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Post by maddogfagin on Apr 2, 2018 7:09:40 GMT
An informative interview with IA from 2012 linkMay be a repost but interesting Easter Monday reading
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Post by maddogfagin on Apr 5, 2018 6:41:56 GMT
spillmagazine.com/SPILL FEATURE: A NOSTALGIC TOUR 50 YEARS IN THE MAKING – A CONVERSATION WITH IAN ANDERSON OF JETHRO TULLA NOSTALGIC TOUR 50 YEARS IN THE MAKING A CONVERSATION WITH IAN ANDERSON OF JETHRO TULLJethro Tull debuted as a band on, Feb. 2, 1968 at the Marquee Club in London, England. The central figure of the band was, and still is, Ian Anderson. They formed in 1967 and began performing under various names in the clubs in London, but by 1968 they settled on Jethro Tull, taking their name from an 18th Century agriculturist, famous for inventing the seed drill. By October, they were signed to Island records (Reprise in North America) and they issued their debut album, This Was. Full article HERE
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Post by PurpleDove on Apr 7, 2018 0:51:56 GMT
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Post by JTull 007 on Apr 7, 2018 1:59:19 GMT
Thank you Cosmik Laila !!! I love your very unique interview! Excellent Ian may get a little long winded, but you really handled it well.
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Post by maddogfagin on Apr 15, 2018 7:05:49 GMT
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Post by nonrabbit on Apr 17, 2018 8:28:14 GMT
And here he is again - throwing in a few previously unknown (to me anyway) nuggets of information, in an interview with The Manchester News in 2007. Q My first job wasAns... Delivering the parcel post in Lytham St Annes at Christmas. Q The greatest gift I have ever received was Ans... The love of a good woman. A mother's love comes a close second but I didn't really have a very loving relationship with my mother. and in the 'contradictory answers in a Q&A' award; Q I think God is Ans... All around us. Full interview here
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Post by bassackwards on Apr 17, 2018 15:40:50 GMT
And here he is again - throwing in a few previously unknown (to me anyway) nuggets of information, in an interview with The Manchester News in 2007. Q My first job wasAns... Delivering the parcel post in Lytham St Annes at Christmas. Q The greatest gift I have ever received was Ans... The love of a good woman. A mother's love comes a close second but I didn't really have a very loving relationship with my mother. and in the 'contradictory answers in a Q&A' award; Q I think God is Ans... All around us. Full interview hereThat's pretty damn current, Thanks Pieter!
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Post by maddogfagin on Apr 18, 2018 6:57:54 GMT
www.songwritingmagazine.co.uk/interviews/how-i-wrote-living-in-the-past-by-jethro-tulls-ian-anderson/41201How I wrote ‘Living In The Past’ by Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson28 March, 2018 Songwriting Spring 2018: Read the full Ian Anderson interview feature in our latest edition, out now at pocketmags.comOn the 50th anniversary of the band’s formation, the enigmatic, flute-toting frontman talks about writing one of their best-known songs Best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist and guitarist of British progressive folk-rock band Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson is celebrating 50 years as a recording and performing musician. It was on 2 February 1968 at London’s Marquee Club that his band first appeared on stage, before going on to become one of the most successful and enduring bands of their era. Jethro Tull racked up an estimated 60 million albums worldwide, with 11 gold and five platinum albums among them. The group first achieved commercial success in 1969, with the folk-tinged blues album Stand Up, which reached No 1 in the UK. Although originally recorded before this album, Living In The Past was released later that year, as a stand-alone single in the UK, but became more popular after its 1972 release on a compilation album of the same name. To celebrate the golden anniversary, Ian announced plans for a Jethro Tull world tour in 2018, giving us a perfect opportunity to reflect on the creation of one of the band’s best-known songs… “It was the early part of 1969, we were on our first US tour and I think we were returning to Boston to perform, maybe for the second time, at the Boston Tea Party. I was staying in a hotel, it was a Holiday Inn on the banks of the Charles River, just to the west of downtown Boston, and staying at the same hotel were a band called Pentangle. It was the kind of hotel that, I suppose, lesser-known and not terribly successful British acts would stay, because we couldn’t afford to stay anywhere else! “We were just checking into the hotel and our manager, Terry Ellis, said to me, ‘Listen, we’ve got a day off here before the show and I’ve been worried that our early glimmers of success in the UK might be lost because we’re going to be here for three months on tour, so by the time we get back to the UK, fickle audiences may have turned their attention elsewhere!’ I think his exact words were, ‘We want to keep the pot bowling, while we’re away.’ I said, ‘Right, er… What do you have in mind?’ So he said, ‘Could you come up with something catchy and radio-friendly, as a single we could release?’ Well, this was anathema to me, the idea of sitting down and trying to come up with something overtly commercial, and three minutes long, and whatever… But, to humour him, I just said, ‘Yeah sure, Terry, just give me an hour, I’ll meet you in the lobby and I’ll come back with a hit single!’ “IT’S NICE TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING THAT DEFIES THE ODDS” “I was completely just winding him up. But I dutifully went upstairs and fiddled around for an hour and came up with a song, and tried to make it as uncommercial as I could. I mean, the only way in which it followed an acceptable format was in its running time – it was just over three minutes long – but otherwise it flew in the face of everything that was commercial. First of all it was called Living In The Past, which was about as untrendy as you could get for a title. It also was in the 5/4 time signature, which meant you couldn’t really tap your feet to it or dance to it, so it was a no-no for Top Of The Pops. So I said, ‘I’ve got this song,’ and [Terry] said, ‘Wow! I’ll book a studio next week, when we we’re in the New York area.’ So he booked some cheap studio in New Jersey, where we went and recorded this, and overdubbed a small local ensemble of session musicians – the cheapest we could find. I think I did the vocals to it in San Francisco some weeks later, then mixed it and sent it back to the UK to be dutifully released. “And against all the odds, it did become a hit! It was No 3 in the Singles Chart and it was only the second occasion, I think, that a piece of music in an uncommon time signature of 5/4 was ever in the charts. The other time had been Dave Brubeck’s Take Five. That was somewhere in the back of my mind, really, because I was quite an admired of his and the fact that he did these quite simple but elegant songs in an unlikely time signature – it impressed me as a young man, so maybe that was what drove me to try to do that. “It’s nice to be able to do something that defies the odds and has a resonance to people even if, musically, it’s not just a thing you can tap your foot to and bop along with. Although, when we did do Living In The Past a couple of times on Top Of The Pops, I remember dear old Cliff Richard standing and warming up for his slot on the other stage in the studio, attempting to dance along! I remember watching him and thinking, ‘This is not going to be easy Cliff!’ It’s quite difficult to follow 5/4 unless you’ve got two and half legs! “I think the lyrics to Living In The Past are probably amongst the all-time worst lyrics I’ve written, in terms of personal satisfaction! But, in their way, in the context of the song, they work – it’s okay. I’m not ashamed of them; I just don’t think they’re very good. At that stage, remember, I’d only just written and recorded the Stand Up album, before going to America, so it was pretty early days.” Interview: Aaron SlaterIan Anderson will present 50 years of Jethro Tull in eight UK concerts during April 2018 as part of the worldwide touring schedule. Find out more at jethrotull.com
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Post by maddogfagin on Apr 20, 2018 6:24:36 GMT
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Post by maddogfagin on Apr 27, 2018 6:31:19 GMT
Apologies if this is a re-post
Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) Interview - The Walking Dead
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Post by nonrabbit on May 6, 2018 12:51:32 GMT
Ian on SMX radio... Canada Talks (as I type!) Have to sign in to hear LINK
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Post by JTull 007 on May 7, 2018 2:22:40 GMT
Ian Anderson Derek Walmsley Spent over an hour with Ian this morning planning UK cathedral concerts for December 2019!
