Saturday Night Attitude Dancing to Electric Folk Prog Rock at the 2024 Birthday of Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull
by Robert Wilkinson
August 10 was the birthday of Ian Anderson, founder and front man for Jethro Tull. We kick off our musical weekend with great rock music!
Ian Anderson (10 August 1947) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, and acoustic guitarist of the band Jethro Tull. As I’ve told you in the last year’s Peter Green Birthday Celebration, I had the incredible experience of seeing Jethro Tull play in Austin in December 1969 when Fleetwood Mac opened for Jethro Tull on the latter's Stand Up tour, complete with wild man Ian Anderson leaping on stage high kicking in his chequered coat complete with long tails.
It was truly one of the most amazing concerts I've ever seen. That night, Peter Green was a very long hairy creature in a long white robe, looking like some kind of ancient biblican figure playing a screaming version of electric blues-rock that was stunning in its impact, followed by Ian Anderson, a high kicking, swirling, leaping maniac playing flute, guitar, mandolin, and the audience like a master! (I found a show or three from the 1969-70 era which are posted below. You’re going to have your mind blown!)
That hooked me for years. I saw 4 Jethro Tull tour performances, from Stand Up to Thick As A Brick, including Aqualung which blew everyone’s minds! Tonight we begin with one of my favorite songs, since it embodies a certain attitude about God and the various churches that try to tell us how we’re supposed to live.
From the original studio album, here’s Ian Anderson’s indictment of those who don’t worship a “god you don’t have to wind up on Sundays.” “Wind Up” (Lyrics to “Wind Up” are at the end of the article.)
Also from the album of the same name, one of the hardest rocking songs ever done! This song holds up across time, and is the equivalent of a "pocket symphony," with an amazing section which begins with the crack of a drum in synch with a piano! Martin Barre's guitar work is breathtaking. For your amazement, the iconic tale of the homeless, the incredible "Aqualung."
Here’s a poor quality live video of Jethro Tull from 1987 performing a rocking version of “Wind Up”
I found this great clip of “Wind Up,” followed immediately by a song that generates the power of Godzilla stomping down city streets, the scorching “Locomotive Breath.” “Wind Up” starts slow and then cranks it up!
Live at the Hippodrome in 1977, here’s Jethro Tull very live and very rocking cranking up ”Wind Up” and “Locomotive Breath”
I got lucky and found the entire hour 1977 Hippodrome concert brought to us by the BBC! This is an amazing show, with lot to listen to, dance to, and simply enjoy! Oh, and TURN UP YOUR SPEAKERS!! Jethro Tull at the Hippodrome, 1977 (the set list is “Intro,””Skating Away,” “Jack In The Green,” “Thick As A Brick,” “Songs From The Wood,” “Velvet Green,” “Hunting Girl,” “Aqualung,” “Wind Up,” “Locomotive Breath,” and “End.”Here are some fantastic early performances!
From the legendary December 1968 video the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, the early Jethro Tull lineup after Mick Abrahams left and before Martin Barre came on, Tony Iommi was in between gigs and mimed in this unique performance (voice and flute are real, the rest is mimed) of “A Song For Jeffrey” Fantastic slide! Last year’s clip included “My Sunday Feeling” but it’s nowhere to be found this year.
Here are clips showing off Ian’s early flute work. From their first album This Was, the studio version of the very jazzy Roland Kirk tune, “Serenade For A Cuckoo”
Here's the entire groundbreaking album! This was a unique sound! This was the beginning of progressive jazz-blues-rock, and the only album they did with Mick Abrahams, who was replaced by Tommy Iommi just in time for the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. For your enjoyment, the very jazzy This Was
Here’s a great live performance at Istanbul Amphitheater in 1991 of “Serenade To A Cuckoo”
From January 2002, a one-off reunion of the original 4 members of Jethro Tull in a great live performance at a pub of "A Song For Jeffrey" and "My Sunday Feeling."
This album was a monster in 1969, playing out of a thousand dorm rooms and another ten thousand houses! Stand Up This album rocks from the first note!
