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Post by maddogfagin on Aug 31, 2012 17:28:01 GMT
Published on 30 Aug 2012 by Le Bisch
HD Video der Zugabe des Konzertes im Bruchsaler Schlossgarten. Sry Leute erstmal, dass der Anfang und das Ende fehlen, aber die Tücken der Technik haben zugeschlagen. Das Video ist wirklich HD auch wenn es möglicherweise nicht so erscheint, dies liegt allerdings an den sch*** Lichtverhältnissen des Konzertes. Von daher seid nicht zu kritisch mit dem Video;)
HD video of the Encore of the concert in the Bruchsal palace garden.SRY people first, that the beginning and the end are missing, but the problems of the art have struck. The video is HD really even if it appears may not, however, this is due to the sch born light conditions of the concert.(For this reason are not too critical with the video;)
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Post by maddogfagin on Sept 4, 2012 17:36:23 GMT
And now folks, it's commercial break time. We'll be back after this short message
Published on 4 Sep 2012 by MOODPro
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2012 22:03:21 GMT
www.itemlive.com/articles/2012/09/04/news/news01.txtTicket sales for shows in Lynn brisk By Chris Stevens / The Daily Item LYNN — The Ian Anderson show at City Hall’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium has sold out in what Community Development Director James Marsh called record time. “That show isn’t until October. We’ve never sold this early,” he said. “It’s a good indication for Roger Hodgson, Foreigner and Kenny (Rogers).”
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Post by maddogfagin on Sept 5, 2012 7:36:17 GMT
www.itemlive.com/articles/2012/09/04/news/news01.txtTicket sales for shows in Lynn brisk By Chris Stevens / The Daily Item LYNN — The Ian Anderson show at City Hall’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium has sold out in what Community Development Director James Marsh called record time. “That show isn’t until October. We’ve never sold this early,” he said. “It’s a good indication for Roger Hodgson, Foreigner and Kenny (Rogers).” There's life in the old boy yet I think ;D
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2012 13:48:48 GMT
Out and About: Top 10 things to do By JERUSALEM POST STAFF 09/05/2012 14:29 The much-anticipated concert of The Red Hot Chili Peppers takes place at Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv on Monday. www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Entertainment/Article.aspx?id=283910MUSIC 4. FOLLOW HIS FLUTE Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson hasn’t lost his touch as a consummate showman and entertainer. His shows this weekend are not Tull performances per se but Anderson leading his band through the entire 1972 concept album Thick As a Brick and its 2011 sequel. Tonight at the Train Station in Jerusalem. On September 7 at the Congress Center in Haifa. On September 8 at the Ra’anana Amphitheater.
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Post by steelmonkey on Sept 5, 2012 15:41:34 GMT
Jews for Jethro ! Jews for Jethro ! Jews for Jethro !
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Post by maddogfagin on Sept 8, 2012 8:00:19 GMT
Jews for Jethro ! Jews for Jethro ! Jews for Jethro ! Locomotive Breath - Israel 2012
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Post by maddogfagin on Sept 9, 2012 13:59:11 GMT
Ian Anderson live@Hangar 11, Tel Aviv, 8 September 2012
Published on 9 Sep 2012 by hannir2
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Post by patrick on Sept 9, 2012 16:52:06 GMT
Slightly later than planned sorry but at last I have found the time to review the following gig from the summer....cheers..P. IAN ANDERSON BAND – LE CORNOUAILLE FESTIVAL, QUIMPER WEDNESDAY JULY 25TH 2012 Funny lot the French…always wanting revolution when not celebrating the joys of long hot summers with baguettes, cheeses, red wine and ‘joie de vivre’. Musically speaking its jazz and crooners that rule the airwaves though Tull once had a no1 single hit in 1969 with Bouree dislodging the likes of Edith Piaf, Sasha Distell and Johnny Hallyday, albeit briefly, from the French pop charts. Several trips by New Day management team members including moi to France over the years have left more than furrowed brows and high