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Post by JTull 007 on May 19, 2018 10:42:09 GMT
Ep119: Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull April 09, 2018 LINK For over 50 years Jethro Tull have honed a unique, instantly recognizable style of music. Ian Anderson has led Jethro Tull from day one and, 5 decades and 60 million albums later, he shares his thoughts and memories on a career unlike any other.
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Post by JTull 007 on May 19, 2018 16:47:53 GMT
Broadsword and The Beast 50 for 50 LINK Tull will release three-disc career spanning 50 For 50 set on June 1...
Ian Anderson discusses Jethro Tull's 1982 album Broadsword And The Beast in this exclusive clip for Prog.
It comes ahead of the release of 50 For 50, a career-spanning three-disc set featuring, as the title implies fifty tracks form the 50 years the band have been in existence. Over which time they've sold 60 million albums, featured 36 different band members and released 21 studio albums.
Says Anderson: “From the age of 14 or 15 I had this idea at the back of my mind that as soon as you had made it then that was it, it was all over. I still thought that when we had our first degree of success…. But after a couple of years had gone by and we were still doing well it was a staggering revelation that you could actually still be around, that it could possibly be a career. Even then I thought it could only be for five years, or ten at the outside. I thought it impossible to think that you might be 40 and still doing something - that would be outrageous!”
50 For 50 will be released on June 1 as three-CD set or digital download.
A single disc Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary Collection will also be released on the same day.
And a vinyl version of the single disc collection will, be released on August 31.
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Post by maddogfagin on May 31, 2018 13:13:59 GMT
www.noozhawk.com/article/jeff_moehlis_jethro_tull_turns_50_20180529Jeff Moehlis: Ian Anderson Takes a Look Back as Jethro Tull Turns 50The band will perform at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre on Sunday Thursday, May 31 , 2018, 6:04 am Ian Anderson will bring Jethro Tull’s 50th anniversary tour to the Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles on Sunday. (L. Paul Mann / Noozhawk photo)Jethro Tull is celebrating its 50th year with a tour that will stop at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles on Sunday, June 3. Tickets are available by clicking here. Jethro Tull’s first album, the bluesy This Was, came out in 1968, and their music rapidly developed with 1969's Stand Up, which incorporated elements of English folk music, and 1970's Benefit, which embraced hard rock. Next up was Jethro Tull’s classic album Aqualung, released in 1971 and regarded by many to be the band's best. This included the signature tunes "Aqualung," "Locomotive Breath" and "Cross-Eyed Mary." Jethro Tull followed with two concept albums, both of which reached No. 1 in the U.S. charts: 1972's Thick as a Brick and 1973's A Passion Play. They released many more albums, notable ones including the compilation Living in the Past (1972), War Child (1974), Minstrel in the Gallery (1975), Songs from the Wood (1977) and Crest of a Knave (1987), which somewhat controversially beat out Metallica for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance. Ian Anderson is the frontman/singer/songwriter/flautist/acoustic guitarist/musical mastermind for Jethro Tull, and the only member who has been with the band since its beginning. He talked to Noozhawk about the band's first U.S. tour, the flute and the Holy Grail. • • • Jeff Moehlis: What are some of the memories you have of Jethro Tull's first tour of America? Ian Anderson: Well, good and bad. I think the first show was either at the Fillmore East or maybe the Boston Tea Party. It was an important gig, the first thing we ever did, so it was pretty nerve-racking. There was no kind of warm-up of maybe playing in a few Midwestern towns in a pub or a club somewhere. It was straight into the deep end playing two of the most iconic venues in that period of time — the Boston Tea Party where Dan Law was the promoter, and Bill Graham, of course, at the Fillmore East. So these were pretty scary places. You were in at the deep end, straightaway you were going to be judged by a very savvy audience and by two of the biggest promoters that have ever been in the USA. I guess it went OK, otherwise we would've been on the next flight home. But there was a lot of hanging around. We didn't really have a lot of work, so there were days when we were just sitting in some terrible, terrible hotel sharing rooms and waiting for our manager to tell us we had another gig somewhere. So it was 13 weeks of being away from the U.K. to play maybe three weeks worth of shows [laughs]. It was a toughie. You know, there were lots of opportunities, I suppose, to see some of the great bands, sometimes to work with them, sometimes just being in the same hotel [laughs]. It was memorable, but as I say, good memories and bad memories. JM: What inspired you to incorporate the flute into the music of Jethro Tull? IA: Well, desperation, really. I was not a very good guitar player when I was in my teens, and when I was about 18 years old, I heard Eric Clapton for the first time, when he joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. I realized that this guy was so far ahead of the pack, there was no point in trying to catch up. I was never going to be that good. Of course, then I heard about Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck and Ritchie Blackmore and other hotshots down in London who were doing sessions. It seemed the world was getting pretty crowded with very innovative and exciting guitar players. And then, of course, along came Jimi Hendrix, too, to make it impossible. So I looked around for something else to play. I suppose for reasons of practicality I had a harmonica, and learned to play a blues harmonica. And I bought a flute. I traded in my Fender Stratocaster for a cheap student-model flute and a Shure Unidyne III microphone, and armed with these two new things set off to the South of England to try to give at least a year to be a professional musician. I didn't do anything with the flute for the first few months, until around December of 1967, because we were approaching Christmas. I got the flute out and managed to get a few notes out of it, and then a few more. By the end of January, when Jethro Tull became Jethro Tull, I was playing the flute in quite a few pieces of music during the show. And then improvising. I tried to translate what I did on the guitar into the flute. It was just a different technique, different instrument, and by the time we recorded our first album, which I think from memory was about July of '68, I mean I'd only been playing for about seven months. At the time Jethro Tull became noticed, and there was a bit of a buzz about the band, I'd only been playing the flute, I suppose, for about two or three months. I made my name and reputation as a flute player really under totally false pretenses, because I never had a lesson in my life, and I really knew nothing about the flute, including for sure where to put my fingers on the keys or anything about it at all. It was just being self-taught, and fumbling around to try to find some things to do with it. JM: I read that you were a big fan of Monty Python, and that Jethro Tull even helped to finance the Holy Grail movie. Could you tell us more about your Monty Python connection? IA: Monty Python is something that I think influenced us — when I say us, I mean we British musicians, not just me or Jethro Tull. It was something that I think we all kind of tuned into. We felt it was ours. We felt it was a very national form of humor. We felt it was British. Of course, it was making fun of the British most of the time, but we're good at making fun of ourselves. So we all rather liked that. When Monty Python were making their Holy Grail movie, and the word was no one would fund them, no one would put up the money, we in the music industry — a few bands including members of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and me, and the managers, and folks who were involved in some of the record companies back then — we put up money to fund making the movie. To this day, I get a royalty check, which is nice to have from something that you were a part of getting it to happen. Click here for full interview with Ian Anderson— Jeff Moehlis is a Noozhawk contributing writer and a professor of mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara. Upcoming show recommendations, advice from musicians, interviews and more are available on his web site, music-illuminati.com. The opinions expressed are his own.
