Post by witkacy on Apr 1, 2012 14:23:08 GMT
My adventure with Jethro Tull overall began in the 80s thanks to five long haired gentlemen who did the track "Cross Eyed Mary" on one of their singles... You guessed right - Iron Maiden Started listening them as eight year kid and those, who turned upside down my simply musical world consisting of ABBA and so The Beatles - beloved Dad's bands, were my elder cousins - strange guys wearing leather, smoking cigarettes, drinking beer and having one of the most amazing things I could touch in my short life then - "Jolana" - an electric guitar made in Czechoslovakia...
Since I was aware of the guitar, did everything I could to meet more and more with the cousins - they played for me and even allowed to touch their precious records and tapes! That's how I discovered Maiden, Free, Budgie, Wishbone Ash, Purple, Sabbath, Zeppelin and so on... But main thing was Maiden... Was very much delighted and grateful that cousins took their time and show the light to blindman, taking care of my musical education... Years passed by and I was knowing more and more of good music and someday as the birthday present got perfect cutting fingers device straight from Soviet Union - a cheap acoustic - trully great one besides it hardly tuned, but she was MINE!
One thing remained constant - I did EVERYTHING not to try out Jethro Tull music... How stupid I was! That band was FORBIDDEN... You might be asking why? Sure I tell you - because of the one word - flute... While been told that Jethro IS very much in common with the flute, actually I wipped the name Jethro Tull of my mind...
In school we had music lessons and it was obligation to learn and play flute to pass the tests... How I HATED these! No matter how hard I've tried always ended the same - squeaks very far from harmony...
How much I begged the teacher to let me play the guitar instead this bloody thing... The answer was always the same: I am very happy that you can play guitar, but here on my classes everybody HAVE TO play flute, so no exceptions... After hours of practice somehow I managed to play something "similar" to the tune, praying to hear "Enough!" to stop the torment...
All this made that I "forgot" about the band for good... Simply couldn't stand the sound of the flute... It was perfect for having headache - that's it...
I "remembered" the name Jethro Tull in college... While getting 12" The Trooper Vinyl to my collection... Collecting records wasn't easy back in those days we were behind "The Iron Curtain" and HAVE TO "love" our brothers from the East... The prices of good records no matter what kind of music were horrendous, while available... Those who had the chance to buy something on the West were lucky... Enough saying - I've bought "Live After Death" after half a year saving all my pennies from pocket money... And I had to beg the nice lady from the bookstore first to put the record off the shelf and "hide my record" to avoid being bought by someone else as they've got only one copy...
- Actually I can't do it... But I'll do it for you... You really wish to buy the record?
- Yes... I don't know when... A month, two months... But I'll be back to you and buy it because I very much like this band...
- Yes, I noticed that how you look on the record, that's why I agreed
The nice lady kept the promise and six months later made me very happy... Once the record was safe in my home spent the rest of savings at the flowershop and went back to the bookstore... Those were the times!
Back to Jethro though... Was more than surprised while noticed that Cross-Eyed Mary is NOT genuine Maiden song, but a cover written by "I. Anderson"... Was curious about the original version, but on the other - it was Jethro and flute... Somehow I got the recording, but treated it as "hedgehog"...
Listened and didn't like it at all... So Jethro was "gone" for some time as "something not interesting"...
While studying I had met a guy with quite similar taste to mine - liked all old good bands as well... I remember I was very much into Uriah Heep then, and he lent me the tape with some Uriah's album, on the other side was Jethro Tull...
- Try it man, it's good... One track, but it's actually whole album... Thick As A Brick
- One track you say? OK, that will be my second - but I try to listen...
First time, second... After fifth I guess... "Hey, it's NOT that bad, anyway"... Three days later I couldn't stop listening it... "Doctor Anderson" caused my flute nightmares gone forever LOL...
Then I started visiting those of my friends having any records with the same request: "If you have something of Jethro Tull, I would like to borrow everything if possible"... Didn't know anything... Literally anything... So that's why so much praise the times of internet now and possibility to talk with other fans and find some info...
