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Post by bluehare on May 8, 2009 13:46:42 GMT
Yep. Have to agree with nonrabbit and rockisland. We fans are not being duped. We just don't share your opinion is all. Ian is...what...turning 62 this year? He wrecked his vocal chords, tore the ligaments in at least one knee, got a rose thorn through one eye...can't remember but I think he injured his other leg somehow, had a kitty mangle his finger! His vocal and physical acrobatics have been put to the test over 40 years. One would think he's earned a bit of a break! (No pun intended...). What he has tried to do is compensate for those limitations...(including, and not the least of which is just plain, rotten, hard-to-escape advancing years, by the way)... His energy on stage every time I've seen him has been almost boundless. He runs from one side of the stage to the other constantly...no mean feat when both singing and flute playing (and harmonica playing) take great lung capacity. He's silly and charming at the same time. He has altered the song selections as much as possible to accommodate his vocal chords. Have you guys heard the acoustic version of Dun Ringill with just him and Martin where Ian speaks the lyrics in the beginning? Really a beautiful clip. To me. He changes things up because he has to. I do not, nor will never believe it's all about the money. Again, that's me. For those of you who prefer to listen to the Ian of the past and enjoy him that way, please do. That's great. But please don't cast aspersions on those of us who still enjoy listening to him - and oh lest we forget - the other band members who also have to compensate for advancing years and various operations - with all of his (and their) "warts". I will continue to admire them for what they have given me over the years....and continue to give me....spectacular musicianship, raucous and bawdy humor, and a damned memorable night out. Oh! And just to stay on topic.....I do like a great many of the songs on Catfish. Roll Yer Own gets me going in the morning.
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Post by maddogfagin on May 8, 2009 14:32:58 GMT
Yes Steel! I agree and would also pay to watch Ian change a lightbulb. I am planning to see Ian and Tull 3 times this year, i don't mind Ian's voice at all. ;D Would this be the A Little Light(bulb) Music Tour? Are we talking your standard 60 WATT bulb here or one of those energy saving bulbs? Brian. Oh let's go the whole hog and have a 100 watt bulb. Saying that, I'd watch IA, MB & the band open an envelope if they'd sing a song or two & sign an autograph ;D
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mix
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Post by mix on May 8, 2009 16:09:38 GMT
Ok, a nice range of views on this thread so far. Regarding Ian's voice here is my view.
I love Ian's voice but we all know the under wraps tour caused Ian to have vocal problems. Being a younger Tull fan here I'll admit my first live show was the Catfish tour in 92 so I cannot comment on previous tours. Ian's voice changes are clear to hear on the studio albums and there is a major shift in his voice between Rock Island and Catfish Rising. On Catfish his voice is thinner and a little rough around the edges but still very enjoyable.
I last saw Tull in 2001 and Ian solo in 2003 and It was obvious to me that his voice was not at all good which was a major disappointment and worry.
I've always thought the reason why Ian has so much trouble is because he tours and sings too much. We all know that if you damage a part of your body, continuing to over use it is only going to make the problem worse.
Dave Pegg mentions in Dave Rees book that Ian's voice was really bad back in 1995 on the 25th Ann tour. The point is, people have been discussing Ian's worsening voice for a bloody long time.
I must admit that when ever I view videos from recent Tull gigs including the Flute Wise concert last weekend, as soon as Ian sings I cannot listen.
It brings me know pleasure to see Ian trying to sing on a voice 10% of its previous self. What puzzles me more is what is Ian thinking? He must know? It is not something he talks about, perhaps he can't face it.
On the plus side, Ian's last album, Rupi's Dance was grand on the singing front. Which again gives me reason to think its the constant touring.
As TM said earlier, surely the best solution is to only play songs that Ian can sing well today. Unfortunately Ian constantly refuses not to play Aqualung, Loco, Brick because he feels the audience demand it. The question is, who are the audience? I'm confident long term fans would be fine if Ian stopped playing the classics, for material that meant a better performance. But from what I can see the audience is diminishing dramatically. I've watched Tull's usual venue in my area drop from the 2000 seater that they have played for most of their career down to a 1000 seater the last few years and this year down to an even smaller venue. Are the audience now dominated by the few hard core who would pay to see Ian change a light bulb along with the rest made up with semi curious older fans revisiting their youth and younger people checking out a nestelgic legend of the past before its too late. The later would clearly want to hear the classics so I feel this is who Ian considers his market.