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Post by maddogfagin on Jun 1, 2018 7:17:32 GMT
www.mercurynews.com/Ian Anderson on Jethro Tull’s 50th year: Let’s skip the ‘mawkish sentimentality’By JIM HARRINGTON | jharrington@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: May 30, 2018 at 7:00 am | UPDATED: May 30, 2018 at 11:16 am Jethro Tull made its live debut at the legendary Marquee Club in London on Feb. 2, 1968. That was the start of one of the most successful — and most unusual — music careers of the era, as flute-playing rocker Ian Anderson led his band (named after an 18th-century agriculturist) to worldwide album sales of more than 60 million. More here: www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/30/interview-ian-anderson-discusses-50-years-of-jethro-tull/
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Post by maddogfagin on Jun 1, 2018 11:43:46 GMT
eu.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/05/22/jethro-tull-plays-visalia-fox-theater/619891002/You won't believe the out-of-this-world place Jethro Tull's flute has beenJames Ward jmward@visaliatimesdelta.com Published 4:29 p.m. UTC May 23, 2018 Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull will perform May 5 at the VIsalia Fox. Photography - Nick Harrison
Ian Anderson, the lead singer of the venerable rock band Jethro Tull, almost sounded apologetic when wrapping up a recent interview about his June 5 concert at the Visalia Fox Theatre. “I tend to digress,” Anderson said. Anderson, who has sold an estimated 60 million records in his 50-year musical career, needn’t apologize. Talking about everything from nostalgia, Yuri Gagarin, and fish, the 70-year-old rock star was as nimble chatting about his career and the power of music as he is playing his famous flute. More: Visalia Fox announces early summer concert lineup During one point of the interview, he slipped in a claim that one of his flutes probably had traveled farther than any musical instrument in history. Come again? Back in 2011, astronaut Col. Catherine "Cady" Coleman took one of Anderson’s flutes to the International Space Station, where she played a duet with Anderson while he was on tour in Perm, Russia and she was, literally, in orbit. “My flute may have been the Yuri Gagarin of musical instruments,” said Anderson, referring to the first man in space. The flute, if you are wondering, is now in a place of honor in Anderson’s home. “I definitely don’t take it out on the road anymore,” he said. At another point in the interview, when it was mentioned that Visalia is the heart of California’s huge agricultural industry, Anderson referenced his own connection to the agriculture industry: For many years he owned a multi-million dollar fish farm off the Isle of Skye. “I know a little bit about the importance of the ag industry,” he said. Anderson, of course, is best known as the frontman for the band Jethro Tull, which was formed in 1967. The British group soon became known for its use of non-traditional rock instrumentation, such as mandolin and flute, and its innovative combination of blues-based rock, progressive-rock, and folk music. “The guys who were part of Jethro Tull from the early to mid-'70s are gone,” Anderson said. “But I honor all their memories when we play the music today.” That doesn’t mean Anderson is particularly nostalgic, though. While fans of his music might be brought back to their youth by the head-banging guitar riffs of “Locomotive Breath” or “Aqualung,” Anderson said he was too close to the music to think of it in nostalgic terms. “I’m playing it in the here and now,” Anderson said. Anderson doesn’t get nostalgic about his favorite music — say classical music by Mozart or the work of the late bluesman J.B. Lenoir. “When I hear the music, it doesn’t bring back memories,” he said. “I listen to it as a professional musician — appreciating the genius of the lyrics or the way the music was composed.” Anderson takes that same almost analytical approach when it comes to putting together a concert setlist. He likes to sprinkle his concerts with different tones of his music. You won’t hear five hard-driving rock sounds in a row. “You want to give the audience a break,” he said. “You don’t want to exhaust them or the musicians with the same tempo of music for an entire concert.” While an interview with Anderson has a tendency to meander into interesting tangents, it would be almost criminal not to ask him why he decided to feature the flute, not the most traditional instrument for a rock band, early in his career. “It’s true,” Anderson said. “I knew I’d never be a great guitar player. Eric Clapton was the leader of that pack when I was starting out and I knew that it wasn’t the way I would go. It seemed prudent to find something else. The flute worked for me but I would not recommend it to someone starting out. Go with an archetypal instrument like the guitar, bass, drums or keyboard. I’m the only one to make a go playing the flute all these years. Don’t follow in my footsteps.” USA TODAY NETWORK contributed to this report. How to attend What: Jethro Tull in concert When: 7:30 p.m. June 5 Where: Visalia Fox Theatre Tickets: $55-$100 Information: 625-1369 or www.foxvisalia.org
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Post by maddogfagin on Jun 4, 2018 7:14:04 GMT
www.abc.es/cultura/musica/abci-jethro-tull-solo-probaria-drogas-lecho-muerte-201805210249_noticia.htmlJethro Tull: "I would only try drugs on my deathbed"The legendary British band turns 50 and comes to Barcelona to celebrate 05/21/2018 During this five-year period 2015-2020 the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the great majority of rock olympic bands is being celebrated . And one of them is, undoubtedly, Jethro Tull, the creation of Scottish singer and multi-instrumentalist Ian Anderson, master par excellence of the transverse flute. This fundamental character of the British pop culture has returned to start up his old project (he ended it in 2014) to give him the birthday party he deserves. - They are preparing a new album, the first in twenty years, so this return goes beyond celebrations. -So is. Right now I'm in my studio working on it , but I'll publish it next year . In 2018 many re-releases and "box-sets" will be released and I do not want to saturate the fans. I am also preparing another album for 2020 , belonging to another project that I will announce at the time. -How have you selected the repertoire of this tour, with so much material available? -I have decided to stick to the themes of the first ten years of the group. They are the most iconic , the ones that most people keep in their collection with greater affection and, in short, those who made us known. Although we will also include some songs from the era that we have never played live . -That shows great humility on your part. -I try not to give myself too much importance. For me, Jethro Tull is not me, it's not even a group. People do not love John, Paul, George and Ringo , they love their songs . That's why I always say that Jethro Tull is a repertoire. Well, and also a historical character whose name we take against my will. When I wanted to change it, it was too late. - Given the quality of his lyrics, it is surprising that he considers poetry "an overrated art". 'I just think a good song will always be on top of a good poem . Poetry necessarily has a lower capacity for expression. It is more limited and needs the reader to do a lot of his part. What I do believe is that there are many poets overrated , there is much pretentious there. As in modern art . - Without tasting drop of LSD, he knew how to connect with the psychedelic effervescence of 68. It was inevitable, he lived surrounded by her. And I did not exactly taste the acid because I saw what it did to Peter Green and Syd Barret . Not the heroine , because he knew what he did to Charlie Parker . It did not make you a better musician, it destroyed your life, and I did not trust in my ability to try it without getting hooked . That said, I do not have any moral rejection of drugs. In fact, when I am on my deathbed I will probably ask for a good shot of morphine . And maybe I'll look at my nurse and say, "Hey, this is great! Why have not I tried it before? "
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Post by tullabye on Jun 4, 2018 17:00:03 GMT
New albums in 2019 AND 2020! Fantastic news!