Here’s a very early b/w documentary clip live in 1969 titled “Swing In of Jethro Tull doing the beautiful classical piece from Stand Up, “Bouree.” I found two more great live performances of this song, this first a gem from 1969 French tv of a great performance of “Bouree” and this equally remarkable 1969 video live in 1969 of Jethro Tull performing “Bouree”
From January 1969, a 7 minute b/w video of early Tull laying down the blues and some folk jazz in Stockholm! “To Be Sad Is A Mad Way To Be” and “Back To The Family”
From The June 21 1969 Newport Pop Festival, Jethro Tull gives us an hour and 26 of GREAT live music! Jethro Tull Live at the Newport Pop Festival - 1969
Last year I had a great 3 part documentary done in 1969 titled Jethro Tull at the Royal Albert Hall 1969 but it’s gone. I found 2 songs from that film.
Jethro Tull at the Royal Albert Hall 1969 – Ian Anderson going to bed and “Nothing is Easy”
Jethro Tull at the Royal Albert Hall 1969 – “Bouree”
From the Rockpalast archives, Jethro Tull in Southampton 1969 – “Sweet Dream” and “For A Thousand Mothers.”
From a 1969 French documentary, an interesting music video with Ian and the rest of Tull very live performing “Living In The Past.”
By now Martin Barre had come on board as the screaming lead player, and delivered in a big way for years after! From the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, in order of the set list, here’s Jethro Tull live performing “My Sunday Feeling” and “My God.” We move into “To Cry You A Song” and finish with "We Used to Know" and "For A Thousand Mothers."
Their live appearance on Top of the Pops in 1970 of this song has disappeared, So instead, from Prog Rock at the BBC also in 1970, here’s “The Witches Promise,” and on Beat Club in 1970, they did a live performance of the “B” side of “Witches Promise,” “Teacher”
Here’s a full 71 minute video of Jethro Tull at Tanglewood in 1970 (Set list: “Nothing Is Easy,” “My God,” “With You There To Help Me,” “Dharma For One,” “We Used To Know,” “For A Thousand Mothers,” and “Guitar Solo”)
We now move into their “middle era,” perhaps the greatest version of Tull there ever was!
This year I found 4 great live shows from that era! Each has some of the same songs, and some different ones. First, from Berlin, Germany in January 1972, a one hour 26 show! Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick Tour 1972 - Berlin
On to Bologna in February for an hour and 46 of Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick Tour 1972 - Bologna
In Los Angeles in June 1972, here’s an entire 2 hours and 18 of Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick Tour 1972 – Los Angeles
Last year I had the Toronto and Tokyo shows from June and July 1972 but they’re gone.
In Montreal in June 1973, here’s an entire 2 hour 22 minute show of Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick Tour 1973 - Montreal
Here are some snippets from the Thick As A Brick Tour in 1972! Jethro Tull Live in 1972
The decent footage from 1973 at Madison Square Garden is gone, and there’s not much out there. So instead here’s the hour and 46 entire album of JT live in Los Angeles on July 20, 1973, performing the entire A Passion Show with “A Passion Play,” “The Story of the Hare,” “Thick as a Brick,” “Wind Up,” “Cross Eyed Mary,” and “Aqualung.” Great set!
For your enjoyment, the awesome 1971 studio album that shook the world from the first 6 notes! One of my favorites of all time! Aqualung
Though not as dramatic a statement, he followed that with Thick As A Brick, which can’t be found on one clip this year. But I did find these two taken from the remastered 1997 version of the 1972 studio album! Thick As A Brick pt. 1 and Thick As A Brick pt. 2
They remastered the 1973 album A Passion Play in 2003, and came up with A Passion Play pt. 1” and A Passion Play pt. 2”
Ian got together with the great Greg Lake at St. Bride's Church in 1975 to perform this Christmas gem! Here’s Ian and Greg giving us "I Believe in Father Christmas"
Last year I had the full hour clip of Jethro Tull in Tampa in 1976, but it’s disappeared this year. However, I did find the entire show in individual clips. Here they are in order of the set list!
“Cry You A Song” and “A New Day Yesterday”
“Living In The Past,” “TAAB,” and “A New Day Yesterday (Reprise)”
So of course after posting this I found it again! Here's the full hour of Jethro Tull Live at Tampa Stadium - 1976
From 1977, 2 full hours of video of Jethro Tull Live at the Capitol Center - 1977
A 22 minute clip from that show! "Instrumental," "Cross-Eyed Mary," "Wind Up," and "Back Door Angels." Also from that show, an amazing 10 minute performance of an amazing song! ”Locomotive Breath”
Here’s Jethro Tull live in 1978 at Madison Square Garden performing the title track of the Aqualung album, the twisted rocker “Aqualung”
Last year I had the full DVD of that show, but this year it’s disappeared. Still, if you go there via the previous link, you’ll find all kinds of single clips from that show, so enjoy!
