Jethro Tull
A ('A La Mode' - The 40th Anniversary Edition)

This album is one of the reasons why the extensive discography of the Tull (continuing to expand with deluxe repackages and super-luxury editions) isn't for everyone. Once again, it's a truly spectacular album, but in this case, we are no longer in the golden era of the English band, but in a period mistakenly considered minor. After the tours to promote Stormwatch (1979), the least folk album of the trilogy and the most emotionally challenging, not least because the bassist John Glascock passed away at the end of the American tour, Ian Anderson returned to the studio to record his first solo album. For this, he enlisted Dave Pegg, his trusty Martin Barre, Eddie Jobson (credited as a Special guest), and Mark Craney (R.I.P.!). But once the album was recorded, the record company convinced Ian Anderson to release it under the name Jethro Tull. It should be said that the album A is an absolutely outstanding record, and this deluxe repackage underscores that very well.

Having traced the history of the album, the subject of this review is the deluxe re-issue of the album, namely the A ('A La Mode' - The 40th Anniversary Edition). It's a rather substantial deluxe repackage because it includes 3 CDs and 3 DVDs. The first CD contains the album and the Associated Recordings: but this time, I must say that the songs from this period seem to be less 'thought out' than those included in the albums from the golden years of the Tull, such as Benefit (1970). The 2nd CD contains the first part of a concert the Tull performed at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in November 1980, and the 3rd CD contains the second part. Honestly, I have to acknowledge that infusing the classics of the '70s (like Songs From The Wood) with distinctly '80s sounds makes the final result a bit peculiar. It should be emphasized that here, as in almost the entire Tull discography, we're talking about a great concept album, centered on modernity/contemporaneity. Examples include classics like Batteries Not Included, the previously mentioned Black Sunday, Crossfire, Fylingdale Flyer, 4.W.D. (Low Ratio), and Uniform.

Regarding the DVDs, the first two are audio DVDs: the first DVD includes the entire album with the Associated Recordings in Surround audio formats, DTS, Dolby AC3 5.1 surround, and stereo 96/24 LPCM and the flat transfer of the original LP master in stereo 96/24 LPCM audio format. DVD 2, however, contains the audio mix (dating back to 2020!) of the concert at the Los Angeles Sports Arena from November 1980 in DTS, Dolby AC3 5.1 Surround, and stereo 48/24 LPCM audio formats. The third DVD, on the other hand, is the live video Slipstream (video recorded during a Tull's American tour concert, completed by promotional videos of some of Tull's gigantic super classics, namely: Fylingdale Flyer, Too Old To Rock'n'Roll: Too Young To Die!, Sweet Dream [song included as a bonus track in the remastered editions of the albums Benefit (1970) and Stand Up (1969)] and Dun Ringill), directed by director Peter Wagg, in DTS, Dolby AC3 5.1 surround, and stereo 48/24 LPCM audio formats.