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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2013 12:26:36 GMT
To tull or not to tullwww.windsorstar.com/entertainment/tull+tull/9029639/story.htmlTed Shaw, The Windsor Star | Oct 12, 2013 | Last Updated: Oct 12, 2013 - 9:02 UTC With the passage of years, it has become increasingly difficult to tell where Jethro Tull begins and Ian Anderson ends. Since the late 1960s, Anderson has been the brains behind Jethro Tull. He remains its most visible member and only original. He writes all the songs and the lyrics, and his is the vortex around which everything Tull swirls. "I have never really separated a Jethro Tull album from an Ian Anderson album," said the 66-year-old rocker recently. "To me, it doesn't really matter whose name is on the cover." He said at last count there have been 28 musicians, not including himself, who have gone through the revolving door that is Jethro Tull. Every Tull album, even those in the '60s and early to mid-'70s when the band's lineup was more or less stable, was an Ian Anderson project. Jethro Tull is - and has been from the early days - Ian Anderson with guests. When Anderson finally consented in 2012 to release a sequel to Jethro Tull's classic 1972 album, Thick as a Brick, it credited "Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson" on the cover. "It has never been an issue as far as I'm concerned," said Anderson. However, it would seem Thick as a Brick 2 under his own name is more personal than its predecessor. The two albums will be performed backto-back next Saturday at Caesars Windsor Colosseum. Colos-For years, Anderson scoffed at the idea of taking up the story of Thick as a Brick's "little Milton," Gerald Bostock, again. "I never saw much point in it, actually. That was until someone suggested it might be interesting to check in on Gerald at the age of 50." one Sure enough, Anderson addressed that very issue in the lyrics and liner notes for TAAB2: "As we baby-boomers look back on our own lives, we must often feel an occasional 'what-if' moment." Tull fans will be pleased to find TAAB2 measures up well against the original. There are plenty of juicy references not only to TAAB, but also to other Tull material, notably Locomotive Breath, Heavy Horses and Passion Play, It's a story of a man of his time, too. Gerald Bostock, the boy poet, has seemingly "sheathed his pen" in favour of the pursuit of a fortune. He makes a fortune, loses it, then sells off his material possessions on eBay. Some of the new musical content in TAAB2 was reshaped from songs he had composed and never used for other recordings. While the familiar marching themes are there in slightly different form, TAAB2 is divided into distinct tracks with brief pauses between them unlike the seamless flow of the two sides of TAAB. Anderson abandoned the idea of single-side suites after TAAB's followup, A Passion Play, in 1973. The longest, and most appealing track on TAAB2 is the eightminute A Change of Horses. The rest clock in at between two and four minutes. Boasting a top-notch studio band, the album proves emphatically Anderson and Jethro Tull are not too old to rock 'n' roll, too young to die. The original Thick as a Brick, Jethro Tull's fifth album, has polarized listeners since its release in March 1972, but it remains one of the most revered by fans. While the likes of Aqualung, Living in the Past, or Benefit have been better received by critics, TAAB is Tull's signature album, and a lasting contribution to progressive rock 'n' roll. After giving listeners the option at the outset - "Really don't mind if you sit this one out" - the band comes hard and fast with over-the-top rock folk fusion, campy lyrics, some virtuoso playing and earworm melodies in a brisk 44 minutes, with one pause to turn over the record. Wrapped in a Monty Python inspired sleeve that featured a 12-page mock newspaper, St. Cleve Chronicle, Thick as a Brick quickly rose to the top of sales lists in the late spring and summer of 1972, and fans wanted to hear it played live. It was performed in its entirety only briefly on the subsequent Tull tour. "It was too bloody hard to play," said Anderson. "The thing was that so many of the studio parts were over-dubbed and it was impossible to duplicate that on stage." TAAB was eventually stripped down to a 10-minute medley of essential bits which became a fixture of live shows. Instead of the newspaper, TAAB2 comes in a package designed like a website blog. Anderson decided he needed to provide context, and maybe closure, on Thick as a Brick when the sequel was released. So he and his band set to work on a demanding rehearsal schedule to perform both in their entirety. His working band includes: John O'Hara, keyboards; David Goodier, bass; Florian Opahle, electric guitar; and Scott Hammond, percussion. Anderson sings and plays flutes and acoustic guitars tshaw@windsorstar.com BOX OFFICE Ian Anderson performs at The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor, 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 19. caesarswindsor.com
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2013 12:50:01 GMT
Tonight I'm going to see Ian and Co. at the wonderful Wang Theatre in Boston; it'll be my 27th "Tull" show in 29 years. The Wang is a gorgeous venue and I have always wished that Ian would play there; some wishes DO come true! This makes the days of the smelly, echo-chamber hockey arenas fade into a distant memory!