stress levels partly due to over zealous gendarmes. Still with 2012 yet again providing an opportunity to see the chaps once more in our nearest neighbours backyard and family arrangements to northern France set for late July onwards an excellent opportunity to see IAB….time to hatch a cunning plan. For those readers oblivious to the delights of rural France, Quimper is the ancient capital of Brittany’s most traditional region of Finistere and has a distinctive Breton character. Shops and flags celebrating the region's celtic heritage can be found throughout the area. The town has a rustic old world atmosphere with ancient footbridges spanning the meandering tidal rivers that flow through it. All in all a perfect place for an Ian Anderson concert as part of a five day festival celebration of Breton and celtic culture, music and the arts. An hour before kick off, having sampled half a day of folk music, dance, great food, red wine and very hot weather, we joined the growing queue of French and the odd German punter outside the Espace Gradlon a huge marquee tent – the key focal point of festival activities. As per usual it was every man for himself once through ticket check in but somehow we managed to get front row seats. As the house lights dimmed, Ian Anderson and his merry troupe walked out onto the stage to the familiar acoustic intro of Thick as a Brick 1 and a huge ovation from the capacity crowd. Over the next two hours several surprises were unleashed in a show that was a considerable variation on what had constituted the UK tour earlier in the year. No Ryan O’ Donnell for starters or the gimmicky video footage though there were two giant Tullavision screens either side of the stage capturing the on stage performance. IA handled almost all the vocal parts sounding better than he has for some time aided by bassist Dave Goodier whose occasional vocal backing deserves a thumbs up. The dreaded piano accordion didn’t appear at all as John O’Hara played piano and hammond organ all night linking many of the tunes with short keys breaks. Very few comical asides from IA either – preferring instead to keep everything moving along at pace. Following twenty five mins of side 1 of TAAB 1 and a brief chat from Ian, the chaps launched into TAAB 2 featuring the rockier moments from the new album with keyboard links between songs with the new stuff going down particularly well. Stand out tracks – Adrift and Dumbfounded, Old School Song, Wootton Bassett town and the monster track My God. Reflecting later on how it all sounded two things stood out for me. Firstly the band really were in top form and performed a rockier, heavier set than I have seen for some time. My second point may prove a tad controversial but it concerns the crowd response to the band. Ian A has gone on record on numerous occasions complaining about audience noise during gigs which he finds off putting. He must enjoy playing in the UK then as most of the recent Tull tours have created so little audience noise you could here a pin drop. It has indeed felt at times almost like an X factor audition with the audience judging/waiting to hear a bum note here or there. Not so the case in mainland Europe though and most certainly not the case in Quimper where the audience applause was constant. The wild enthusiasm and enjoyment demonstrated by the punters throughout the concert was obvious with lots of head shaking and singing along to some of the lyrics. This seemed to encourage the band to even greater heights. No way to slow down indeed as the concert finale drew a standing ovation from a well satisfied audience – vive La France ! Reminded me of German dates on the Crest of a Knave tour in Europe in late 1987. If the Quimper gig is anything to go by then perhaps Ian should consider more dates in France where clearly there remains a huge following despite minimal marketing over the last few years. If it has to be the IAB from now on so be it…the old man has still got it in him and shows no signs of slowing down just yet. Setlist…Taab 1[side 1]/From a Pebble thrown/Pebbles/Banker Bets Banker Wins/Adrift and Dumbfounded/Old School Song/Wootton Basset town/Shunt and Shuffle/A Change of Horses/Confessional/Kismet in Suburbia/What if’s Maybes, Might have beens/My God incl Flute solo/Budapest/Aquadiddly/Aqualung/ Locomotive Breath.
