|
Post by bobo the monkey on Nov 11, 2009 22:39:21 GMT -5
Salamander already summarized my feeling about this tour...as long as Ian Anderson chooses to continue as a touring musician, he can count on my attendance at one or more of each tour's shows. My daughter, planted in the center of the first row, earplugs in pocket (this, I believe works...I've always owned a bike helmet...I just don't wear it), lasted till the intermission so i got the first set twice, this year, and the second set once. This is how it is supposed to be: old songs, new songs, catalog surprises, re-arranged regulars and the energy generated by new and newish, fresh blood. Martin Barre is beyond reproach....both in theory and practice...but there is no denying that O'Hara,Goodier and Mondesir were enjoying their jobs far more than Giddings, Noyce and Perry in the early decade. Opahle is a phenom and the viola player added without gobbling undue time nor oxygen. Maybe I'm biased by seeing the first set twice...but it seemed stronger than the second set...the streak of bullseyes provided form Dun Ringhill thru Rock on the Road, minus serenade, fat man and the viola solo, was impressive....ther biggest regret in missing set two was not getting another chance to wallow in the strongly re-arranged My God. I didn't really need to see Mother Goose, Aqualung, Bouree and Locomotive Breath for the zillionth time each....second hearings of this years' dun ringhil, Just trying to Be, Marcg the mad scientist and jeffry goes to leister square had more vitamins, after all. After enthusiastic applause for the introduction of 'Just trying to Be' ian said: 'don't pretend you know this one'...I thought a second too late to yell, and would have surely heard, 'don't pretend we don't'. When will he learn how many tickets are bought by those of us who know every song...no matter how obscure, and would be happy to hear many more cuts like, oh, how about 'nothing to say, acoustic passion play bits, crash barrier waltzer and orion? Can we get a few year ban on everything on Stand Up and Aqualung?
|
|
|
Post by Nonfatman on Nov 11, 2009 23:39:42 GMT -5
Salamander already summarized my feeling about this tour...as long as Ian Anderson chooses to continue as a touring musician, he can count on my attendance at one or more of each tour's shows. My daughter, planted in the center of the first row, earplugs in pocket (this, I believe works...I've always owned a bike helmet...I just don't wear it), lasted till the intermission so i got the first set twice, this year, and the second set once. This is how it is supposed to be: old songs, new songs, catalog surprises, re-arranged regulars and the energy generated by new and newish, fresh blood. Martin Barre is beyond reproach....both in theory and practice...but there is no denying that O'Hara,Goodier and Mondesir were enjoying their jobs far more than Giddings, Noyce and Perry in the early decade. Opahle is a phenom and the viola player added without gobbling undue time nor oxygen. Maybe I'm biased by seeing the first set twice...but it seemed stronger than the second set...the streak of bullseyes provided form Dun Ringhill thru Rock on the Road, minus serenade, fat man and the viola solo, was impressive....ther biggest regret in missing set two was not getting another chance to wallow in the strongly re-arranged My God. I didn't really need to see Mother Goose, Aqualung, Bouree and Locomotive Breath for the zillionth time each....second hearings of this years' dun ringhil, Just trying to Be, Marcg the mad scientist and jeffry goes to leister square had more vitamins, after all. After enthusiastic applause for the introduction of 'Just trying to Be' ian said: 'don't pretend you know this one'...I thought a second too late to yell, and would have surely heard, 'don't pretend we don't'. When will he learn how many tickets are bought by those of us who know every song...no matter how obscure, and would be happy to hear many more cuts like, oh, how about 'nothing to say, acoustic passion play bits, crash barrier waltzer and orion? Can we get a few year ban on everything on Stand Up and Aqualung? Glad you enjoyed the show-and-a-half, Bernie. Paul basically shared your same impression, and so did I, but to a lesser extent because I felt that songs which are inherently electric or instrumental should not have been included in a show advertised as 'IA plays the Acoustic Jethro Tull.' But, as you note, many of the song selections were great, the new material was very good (upset though that Child in My Garden was permanently dropped) and the performances and energy level were excellent....a very enjoyable show, with a relaxed Ian who was clearly having fun. I was almost ready to give up on Tull after a disastrous show in Newark, NJ, two years ago almost to this very day, where he completely lost his voice and, although it was billed as Jethro Tull (i.e., the first Tull tour to feature O'hara and Goodier), it was literally 80% instrumental, because he just could not sing. But thankfully, I went to the Jones Beach 40th Anniversary show in the summer of 2008, and it was absolutely killer, his singing had greatly improved, and it was an ass-kicking TULL show! And the same was true of his voice during this tour as well (alhough on some of the videos I saw from out west his voice didn't seem as strong as the shows I saw here). When you think about it, it really all boils down to how his voice sounds.....because the music and quality of the performances have always been excellent. But I would never trade Andy Giddings for John O'hara, that's for sure! Jeff
|
|
|
Post by TM on Nov 12, 2009 9:48:39 GMT -5
Yes, thanks for the review Steel.
One of the pleasant "surprises" for me on this tour was that I really enjoyed the ALL the musicians on stage. Usually that's not the case. All the musicians seemed to really enjoy themselves, and that's something the audience can feed off of. And something I think perhaps past Tull/IA line-ups may have been lacking.