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Post by JTull 007 on Oct 12, 2013 13:27:41 GMT
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Post by JTull 007 on Oct 12, 2013 15:12:40 GMT
"Official Tull Plate 2013" Image by Sir Barry Goldberg a.k.a. 'Broadsword Barry'
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 12, 2013 19:19:26 GMT
Tonight I'm going to see Ian and Co. at the wonderful Wang Theatre in Boston; it'll be my 27th "Tull" show in 29 years. The Wang is a gorgeous venue and I have always wished that Ian would play there; some wishes DO come true! This makes the days of the smelly, echo-chamber hockey arenas fade into a distant memory! The Wang looks an exceptional place to see Ian and the gang. Have a great time flutesttobranches and please report back.
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 12, 2013 20:14:47 GMT
Enjoy the civilized Boston gig...couldn't agree more about the venue contrast...saw Tull at the Boston Garden in 76....plenty of sports history for sure ( anticipating ray) but WHAT A TOILET !
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 12, 2013 20:15:55 GMT
By 76, I meant 77...saw Tull in Ohio, Boston and New Haven within one week. Those were the days.
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 13, 2013 8:20:23 GMT
Brick Layers: Ian Anderson Cements a Pair of Great-Sounding TAABs at the Beacon TheatreOctober 12th, by Mike Mettler soundbard.com/“No way to slow down.” Though it’s a line from the night’s lone encore (more on that later), it also aptly describes Ian Anderson’s energetic 128-minute set at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on October 10. As billed, Anderson and his ace six-piece band ran through Thick as a Brick 1 & 2 in a pair of stellar sets with a refreshing sense of verve and vitality. Long cited as a pioneer of progressive rock thanks to his 4-decades-plus of fronting Jethro Tull, Anderson and his whirling-dervish cavalcade of TAAB1&2 cronies inspired me to coin a new hybrid term for what he (and they) do onstage: jig-gressive rock. Most important for these audiophile ears, the sonics were stellar all night long. Since its 2009 renovation and restoration, the Beacon Theatre has been a bastion for great sound, and front-of-house engineer Michael Downs took full advantage of what the room had to offer. And my vantage point for it all was quite fantastic: Orchestra Right Center, Row F, Seat 18, which translated to about 10 rows from the front and essentially in line with Scott Hammond’s drum kit at stage left, and with a clear sightline whenever Anderson ensconced himself behind his center-stage/mid-band mic stand most of the night. Well, make that some of the night — Anderson moved quite fluidly across the stage when taking his many flute solos, often concurrently showing how a 66-year-old has retained mastery of his patented one-legged pirouette, putting men half his age to shame in the process. After a filmed intro (major audio-geek kudos to Ian for portraying a doctor named “Maximilian Quad“), Anderson opened the show in front of a mic stand placed on our side at stage left, strumming his 3/4-size parlour guitar and singing the well-known intro line, “Really don’t mind if you sit this one out.” As the do-ragged, vest-clad Anderson moved center stage, I was concerned that I’d be faced with a percussion-centric mix because of my seat. Those worries were allayed quickly, as John O’Hara’s left-side (i.e., stage-right) Roland and Hammond keyboards were instantly, and properly, balanced with the impact of the aforementioned right-side (stage-left) Hammond’s drumming. Florian Opahle’s cutting Les Paul guitar lines added all the right textures, and David Goodier’s Fender and Fodera bass lines held down the low-end fort without any notable over-rumbling. The night’s most enjoyable revelations belonged to stage-savvy co-ceremony-master Ryan O’Donnell, who often traded lead vocals and/or flute lines with Anderson and added the right sense of theatricality to the proceedings, whether donning a trenchcoat and bowler or wheeling out a stool to perch on and read an issue of Prog magazine with Anderson on the cover. A clever use of Anderson’s cell phone through the P.A. and a preordained Skype call-in enabled violinist Anna Phoebe to join the mix 20 minutes into it (in the segment I believe is also known by the name “Edit 4″). The best use of live channel separation came close to the end of Brick 1, around 52 minutes into the show as soundman Downs hard-panned a duel of sorts between keyboardist O’Hara and drummer Hammond. The rest of the band, now entrenched between the two dueling musicians, swayed from one side to the other, their collective lean dependent on which hard-pan was in effect (left: lean