Here’s a fantastic live jam between Ian, Fela Kuti, and Jack Bruce in November 1983 on "Rock Classic Nacht" at the München Circus Atlas! “Fat Man”
From 1984, a one hour 40 concert in NJ. For your enjoyment, Jethro Tull Live at the Capitol theater in Passaic NJ - 1984
Here’s a full one hour 10 minute concert video from Jethro Tull’s 1991 Turkish tour. Jethro Tull Live in Istanbul 1991
A great clip from The Late Late Show in 2000! Welcome to Ian and "a couple of members of Jethro Tull" performing a great 7+ minute medley of "Bouree," "Living in the Past," "Locomotive Breath," and a VERY short interview.
From 2003, a full 2 hour show of their performance at Montreux! Jethro Tull Live at Montreux 2003 (Set list: Some Day the Sun Won't Shine For You; Life is a Long Song; Bouree; With You There to Help Me; Pavane; Empty Café; Hunting Girl; Eurology; Dot Com; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Fat Man; Living in the Past; Nothing is Easy; Beside Myself; My God; Budapest; New Jig; Aqualung; Locomotive Breath).
Here's a great Christmas concert from Italy in 2004! It's Ian Anderson With Andrea Griminelli and the Parma Orchestra performing an hour and 22 of Tull's best using classical arrangements! For your enjoyment, Da Bach Ai Jethro Tull (live) - 2004
Last year I had an hour and 14 clip from 2005, with Ian Anderson and JT fronting the Frankfurt Neue Philharmonic Orchestra, but it’s disappeared. However, this clip has 18 songs from that performance! Jethro Tull Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull with the Frankfurt Neue Philharmonic Orchestra.
From 2011 in London, an awesome live video of Jethro Tull and Joe Bonamassa rocking it to the max! From the 2011 High Voltage show in Victoria Park, here's the grinding, crunching, rumbling "Locomotive Breath."
An interesting 13 minute clip of Finnish (and very young) classical flutist Heline Fay's first discovery of Ian's Flute playing! It's his solo at the 1976 Tampa Stadium show, and it's clear this very accomplished flute player's mind is blown. The look of amazement on her face at times is worth the clip. Here's Classical flutist reacts to Jethro Tull - "I Am Speechless"
We'll begin our closing set with a show from their greatest incarnation in 1971! For your enjoyment, here are a few live audio-only clips from their Berkeley show!
For our closer, here’s their awesome version of “Wind Up.” The first clip is part 1, and 10 minutes long. The second clip is part 2, and 5+ minutes.
"Jethro Tull at Berkeley 1971 – “Wind Up Part 1”
“Jethro Tull at Berkeley 1971 – “Wind Up Part 2”
The encore is the 1977 Capitol Theater video performance of this scathing assessment of churchianity. " Wind Up”
The second encore is a 23 minute set from that same show! Jethro Tull at the Capital Center, Landover - 1977
As I promised you earlier, for your consideration, one man's view of Western religion as it existed in the UK in the 1950s and 60s:
“Wind Up”
Written by Ian Anderson
When I was young and they packed me off to school
And taught me how not to play the game,
I didn't mind if they groomed me for success,
Or if they said that I was a fool.
So I left there in the morning
With their God tucked underneath my arm --
Their half-assed smiles and the book of rules.
And I asked this God a question
And by way of firm reply,
He said -- I'm not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
So to my old headmaster (and to anyone who cares)
Before I'm through I'd like to say my prayers
I don't believe you, You had the whole damn thing all wrong --
He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
Well you can excomunicate me on my way to Sunday school
And have all the bishops harmonize these lines
How do you dare tell me that I'm my Father's son
When that was just an accident of Birth.
I'd rather look around me -- compose a better song
`cos that's the honest measure of my worth.
In your pomp and all your glory you're a poorer man than me,
As you lick the boots of death born out of fear.
I don't believe you, you had the whole damn thing all wrong
He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.
lyrics Copyright Chrysalis Music group
Article © 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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