[2017-03-24] Jethro Tull "The String Quartets" YASCA (BMG)

CO kid · 05 Jan 2007

Description
The String Quartets is an album of classic Jethro Tull repertoire, imaginatively arranged for Classical string quartet with the flute, guitar and vocals of songwriter and producer Ian Anderson, and John O’Hara.

The String Quartets is a new album by Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson and the Carducci Quartet featuring the classic songs of Jethro Tull, arranged and orchestrated by John O’Hara. Ian plays flute on most of the tracks and even sings a few lines here and there to provide his trademark sounds in the context of classical music traditions. Living In The Past, Aqualung, Locomotive Breath and Bungle In The Jungle are amongst the album track listing but appear, along with their fellow musical travelers, under more cryptic titles to differentiate them from the original recordings and arrangements.

Recorded in the crypt of Worcester Cathedral, UK and in St Kenelm’s Church, Sapperton, Gloucestershire, UK, Ian says that this album is “Perfect for lazy, long sunny afternoons, crisp winter nights, weddings and funerals.” He forgot to add, perfect also after a night of wild, abandoned sex or to celebrate the win of your favourite football team. Essentially, anytime music for sophisticated lovers of Classic Rock too afraid to wear their Tull T-shirt at the village barbecue.

Tracklist
CD:

Song title // Album // Year

1. In The Past (Living In The Past) // Stand Up // 1969
2. Sossity Waiting (Sossity: You’re a Woman/Reasons For Waiting) // Stand Up/Benefit //1969/70
3. Bungle (Bungle In The Jungle) // Warchild // 1974
4. We Used To Bach (We Used to Know/Bach Prelude C Major) // Stand Up // 1969
5. Farm, The Fourway (Farm On The Freeway) // Crest of A Knave //1987
6. Songs and Horses (Songs From The Wood/Heavy Horses) // (Album title tracks) // 1977/78
7. Only The Giving (Wond’ring Aloud) // Aqualung // 1971
8. Loco (Locomotive Breath) // Aqualung // 1971
9. Pass The Bottle (A Christmas Song) // Living In The Past // 1971
10. Velvet Green (Velvet Green) // Songs From The Wood // 1977
11. Ring Out These Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells) // Songs From The Wood // 1977
12. Aquafugue (Aqualung) // Aqualung // 1971

Vinyl Gatefold Release:

Side 1
1. In The Past (Living In The Past) // Stand Up // 1969
2. Sossity Waiting (Sossity: You’re a Woman/Reasons For Waiting) // Stand Up/Benefit // 1969/70
3. Bungle (Bungle In The Jungle) // Warchild // 1974
4. Ring Out These Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells) // Songs From The Wood // 1977

Side 2
1. Farm, The Fourway (Farm On The Freeway) // Crest of A Knave // 1987
2. We Used To Bach (We Used to Know/Bach Prelude C Major) // Stand Up // 1969
3. Velvet Green (Velvet Green) // Songs From The Wood // 1977
4. Pass The Bottle (A Christmas Song) // Living In The Past // 1971

Side 3
1. Loco (Locomotive Breath) // Aqualung // 1971
2. Only The Giving (Wond’ring Aloud) // Aqualung // 1971
3. Songs and Horses (Songs From The Wood/Heavy Horses) // (Album title tracks) // 1977/78
4. Aquafugue (Aqualung) // Aqualung // 1971

Side 4
Pictorial printed art

CD
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4OR3LP/?tag=imwan-20

Vinyl
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZAHAGA/?tag=imwan-20

Linda · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2017 2:33 pm

Bump: Added the domestic pre-order links to the first post. This is being solicited as a new Jethro Tull album, not an Ian Anderson solo release.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I played this earlier tonight. Better than I expected. My only criticism is I would have liked more vocals.

ranasakawa · 26 Jan 2007

Didn't find this CD that great unfortunately, its missing Martins guitar, too subdued, I was finding myself losing interest.
Perhaps it's an overkill of strings & mediocre vocals.
I have everything Jethro Tull have produced and this is the first one I just don't get into at all.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

You might want to try the 96/24. Hi-res makes a big difference with classical instruments.

I obviously prefer the originals, but I found this an interesting variation. I also somewhat like Classical Music.

Invisible Pedestrian · **Joined:** 24 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 26163

This isn't actually a Tull release is it?