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Post by steelmonkey on Sept 9, 2012 17:43:34 GMT
Well written review...wow...feel lucky to get this quality info from this quality Tull fan. I'm still hoping my gig next month is w/Ryan and all both bricks...but would i complain bitterly to get the setlist above....no! See Ryan in the Tel Aviv vids so still think the brick 1/2 is in the crads...will be very interested in setlists from the first Florida gigar
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Post by nonrabbit on Sept 9, 2012 17:51:15 GMT
Wot he said. Brilliant!! thanks for that Patrick def worth the wait and sounds quite an experience. Thats what I want to do in my retirement and according to our government it's getting further and further away, I want to plan my year around music events ..take in France etc for the summer ...sunnier climes for the winter and then back for the Xmas concerts. He'll still be doing his thing
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Post by bunkerfan on Sept 9, 2012 18:35:03 GMT
Thanks for your review Patrick it sounds like it was a good gig. I'm still a bit perplexed at the exclusion Of Ryan O'Donnell though.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2012 13:45:16 GMT
www.miaminewtimes.com/2012-09-13/music/jethro-tull-s-ian-anderson-plays-thick-as-a-brick-1-and-2-at-fillmore-miami-beach-september-18/Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Plays Thick as a Brick 1 and 2 at Fillmore Miami Beach September 18 By Lee Zimmerman Thursday, Sep 13 2012 In the heady early '70s, it was common for new fans to mistakenly believe that the band Jethro Tull was named for the flautist who balanced precipitously on one leg. But the real Jethro Tull was an 18th-century English agricultural engineer and inventor, and the wild-eyed, flute-wielding prog-rock frontman is Ian Anderson. Nevertheless, the confusion persists, even four decades later. And over time, things have become only more confused, thanks to the band's frequent lineup changes and Anderson's habit of performing Jethro Tull material under his own name — not to mention the fact that the flautist recently released Thick as a Brick 2, his surprising sequel to Tull's early opus, 1972's Thick as a Brick. This week, performing as "Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson," the frontman will present a complete replay of both the original Thick as a Brick album and its sequel. But don't bother shouting out requests for "Aqualung," "Locomotive Breath," "Cross-Eyed Mary," "Teacher," or any of the other gems in the Tull songbook. As Anderson takes pains to explain, his show is very precisely programmed. New Times: Thematically, Thick as a Brick 2 seems to be closely tied to its predecessor. Are there striking musical similarities as well? Ian Anderson: There are a lot of acoustic elements in it, just as there were in the original Thick as a Brick. It is a good partner to the original album. And indeed, it was designed to be very much a sequel with a familiarity between certain instruments — like the Hammond organ, the Gibson Les Paul guitar, the Fender jazz bass — that appeared on the original album and were chosen for this album. I doff my cap to some of the original themes and ideas and bits and lyrics that were used on the original album. But it's a very delicate business to try to pay homage to something else without overdoing it to the point that everybody sees it as so obvious. My belief is that some of the people who listen to the album will recognize some of the elements, maybe four or five vocal references, four or five musical references. And that's it. Leave it at that. It very intentionally plants little flags that say, "Remember me." So what's the status of Jethro Tull? Is the band on hiatus? Is there a chance you'll reconvene? There is no real answer to that, really. At the moment, I'm halfway through touring with a production of this album. And indeed, all the shows that are lined up for 2013 are all part of the Thick as a Brick tour. So, as of yet, there isn't a need to think through the answer to your question. [Laughs] The new production seems like it might be quite complex. What kind of preparation goes into it? We've done a bunch of shows in the last two months which have been comprised of multi-act festivals and shows where sometimes there's no technical side to our production due to a lack of facilities. So it's been a different set list night after night for a while. And now we're back to doing the production. So you pretty much stick to the exact order of the album and integrate all the elements as originally recorded? That's exactly it. The whole point was to try to play both albums as they were written and arranged without cheating. I really don't have any problems with the second album, because I wrote it carefully to avoid some of the little impasses I created for myself with the first album, where I ended up enthusiastically adding additional vocal lines, additional flute lines, additional guitar lines. It's impossible to do exactly what I end up doing on the original album, because, every so often, everything's going on at the same time. I only have two hands and one set of lungs.
