recent Jethro Tull shows. The one I saw at the Beacon in NY last year had two sets. It was a very good show, not a Tull show but he played a lot of great stuff. I agree with what Tullist said, if you aren't excited by the recent Jethro Tull concerts you might not like the solo show either. I will probably go to the Westbury one, but am wondering if he will play any other NY area shows that might be a bit more convenient to get to.
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Bwanabob
One of the Youngest of the Family
Posts: 66
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Post by Bwanabob on Jun 16, 2010 12:44:25 GMT -5
Hey Bwanabob,where were you sitting? You may have misread. I haven't attended a show since 2001. I was considering Westbury this fall. My apprehension is not about the songs chosen but by Ian's lack of ability to stay remotely true to the original melody lines. I won't debate if his vocal straying counts as being out of key - it sure sounds it off in many of the clips I've seen, and in Living With the Past. I've seen shows since the mid 70's so I know what he was capable of and how the ability has eroded. When you take a rest from attending and then pick up it is a bit of a shock to see that it has slid further. Tragic.
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Post by Nonfatman on Jun 16, 2010 15:06:15 GMT -5
Now I'm even more distressed. If the PNC examples shown are what passes for a good show these days, then things have gotten worse than I remember them. Can anyone chime in who's seen the Ian A solo shows in a small venue recently. Without the need to really sing loudly, can Ian keep in key, or stick to the established melodies? My attendence at Westbury this fall hangs in the balance. Thanks. Bob, I thought he sang those two fairly well. His voice will never be what it once was, but the same is true of most of his peers. I was at that show on Sunday, and most of the night if you closed your eyes it sounded almost as good as the Tull of old. Ian more than pulled it off. Did you really not like the PNC vid of Locomotive Breath? I listened to it all the way through just last night and thought it was killer. Jeff
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Bwanabob
One of the Youngest of the Family
Posts: 66
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Post by Bwanabob on Jun 16, 2010 15:56:37 GMT -5
Hi Jeff,
No, I honestly didn't like them. It just takes me so out of the moment when I hear him struggle so. There was something else that I never really noticed until now. I know Ian "relearned" how to play flute (he's told us the tale). Naturally it affected his flute playing style and compositions; you can hear it in newer material. But it just dawned on me how it's made his older material sound much more vanilla, almost like a cover band's flautist would play it. Maybe it's too much of mental stretch to play the older songs the old way and newer stuff with the new "fingerings". But this too takes me out of the moment; it's just not as compelling as it once was. My God was my favorite flute piece from back then. There once was an anger or urgency in it. Now it's clinically clean.
I just posted in another thread a throwaway line about having James Duncan sing in his father's place. His voice is similar to that of Ian back in the day. If he tours with the Ian solo band, they should try that experiment on a track or two. -Bob
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2010 19:38:01 GMT -5
Ian sounded decent last night, his voice has done pretty well for the most part, but the do play a lot more instrumental pieces. I am getting tired of King Henrys Madrigal, another in its place would be fine with me. Under Wraps 2 or Papparazi come to mind or something new would be nice. Procol Harum were great as well last night it was nice to see both bands on the same bill. I watched Martin most of the night to see how his finger was and it was fine...because he cranked. I would give the the show a solid 7.5
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