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Post by maddogfagin on Jun 6, 2018 7:13:39 GMT
www.avvenire.it/agora/pagine/ian-andersonMusic. Ian Anderson, 50 years with Jethro Tull: «I did everything for this group»Federico Capitoni Tuesday 5 June 2018 Flute and voice of '68. The absolute leader of the longest rock band speaks. On 18 July in Porto Recanati, the Italian tour will present the anthological album "50 for 50" Fifty years of music career for a rock band are many, and not for all because the breakup seem an inescapable destiny for many (if nothing else put in place by the groups to reappear magically thanks to the scam of the re-union). After the Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull is the longest-running group in the history of rock and this year they celebrate the half century of presence on the scene with a great tour that will touch Italy in July in the cities of Porto Recanati (18), Rome (19), Cagliari (21st), Milan (23rd) and Florence (24th), and with a triple Cd entitled 50 for 50 which collects fifty successes, from Aqualung to Thick as a Brick, from Songs from the Wood to Budapest. Now the trick of this long life is and is called Ian Anderson, the founder of the band, tenacious seventy who still plays the flute on one leg, and also the only survivor today of the original core, which has managed over the years to keeping the name of Jethro on its feet also through its practical side of managers capable of expressing themselves professionally even in the management of a salmon farm or as an airplane pilot. More: www.avvenire.it/agora/pagine/ian-anderson
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Post by maddogfagin on Jun 7, 2018 16:31:03 GMT
www.bendbulletin.com/entertainment/6279640-151/jethro-tull-celebrates-50-years-in-bendPublished June 6, 2018 at 09:46PM Jethro Tull celebrates 50 years in BendFlute-slinging prog rockers to play Les Schwab Amphitheater Ian Anderson is on the record as not being a fan of nostalgia. It comes up enough in interviews to merit an entry in the “All Too Frequently Asked Questions” list found on Jethro Tull’s website. Even without stating it, classic rock’s favorite flute player has shown through his recent work that he’s looking forward, albeit with some thought toward his long musical legacy. Since the 2012 departure of guitarist Martin Barre, Anderson’s right-hand man since 1968, Anderson has racked up two solo releases (2012’s “Thick as a Brick 2,” and 2014’s “Homo Erraticus,” both continuations of Tull’s 1972 concept-album parody “Thick as a Brick”) as well as last year’s self-explanatory “Jethro Tull — The String Quartets.” Earlier this year, Anderson teased work is underway on another new album slated for release in March 2019. So an inherently nostalgic 50th anniversary tour might seem a bit out of character for Anderson, but that’s exactly what he and his touring band have been doing since March. The North American leg hits Les Schwab Amphitheater on Friday. But from Anderson’s perspective as a performer, there’s nothing nostalgic about it. “As a performer, it’s rather like being an actor, picking up a Shakespeare script and learning the lines,” Anderson said from his production office in the U.K. last month before the start of the North American tour. “Even though they were written a long time ago, you have the job of getting into character and bringing those words and sentiments and ideas … to life. That’s how I approach doing the music. It’s not about nostalgia, it’s about getting into the character of those songs and the person singing them.” In fact, Anderson said he’s enjoyed rediscovering songs from Tull’s back catalog. The shows have focused on the band’s first 10 years — a whirlwind period of activity that saw the shifting lineup release an album every year — including such classics as “Thick as a Brick,” 1969’s “Stand Up,” and 1971’s “Aqualung” — as it honed its mix of proto-hard rock, pastoral folk and progressive arrangements. Tull’s recent reissue campaign overseen by Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson has kept Anderson immersed in his past. His work on these reissues as well as various compilations — a three-disc box set, “50 for 50,” was released June 1 to coincide with the tour — helped him gear up for the anniversary shows. “(I’m) sitting down and going through it all and picking elements that I think are not just the songs that maybe I like the best, but are also songs that I think illustrate the story of Jethro Tull and fit together with the other songs in a good way,” Anderson said. “You don’t want to pick songs that are gonna be in the same key or the same time signature, that are stylistically the same. You’re trying to create a varied concert where it has some shape and form. It’s rather like making a compilation album — you’ve gotta put your thinking cap on and really try and sequence the material, and choose the material in a wise way. “But nonetheless, I think even songs that I might have said a year ago, well, that’s not one of my favorites, but now that I’m playing it, I’ve discovered how much I enjoy it, and what I like about it,” he continued. “Sometimes you re-engage with a piece of music that perhaps you haven’t played for 40 years, or maybe you’ve never played it live at all. That’s part of the joy, really, of rediscovering from a performance point of view your old compositions.” Jethro Tull rose to prominence alongside such pioneering British hard rock groups as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, but stood apart thanks to its folk and blues underpinnings and especially instrumentation. Primarily known as a guitar player at the time, Anderson picked up flute early on and taught himself to play. “One week I couldn’t play a note on the flute; the next week I could get my way through two or three things onstage, and a month later I was being spotted by the British media as being a flute player, which was kind of fun because I’d only started playing a month before,” Anderson said. “By the time we recorded our first album (1968’s “This Was”), I think I’d been playing then for probably about seven months — six or seven months.” In the early ’90s, after Anderson had been playing flute for a quarter-century, he relearned the instrument after discovering his fingering was all wrong. He said he happened to be in India a day after the March 1993 Bombay bombings in Mumbai, stuck in a hotel room with a fax machine, and used the opportunity to have a music store in the U.K. send him some flute charts. “That rattled off my fax machine and I looked at it and thought, ‘goodness me, this is a bit different to what I had been doing,’” he said. “So I set myself a target of trying to gradually integrate the correct fingering into what I played, and over I suppose the next six months I managed to do that. Even the things that were kind of wrong, but OK, I found that once I really learned to play properly, it made things a whole lot easier. I think since then, whenever I go back to listen to some old piece of music, I can pick it up again very quickly from what I played back then, but I instinctively now use the correct fingering.”