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Post by bunkerfan on Sept 16, 2012 10:42:00 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2012 13:57:35 GMT
Ian Anderson hits the Bricks The Jethro Tull flautist to perform in Miami Beach, West Palm Beach. www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/music/sf-ppl-ian-anderson-kravis-west-palm-091612-20120916,0,5315699.story By Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel September 16, 2012 Jethro Tull's flute-wielding frontman, Ian Anderson, can't say he's taken a shine to the past quarter-century of musical innovation, counting electronica, hip-hop and sampling on a list that intrudes on what he likes to call "classic sonic values." "I don't like the newer gadgets much," admits the progressive-rock legend from his office in Wiltshire, England, speaking on a break from packing equipment and soldering cables for his solo tour this week in the United States. "I prefer the human touch and interpretation of an instrument, re-creating sonic accuracy on the Fender Jazz Bass, the Gibson Les Paul and the Hammond organ. If you want to play real music in real time, pick up a guitar and play the frigging thing." The human touch, along with a glockenspiel, a fluegelhorn and lyrical satire, went into Jethro Tull's 1972 prog-rock opus "Thick As a Brick." The record was written by Anderson as a social critique and as a send-up of concept albums ("parodied with our dry, British humor,") following fictional 10-year-old English boy Gerald Bostock and his trials of growing up. So when Anderson conceived the idea for "Thick As a Brick II," released in April, he thought nothing of time-traveling his musical tastes to the present. "The original was a spoof of prog-rock, and it was written during a time when Yes and early Genesis were around, so the timing was perfect," says Anderson, who will perform "Thick As a Brick" and its sequel – sans Tull – back-to-back at the Fillmore Miami Beach on Tuesday and at the Kravis Center on Wednesday. "I became interested in the fate of Gerald Bostock in 2012 and fate in general after hearing sequel requests from fans." Win a $500 gift card. Just tell us about your worst job for your chance to win Anderson's new album may be filled with topical winks to the present – Starbucks, mortgage meltdowns, "draconian" bank regulation – but if you tell him that its musical themes sound as old-school as its predecessor, well, he won't disagree on that point. "The acoustic elements are quite similar, and that's because TAAB 2 is thematically like TAAB. What I preferred to update was the lyrics," he says of the sequel, which he began writing, partly out of nostalgia, in 2010. "I wanted to stick pointy sticks into the concept of fate, which figures into many religions. The Hindus ride motorcycles without a helmet because God has already decided on the outcome of their lives," he says. "So I jump forward through the years and show Gerald as a middle-aged man taking different paths in life." Anderson says his own path these past 15 years has been about re-creating his original sound and, no doubt, those sonic values. "When I tour with Jethro, we'll have a generic rock show, play 'Aqualung,' " Anderson says. "Tull means different things to different people. Some might like folk-rock and bluesy Jethro, but this is neither. This is for someone who wants a more-meaty, theatrical production." Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson plays Thick As a Brick 1 and 2 When: 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Kravis Center Where: Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; The Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach Cost: $40.50-$73 at the Fillmore, $25-$100 at Kravis Center Contact: 305-673-7300 or Fillmoremb.com; 561-832-7469 or Kravis.org The truth only whispers.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2012 11:41:24 GMT
A Morning Chat With Ian Anderson By: Kelly Panoc www.examiner.com/article/a-morning-chat-with-ian-andersonThe Tull fan base reminds me of those that followed another uniquely original band known as the Grateful Dead as both fan bases are made up of the most unique individuals that are the most warm, open minded and accepting people you will ever share an arena with. Attending a Jethro Tull show is like visiting family I have not seen in a long while and it does feel like home. Ian Anderson's sartorial excellence Jethro Tull band member revisits prog-rock success with his finely crafted new album Posted: September 18, 2012 - 10:41pmstaugustine.com/surf-drift/2012-09-18/ian-andersons-sartorial-excellence#.UFmsrlHa9cRDrift: Do you have any plans in the future to reunite with Martin Barre and the other Jethro Tull members? IA: There are no plans to not do that; it’s just a question of when the time is right. It really all depends on whether The Rolling Stones decide to pursue their plan to recruit a flute player for their 50th [anniversary] reunion tour next year. I’ve been waiting to see if I get the call from Keith or Mick, but so far I haven’t had that lucky nod. most warm, open minded and accepting people HELLO! It's an early bird catches the worm.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2012 15:44:57 GMT
blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2012/09/jethro_tull_ian_anderson_concert_review_miami_beach_september_18_2012.php Concert Review Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Gets Thick as a Brick at the Fillmore Miami Beach, September 18 By Lee Zimmerman Wed., Sep. 19 2012 at 8:30 AM Categories: Concert Review, Last Night Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Fillmore Miami Beach Tuesday, September 18, 2012 Better Than: Jethro Tull? Hmm ... There's reason to consider. Ian Anderson's decision to revisit Jethro Tull's most elaborate opus (and no, we're not talking Aqualung) certainly took some fans by surprise, if for no other reason that the move seems somewhat belated. After all, the album he's gone back to -- Thick As A Brick -- is now 40 years old, an ancient relic by modern music standards. The fact that he's not only opted to take it out on the road, but to match it with a sequel -- all sans Jethro Tull, no less -- is reason to give longtime fans pause. See also: -Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Talks Prog Rock, Flute Magic, and Thick as a Brick Nevertheless, at this stage in Anderson's career, any sudden burst of creative motivation is welcome, especially considering the fact that the Tull brand has been all but retired and soldiers on mainly through reissues and the occasional archival concert recording. So it seems all too fitting that Anderson would take it upon himself to tour -- classic album in hand and new band in tow -- and weave the entire narrative together. In so doing, it becomes not only a credit to his prowess but to his perseverance as well. There is precedent, of course. Roger Waters' decision to perform his masterpiece, The Wall, as a theatrical extravaganza was certainly a step forward when it came to merging theatrical spectacle and authentic rock 'n' roll. Likewise, the Who's recent retooling of their own classic, Quadrophrenia takes place this fall. Yet for Anderson, reviving Thick As A Brick would seem the greater challenge, not only because the work dates back much further, but also because he had to create an entirely new work in order to bring it to fruition. There are other risks involved as well. For one thing, the sequel is largely unfamiliar to Anderson's audiences, and it accounts for the entire second half of the show. For another, the original work worked as a whole, but when it came to breeding classic songs, it mostly came up short. Likewise, Anderson made it clear in his recent interview with New Times that fans ought not expect any other Tull standbys -- no "Aqualung," "Cross-Eyed Mary," "Living in the Past," "Bouree" et. al -- which raises the stakes even higher. And of course there's no Tull per se, except to emphasize this is "Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson" on the marquee. Yes, there's a high bar and one could only hope Anderson was up to scaling it. Fortunately, last night's performance proved there was no need to worry. Reconfigured for the stage, Thick As A Brick remains as impressive as ever, its intricate passages, recurring refrains, pomp and power all still intact. The fact that Anderson and his excellent backing band -- bassist David Goodier, drummer Scott Hammond, guitarist Florian Opahle -- are able to pull it off so well speaks volumes, not only about the album's staying power but also about its ability to still lend itself to live performance. There are the obvious concessions -- screen projections, occasional videos, some spoken narration and a central non-musician, Ryan O'Donnell -- who acts as mime, additional vocalist and general foil for Anderson himself. O'Donnell's presence gives the performance its theatrical emphasis, although the band's posing and posturing suggests its precise choreography regardless. Nominally, the story still centers on Gerald Bostock, a fictitious boy poet who was credited with writing the original lyrics, although Anderson has conceded that the original Thick As A Brick was actually conceived as a spoof of the bombastic concept albums that were all the rage back in the late '60s and early'70s. Its sequel, TAAB 2 revisits the young Bostock 40 years later and allegedly follows his progress into middle age, while commenting on many of the mores that intrude on his -- and our -- existence today. Performed live, and bowing to the occasional theatrical trappings, it remains grandly ambitious, but the central story of Bostock seems lost in all its intricacy. Likewise, although the newer album actually bests the original in terms of musical intrigue, the plot still remains muddled while providing only the thinnest thread of continuity. Nevertheless, Anderson and company do the music justice, weaving their way through the various musical interludes, time changes and melodic themes with exacting and meticulous execution. Anderson himself remains an ideal front man, a reservoir of nonstop energy, exaggerated expression and incredible dexterity. At age 65, he attempts to famously balance less on one leg now, but he still manages to mesmerize, and considering that the show clocks in at two and a half hours, intermission included, his staying power is all the more impressive indeed. It ought to be noted that the concert was also demanding on the audience's attention, given its scarcity of familiar material and the fact it's largely an instrumental offering, Consequently, a rambunctious encore of "Locomotive Breath," the sole song to break the conceptual mold, proved ample reward for any diehard devotees with sentimental ties to Tull. Yet considering the effort already expended, it almost seemed redundant. Thick As A Brick gave all the weight needed. Critic's Notebook Personal Bias: Being a big Tull fan from back in the day, I felt a bit conflicted. A Tull classic performed sans Tull? Inevitably, the absence of any other charter members proved a moot point. The Crowd: Mostly those who probably first heard Thick As A Brick when it was originally released. By the way: Anderson is as animated as ever. At the age where many people opt for a pension, he shows no signs of slowing down. Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @crossfade_SFL. Photo by Martin Webb OF COURSE So you ride yourselves over the fields and you make all your animal deals and your wise men don't know how it feels to be thick as a brick.