It's not even the band.

It's by Ian Anderson and the Carducci Quartet.

Linda · **Posted:** Sun Apr 16, 2017 1:12 am

Solicited as a Jethro Tull release.

Invisible Pedestrian · **Joined:** 24 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 26163

Linda wrote:

Solicited as a Jethro Tull release.

Wow, that's pretty weak.

This is not Jethro Tull in any way.

I hope people know that.

But, it's Ian's thing and he has the right to do as he wishes.

Jason Michael · 30 May 2012

It's particularly interesting that this is a Jethro Tull release when considering these comments from Ian Anderson back in 2014 in a Billboard interview:
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/ ... ethro-tull

Quote:

"A second consecutive Ian Anderson solo album -- "Homo Erraticus," due out April 15 -- is affirming to Jethro Tull fans what they mostly already suspected, that the long-lived group is effectively no more.

Anderson writes as much in liner notes to the deluxe edition of "Homo Erraticus," declaring that, "The huge body of work that is the Jethro Tull catalogue stands firm close beside me and in good stead... But I think I prefer, in my twilight years, to use my own name for the most part being composer of virtually all Tull songs and music since 1968."

And he tells Billboard that "nothing is going on at all" with the band these days.

"And that's the point," Anderson explains. "To me, Jethro Tull is...the vast body of repertoire that's Jethro Tull, the record catalog, the music, and I think that, if we look back on it, it kind of came more or less to an end during the last 10 years or so (with) a couple of live albums and a studio album of Christmas material. That might define the last albums under the name Jethro Tull. It's a body of work I rather think is now kind of historical, since the weight of it lies back in the 70s and 80s in terms of volume. And I rather think it's nice to kind of leave that as legacy."

Anderson adds that recording and touring under his own name now also allows him to shed some guilt he's felt since February of 1968, when the group's booking agency gave Jethro Tull the name of an 18th century British agriculturist after several other monikers were rejected.

"If you'd asked me 20 years ago did I regret anything about my musical career, my answer then, as it is today, has always been the name of the band," Anderson admits. "I can't help but feel more and more as I get older that I'm guilty of identity theft and I ought to go to prison for it, really. It's almost as if I watched old Jethro Tull at the cash machine and leaned over his shoulder as he put his credit card into the machine to check out his PIN and filched his credit card form from his back pocket as he walked away and then fleeced his bank account. It doesn't make me feel very good. I never paid much attention in history class, so I didn't realize we'd been named after a dead guy until a couple of weeks later."

My guess is that when comparing sales of albums released as by Ian Anderson or as by Jethro Tull, the Tull albums sell appreciably better and washed away any guilt or misgivings from usurping the Jethro Tull name. But I'm cynical.
Just to be clear, I am not judging Anderson for this. To me, he's synonymous with Jethro Tull, and can use whatever name he wants on his releases. If I were in his position, I would want to maximize sales and reach the largest audience possible, and I would thing Jethro Tull would do that for him. I'm sure we all have friends who think the name of the singing flautist IS Jethro Tull (not good friends, of course!) :-)

DanO · 30 Jul 2006

It's like his recent tours. They always slide "Jethro Tull" into the billing somehow. It's the brand.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

I'm not sure that there has been much of a Tull other than Anderson & Barre for quite sometime? And kind of like the Pretenders, Heart, et al; Anderson was the 1 indispensable part of the band (I do like Barre & wish they would work together again).

sprinter77 · 30 Mar 2011

This is actually the third classical treatment of Jethro Tull songs that I am aware of that Ian has been involved with. The first was A Classic Case from 1994 and the second was Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull from 2007.

Invisible Pedestrian · **Joined:** 24 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 26163

Geff R. wrote:

I'm not sure that there has been much of a Tull other than Anderson & Barre for quite sometime? And kind of like the Pretenders, Heart, et al; Anderson was the 1 indispensable part of the band (I do like Barre & wish they would work together again).

Tull broke up around 2012 or so.

They were a true band though.

From 1995-2007 they had the same lineup and then the next lineup was from 2007-2012 so it's not like it was just Ian and whoever like the Pretenders and Heart.

Of course Ian could go out solo as Tull but he doesn't do that which is why this silly release baffles me.

[2017-03-24] Jethro Tull "The String Quartets" YASCA (BMG)

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