Personaly I think his age has nothing to do with it. Many of his contemporaries are still at the cutting edge of their art, moving forward with new music and albums just as Ian did for much of his career. It seems Ian has burnt out as a composer of song. The drive for new music is gone and with it the drive to reach new audiences and bring the old fans along with you. That's fine because if Ian stopped today, we have so much to be grateful for.
The man is a hero for me and like others here are saying, its is clear Ian still loves to perform and his musicianship continues to flourish. I just long for the Tull that was always moving forward which sadly we do not have today.
Ian has mentioned how he would like to write/do something different. I hope he does and perhaps if he had a period away from music he might return with something to blow us all away again. Unfortunately, I get the feeling Ian see's his time running out and is in a mad panic to play, play, play. My worst fear is he won't stop until he drops or worst still there are only a handfull of people left in the audience, the ones who would pay to see that bulb changed. This year is a perfect example. Why must Ian go out on that solo tour without Martin and the name Tull? Why not take that time to write the book he mentions. I'm afraid, I just don't get him these days.
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Post by nonrabbit on May 8, 2009 17:04:31 GMT
I'm confused with all the answers (including mine) In conclusion Ian should perform both playing the flute and singing. He should keep playing the classics for the diehards (and for the newbies?) write more songs and a book do the occasional guest thingy whilst at the same time carry out a bit of electrical duties and admin (envelopes!). Where the hell is he going to find the time to visit me for the walk around the fields? ?
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Post by bluehare on May 8, 2009 18:05:39 GMT
For my part, if I was unclear about this, I apologize. But the point I was trying to make was that his age is NOT a factor. His endurance and energy is a joy to behold. The damage he has done to himself - which many other musicians his age have not done - is the bigger factor. "His lame-brained antics, and his jumping in the air"....Ha! Not lame-brained by any means. Quite enjoyable, really. But it has taken its toll. The days of him contorting himself like a human pretzel-ish Bendy Man as he did in his 20's, I don't see in his future. For whatever reason. The mix of hardcore fans, the semi-curious, and younger people wanting to see rock legends while they can doesn't sound like a bad market to me at all.... Now, now, nonrabbit....you must remember to share (or at the very least, invite some of us to go along for the walk...). Nice thread, by the way, mix.....with lots of us jumping in and taking part. And my ticket into this part of the conversation? Gold-Tipped Boots, Black Jacket and Tie.....Ian can really write some oddball songs sometimes! I really never wanted to like this song, but I just can't help it. I do.
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Post by nonrabbit on May 8, 2009 18:10:50 GMT
Oh! And just to stay on topic..... Roll Yer Own gets me going in the morning. Ha that's not staying on topic Bluehare ;D ... and psst "Get your own field!" ;D ;D
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Post by bluehare on May 8, 2009 18:33:43 GMT
Fine. I see how it is. You have any idea how far I have to go to find a nice field to walk around in?! And I was going to bring a nice bottle of wine along, too.
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Post by TM on May 8, 2009 18:35:27 GMT
I haven't heard any life shows in ages, and he never comes near here anyway, so I don't have to make a decision about whether or not to go, and I really don't have an opinion about his voice these days, but I have an opinion about whether he should stop or not. I do feel sorry for him. It is worth a great deal of compassion when someone has a vocation and it's getting harder and harder to do. I've worked most of my adult life with people who perform for a living and who are in the public eye, and it can be incredibly sad to watch their abilities and popularity fade - especially when it's ultimately associated with getting older (meaning that there are overtones of mortality involved). He is famous for being conscious of finances, but I don't believe that's all that's going on here. This is the largest part of what his working life has been about, probably even his life as a whole. I don't believe anybody you can function in this kind of career without truly loving it, there's too much hassle involved. From all appearances, the thing he most enjoys about it these days is performing (rather than writing and recording) and singing is a part of that. I absolutely think he should continue to do what he loves to do. Those who are enjoying it - and it's clear from posts here that many still are - will keep on going. Those who don't want to hear it can just not go, and then everybody's happy! So it's really a non-problem. Whoa. I agree with the majority of your post but how do you draw that conclusion when it's pretty obvious that most Tull fans would love to see Ian take a break and record another album?