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Post by steelmonkey on Sept 19, 2012 15:58:36 GMT
So far...so very, very, very good....correct setlist first American gig...Thanks TooTull for providing that info hot of the press. 29 days till MY TURN... ( but who's counting?). Though many miles, many days and many gigs away...it's nice to know that ian and the boys are heading west.
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Post by maddogfagin on Sept 19, 2012 17:32:20 GMT
A Morning Chat With Ian Anderson By: Kelly Panoc www.examiner.com/article/a-morning-chat-with-ian-andersonThe Tull fan base reminds me of those that followed another uniquely original band known as the Grateful Dead as both fan bases are made up of the most unique individuals that are the most warm, open minded and accepting people you will ever share an arena with. Attending a Jethro Tull show is like visiting family I have not seen in a long while and it does feel like home. I reckon from my perspective the above is true although, like all families, there are some family members who you can't abide or get on with. I suppose it depends on how you view your "involvement" with the band. Listening to the music, watching a great concert or just chatting with like minded folk over a beer in a pub is my "involvement". Slagging off others who may have a different viewpoint or deliberately attempting to sabotage the endeavours of others is not my personal idea of being a fan. In any case, I'm glad for the American/Canadian fans that the set list appears to have changed little from the concerts we Brits saw earlier in the year and thanks to TooTull for locating the review.
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Post by nonrabbit on Sept 19, 2012 18:07:27 GMT
Well said. I am, and was totally chuffed to meet Tull fans as I never mixed in those circles before It might be virtual and it's nowhere near as good as sitting in the pub and/or other venue, discussing Tull but it's as near as it gets! The plus is that I've met some great people that I can call good friends, having loads of fun and laughs and sadly, yes, met others who seem to be on another agenda, but thats life!
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Post by bunkerfan on Sept 20, 2012 12:12:26 GMT
The first video posted from The North American leg of the tour.
Thanks to greenkrag for uploading
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2012 14:05:20 GMT
www.soundspike.com/story/4765/soundspike-interview-ian-anderson/Q&A: Ian Anderson Whatever Happened To Gerald Bostock? // Tour dates at SoundSpike Photo: William Morris Endeavor Story by John Voket SoundSpike Contributor Published September 20, 2012 06:18 AM Whatever Happened To Gerald Bostock? It's a fair question, but more than likely one that might be asked by either a hard core prog-rock fan, or at least a casual follower of Jethro Tull. For those who may need a gentle reminder, the popular rock band led by the wild-eyed flautist, singer and songwriter Ian Anderson released its seminal concept album "Thick As A Brick" in 1972. Despite its decidedly complex and lengthy arrangements, "TAAB" became one of Jethro Tull's best selling and popular releases, topping the Billboard Album Chart. The lyrical story arc of "Thick As a Brick," as Anderson relates on his website, was credited at the time to the fictitious child character Gerald Bostock. As the story goes, Bostock entered a poetry competition and was subsequently disqualified from his win following an appearance on BBC-TV, where he uttered a profanity. It was also revealed that his parents had lied about his age. Instead of the eight-year-old his parents claimed him to be, he was actually nine at the time of writing the poem and 10 when he won the competition. But Bostock's poetry was repurposed for song lyrics that, in reality, eventually became the original "Thick As a Brick" album. So, 40 years on, what would Bostock -- aged 50 in 2012 -- be doing? After some prodding and serious lobbying by prog-rock vocalist-turned-record exec Derek Shulman of Gentle Giant fame, Anderson, who initially balked, began to warm to the concept of imagining Bostock in adulthood. The idea began generating creative traction and within just a few weeks, a present day sequel, appropriately titled "Thick As a Brick 2," emerged. Perhaps the greatest joy of listening through "TAAB2" is discovering the subtle and not-so-subtle references to the original work couched in comparably stellar musicianship -- as well as the overlay of ideas and wit that were already well formed in the mind of nine-year-old Bostock (or Anderson) back in '72. "TAAB2," Anderson said, examines the possible different paths that the precocious young schoolboy might have taken later in life, while at the same time, creating alter-ego characters whose song-section identities illustrate the hugely varied potential twists and turns of fate and opportunity. "Not just for Gerald, but to echo how our own lives develop, change direction and ultimately conclude through chance encounters and interventions, however tiny and insignificant they might seem at the time," Anderson states. With "TAAB2" receiving good reviews and overwhelming fan support, and after a well-received tour abroad, Anderson brings the "Thick As a Brick 1 & 2 Tour" to the U.S. The outing kicked off earlier this