I saw Ian in concert a few years back. He still puts on a good show.

I also like the line that "hiding under a bed is not really an option."

Posted on Monday, March 21, 2011 at 22:31:07 EST


In celebration of the park bench, dribbly-nosed voyeur's 40th Anniversary, Ian Anderson returns to the USA with his band JETHRO TULL, starting June 8th in Denver, CO and ending on the 27th in Chicago, IL.

The group features longtime members Ian Anderson (flute, vocals, acoustic guitar) and Martin Barre (guitars), Doane Perry (drums), as well as David Goodier (bass) and pianist John O'Hara. The latter two joined in 2006 after working with Ian on some of his solo projects.

The group will be performing the Aqualung album in its entirety plus a range of their other favorites from the last 42 years. Critics dubbed Aqualung “a concept album,” particularly for Ian's critical, skeptical views of organized religion, mostly on side B ('My God', 'Hymn 43'). Anderson has disputed - almost resented - the assessment seeing the record as "just a bunch of songs." This led the band to give the critics a full-blown concept album with the following studio release Thick As A Brick which topped the Billboard charts in 1972.

On Aqualung, the group explores the struggles of the less fortunate in our society (e.g., 'Aqualung', 'Cross-Eyed Mary', 'Up to Me'). Teenage angst and formal education difficulties (e.g., 'Wind Up') are explored, and Ian returns to his parental themes with 'Cheap Day Return', a tune encompassing Anderson's feelings while traveling North on the train to visit his sick father. 'Locomotive Breath' touches on the issues of globalization, population expansion and runaway economics. Sound familiar?

Formed in 1968, Jethro Tull released its first album This Was late in that year and followed up in 1969 with Stand Up. In the 1970s, the group was one of the most successful live performing acts on the world stage, rivaling LED ZEPPELIN, ELTON JOHN and even THE ROLLING STONES. Surprising, really, for a group whose more sophisticated and evolved stylistic extravagance was far from the pop and rock norm of that era.

With now some 30-odd albums to their credit and sales totaling more than 50 million, the apparently un-commercial Tull continues to perform over a 100 concerts per year with its rich variety and depth of expression, wherever fans, young and old, want to hear rock, folk, jazz and classical-inspired music. Music for boys in long trousers and girls with brains.

In 2011, Tull will tour in Australia, Ireland, and Germany. And Ian will perform solo shows in Germany, Spain, Cyprus, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico, Czech Republic, the UK, Sweden, Denmark and Finland finishing with his customary charity Christmas concerts at three UK cathedrals.

In 2006, Ian was awarded a Doctorate in Literature from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement in Music and, in the New Years Honours List 2008, an MBE for services to music. In 2012, he expects to be awarded the Smithsonian Medal of Honor for smelling OK for someone his age and having ears still in proportion to the rest of his head. His bladder remains elastic and his prostate the size of a pinhead.

Tour dates so far:

June
8 - Red Rock Amphitheater - Morrison, CO
10 - Comerica Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
11 - The Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
12 - TBA - Valley Center, CA
13 - The Grove - Anaheim, CA
14 - TBA - Saratoga, CA
16 - Cuthbert Amphitheater - Eugene, OR
17 - McMenamins Edgefield Concerts On The Lawn - Troutdale, OR
18 - TBA - Woodinville, WA
19 - Centre for the Performing Arts - Vancouver, BC
21 - Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium - Edmonton, AB
22 - Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium - Calgary, AB
23 - Casino Regina - Regina, SK
25 - Orpheum Theatre - Minneapolis, MN
26 - Chicago Theatre - Chicago, IL
27 - Rosemont Theatre - Rosemont, IL

Very cool, but why not give Aqualung a properly remastered deluxe release? The last remaster sounded like crap in 1996.

Ian is still the consummate entertainer but he has lost the upper register of his voice making many of the songs a bit painful to sing for him but he carries on. We saw Tull last year at Jones Beach and the show (with Procul Harum) was very good but a bit short.

Depending on how my schedule works out, I may give that Orpheum Theatre concert
on the 25th a shot.

I agree, I saw Jethro Tull here in Australia in 1994 and Ian's voice was terrible. Was painful listening to him trying to sing all those songs I love.
His flute playing & band sounded great however.

Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson will perform the band’s classic album Thick as a Brick on tour to mark the album’s 40th anniversary next year.

The tour will begin in Great Britain in mid-April 2012, before heading through Europe in the late spring and summer, and winding up with U.S. dates spanning September, October and November. Anderson jokes that the tour will feature “a more theatrical production with video, additional musicians and a troupe of dancing elephants. (Just kidding about the dancing elephants: they don’t dance…)”

Thick as a Brick was a #1 Billboard album featuring a single song spanning almost 45 minutes. It has not been performed in full since 1972.

Meanwhile, the 40th anniversary of the band’s Aqualung album will be marked by two reissues: a collector’s set and a special edition, including new mixes by Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson. The collector’s set includes a 180g heavyweight LP, 2CDs, a DVD and a Blu-ray disc including various unreleased materials, a new stereo mix, the original Quad mix, and 5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital Surround. It also includes a 48-page hardback book with liner notes, interviews and memoirs. The special edition includes just the two CDs. Both are due for release on October 31.