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Post by nonrabbit on May 8, 2009 18:42:11 GMT
And I was going to bring a nice bottle of wine along, too. In that case my dear you are very welcome - I'll just get the nod from my mate Ian ;D ;D
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Post by TM on May 8, 2009 18:47:15 GMT
As the Fatman, let me weigh in on the topic of Ian's voice. I think it varies greatly tour to tour, and sometimes from show to show. In November 2007 for example, I saw a god awful Tull show in Newark, New Jersey, which was so bad that I did not even bother trying to get tickets to the NYC show a week later. He didn't sing that night, he croaked. However, at the recent 40 year anniversary show at Jones Beach (summer 2008), I thought that after the first few numbers, his singing got stronger and stronger as the night went on. He sang the entire Heavy Horses, and the band played so well that if you closed your eyes it almost sounded like the Big Tull of the late 70s era. I thought his vocals that night were the best they have been in about fifteen years. So, on that basis, I feel that Ian is still able to carry it off despite possessing only about 25% of his former vocal power. (The problem is that on some nights he only has about 10% of his former singing capacity.) If you have any doubts about how great Tull were last summer, go to You Tube and check out the Jones Beach and Red Rocks performances from that tour. Jeff Thank you Jeff. This is exactly what I'm talking about. You stated that at Jones Beach his voice was the best you heard in 15 years. But you also mention that his voice got stronger after a few songs. So even on his best night in years his vocals will let him down. Truth is he cannot get through an entire night without struggling. This is not a knock on the man, it's just a fact. How fans choose to deal with it is their prerogative, but there's no denying the issue.
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rebecca
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Post by rebecca on May 8, 2009 18:49:41 GMT
I haven't heard any life shows in ages, and he never comes near here anyway, so I don't have to make a decision about whether or not to go, and I really don't have an opinion about his voice these days, but I have an opinion about whether he should stop or not. I do feel sorry for him. It is worth a great deal of compassion when someone has a vocation and it's getting harder and harder to do. I've worked most of my adult life with people who perform for a living and who are in the public eye, and it can be incredibly sad to watch their abilities and popularity fade - especially when it's ultimately associated with getting older (meaning that there are overtones of mortality involved). He is famous for being conscious of finances, but I don't believe that's all that's going on here. This is the largest part of what his working life has been about, probably even his life as a whole. I don't believe anybody you can function in this kind of career without truly loving it, there's too much hassle involved. From all appearances, the thing he most enjoys about it these days is performing (rather than writing and recording) and singing is a part of that. I absolutely think he should continue to do what he loves to do. Those who are enjoying it - and it's clear from posts here that many still are - will keep on going. Those who don't want to hear it can just not go, and then everybody's happy! So it's really a non-problem. Whoa. I agree with the majority of your post but how do you draw that conclusion when it's pretty obvious that most Tull fans would love to see Ian take a break and record another album? I really was more focused on performing vs not performing. With the factor of writing and recording added in the mix, though, IF HE WANTS TO DO IT it isn't mutually exclusive, so I don't think it changes anything. But ultimately, it's harder to create new material if it's just not in you than it is to perform old material, so this aspect is even more dependent on his frame of mind and wishes. There are times when something new comes and times when it doesn't. While there are certainly many people willing to put out crappy music to keep the fires burning, I don't see Ian as one, do you? I mean, music he doesn't think is up to snuff (never mind our opinions).