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Post by maddogfagin on Jun 23, 2018 7:19:34 GMT
Decades TV Network Published on 16 May 2018
"We were enamored of this rather loose, slightly rebellious, and very free-flowing music that just seemed to erupt from the soul," says Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jun 23, 2018 16:46:07 GMT
Ian's Christmas buddy, George Pitcher, mentioned in current issue of 'The New Yorker' magazine. He is an expert of some sort on the topics of publicity and journalism and his opinions and analysis on the ethics of some huge UK firm doing publicity and image surgery for corrupt crooks in power in South Africa were shared as relevant and astute.
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Post by maddogfagin on Jun 24, 2018 7:03:06 GMT
www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/lifestyles/ct-ptb-ent-jethro-tull-0629-story.htmlJethro Tull celebrates 50th anniversary with tourThe Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary Tour features, from left, Scott Hammond, John O’Hara, Ian Anderson, Florian Opahle and David Goodier. The group will perform a June 30 concert at Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich. (Sylvia Finke)Bob Kostanczuk Post-Tribune 21 June 2018 Ian Anderson makes it clear he is not a fan of “overblown” anniversaries. “It’s wrong, absolutely wrong I think, to build up in your own mind, let alone in anybody else’s, that events are more important than they really are,” the frontman of Jethro Tull said in a phone interview this month. Anderson would rather view his summertime North American tour as a vehicle that celebrates 50 years of Jethro Tull by recalling the more than 30 band members who filled its ranks over the decades in a continuous thread that carried along his “ever-changing songwriting.” As vaunted minstrels of progressive rock ’n’ roll, the band is being remembered with “Ian Anderson Presents Jethro Tull: 50th Anniversary Tour.” The show is set to play to a capacity house at 9 p.m. Eastern time June 30 in the Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich. Mystical, classical and injected with heavy rock, Jethro Tull’s cache of some 30 studio and live albums offers an arty, folk-flavored stew of adventuresome fare. The baby boomer generation took notice. Jethro Tull first performed under its name on Feb. 2, 1968, at London’s Marquee Club. The seeds for the golden anniversary tour were planted. “It kind of cements things for a lot of folks who grew up in that decade when Jethro Tull was venturing far and wide across the planet to introduce our music to people from many different countries and from many different cultures,” group founder Anderson said. “In 1968, apart from Jethro Tull, it was the year that Yes began. It’s the year that King Crimson began. And, at the end of ’68, it’s also the year that Led Zeppelin began.” Jethro Tull held its own with any of them when it came to combining artistic experimentation and record sales. Anderson has long been the face of a group that reveled in stretching boundaries, as demonstrated by the breezy, jazzy melodicism of “Living in the Past” — one of only two Top 40 singles that Tull enjoyed in the United States. The other was 1974’s “Bungle in the Jungle.” Singles aside, promotional material for the band’s 50th anniversary tour states that the British band has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. One of the most notable recordings is 1971’s “Aqualung,” featuring the jagged and dark-themed title cut. Anchoring and tying together the overall Jethro Tull sound was Anderson’s trailblazing flute work. Asked about Jethro Tull’s contributions to rock ’n’ roll, Anderson gave an answer that was not surprising. “I suppose the simplest and most obvious one would be to have introduced a very noisy flute into a musical context that was dominated mainly by guitars and to a lesser extent, by keyboards,” Anderson, 70, said. “I wasn’t the only flute player around in 1968, I mean, the flute appeared in pop music from time to time as a decorative instrument. “But I don’t think anyone, until I did it, had been playing with the kind of energy and volume and aggression that equaled the electric guitar. And that was what I set out to do, having been a guitar player before I picked up the flute in the summer of ’67.” Five years later, the conceptual album “Thick as a Brick” reflected the free-form flow and noncommercial bent that seemed to intentionally steer clear of the commercial world of glossy pop-rock singles that found a home in the Top 40. “Thick as a Brick” progressed from lilting, medieval-style flute sounds to fast-paced rock, while likewise dishing what would later come to be called jam-band musicianship. “Our music actually contains quite a lot of improvisational elements,” Anderson, who lives in England, noted. “Maybe it’s a little easier for us to find, each night, some little element, some point of difference, that you can bring to life on stage, then it would be for an orchestra playing exactly the same notes in exactly the same way as Beethoven wrote the symphony. “I guess I’m happier having the latitude for a little improvisation and development. For the guys in the band, no two nights are ever going to be exactly the same.” In 2018, Tull musicians include guitarist Florian Opahle, keyboardist John O’Hara, bassist David Goodier, drummer Scott Hammond, and Anderson, who sings and plays acoustic guitar, in addition to the flute. Anderson recalled trying to weave the flute into the fabric of Jethro Tull when the group — with its blues-loving British musicians — was being launched. “By January ’69, I was onstage playing it at the Marquee Club, so I had to be a quick learner,” Anderson said. “I had to find a way to give this instrument some kind of comparable role to that of the electric guitar, because we had a good blues, rock ’n’ roll, R&B-singing guitarist in the shape of Mick Abrahams, and I couldn’t be a shrinking violet at the side of the stage playing some delicate, little decorative notes on the flute.” Anderson also discussed his role as Tull vocalist. “I’m not a natural singer,” he said. “I don’t consider myself first and foremost a rock singer; I think of myself as a rock musician who happens to sing the songs.” Anderson’s band is named after an 18th century agriculturist who invented the seed drill. Ian Anderson Presents: Jethro Tull — 50th Anniversary Tour When: 9 p.m. EDT June 30 Where: Four Winds Casino Resort, 11111 Wilson Road, New Buffalo, Mich. Tickets: $99-$159; sold out Information: 866-494-6371, www.fourwindscasino.comBob Kostanczuk is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
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Post by maddogfagin on Jul 4, 2018 7:30:30 GMT
www.heraldpalladium.com/sight_and_sound/ian-anderson-reluctantly-marks-milestone/article_7411d27e-ba1e-538c-aeca-4da40590070f.htmlIan Anderson reluctantly marks milestoneJethro Tull founder brings '50th Anniversary Tour' to Four Winds Casino By TOM CONWAY - HP Correspondent Jun 28, 2018 Updated Jun 28, 2018 NEW BUFFALO — It is recommended that men get a colonoscopy when they turn 50 years old. Ian Anderson, founding frontman and flutist of Jethro Tull, compares that medical procedure to his decision to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of his progressive rock band’s debut album, “This Was,” with a tour. “It’s not my inclination,” he says by phone from his office in England. “It is a bit like going for a colonoscopy. It is not something you would choose to do or voluntarily put on your calendar with eager anticipation. As the day approaches, you begin to think, ‘This could be fun.’” Anderson will bring his “Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary Tour” to Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino on Saturday. “It is not something that would naturally appeal to me, to celebrate birthdays and funerals and stuff,” Anderson says. “It is just not my thing. I feel a bit embarrassed about it, but other people seem to enjoy something with a zero on the end. I decided in May last year that perhaps I would go with the flow and be cheerful and smiley about it for the months to come.” Anderson says there was no outside pressure to do the tour, but he wanted it to celebrate more than just the music of Jethro Tull. “It is also a celebration of the 36 other musicians that have been a part of the band over the years,” he says. “We are not exactly telling a story, but it does give a background to the early days of Jethro Tull and all of the musicians that played with us. It has turned out to be an enjoyable experience. Happily, 2019 will come along, and I don’t have to do it too many more times. I doubt that we will make it to a 60th anniversary, but you never know.” Anderson may be referring to the tour or getting a colonoscopy when he adds, “I get it done and I put it behind me.” Formed in 1968, Jethro Tull has released more than 30 albums, selling more than 60 million copies worldwide. Songs like “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath” are classic rock radio staples. Earlier this month, Anderson released “50 for 50,” a 50-track compilation of Jethro Tull songs to commemorate the band’s anniversary. “I started by looking at the track lists for all the albums and picked two or three from each one,” Anderson says. “Then, you look at it again to get it down to a certain running length. You grudgingly pare it down to make the songs interesting in relation to each other, so you are not doing too many things that are in the same musical style or