toward O’Hara; right: lean toward Hammond). Quite a nice effect, once repeated before the final “We’ll have Superman or president/let Robin save the day” segment led the audience to the denouement to join Anderson in unison to speak-sing the set’s final word, “Brick.” After a 28-minute break, the band broke vigorously into TAAB2, with Anderson again opening things at the mic at stage left with his parlour guitar. The band gelled quite naturally on songs like “Gerald the Chorister” (“Give till it hurts!” both Anderson and O’Donnell intoned, the latter during a brief, witty video segment) and the vigorous closer, “What-Ifs, Maybes, Might-Have-Beens.” Throughout the second set, both flute and organ fills and flute and guitar lines dexterously wove around and played off each other; sometimes doubling, sometimes leading. That’s the mark of keen intuitive interplay — and sharp live mixing. And the audience chimed in quite boisterously to mouth the set’s final two words along with Anderson (both onstage and via his posh-gent onscreen persona): “Brick 2.” The earlier mentioned singular encore, a 9-minute gallop through the Aqualung classic “Locomotive Breath,” kept the audience on its feet all the way through. Anderson and Opahle came together near center stage and played off of each other masterfully in sync to the very end, completing one damn fine Bricktastic night. No way to slow down indeed.
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Post by JTull 007 on Oct 13, 2013 13:58:11 GMT
4 shows in 5 days! Barry gets to rub elbows with Ian in Boston. Superb!I am amazed that anyone can have so much fun with the band that we all love. Rock On!
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Post by JTull 007 on Oct 13, 2013 19:36:05 GMT
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 13, 2013 23:37:53 GMT
Two weeks from tonight I get bricked in Tacoma with my little sister. Only two more weeks and i will complete my double brick trifecta....Santa Ynez, in a casino, last October, San Francisco, the Opera House last July and a very small theater in Tacoma later this month. We all MUST wonder, now and then...if things had turned out, well just plain diff----er---ent.
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Post by JTull 007 on Oct 14, 2013 2:47:10 GMT
Two weeks from tonight I get bricked in Tacoma with my little sister. Only two more weeks and i will complete my double brick trifecta.... Santa Ynez, in a casino, last October, San Francisco, the Opera House last July and a very small theater in Tacoma later this month. We all MUST wonder, now and then...if things had turned out, well just plain diff----er---ent. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull - 18 October 2012 - Chumash Casino swt.org/events/iananderson2012/
Get some Chumash Casino.... Photos and Site Courtesy of Robert BernsteinDwight McCann Digital Imagery: www.dwightmccann.com/ChumashCasinoResort/IanAnderson10182012.html
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 14, 2013 8:21:47 GMT
Two weeks from tonight I get bricked in Tacoma with my little sister. Only two more weeks and i will complete my double brick trifecta....Santa Ynez, in a casino, last October, San Francisco, the Opera House last July and a very small theater in Tacoma later this month. We all MUST wonder, now and then...if things had turned out, well just plain diff----er---ent. And two/three years ago it was just tours of "The Greatest Hits" - how things have changed since then. Think about it: The TAAB1/2 world tour A new JT legend in Ryan O'Donnell Two "meaty" books about the band - Rabey's and Smolko's Martin Barre's UK tour Martin's "Away With Words" album A promised new album from IA in 2014 The "Benefit" remaster An "APP" remaster All we need is a book from Martin Barre detailing his involvement with JT. Wishful thinking on my part ?
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Post by JTull 007 on Oct 14, 2013 22:02:36 GMT
Ian Anderson - Bourée (Live @ Lieder am See, August 10 2013) Very nice for a very cool Tull Fan from Germany to send me this You Tube. Check out David Goodier almost fall down during this performance. Cheers! Video by Shadowshow Official And two/three years ago it was just tours of "The Greatest Hits" - how things have changed since then. Think about it: The TAAB1/2 world tour A new JT legend in Ryan O'Donnell Two "meaty" books about the band - Rabey's and Smolko's Martin Barre's UK tour Martin's "Away With Words" album A promised new album from IA in 2014 The "Benefit" remaster An "APP" remaster All we need is a book from Martin Barre detailing his involvement with JT. Wishful thinking on my part ? I agree completely. This has been the most exciting time to be a Tull Fan since the good ole days.