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mix
Journeyman
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Post by mix on May 8, 2009 19:01:14 GMT
For my part, if I was unclear about this, I apologize. But the point I was trying to make was that his age is NOT a factor. His endurance and energy is a joy to behold. The damage he has done to himself - which many other musicians his age have not done - is the bigger factor. "His lame-brained antics, and his jumping in the air"....Ha! Not lame-brained by any means. Quite enjoyable, really. But it has taken its toll. The days of him contorting himself like a human pretzel-ish Bendy Man as he did in his 20's, I don't see in his future. For whatever reason. And my ticket into this part of the conversation? Gold-Tipped Boots, Black Jacket and Tie.....Ian can really write some oddball songs sometimes! I really never wanted to like this song, but I just can't help it. I do. Your point about Ian not being able to jump around reminds me of when I last saw Ian at the Gosport folk festival, UK in 2003. Now I don't know if you guys know much about folk/traditional music in the UK but it tends to be about serious musicians and bands from England, Ireland and Scotland playing the traditional music of these regions. It has become a big scene the last ten years. It is very acoustic music. So to my delight when I hear Ian is going to be appearing I'm thinking wow! I would have loved to see Ian, a chair, a Guitar and his voice with perhaps a guest (martin on acoustic guitar, mandolin etc) and for Ian to work his way through a set of his best acoustic music keeping it simple and down to the bare bones. This would be the form of these type of festivals. Instead I got Ian Anderson with his solo band which is the same instrumentation as Tull. In fact the only difference from a Tull gig was Martin not being on stage. He rattled out the same old stuff you'd hear in 80% of a Tull gig including those bloody classics. This was of course that dreaded Rubbing Elbows show which was a total Americanization format of taking oneself far too seriously. After the show I realized that the real deal was over. Now all we can expect is the exploitation of legacy. Such a wasted opportunity. I was really disappointed with Ian considering it was billed as a solo gig. That's a joke, solo just means without Martin. He totally missed the opportunity to do something amazing. Anyway, I'm getting too negative. Gold tipped boots is wonderful. One thing I love most about Catfish is the extensive use of the Mandolin. In fact, Catfish must score pretty high on the acoustic albums of Tull.
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Post by nonrabbit on May 8, 2009 19:18:43 GMT
[quote author=mix board=general thread=525 post=7155 time=1241809274
I would have loved to see Ian, a chair, a Guitar and his voice with perhaps a guest (martin on acoustic guitar, mandolin etc) and for Ian to work his way through a set of his best acoustic music keeping it simple and down to the bare bones. This would be the form of these type of festivals.
He totally missed the opportunity to do something amazing.
quote]I totally agree Mix (apologies for cherry picking your quote and b**** it up ) you've hit the spot there with what Ian could have done in an acoustic /traditional spot. As you say Folk music has changed a lot in the last decade or so and as we all know Tull has crossed a lot of genres ( aren't we lucky over the years somehow you get the feeling that (and I point out Anderson for this thread )could "expand" a bit further into what Tull have hinted at in the past. Phew... has the album Catfish ever in the past prompted so much feeling or discussion
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mix
Journeyman
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Post by mix on May 8, 2009 19:47:53 GMT
[quote author=mix board=general thread=525 post=7155 time=1241809274
I would have loved to see Ian, a chair, a Guitar and his voice with perhaps a guest (martin on acoustic guitar, mandolin etc) and for Ian to work his way through a set of his best acoustic music keeping it simple and down to the bare bones. This would be the form of these type of festivals.
He totally missed the opportunity to do something amazing.
quote]I totally agree Mix (apologies for cherry picking your quote and b**** it up ) you've hit the spot there with what Ian could have done in an acoustic /traditional spot. As you say Folk music has changed a lot in the last decade or so and as we all know Tull has crossed a lot of genres ( aren't we lucky over the years somehow you get the feeling that (and I point out Anderson for this thread )could "expand" a bit further into what Tull have hinted at in the past. Phew... has the album Catfish ever in the past prompted so much feeling or discussion Yeah, I can see Ian in that environment, reinventing himself. I don't have a problem with him not jumping around like a nutter anymore. At his heart I've always thought of Ian as a wonderful songwriter. Him and a Guitar alone could deliver so much more. I know Tull fans are often split between the Rock side and the Acoustic side but if you strip away just about all of the material to the bare bones of the song, it is the song that is the diamond and with Ian's advancing years I could see him slowing down but still reaching a high point in his career. Sadly I don't think its going to happen.
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Post by steelmonkey on May 8, 2009 19:57:43 GMT
Good Plan...Ian turns into our own personal Dylan...He's already on the neverending tour!