in the same key or in the same rhythm or tempo. You try to make it varied. That knocks a few more out, and you reluctantly make the final choice.” Choosing 50 songs out of the hundreds that were recorded over the years was difficult, but Anderson says it was slightly easier to come up with a set list that represents Jethro Tull for this tour. “It was always my intention to concentrate mainly – not exclusively – on the first 10 years of Jethro Tull,” he says. “In those first 10 years, we got out and about to a lot of countries, a lot of parts of the world, and met people for the first time and got a fan base, many of whom are still with us today.” In addition to fans who have been with them since the beginning, Anderson notices younger people attending the concerts. “Even young fans in Brazil or Spain or Italy are finding out about Jethro Tull for the first time,” he says. “In some cases, it may be their parents’ generation, and in other cases, it may be their grandparents’ generation that listened to the music. They are naturally going to go back and find out about that earlier material. They will find it most interesting to hear the songs that were written and performed long before they were born, just as the old folks in the audience enjoy the nostalgia of hearing those songs.” In 2012, Anderson ended Jethro Tull. This tour is billed as “Ian Anderson presents Jethro Tull.” “What I am doing is playing the music associated with Jethro Tull, the rock band,” Anderson says. “First and foremost, Jethro Tull is the name of an 18th century agriculturist who invented the seed drill. I have always felt a bit embarrassed that our agent gave us that name back in January 1968. I tend to think of it as a bit like the repertoire of Beethoven or Mozart. If you say to me, ‘I love Mozart,’ you don’t really mean you love Mozart. You don’t know a thing about him. He doesn’t have a website, a Facebook page or an Instagram account. You may vaguely know what he looks like from some engraving. We know nothing really concrete about his private life. We don’t know what toothpaste he used to use. We don’t know what brand name of boxer shorts he favored. We know little about him. When we say we love Mozart, we mean we love his music and we love the legacy of what that is. That is how I feel about Jethro Tull.” The band members joining Anderson on this tour have either played in his solo band or Jethro Tull, so he considers them to be part of Jethro Tull’s history. “I think that is apt because it celebrates not just the music of Jethro Tull, but all of the band members of Jethro Tull,” Anderson says. “That includes the four guys that are playing with me on stage.” After this nostalgic tour comes to an end, Anderson will look toward the future. “Around April or May of next year, we will switch to a different set list, which will have nothing to do with a 50th anniversary,” he says. “I will reconnect with my work on the new album, which I got halfway through recording last year with a view of having it finished in the early months of next year and releasing it somewhere around September 2019. After that, I have another album that I am planning, not anything concrete, but a definitive idea for an album. And, I have a couple other projects, stuff that I will be doing that will keep me going up until somewhere around 2021 or 2022. I am busy up until then. Maybe then, I will take golf lessons. Who knows? You can’t really be rock ’n’ roll if you don’t play golf with Alice Cooper, can you?”
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Post by maddogfagin on Jul 4, 2018 7:34:52 GMT
www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/kultur/Journal/Ian-Anderson-ist-seit-50-Jahren-als-Rocker-unterwegs-id51489841.htmlIan Anderson has been rocking for 50 yearsWith the flute instead of drugs: Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull on life dreams, aging and punctuality instead of rebellion BY OLAF NEUMANN Is a tour as exciting for you today as in the 70s, 80s and 90s? Ian Anderson: If I were a British jumbo jet pilot, I would have had to retire five years ago. From the age of 65 you are not allowed to drive any more aircraft with us. Fortunately, I have a job where nobody can tell me when to stop. If I was a 747 pilot, today I would probably play golf or fish. I can not imagine anything more boring! Lucky for me to be able to live my teenage room at the age of 70! As a 16-year-old I was into the music of older men: blues, jazz and folk. I grew up with the idea that good music is done exclusively by older adults. I could never do anything with young pop stars. An American astronaut once sent me an e-mail from the ISS: "I live my dream!" I know what he meant by that. How do you celebrate the 50th anniversary of your band on stage? Read now: Today's edition of your daily newspaper as an e-paper. Anderson: We focus on the first ten years of Jethro Tull. Because the late 60s and 70s were the period in which most of our fans met us. Not only do I perform the repertoire of Jethro Tull that I wrote 50 or 40 years ago; I pay tribute to this tour also the total of 36 musicians who played in this band over time. Had you asked me that question a year ago, I would have said that I would not celebrate anything because this anniversary scares me. Too much nostalgia! But last summer I thought that I would like to celebrate it - and not for me, but for the fans. And also for all musicians who have ever worked with us. Many of them do not make music anymore today. Some are already dead. Do you sometimes compare your old records to the things you do today? Anderson: Yes, I do. I compare less the quality of the music, but I test my perception and my senses. I have to do that, because I'm an old man and do not hear as well as I did at 25. The music I'm writing today may have some similarities with my previous things, but I'm not trying to restore anything in particular. I make new music because I want to create something new. Have you become calmer overall? Anderson: As I said earlier, there are people who do their job longer than others. In the world of art and entertainment you can be lucky enough to work into old age. Age, suffering, weakness, mental illness, dementia - all these things will happen. When it's time for me, I hope someone whispers in my ear, "Learn to play golf!" At 70, rock 'n' roll life is not the same anymore Are there things you can do better at 70 than at 25? Anderson: Any artist will answer that question with yes, because it's important to believe that you have not written your best song yet. Of course, this is not always the case in reality. Although Beethoven wrote his best symphony very late in his life, he was only 54 years old at the time. Mozart was much younger when his life came to an end. On the other hand, John Lee Stool got another Grammy at 83. But those are exceptions. The excessive lifestyle in the world of rock'n'roll and jazz takes its toll. Poor Pavarotti, for example, has eaten himself to death. At last he could not sing anymore. Having to watch such physical deterioration is very sad. For me, every new, healthy day is like a present! Are you still fit today because you've never tasted cliché life with sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll? Anderson: Well, I've always had a pretty orderly life because I'm a thoroughly professional. When I'm not on tour I go to sleep at 7 pm and get up the next morning at six. On tour I go to bed a little later, but I still wake up at six because we have to travel to the next town. Once in Russia , we had to start at four in the morning. Already at five to four sat all of us with packed suitcases in the bus. Life is easier if you are punctual and follow the rules. We have never missed a plane or a train. You have never been unpunctual in your 50-year career? Anderson: Okay, I just missed a plane because I was talking to someone at the airport and I thought somebody would let me know. But when we went to the gate, it was already closed and we had to wait for the next flight. Ian Anderson is not a rebel The 60s in which you started your career was a decade of rebellion. How rebellious was your attitude to life as a young man? Anderson:At any rate, I did not rebell against the older generation; I always had a lot of respect for older people. I also did not rebel against society because the company was very good to me. After all, I grew up after the Second World War, where many things were difficult, but despite everything, I got a school education, food at school and health care were free. But I was already a critical mind. I know that in the 60s and early 70s, especially in Germany and Italy, young, angry students took to the streets against capitalism. The same happened in England in the 50s. All in all, I grew up in an optimistic time and have to say that I've always liked to pay taxes. Regardless of the country, in which I have just played. I am even proud to have paid the solidarity surcharge in Germany all these years. I like the idea of contributing to something positive. There is a diplomatic glaciation between England and Russia. How does it feel to play in Russia? Anderson: In cities like Moscow, Yekaterinburg or St. Petersburg, I do not feel like I'm in enemy territory. The fans we talk to live just a little farther east than we do. I do not separate between those and us. In Russia you can see the names of European and American brands everywhere. Greedy western companies are now in control of all major cities. You can not turn back the clock. If the Russians want to watch BBC, then they do it on the Internet.