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 15, 2013 8:32:49 GMT
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 15, 2013 8:49:11 GMT
Ian Anderson - Bourée (Live @ Lieder am See, August 10 2013) Very nice for a very cool Tull Fan from Germany to send me this You Tube. Check out David Goodier almost fall down during this performance. Cheers! Video by Shadowshow Official And two/three years ago it was just tours of "The Greatest Hits" - how things have changed since then. Think about it: The TAAB1/2 world tour A new JT legend in Ryan O'Donnell Two "meaty" books about the band - Rabey's and Smolko's Martin Barre's UK tour Martin's "Away With Words" album A promised new album from IA in 2014 The "Benefit" remaster An "APP" remaster All we need is a book from Martin Barre detailing his involvement with JT. Wishful thinking on my part ? I agree completely. This has been the most exciting time to be a Tull Fan since the good ole days. So .... with IA and DG both stumbling on stage that leaves three to go. What next - the drum stool collapsing ?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2013 14:29:08 GMT
Two weeks from tonight I get bricked in Tacoma with my little sister. Only two more weeks and i will complete my double brick trifecta....Santa Ynez, in a casino, last October, San Francisco, the Opera House last July and a very small theater in Tacoma later this month. We all MUST wonder, now and then...if things had turned out, well just plain diff----er---ent. And two/three years ago it was just tours of "The Greatest Hits" - how things have changed since then. Think about it: The TAAB1/2 world tour A new JT legend in Ryan O'Donnell Two "meaty" books about the band - Rabey's and Smolko's Martin Barre's UK tour Martin's "Away With Words" album A promised new album from IA in 2014 The "Benefit" remaster An "APP" remaster All we need is a book from Martin Barre detailing his involvement with JT. Wishful thinking on my part ? Not much remastering or No remastering. Most importantly Benefit & APP are REMIXED.
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Post by JTull 007 on Oct 15, 2013 14:32:37 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2013 14:33:43 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2013 14:35:44 GMT
A few days late...but here are my reflections on the show at the Wang Theatre, Boston, October 12th. It was my 27th time seeing Ian/Tull in 29 years, and I must say that I was just as excited as I was three decades ago. The magic of Ian Anderson does not fade, at least for me. My friend and I had seats in the second row of the balcony, affording a great overhead view of the entire stage. I think I prefer balcony seating to being on the floor! The venue (3600 capacity, I believe) was ALMOST full. There were a few rows at the very back of the balcony that were empty, and I'm not sure what the status was in the back rows of the floor, but it looked extremely close to a packed house. IA had nothing to grumble about, attendance-wise. I have been to the Wang before and was surprised that the sound mix was a little muddier than I had hoped, but not so bad that it ruined the evening. The drums and organ were too loud and Ryan's vocals were drowned out by the band at times. Ian's flute and acoustic guitar came through loud and clear - I'm amazed at his acoustic guitar sound. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IA's flute but think that his skills as an acoustic guitarist are often overlooked. Anyway, the band was in great form, and they looked like they were enjoying themselves. This certainly rubbed off on the audience. The crowd lapped it up from the first note, and was enthusiastic but not loud and annoying during the quieter passages. During the encore, a woman in the row in front of me stood up and danced in place. Upon exiting the venue, I could tell the entire crowd was buzzing with the thrill of what they - and we - had just seen. Ian Anderson - how does he do it? Playing a wind instrument, singing, AND dashing around the stage at age 66... Incredible, particularly considering his knee injury from 1996! And everyone in the band did a wonderful job - I can't single anyone out as they all performed exceptionally well. I hope IA keeps this line-up intact for as long as possible! So...a great night. I got lost in the music and sang along with "What-Ifs, Maybes, and Might-Have-Beens" - something I rarely do but I was swept up in the spirit of the moment. Like I said earlier, the drums and organ were too loud in the mix, at least from the balcony... It would be interesting to hear what it was like down on the floor. But this is a minor criticism of a show I shall remember fondly. Bring on 2014 and the next ablum/tour! -- David
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2013 15:03:11 GMT
A few days late...but here are my reflections on the show at the Wang Theatre, Boston, October 12th. It was my 27th time seeing Ian/Tull in 29 years, and I must say that I was just as excited as I was three decades ago. The magic of Ian Anderson does not fade, at least for me. My friend and I had seats in the second row of the balcony, affording a great overhead view of the entire stage. I think I prefer balcony seating to being on the floor! The venue (3600 capacity, I believe) was ALMOST full. There were a few rows at the very back of the balcony that were empty, and I'm not sure what the status was in the back rows of the floor, but it looked extremely close to a packed house. IA had nothing to grumble about, attendance-wise. I have been to the Wang before and was surprised that the sound mix was a little muddier than I had hoped, but not so bad that it ruined the evening. The drums and organ were too loud and Ryan's vocals were drowned out by the band at times. Ian's flute and acoustic guitar came through loud and clear - I'm amazed at his acoustic guitar sound. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IA's flute but think that his skills as an acoustic guitarist are often overlooked. Anyway, the band was in great form, and they looked like they were enjoying themselves. This certainly rubbed off on the audience. The crowd lapped it up from the first note, and was enthusiastic but not loud and annoying during the quieter passages. During the encore, a woman in the row in front of me stood up and danced in place. Upon exiting the venue, I could tell the entire crowd was buzzing with the thrill of what they - and we - had just seen. Ian Anderson - how does he do it? Playing a wind instrument, singing, AND dashing around the stage at age 66... Incredible, particularly considering his knee injury from 1996! And everyone in the band did a wonderful job - I can't single anyone out as they all performed exceptionally well. I hope IA keeps this line-up intact for as long as possible! So...a great night. I got lost in the music and sang along with "What-Ifs, Maybes, and Might-Have-Beens" - something I rarely do but I was swept up in the spirit of the moment. Like I said earlier, the drums and organ were too loud in the mix, at least from the balcony... It would be interesting to hear what it was like down on the floor. But this is a minor criticism of a show I shall remember fondly. Bring on 2014 and the next ablum/tour! -- David Thanks for the review. "I LOVE LOVE LOVE IA's flute but think that his skills as an acoustic guitarist are often overlooked." ABSOLUTELY! Right on! tea CHEERS!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2013 15:07:12 GMT
Thanks, tootull!
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 15, 2013 15:18:04 GMT
And two/three years ago it was just tours of "The Greatest Hits" - how things have changed since then. Think about it: The TAAB1/2 world tour A new JT legend in Ryan O'Donnell Two "meaty" books about the band - Rabey's and Smolko's Martin Barre's UK tour Martin's "Away With Words" album A promised new album from IA in 2014 The "Benefit" remaster An "APP" remaster All we need is a book from Martin Barre detailing his involvement with JT. Wishful thinking on my part ? Not much remastering or No remastering. Most importantly Benefit & APP are REMIXED. I will thrash myself with birch twigs, after I've had a cup of tea and a couple of digestive biscuits. Oh and sorry about re-posting bro, but you've done the same to me a few times.
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 15, 2013 15:23:42 GMT
A few days late...but here are my reflections on the show at the Wang Theatre, Boston, October 12th. It was my 27th time seeing Ian/Tull in 29 years, and I must say that I was just as excited as I was three decades ago. The magic of Ian Anderson does not fade, at least for me. My friend and I had seats in the second row of the balcony, affording a great overhead view of the entire stage. I think I prefer balcony seating to being on the floor! The venue (3600 capacity, I believe) was ALMOST full. There were a few rows at the very back of the balcony that were empty, and I'm not sure what the status was in the back rows of the floor, but it looked extremely close to a packed house. IA had nothing to grumble about, attendance-wise. I have been to the Wang before and was surprised that the sound mix was a little muddier than I had hoped, but not so bad that it ruined the evening. The drums and organ were too loud and Ryan's vocals were drowned out by the band at times. Ian's flute and acoustic guitar came through loud and clear - I'm amazed at his acoustic guitar sound. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IA's flute but think that his skills as an acoustic guitarist are often overlooked. Anyway, the band was in great form, and they looked like they were enjoying themselves. This certainly rubbed off on the audience. The crowd lapped it up from the first note, and was enthusiastic but not loud and annoying during the quieter passages. During the encore, a woman in the row in front of me stood up and danced in place. Upon exiting the venue, I could tell the entire crowd was buzzing with the thrill of what they - and we - had just seen. Ian Anderson - how does he do it? Playing a wind instrument, singing, AND dashing around the stage at age 66... Incredible, particularly considering his knee injury from 1996! And everyone in the band did a wonderful job - I can't single anyone out as they all performed exceptionally well. I hope IA keeps this line-up intact for as long as possible! So...a great night. I got lost in the music and sang along with "What-Ifs, Maybes, and Might-Have-Beens" - something I rarely do but I was swept up in the spirit of the moment. Like I said earlier, the drums and organ were too loud in the mix, at least from the balcony... It would be interesting to hear what it was like down on the floor. But this is a minor criticism of a show I shall remember fondly. Bring on 2014 and the next ablum/tour! -- David Thanks for the review David. I can certainly vouch for the enthusiasm of the audience as it mirrors my own impression of the folks who were at the RAH back in in June. "I could tell the entire crowd was buzzing with the thrill of what they - and we - had just seen"
Spot on.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2013 15:38:57 GMT
Not much remastering or No remastering. Most importantly Benefit & APP are REMIXED. I will thrash myself with birch twigs, after I've had a cup of tea and a couple of digestive biscuits. Oh and sorry about re-posting bro, but you've done the same to me a few times. Me copy you - haha
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2013 15:39:36 GMT
Thanks, tootull!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2013 15:47:00 GMT
Not much remastering or No remastering. Most importantly Benefit & APP are REMIXED. a cup of tea and a couple of digestive biscuits. Chocolate...yeah! Copy that!