I wouldn't dare to call myself "a fan" though... Yet I CAN say that I like them very much now Having most of regular albums on CD, one DVD, and a few bootlegs kind hearted people were willing to share but that's it... A bit pitty that I saw them live only once - on september 2009 while playing in Warsaw... But it was one of the shows I will remember forever - my first time
All the best,
Witkacy
Since I was aware of the guitar, did everything I could to meet more and more with the cousins - they played for me and even allowed to touch their precious records and tapes! That's how I discovered Maiden, Free, Budgie, Wishbone Ash, Purple, Sabbath, Zeppelin and so on... But main thing was Maiden... Was very much delighted and grateful that cousins took their time and show the light to blindman, taking care of my musical education... Years passed by and I was knowing more and more of good music and someday as the birthday present got perfect cutting fingers device straight from Soviet Union - a cheap acoustic - trully great one besides it hardly tuned, but she was MINE!
One thing remained constant - I did EVERYTHING not to try out Jethro Tull music... How stupid I was! That band was FORBIDDEN... You might be asking why? Sure I tell you - because of the one word - flute... While been told that Jethro IS very much in common with the flute, actually I wipped the name Jethro Tull of my mind...
In school we had music lessons and it was obligation to learn and play flute to pass the tests... How I HATED these! No matter how hard I've tried always ended the same - squeaks very far from harmony...
How much I begged the teacher to let me play the guitar instead this bloody thing... The answer was always the same: I am very happy that you can play guitar, but here on my classes everybody HAVE TO play flute, so no exceptions... After hours of practice somehow I managed to play something "similar" to the tune, praying to hear "Enough!" to stop the torment...
All this made that I "forgot" about the band for good... Simply couldn't stand the sound of the flute... It was perfect for having headache - that's it...
I "remembered" the name Jethro Tull in college... While getting 12" The Trooper Vinyl to my collection... Collecting records wasn't easy back in those days we were behind "The Iron Curtain" and HAVE TO "love" our brothers from the East... The prices of good records no matter what kind of music were horrendous, while available... Those who had the chance to buy something on the West were lucky... Enough saying - I've bought "Live After Death" after half a year saving all my pennies from pocket money... And I had to beg the nice lady from the bookstore first to put the record off the shelf and "hide my record" to avoid being bought by someone else as they've got only one copy...
- Actually I can't do it... But I'll do it for you... You really wish to buy the record?
- Yes... I don't know when... A month, two months... But I'll be back to you and buy it because I very much like this band...
- Yes, I noticed that how you look on the record, that's why I agreed
The nice lady kept the promise and six months later made me very happy... Once the record was safe in my home spent the rest of savings at the flowershop and went back to the bookstore... Those were the times!
Back to Jethro though... Was more than surprised while noticed that Cross-Eyed Mary is NOT genuine Maiden song, but a cover written by "I. Anderson"... Was curious about the original version, but on the other - it was Jethro and flute... Somehow I got the recording, but treated it as "hedgehog"...
Listened and didn't like it at all... So Jethro was "gone" for some time as "something not interesting"...
While studying I had met a guy with quite similar taste to mine - liked all old good bands as well... I remember I was very much into Uriah Heep then, and he lent me the tape with some Uriah's album, on the other side was Jethro Tull...
- Try it man, it's good... One track, but it's actually whole album... Thick As A Brick
- One track you say? OK, that will be my second - but I try to listen...
First time, second... After fifth I guess... "Hey, it's NOT that bad, anyway"... Three days later I couldn't stop listening it... "Doctor Anderson" caused my flute nightmares gone forever LOL...
Then I started visiting those of my friends having any records with the same request: "If you have something of Jethro Tull, I would like to borrow everything if possible"... Didn't know anything... Literally anything... So that's why so much praise the times of internet now and possibility to talk with other fans and find some info...
I wouldn't dare to call myself "a fan" though... Yet I CAN say that I like them very much now Having most of regular albums on CD, one DVD, and a few bootlegs kind hearted people were willing to share but that's it... A bit pitty that I saw them live only once - on september 2009 while playing in Warsaw... But it was one of the shows I will remember forever - my first time
All the best,
Witkacy