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Post by maddogfagin on Jul 6, 2018 6:50:57 GMT
www.lesoleil.com/arts/le-festival-dete/une-premiere-entrevue-publique-avec-ian-anderson-bd8a3038a475bfc8f59f7b0543c33f42Friday, July 6thA first public interview with Ian AndersonKATHLEEN LAVOIE The sun Even before the 51st Quebec City Summer Festival got underway, it was premiere day on Wednesday, as the event featured its first major public interview at the Hilton's Dufferin Hall. The honor of opening this new series came back to Jethro Tull 's leader, Ian Anderson, who played host to Mike Gauthier' s quiz with his unbridled humor ... and his legendary flute. They were a few dozen lucky to have responded positively to this first invitation from the FEQ. Music lovers, most of them knowledgeable, have listened attentively to the behind-the-scenes stories of the British musician, who has been generous with his anecdotes. On a few occasions, the latter did not hesitate to grab his instrument to illustrate his words, to the delight of his fans. The next artist to play the big interview will be Jane Birkin, who will be interviewed by the host Monique Giroux Friday afternoon. Only holders of the festival pass will be admitted. The 75 seats available are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The room will be open one hour before the start of the interview.
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Post by JTull 007 on Jul 9, 2018 1:41:09 GMT
FLASHBACK to April 25th, 2012 19 Minutes and 35 seconds interview with Ian Anderson by Suzanne Hunter !!! Can you DIG IT ? LINK 1 LINK 2
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Post by maddogfagin on Jul 23, 2018 6:15:01 GMT
www.ilgiornale.it/news/milano/mezzo-secolo-jethro-tull-sono-ancora-fauno-1556620.html«After half a century of Jethro Tull they are still a faun»His magic flute today at the Hippodrome "Withdraw? Music never tires me » Antonio Lodetti -Mon, 23/07/2018 - 06.00 They passed in a flash ... It seems like yesterday and instead it is fifty years that Jethro Tull by Ian Anderson, the Pied Piper, travel at high altitude in the skies of rock. Parties from the blues and folk have combined genres and styles by filtering hard rock and even progressive. Who does not remember Aqualung or Thick As a Brick or tracks like My God, Too Old To Rock and Roll Too Young to Duie, without forgetting a classic Bourée stolen none other than Bach? The Jethro Tull change formation but the important thing is that at the head there is the sorcerer Ian Anderson with his flute ... If his voice has become very weakened and weakened, his virtuoso and virtuous flute is still able to give chills and emotions, those same thrills and emotions that the public will be looking for tonight in their concert at the San Siro Hippodrome. Another time the ritual is performed: balanced on a single unleashed leg playing the flute. "It's always been my trademark and the public expects it. Time passes, I do a bit 'of effort but I would never disappoint my fans. I like to show and I like to call myself a rock faun. Not for nothing do I love Celtic fairy tales and mythology ». Do not the constant touring weary him? "Music never tires, like sex, because you take transport and it gives you a lot of charge." When he carves Too old For Rock and Roll Too Young To Die many thought about his retirement? "I never thought about retiring, music is my life. But that song too has become my trademark ". What do you think of Italy? "There is a very warm and competent public, there are beautiful landscapes and we eat very well". What do you think of today's music? «Rock is now music for adults. The boys listen to pop, followed by Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift; rock has grown up with the old guys, the ones who had the ideals ». Nostalgia? "Realism. I do not say that music can change the world, but it is the world that changes music. The blues was born of slavery, rock and roll was born after World War II, the rock was exalted during the Vietnam war. In the 60s there was a great revolutionary drive. In England it was more focused on individual freedom, in Italy on politics ". Why did you bring the flute in rock? «I come from the art school and have been in contact with many different cultures and disciplines. I studied it as a boy. I also played the guitar but then I heard the blues of Robert Johnson and immediately after Eric Clapton, so I realized that with the six-string I would never be the number one. With the flute I made my little revolution. However, in concert I also play acoustic guitar ». Who are the artists that have influenced her most? "To avoid being influenced I try to listen to as little music as possible. However I would say Robert Johnson, Bach and Ives, but my favorite author, the one I love to listen to is Beethoven ". However, in his classical repertoire he incorporated a Bourée by Bach. "I've always listened to Bach too, but the one I shot in particular because my neighbor played it on the guitar. I reinvented it for flute, bass and drums ». The anthology is the sum of Jethro Tull's career. "Yes, but for me it should have contained 100 pieces and all of it Thick As a Brick." Projects? «Two records, one rock and one for flute».