week in Miami. Plans call for Anderson and his backing band of David Goodier, Scott Hammond, Ryan O'Donnell, John O'Hara and Florian Opahle to perform the entire first and second album back-to-back and in their entirety -- and possibly with a few other select "greatest hits" as an encore -- during the tour. Anderson spoke to SoundSpike ahead of his arrival in the states, discussing the challenges of reproducing the complexities of these two companion "bookend" creations of "Thick As a Brick" that were conceived nearly 40 years apart. SoundSpike: Given the hit-oriented manner in which albums are produced today, it's unusual to sit and listen to an entire album front-to-back that is both cohesive and not apparently constructed around a few numbers sanctioned as hopeful hit singles. Ian Anderson: Well at the time I was writing it in February 2011, I suppose I had some trepidation about taking on a big project of that sort. But within two or three days of starting work on it, I thought the ideas are coming thick and fast, so it's not something that is going to dry up on me halfway through. And indeed the problem became trying to shoehorn in an awful lot of stuff into the physical limitations of making a single project that would just about fit on a vinyl record. In fact, for those who would like the physicality of owning such a thing, I did a special vinyl release of "Thick As a Brick 1 & 2." We cut the thing on copper instead of acetate at Abbey Road studios in London. After so many years of being in a studio and actually cutting a record, I thought it sounded pretty good. Mind you we were using the same equipment and materials used when the Beatles were recording there. The musical and stylistic similarities between parts one and two are amazing. You really seemed to have nailed down the other bookend here 40 years hence. If you're writing something like that, you have to find that middle path really between making it too disassociated in terms of style and content and sound -- and not wanting it to be some sort of nostalgic trip into the past. It's a question of trying to find that good balance. And that balance was, for me, trying to make an album for 2012 in terms of subject and material whilst retaining some of the sonic qualities of the original through the use of the same instruments, and generally the same approach to writing and recording -- which was doing it very much like a live performance. Although this was somewhat more efficient because on the original, I let myself get a little ambitious in the studio adding overdubs, extra voices guitar and flute parts that I actually couldn't play live. Once you start putting on two flutes you're in trouble -- or I'm in trouble, especially if I have to play guitar and flute at the same time, which does occur in many of the passages on the original "Thick As a Brick" album. So how do you manage to replicate the original album live on the current tour? I have an extra hand on stage on this tour to help cover all the lines that otherwise would be missing because they are impossible to perform with only five people. It is an experience to try and bring these two things side-by-side on a live stage, and the fact there is a 40-year gap between them which is quickly crossed over by the vehicle that is the young Gerald Bostock growing up and becoming an adult, and through the various possibilities of life outcomes of a little boy. Those take us quickly into a series of contemporary songs that cover some of the passages along the way -- sometimes with a degree of humor, and sometimes with a degree of bleakness and harshness, but trying to keep things varied in terms of emotion. It's not a barrel of laughs, but it has its comedic moments, too. So how is this fusion of two complicated projects shaking out in concert? The first 15 or 20 shows were a big learning curve for band and crew. But during the latter part of the first tour, I think we began settling in and beginning to enjoy the little moments that come from the improvisational passages. To begin with, it's an enormous amount of stuff to learn and remember. To begin with it was a full-on feat of memory and concentration, but now enough of it is routine in terms of the arrangements that we can settle back a bit and kind of enjoy those flights of fancy moments which make every night a little different than the one before. And it keeps the Alzheimer's at bay by pushing the brain to that degree of concentration -- that's no joke by the way. I'm much happier stretching my mind doing this than I would going off somewhere fishing, or God forbid, taking up golf...