And while of course I missed Martin, I too thought Florian was excellent. His style seems in complete agreement with Ian's acoustic songs.
It was a great show - the kind of show that has you telling yourself without question you would like to see him again live.
|
|
|
Post by rebecca on Nov 22, 2009 21:34:16 GMT -5
I would agree with all that Bernie wrote. The young musicians all brought in something fresh and inspirational. Florian O is phenomenal, but I don't know that he's a better musician than the other new ones, or if it's just that he's on an instrument we're more familiar with so we are able to appreciate what he can do more. Tull should always have had a violin/viola player - and on the records often did have strings. It seems like there's an element that won't go away that these strings players need to have their presence justified - and it needs no justification! It's perfect, especially these days when the music seems to have deepened, in my most humble opinion drawn from this experience (eh, not really that humble, I admit)! Now, I have only seen one Tull show before, and I found it enjoyable but a bit routine. This was completely fresh and inspired, to me. This was the kind of thing that renews an old love. As for favorites, I think the two he wrote to play with Anouska Shankar were the best new things I've heard from him in ages. I thought the first, Tea with the Princess, is that the name of it? was really a great jam, the musicians really playing off each other and clearly being seriously in the moment. The benefit to this second night was that the crowd was more relaxed and noisy, and the energy was feeding back and forth between audience and band. Our being in the first row didn't hurt! Except maybe for Bernie's daughter who might not have been able to see as well...
|
|
|
Post by Nonfatman on Nov 22, 2009 22:47:44 GMT -5
I would agree with all that Bernie wrote. The young musicians all brought in something fresh and inspirational. Florian O is phenomenal, but I don't know that he's a better musician than the other new ones, or if it's just that he's on an instrument we're more familiar with so we are able to appreciate what he can do more. Tull should always have had a violin/viola player - and on the records often did have strings. It seems like there's an element that won't go away that these strings players need to have their presence justified - and it needs no justification! It's perfect, especially these days when the music seems to have deepened, in my most humble opinion drawn from this experience (eh, not really that humble, I admit)! Now, I have only seen one Tull show before, and I found it enjoyable but a bit routine. This was completely fresh and inspired, to me. This was the kind of thing that renews an old love. As for favorites, I think the two he wrote to play with Anouska Shankar were the best new things I've heard from him in ages. I thought the first, Tea with the Princess, is that the name of it? was really a great jam, the musicians really playing off each other and clearly being seriously in the moment. The benefit to this second night was that the crowd was more relaxed and noisy, and the energy was feeding back and forth between audience and band. Our being in the first row didn't hurt! Except maybe for Bernie's daughter who might not have been able to see as well... I think you are right, Rebecca, Tull music and strings just go together. There have been many violinists who have played with Tull over the years including but not limited to Darryl Way and Eddie Jobson from Curved Air, Ric Sanders, the violinists on Minstrel whose names I forget, and of course in recent years, the four different female violinists/violaists. I also think you are right about this tour sounding particularly fresh and inspired. I brought my sister to this show, and she loved it...thought it was one of the best Tull/IA shows she ever has seen. And I have taken her to probably around 12 or 15 Tull shows over the years. I'm really glad you enjoyed the show (or shows if you saw both nights). Very cool that you were able to see the city and hang out with Bernie too. Must have been loads of fun. When I went to the IA show in Schnectady, I met Dan, a truly capital guy, and we had a blast before and after the show. And one of these days I'm going to finally meet Paul after seven years of being friends and allies with him on several different Tull boards! Definitely at Holmdale in June, and hopefully before. And when we do meet, we are going to do a lot of this: Jeff
|
|
|
Post by bobo the monkey on Nov 23, 2009 20:33:23 GMT -5
Hey Jeff (and Paul) shouldn't you guys travel seperate and attend different gigs? Just cause you act like you're not paranoid doesn't mean nobody's out to get you !
|
|
|
Post by Nonfatman on Nov 24, 2009 9:05:34 GMT -5
Hey Jeff (and Paul) shouldn't you guys travel seperate and attend different gigs? Just cause you act like you're not paranoid doesn't mean nobody's out to get you ! Funny that you mention that because in Schenectady I could have sworn there was a Black Volga following me.........but it was just Nobody's car. Jeff
|
|
|
Post by TM on Nov 24, 2009 10:00:44 GMT -5
Hey Jeff (and Paul) shouldn't you guys travel seperate and attend different gigs? Just cause you act like you're not paranoid doesn't mean nobody's out to get you ! Just because I'll be taking this to my next gig doesn't mean I'm paranoid.
|
|
|
Post by Nonfatman on Nov 24, 2009 13:43:28 GMT -5
Hey Jeff (and Paul) shouldn't you guys travel seperate and attend different gigs? Just cause you act like you're not paranoid doesn't mean nobody's out to get you ! Just because I'll be taking this to my next gig doesn't mean I'm paranoid. Or better yet, Paul, you should go to the gig in a motorcade of nine or ten of these babies, driven by decoy bikers dressed exactly like you, with the real you somewhere among them. Jeff
|
|