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Post by nonrabbit on May 8, 2009 20:36:08 GMT
Thinking about 'acoustic Anderson' and the simply stunning songs My God and Wondering Aloud (just to name a couple off the top off my head) I found this video which strangely seems to take in the last few topics... I wish sometimes that I could hear that from a complete novice point of view but I can't
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Post by bluehare on May 8, 2009 20:55:04 GMT
Score! Finally! White or red? Agree with the last few posts. I would dearly love to see a stripped down and new Ian. And ...a stripped down Tull. And the bare bones of the music. I'm not sure you could do too much as far as Tull is concerned, though, because Martin is the rock guy of the group. He needs his outlet via Tull, too. Does he like playing the acoustic stuff as much as Ian does? I wish Ian didn't go on the road as a solo act, and then play Tull stuff. That bugs me, too. Partly because I want to hear his solo work, and partly because if you're going to play Tull stuff, shouldn't the other boys be there? Feels sort of odd to see other musicians playing their parts. I can understand having other guys play on the occasions when Doane or Martin were unavailable due to operations and things. But those are the only circumstances under which it feels justifiable. I also agree with rebecca that Ian, like all of us - should be free to do what makes him happy. And what appears to make him happy is revisiting his catalogue, not doing anything new. No matter what any of us would like, sadly it doesn't look likely. And still I will continue to go watch him. Because what I like about him and the band far outweighs what I don't. Still won't stop me from daydreaming about new material, more acoustic stuff, altering existing stuff to compensate for his strained voice, strolling through a field with him, nonrabbit, and a bottle of wine....
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Post by fatman on May 8, 2009 20:55:21 GMT
As the Fatman, let me weigh in on the topic of Ian's voice. I think it varies greatly tour to tour, and sometimes from show to show. In November 2007 for example, I saw a god awful Tull show in Newark, New Jersey, which was so bad that I did not even bother trying to get tickets to the NYC show a week later. He didn't sing that night, he croaked. However, at the recent 40 year anniversary show at Jones Beach (summer 2008), I thought that after the first few numbers, his singing got stronger and stronger as the night went on. He sang the entire Heavy Horses, and the band played so well that if you closed your eyes it almost sounded like the Big Tull of the late 70s era. I thought his vocals that night were the best they have been in about fifteen years. So, on that basis, I feel that Ian is still able to carry it off despite possessing only about 25% of his former vocal power. (The problem is that on some nights he only has about 10% of his former singing capacity.) If you have any doubts about how great Tull were last summer, go to You Tube and check out the Jones Beach and Red Rocks performances from that tour. Jeff Thank you Jeff. This is exactly what I'm talking about. You stated that at Jones Beach his voice was the best you heard in 15 years. But you also mention that his voice got stronger after a few songs. So even on his best night in years his vocals will let him down. Truth is he cannot get through an entire night without struggling. This is not a knock on the man, it's just a fact. How fans choose to deal with it is their prerogative, but there's no denying the issue. After the Newark show in 2007, I had, for the first time, almost written them off, that's how bad the singing ( what little of it there was, because it was 80% instrumental) was. But I decided to give them one more shot so I went to a single show at JB for the 40th Anniversary tour, and they pulled me back in with a solid rock show. (Unfortunately, they are now reverting to the multi-Tull/solo Ian format.) Not everyone I was with that night at JB agreed he was singing well, especially not the first few songs. But, as I said, his voice eventually was stronger than I've heard it for awhile. I am of the opinion that if Ian sings at 25% of his former vocal capacity, then it is sufficient to pull off a Tull show. Jeff
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Post by nonrabbit on May 8, 2009 21:12:27 GMT
[Score! Finally! White or red?
strolling through a field with him, nonrabbit, and a bottle of wine.... [/quote][/color] Never say never !
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Post by steelmonkey on May 9, 2009 1:36:34 GMT
Keep dreaming, ladies...and watch the mail for your invites to my wedding with Ann Phoebe...she got in touch and we've been working on decreasing her need to perform in public, we're getting close to a wedding date.