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 15, 2013 16:46:12 GMT
Glad to read of a concert well-enjoyed by a true Tull fan. bring on 2014 indeed...but not before one more time in Tacoma ( 12 days but who's counting ?)
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 12:47:45 GMT
Concert review: Ian Anderson at Place des Arts By Bernie Perusse, The Gazette October 16, 2013 7:00 AMwww.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/Concert+review+Anderson+Place+Arts/9041916/story.htmlThis was originally posted on the Words & Music blog. There were at least two clear signs of passing time at Ian Anderson's near-sold-out concert at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts Tuesday night: one was the weakened state of his voice - a problem that has clearly worsened over the past decade. The other was that Thick As a Brick now comes with its own public-service announcement for prostate health. But this being an Anderson show, even the prostate pitch was delivered with humour (an audience member, a rubber glove and an examination conducted in silhouette were involved). And that wasn't the only bit of fun: the performance of the entire 1972 album-length song by Jethro Tull and its 2010 sequel, Thick As a Brick 2, was brightened by theatrical touches, inventive video illustrations and a great sense of joie de vivre from Anderson and band. (Lest we forget, Anderson has always maintained that TAAB was a parody of progressive rock.) It was an ambitious project. This was only the second time the piece has been played in full on tour, the first being when Jethro Tull were on the road promoting it 41 years ago. After that, it surfaced on stage only in edited versions - until last year when Anderson worked up the whole opus again with his current band. He was, by then, the only original Jethro Tull member involved. Tuesday night's 50-minute performance of the classic-rock staple was pulled off marvelously - although it was apparent from the opening moments that Anderson would struggle heroically, but unsuccessfully, with the higher notes. An even poorer-than-usual sound mix in the generally dodgy concert hall only served to bury whatever presence his voice had. It was, therefore, a blessing that the Tull chief ceded half the vocals to 30-year-old Ryan O'Donnell, who also provided lighthearted antics. Apart from the problematic pipes, however, Anderson was firing on all cylinders, demonstrating impressive physical stamina and the light, lyrical touches on flute that have always made the Tull sound so distinctive. The rest of the band - drummer Scott Hammond, guitarist Florian Opahle, keyboard player John O'Hara and bassist David Goodier - did an admirable job of breathing new life into the decades-old rock-radio staple, which (revisionists be damned!) remains a delight from start to finish. Perhaps not surprisingly, the band sounded even more aggressive in their attack on the record's recent sequel, TAAB 2. Whether that's because they actually played on that album (Opahle, O'Donnell and Hammond were not yet born when TAAB came out) or because it comes with less baggage is a moot point. It was - and is - an excellent piece of work in its own right. Concerns that the audience would be less receptive to the second set proved unfounded: the fans - including the two dozen women in attendance - cheered it on with the same enthusiasm they had voiced in the opening half. And they still had plenty of lung power left for the encore: the by-now obligatory Locomotive Breath. And damned if even Anderson's voice didn't rally a bit for that one. Ian Anderson at Theatre St. Denis Theatre in 2010. Photograph by: John Kenney , The Gazette
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Post by JTull 007 on Oct 16, 2013 18:58:06 GMT
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