(laughing). Is the live show just TAAB 1 & 2, or do you encore with a few more 'greatest hits'? Well the whole (TAAB) takes two hours, but there are occasions where we are forced to play a somewhat irrelevant encore of past material. For the most part we look at it as a theatrical musical presentation, and hope we can get away without playing "Aqualung" or "Locomotive Breath," which is just like finishing an eight-course meal and somebody brings out another chunk of steak and says "eat this." Asking for people's time and concentration as an audience, you'd think most people would want to run screaming for the exit doors by the time we finish part two. But sadly, that's not the case much of the time. So we get caught up in the inevitable encores once in awhile. Before you were prodded into considering this new project, had you spent any substantial amount of time thinking about Gerald Bostock previously -- back when he was 40 or 25? The material of "Thick As a Brick" was never far from my consciousness because we'd play 10 or 15 minutes of the album quite frequently in concert over the years. But to play the whole thing in its entirety was never something I gave any serious consideration to, until about three years ago when it crossed my mind. So I listened to the album and tried to play most of the way through it just to see, out of curiosity really, how difficult it was. And I figured I could learn to play it all again over the period of a few days. But as soon as I started analyzing the arrangements, I knew there would have to be lines of music dropped and lines of vocals dropped. It was only when I started working on "Thick As a Brick 2" that I thought I could find another performer who could play the flute or sing. So I tried out a young actor who worked on Pete Townsend's musical "Quadrophenia." And we booked Ryan O'Donnell to do these upcoming tours. He's sort of an alter-ego for me although he's in his late 20s. As an actor he's able to bring a dramatic interpretation to whatever he might be asked to do -- and it's an interesting dimension to have. We gave him lots of parts to play in both pieces. Much of the electric guitar work is reminiscent of Martin Barre's contributions on the original album and the old-school Jethro Tull material. How much did you work with Florian and the production team to craft the electric guitar contributions? And have you had any reaction from Martin about TAAB2? Well, not directly. But I did have a talk with Martin about this year and the plans I had. And it was determined that this year would be a time for the other [Jethro Tull] musicians to go and do other projects. You know, all of the musicians in the Ian Anderson band except for Ryan have been part of Jethro Tull in recent years. It's probably most difficult for young Florian to have to step into the shoes of someone who has played most of the Jethro Tull shows since 1969 when Martin joined. But Florian understands quite well to what degree he must recreate some of the style of Martin Barre's contributions. And he seems to do it quite well, no disrespect to Martin. Of course on TAAB2 he is doing his own thing -- we actually sat down and made demos of most of the material in March of 2011. But for the original "Thick As a Brick" in concert, the musicians have to take as their starting point the musical notation of those people who did it in 1972, and it was mostly written and arranged by me. A band is a band to some degree -- they are given the parts they are expected to play. I'm not embarrassed to say that Jeffrey Hammond was taught the bass part note-for-note, and he did a great job playing it. But when David, our bass player today, learns those parts, he's learning the parts I gave to Jeffrey back in the day. It's when contemporary band members have to find that improvisational moment, when I think you take a couple of elements from previous performers' inventions. But you have to put your own stamp of nuances and adventure into it. It would be really silly to copy things note-for-note, but you can pay homage to your predecessors -- create something based on the previous model. it's only me
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Post by steelmonkey on Sept 20, 2012 15:46:52 GMT
I got banned by the needledick board as well....for the offense of not making them my sole Jethro Tull fansite destination......I like it here where the emphasis is quality not competition...seems to be the natural destination for people who are rabid Tull fans...not just, plain rabid ! ( well, i foam at the mouth, at times).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2012 16:03:32 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2012 16:05:53 GMT
I got banned by the needledick board as well....for the offense of not making them my sole Jethro Tull fansite destination......I like it here where the emphasis is quality not competition...seems to be the natural destination for people who are rabid Tull fans...not just, plain rabid ! ( well, i foam at the mouth, at times). I tried to set up a dumb & dumber joke. Can I say, I guess the joke fit.
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Post by maddogfagin on Sept 20, 2012 18:28:44 GMT
I got banned by the needledick board as well....for the offense of not making them my sole Jethro Tull fansite destination......I like it here where the emphasis is quality not competition...seems to be the natural destination for people who are rabid Tull fans...not just, plain rabid ! ( well, i foam at the mouth, at times). I have a number of complaints from members about similar concerns to the above Bernie. Rest assured you're not the only one. I can only guess who is behind it
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Post by bunkerfan on Sept 20, 2012 19:05:32 GMT
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Post by bunkerfan on Sept 21, 2012 6:52:46 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2012 11:42:29 GMT
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Post by steelmonkey on Sept 22, 2012 2:11:48 GMT
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