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Post by maddogfagin on May 9, 2009 8:54:43 GMT
Keep dreaming, ladies...and watch the mail for your invites to my wedding with Ann Phoebe...she got in touch and we've been working on decreasing her need to perform in public, we're getting close to a wedding date. Do you still want flowers?
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Post by TM on May 10, 2009 2:12:13 GMT
Yep. Have to agree with nonrabbit and rockisland. We fans are not being duped. We just don't share your opinion is all. Ian is...what...turning 62 this year? He wrecked his vocal chords, tore the ligaments in at least one knee, got a rose thorn through one eye...can't remember but I think he injured his other leg somehow, had a kitty mangle his finger! His vocal and physical acrobatics have been put to the test over 40 years. One would think he's earned a bit of a break! (No pun intended...). What he has tried to do is compensate for those limitations...(including, and not the least of which is just plain, rotten, hard-to-escape advancing years, by the way)... His energy on stage every time I've seen him has been almost boundless. He runs from one side of the stage to the other constantly...no mean feat when both singing and flute playing (and harmonica playing) take great lung capacity. He's silly and charming at the same time. He has altered the song selections as much as possible to accommodate his vocal chords. Have you guys heard the acoustic version of Dun Ringill with just him and Martin where Ian speaks the lyrics in the beginning? Really a beautiful clip. To me. He changes things up because he has to. I do not, nor will never believe it's all about the money. Again, that's me. For those of you who prefer to listen to the Ian of the past and enjoy him that way, please do. That's great. But please don't cast aspersions on those of us who still enjoy listening to him - and oh lest we forget - the other band members who also have to compensate for advancing years and various operations - with all of his (and their) "warts". I will continue to admire them for what they have given me over the years....and continue to give me....spectacular musicianship, raucous and bawdy humor, and a damned memorable night out. Oh! And just to stay on topic.....I do like a great many of the songs on Catfish. Roll Yer Own gets me going in the morning. One would think he's earned a bit of a break! That is one way to look at it. The other is "call me crazy but I'm paying hard earned money and expect to see/hear the lead singer, um.....sing." He has altered the song selections as much as possible to accommodate his vocal chords.Sorry, but I'm not buying that for a second. The truth is he's been hawking his wares targeted to a specific audience for quite some time now. Listen, if you enjoy watching the man struggle with sweat embossed veins "then please do." I much prefer that he'd "slip the shackles" of the Jethro Tull past , and perform songs in a more comfortable setting, better suited to his physical capabilities.
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tommie
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Post by tommie on May 10, 2009 10:48:10 GMT
Bravo, TM! Hear here! You speak the facts, the truth.....and so elegantly, too.
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Post by ash on May 10, 2009 11:05:58 GMT
Score! Finally! White or red? Agree with the last few posts. I would dearly love to see a stripped down and new Ian. And ...a stripped down Tull. And the bare bones of the music. I'm not sure you could do too much as far as Tull is concerned, though, because Martin is the rock guy of the group. He needs his outlet via Tull, too. Does he like playing the acoustic stuff as much as Ian does? I wish Ian didn't go on the road as a solo act, and then play Tull stuff. That bugs me, too. Partly because I want to hear his solo work, and partly because if you're going to play Tull stuff, shouldn't the other boys be there? Feels sort of odd to see other musicians playing their parts. I can understand having other guys play on the occasions when Doane or Martin were unavailable due to operations and things. But those are the only circumstances under which it feels justifiable. I also agree with rebecca that Ian, like all of us - should be free to do what makes him happy. And what appears to make him happy is revisiting his catalogue, not doing anything new. No matter what any of us would like, sadly it doesn't look likely. And still I will continue to go watch him. Because what I like about him and the band far outweighs what I don't. Still won't stop me from daydreaming about new material, more acoustic stuff, altering existing stuff to compensate for his strained voice, strolling through a field with him, nonrabbit, and a bottle of wine.... I too wish he wouldn't play so much Tull material when he does a solo tour but I have to admit I still love to hear it because it does have a different sound & feel, which is not a bad thing. I would have liked it if he had played material the Diversities album at the Barbarcan on the 3rd . To me that was the ideal opportunity to play along with the other great flute players he had on stage. I dont' think your daydreaming with regards new material from this quote on Ians News off the Tull site "After such a busy year, the first few weeks of 2009 will be spent at home, refurbishing my recording studio and catching up on lots of personal things. New studio works will commence in the next weeks. Some music recorded in 2007 has to be finished". .... fingers crossed As for Catfish, Tull has always been an involving band and each album brings something new and interesting for me. I for one like most of the album.
