Jethro Tull
Living With The Past

THE REVIEW

The legendary English rock minstrel and his phenomenal band are still in excellent form, despite the line-up changes and the years that pass by. And you can hear it on this CD, composed of live performances played in different places and times (1989-2001), in which Ian Anderson once again showcases his crazy wind instrument virtuosity and his ever-up-to-par voice.

I won’t sit here and describe “Aqualung,” “Ministrel in the Gallery,” “Stand Up,” “Thick as a Brick”: perhaps in these four records, the most significant work can be encapsulated, excellently summarized by the title (“Living with the Past”), quite self-celebratory. A mix of progressive (à la King Crimson and Yes) and classic hard rock, significantly enriched by the notes of a great rock flautist who is the bandleader. It is, after all, a compilation of live & acoustic sessions: truth be told, it doesn’t contain many essential tracks (among them, “My God” with its wonderful wind solo), but it is recommended for those who aren't very familiar with the band. It indeed has the virtue of allowing the lucky one in front of the stereo (in about 74 minutes) to understand the beauty and features (even the less known ones) that have made Jethro Tull an indestructible icon.
Flute played masterfully, with flair and originality, acoustic and electric guitars worthy of the best The Who, use of syncopation, sudden drum stops, and as if that weren’t enough, numerous folk and medieval music influences.

After a very brief intro, we kick off with the blues/prog-oriented “My Sunday Feeling”: we are already immersed in the band's magical atmosphere. We continue with “Roots to Branches,” the medieval-like “Jack in the Green,” the almost-reggae(!) “The Habanero Reel,” the vigorous “Sweet Dream” accompanied by a massive riff from guitarist Martin Barre and Anderson's notes, and the remarkable “In the Grip of Stronger Stuff.” Then it's time for two ultra-classic gems: “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath.” How can one not get chills when hearing the long solo of the first, identical to the original in the first part and wonderfully varied in the second? Not to mention the piano intro of the second, whose first notes excite the concert attendees... next is the melancholic (couldn't be missing) “Living in the Past,” followed by the swift “Protect & Survive.” Upon hearing it, many will understand why Steve Harris cites this band as one of the fundamental influences on Iron Maiden. “Nothing is Easy,” sings Ian, while we think it's rather easy for him to leave us in awe... but we are still only halfway through the disc! It’s worth underscoring again, omnipresent on the winds, demonstrating that an instrument like the flute can be an integral part (whether as a steady rhythm or heart-stopping solos) of a rock track. And few have done this… Among other tracks, we mention the acoustic “Wond’ring Aloud,” three pieces from “The Zurich Dressing Room Tapes” (1989) (including “Cheap Day Return”), the unique “Dot Com,” finally the beautiful “Fat Man,” the classic blues “Some Day the Sun Won’t Shine for You,” and the again medieval-like “Cheerio.”

If it still needs to be said, every piece is accompanied by Ian Anderson’s flute notes and his complex rhythms, without ever “degenerating” into wild experimentation. The only point of “demerit”: perhaps (just perhaps...) 21 tracks on a CD of this kind are excessive, especially for those (like me) who don't particularly love double/triple CDs and/or various box sets. I mean: it’s much better to listen to the originals, one at a time. And, indeed, after listening to this, the urge is to dig up ALL their past records...