Wow-this sucks. I probably won't see the tour unless it's Tull playing the album. I can see it for free, but I want it played by Tull. There's the two newer guys in Tull a part of this, but without Barre and Perry what's the point? Hopefully the US tour will be Tull. If not, what a bummer...


Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson is ready to stage live ‘Thick as a Brick‘ performances beginning next April in Europe before it moves to the U.S. in August, but it won’t include performances by the members of Tull.

Apparently, so many fans have thought that Anderson’s upcoming ‘Thick as a Brick’ tour, the first to feature the No. 1 album performed in its entirety since 1972, would include the rest of the band that long-time lead guitarist Martin Barre posted a clarification on his personal website.

“I have received many emails about the upcoming ‘Thick as a Brick’ tour and album,” Barre writes on his website. “I will not be involved with these projects; they are Ian Anderson solo works and, as such, I won’t be playing.”

Although Anderson’s U.S. reps aren’t releasing information on who will join rock’s most famous flautist on this project, the U.K. music magazine ‘Rock ‘n’ Reel’ announced in their November/December issue that a line up has been set. It would include John O’Hara behind the keyboards, David Goodier on bass, Florian Opahle on guitar and Scott Hammond on drums, according to the magazine.

There’s no word if this group is just for the European dates or if the same musicians, several of whom have played with Anderson on past tours, will also join him in the U.S.

In addition, Rock ‘n’ Reel notes Anderson will have “guest performers” on the tour, but didn’t list specifics. Anderson isn’t yet talking about the tour, but watch Ultimate Classic Rock for more news as it develops. Find out more about the ‘Thick as a Brick’ tour on Jethro Tull’s website.

Ian Anderson has (to me) sold out, with the Aqualung box set debacle. I have lost a lot of respect for him, greed is well and truly alive.

Debacle?

It is for me, the cost and the LPs no-one wants. 99% of fans just want the DVD/Blu-ray

I don't even want the dvd/blu, just the 2 cd's!

I was bummed big time too when I heard this Thick as a Brick 2012 tour is being billed as Ian Anderson rather than Tull. That said, still think it would be fun to see - as long as the tickets aren't absurdly priced.

In 2012?? Good luck........................

So what's going on here? Seems to be some kind of divide perhaps. Why couldn't Tull do a tour of Thick As A Brick in total AND do the rarities tour? Seeing Ian solo and Martin solo doesn't cut it for me (and who would sing and play flute for Martin-c'mon! I mean, he's actually a more than competent flautist, but this sounds lame!). I wonder what's going on.

From ultimateclassicrock.com:


Jethro Tull‘s Martin Barre plans to take some of the group’s lesser-known music on the road with a band comprised partially of Tull alumni. The guitarist is in the final stages of assembling a group to tour next year.

Although Jethro Tull has toured behind such hits as ‘Aqualung’ and ‘Cross-Eyed Mary’ for decades, there are many other beloved songs that have been shelved, such as ‘Sweet Dreams’ which the band has not played live since the ’80s. Other songs have rarely, if ever, been played in concert.

“I want to play some of the songs that we haven’t done in a very long time,” Barre tells Ultimate Classic Rock of the plans to dip back into the band’s catalog. “I really am not tired of playing those songs. I enjoy them.”

As the lead guitarist in Tull for more than 40 years, Barre is the master behind the oft-imitated wizardry in ‘Aqualung,’ ‘Locomotive Breathe,’ and other rock anthems. Although he is tapping some past Tull members for the band, he said that such an association is not a requirement. Indeed, he plans to include a vocalist that doesn’t have the same styling as Tull’s frontman and founder Ian Anderson.

“You can’t imitate Ian’s vocals,” said Barre, who also plays flute and will presumably fill in on some of the parts Anderson would normally play on various songs. “I want something that’s really very different.”

Still, Barre promises that the vocals will work well with the instrumentation and satisfy the band’s ardent fan base. “I promise you a great show,” he said. “I am very excited and extremely enthusiastic!”

Barre is in the process of finalizing details of the project and will announce 2012 tour dates in the near future.

Although there have been myriad rumors that Tull is no more, Anderson’s publicist tells Ultimate Classic Rock no such decision has been made. Anderson and others challenge themselves creatively by playing with other musicians when Tull is on hiatus, she said.

Anderson is planning to tour behind ‘Thick as a Brick,” the first time he’s played the work in its entirety since 1972. The tour is a solo project for Anderson and will not include Barre or other members of Tull.

IMO - two different tours = two different but still very Tull shows...

Like the Stones or the Who - they will alwas be getting back together...

What a weak explanation...


Jethro Tull singer and flautist Ian Anderson is honoring the 40th anniversary of the album Thick as a Brick by playing the entire album live in concert. It’s the first time the progressive rock epic has been performed live in its entirety since 1972, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.

However, the tour is credited to Anderson as a solo artist and not Jethro Tull as a band. The frontman recently explained why he decided to present the Thick as a Brick tour this way.

“Back in 1972, when I tried to play Thick as a Brick live on stage in the USA, it turned into the tour from hell,” he said. “I decided never to do that again.”

According to Anderson, some members of the audience would “hoot and whistle” during the quieter moments. The experience disheartened the singer to the point that he didn’t even want to be in a rock band anymore, although he ended up soldiering on with Jethro Tull.

Now, he’ll play Thick solo because “the audiences that I attract as Ian Anderson have come to listen to the music and have the sensitivity to keep quiet at the appropriate moments.”