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Post by steelmonkey on May 10, 2009 15:23:07 GMT
Let's face It, Like Nicole Simpson ( and look what happened to her), doesn't listen. The hard core fans have been telling him for years and years that we would be overjoyed if he dropped the neck straining, veins popping out on his forehead, war horse songs and concentrate on voice friendly catalog gems, acoustic re-thinks and new, old guy friendly material....somehow, for him the pleasure is to bring the greatest hits to Outer and futhur outer Moldavia and watch the audience re-act to their first hearing of Aqualung and Brick.....at the end of the day, it's his choice...he does pull a few rabbits out of his scarf, each tour and I, for one, still shed a tear when he strums the opening bars of 'Brick'.
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Post by tullistray on May 10, 2009 15:43:27 GMT
Let's face It, Like Nicole Simpson ( and look what happened to her), doesn't listen. The hard core fans have been telling him for years and years that we would be overjoyed if he dropped the neck straining, veins popping out on his forehead, war horse songs and concentrate on voice friendly catalog gems, acoustic re-thinks and new, old guy friendly material....somehow, for him the pleasure is to bring the greatest hits to Outer and futhur outer Moldavia and watch the audience re-act to their first hearing of Aqualung and Brick.....at the end of the day, it's his choice...he does pull a few rabbits out of his scarf, each tour and I, for one, still shed a tear when he strums the opening bars of 'Brick'. My fiercest Tull buddy and I used to know back in the 70's when Ian had hit his stride this one vein in his forehead would start to pop up. To me thru the years merely a shifting of responsibilities from his forehead to his neck. And this same guy counterbalances Ian's loss of voice with the continuation of his facial contortions, I too find some solace in this. Nice head man.
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Post by bluehare on May 10, 2009 17:59:19 GMT
For the gazillionth time....no one's twisting your arm. If you don't like what you hear, don't pay. Don't go. For better or worse, this is the lead singer of Tull. He has stated as long as Tull plays, he will be the lead singer. And that is how I like it. Now, now. I could write more inflammatory comments like you and Tommie, but that wouldn't get us very far. I like a heated discussion as much as the next person, but when it looks like things are going to get too heated, I prefer (most times) to head back into the pub for a nice drink and a tamer conversation. Better for the system. In my calmest voice possible, I will say that if you had thoroughly read one of my last posts, you would have seen that I did say I would love to see him in just such a setting. I do rather enjoy the sweat embossed veins, though...
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Post by bluehare on May 10, 2009 18:07:54 GMT
You're right. That's a good point. The songs do have a different sound and feel to them. I like that part. It's just that it seems a little awkward not to have the other guys there. We can only hope...
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Post by TM on May 12, 2009 18:52:03 GMT
For the gazillionth time....no one's twisting your arm. If you don't like what you hear, don't pay. Don't go. For better or worse, this is the lead singer of Tull. He has stated as long as Tull plays, he will be the lead singer. And that is how I like it. Now, now. I could write more inflammatory comments like you and Tommie, but that wouldn't get us very far. I like a heated discussion as much as the next person, but when it looks like things are going to get too heated, I prefer (most times) to head back into the pub for a nice drink and a tamer conversation. Better for the system. In my calmest voice possible, I will say that if you had thoroughly read one of my last posts, you would have seen that I did say I would love to see him in just such a setting. I do rather enjoy the sweat embossed veins, though... A nice big velvety Red for me please. Incidentally my favorite winery just released their 2008 vintage and I'm so pleased to report that they have come up a bit short!
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Post by TM on May 13, 2009 18:34:17 GMT
Question for those of you playing along at home.
Do you feel Ian has an obligation to perform to a certain standard?
Or is it simply "this is what we do now, if you don't like it, don't come back. But don't be asking for any refunds."
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