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Post by maddogfagin on Jul 30, 2018 6:31:53 GMT
www.np-coburg.de/leben/tipps/np/tipps-np/Ian-Anderson-Ich-lebe-meinen-Teenager-Traum;art126812,6194508 Ian Anderson: "I live my teenage dream"Ian Anderson and his band Jethro Tull have been combining rock, blues, jazz, folk and classics into a British sound for 50 years. We spoke with him. Photo: dpa / Steve C. MitchellIs a tour for you just as exciting today as in the 70s, 80s and 90s? If I were a British jumbo jet pilot, I would have had to retire five years ago. From the age of 65 you are not allowed to drive any more aircraft with us. Fortunately, I have a job where nobody can tell me when to stop. If I was a 747 pilot, today I would probably play golf or fish. I can not imagine anything more boring! Lucky for me to be able to live my teenage room at the age of 70! As a 16-year-old I was into the music of older men: blues, jazz and folk. I grew up with the idea that good music is done exclusively by older adults. I could never do anything with young pop stars. An American astronaut once sent me an email from the ISS: "I live my dream!" I know what he meant by that. How do you celebrate the 50th anniversary of your band on stage? We focus on the first ten years of Jethro Tull. Because the late 60s and 70s were the period in which most of our fans met us. Not only do I perform the repertoire of Jethro Tull that I wrote 50 or 40 years ago; I pay tribute to this tour also the total of 36 musicians who played in this band over time. Had you asked me that question a year ago, I would have said that I would not celebrate anything because this anniversary scares me. Too much nostalgia! But last summer I thought that I would like to celebrate it - and not for me, but for the fans. And also for all musicians who have ever worked with us. Many of them do not make music anymore today. Some are already dead. Are you expecting a visit from former Jethro-Tull members on this tour? That would be very difficult and very expensive! Would you invite your ex-girlfriend to your wedding? The musicians I work with currently have a very good feeling of being in this band. If people from earlier days came to play a few songs with them, they would probably feel a little uncomfortable. I think that would not work. And certainly not logistically. But we have a few virtual guests with us. They put together a career-spanning triple album. Title: "50 For 50". Looking back on your career and the many incredible things you have done in your life? The professional look back is part of my job. I have to set up set lists, remix or remix older albums or compile samplers. I originally had a list of 60 songs, which I then cut to 50. No song should be the same on the album. Are you actually planning remaster editions of all previously released Jethro-Tull studio albums? Steven Wilson, who has to answer for the ten previously released, remixed versions, promised me a few more remasters. But since he is also very busy with his own career, I could understand if one day he should not have time for Jethro Trull. Recently, I visited Steven in his studio and listened to his 5.1th surround sound mix from "This Was". Really crazy, what is technically possible today, because the album was recorded 50 years ago on only four tracks. Why did you actually get Steven Wilson on board? Because I'm on tour the whole time. I have no time to worry about the Remaster series, and I'm not familiar with the technology. Steven spends a lot of time in the studio and works pretty fast because he's so well organized. I've just made a 5.1 surround mix in my life. I am now 70 years old and my ears are together 140. I can not rely on them anymore. Therefore, it made sense to transfer this task to a younger person. After listening to Steven's remix of the first, very important King Crimson album, I knew he was just right for Jethro Tull. Twenty years ago record companies had no interest in the back catalog of their artists. Today, on the other hand, they are pouncing on everything, with which they can earn a few euros and take their catalog very seriously. Remasters are good for the fans and good for the industry. How does Steven Wilson remix historical recordings? First of all, he does not deconstruct the recordings. What he always tries to do in his 5.1 mixes is to restore the spirit and energy of the original mix, because we thought something of it. In the 60s and 70s, however, we had very limited technical capabilities. Today, however, you can work much more refined. Steven Wilson first listens to the tapes and then he completes a layout of my original mix. He then creates a transparent stereo or surround mix by erasing all hiss, humming and humming in the music. Then place all the instruments where they belong. Incidentally, he speaks to me personally about everything he does and always sends me the latest version of a mix. Sometimes he changes something about it. Do you sometimes compare your old records to the things you do today? Yes, I do. I compare less the quality of the music, but I test my perception and my senses. I have to do that, because I'm an old man and do not hear as well as I did at 25. The music I'm writing today may have some similarities with my previous things, but I'm not trying to restore anything in particular. I make new music because I want to create something new. Have you become calmer overall? As I said earlier, there are people who do their job longer than others. In the world of art and entertainment you can be lucky enough to work into old age. Age, suffering, weakness, mental illness, dementia - all these things will happen. When it's time for me, I hope someone whispers in my ear, "Learn to play golf!" Are there things you can do better at 70 than at 25? Every artist will answer this question with yes, because it is important to believe that you have not written your best song yet. Of course, this is not always the case in reality. Although Beethoven wrote his best symphony very late in his life, he was only 54 years old at the time. Mozart was much younger when his life came to an end. On the other hand, John Lee Stool got another Grammy at 83. But those are exceptions. The excessive lifestyle in the world of rock'n'roll and jazz takes its toll. Poor Pavarotti, for example, has eaten himself to death. At last he could not sing anymore. Having to watch such physical deterioration is very sad. For me, every new, healthy day is like a present! Are you still fit today because you have never tasted the sex-and-drugs-and-rock-and-roll life? Well, I've always had a pretty orderly life because I'm a thoroughly professional. When I'm not on tour I go to sleep at 7 pm and get up the next morning at six. On tour I go to bed a little later, but I still wake up at six because we have to travel to the next town. Once in Russia, we had to start at four in the morning. Already at five to four sat all of us with packed suitcases in the bus. Life is easier if you are punctual and follow the rules. We have never missed a plane or a train. You have never been unpunctual in your 50-year career? Okay, I missed a plane once because I talked to someone at the airport and I thought somebody would let me know. But when we went to the gate, it was already closed and we had to wait for the next flight. The 60s in which you started your career was a decade of rebellion. How rebellious was your attitude to life as a young man? At any rate, I did not rebel against the older generation; I always had a lot of respect for older people. I also did not rebel against society because the company was very good to me. After all, I grew up after the Second World War, where many things were difficult, but despite everything, I got a school education, food at school and health care were free. But I was already a critical mind. I know that in the 60s and early 70s, especially in Germany and Italy, young, angry students took to the streets against capitalism. The same happened in England in the 50s. All in all, I grew up in an optimistic time and have to say that I've always liked to pay taxes. Regardless of the country, in which I have just played. I am even proud to have paid the solidarity surcharge in Germany all these years. I like the idea of contributing to something positive. There is a diplomatic glaciation between England and Russia. How does it feel to play in Russia? In cities like Moscow, Yekaterinburg or St. Petersburg, I do not feel like I'm in enemy territory. The fans we talk to live just a little farther east than we do. I do not separate between those and us. In Russia you can see the names of European and American brands everywhere. Greedy western companies are now in control of all major cities. You can not turn back the clock. If the Russians want to watch BBC, then they do it on the Internet. What do you think about the espionage affair that triggered this ice age? Many of our master spies were trained in Cambridge and Oxford and recruited by the intelligence services. Some of them, such as Kim Philby, Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean became traitors and went to the Soviet Union. The MI6 could have stabbed them in the back, but he did not, because an unwritten law forbids such a thing. The other way around, that does not seem to work. Sergei Skripal was an informer of MI6 and was convicted of high treason in Russia and, after a few years, pardoned by then-President Medvedev. But apparently Skripal had not forgiven and so he was poisoned in March 2018 Salisbury with a nerve agent. Espionage is a very dirty business! Jethro Tull on tour Ian Anderson goes on "50th Anniversary Tour" with his British progressive rock band Jethro Tull and will perform on the open air stage in Zwickau on August 24th at 7.30 pm. Tickets are available in our ticket shop.
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