Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Jethro Tull
Label: Eagle Records
Release: 2007
Runtime: 107:00
Rating: 4/5
Over the years, the idyllic Swiss town of Montreux has become one of Ian Anderson and his rowdy crew’s favorite places to play live, and they’ve built up a pretty special relationship with it. So it’s no surprise they happily accepted an invitation from old friend Claude Nobs, organizer of the prestigious annual international jazz festival, who wanted them as the headline attraction of the event. They used the show to record a new (double) live album, the second with the longtime lineup that cut the last studio album “J-Tull Dot Com” (1999) and that is now already a thing of the past.
The band’s fondness for this posh town, put on the world music map mainly by Frank Zappa and Deep Purple (the famous incident of the concert fire that led to Deep Purple’s biggest hit), goes back to the first half of the 70s. Besides drawing inspiration there and writing quite a bit of studio material, most of the recordings on their first live album “Bursting Out” (1978) come from there too. The latter is one of the best live albums in rock history and, according to most fans of the band, the crown jewel of their golden era.
Almost 30 years after “Bursting Out,” the traditional Montreux Jazz Festival hosted these untamable prog rock legends for the first time. Under the strict but fair leadership of their charismatic flutist and singer, they still live up to their reputation as one of the best live bands of all time, even in the 21st century. Mr. Nobs claims Tull already played there in the early 70s, but Ian, despite a few holes in his memory from countless gigs, flatly denies it. And there are no unofficial live bootlegs that would back up Nobs’ side of the story, either.
“Live At Montreux” is of course incomparable to “Bursting Out,” since this Tull lineup is almost entirely incomparable to the one from 30 years ago, but it still ranks among their best official live releases. Ian’s voice has taken quite a beating in this period, but we got used to his reduced range a long time ago. He keeps making up for this weak spot with inexhaustible charisma, his own brand of humor and, of course, masterful flute playing, the kind you’d expect from the best flutist in rock history. Right by his side is his longtime partner in crime Martin Barre, one of the most overlooked rock guitarists, who finally gets a solo spot of his own with “Empty Cafe” (originally from his solo album “A Trick Of Memory”, 1994).
There are quite a few of these instrumental interludes that have little to do with the traditional Tull legacy: “Eurology” from Ian’s solo album “Rupi’s Dance” (2003), the classical instrumental “Pavane,” which Ian rearranged from a composition by French composer Gabriel Fauré, and the Christmas classic “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (both from “The Jethro Tull Christmas Album”, 2003). Personally, I’d rather have seen more of the Tull catalog on the recording, but on the other hand these non-traditional live detours prove they’re still creating new music, even if it’s usually no longer under the band’s name.
Despite some mild grumbling over these instrumental numbers, which aren’t among the highlights of their creative output, longtime fans will still get their money’s worth and have their appetites satisfied with some Tull classics and a surprise or two. The selection of classics is solidly balanced, from the ancient blues rock favorite “Some Day The Sun Won’t Shine For You,” where an exuberant Ian has a blast on his harmonica, and the upbeat “Life Is A Long Song,” through their traditional take on Bach’s classic “Bouree” (or “porno-jazz,” as Ian colorfully likes to call it), the tongue-in-cheek tribute to original guitarist Mick Abrahams in “Fat Man,” their first American hit “Living In The Past,” the rowdy “Nothing Is Easy,” and the legendary hard rock classic “Aqualung,” all the way to the obligatory closer, “Locomotive Breath.”
The smaller surprises are songs they only play on rare occasions, like “With You There To Help Me,” where a track from the excellent but overlooked album “Benefit” (1970) finally gets its live moment, the dramatic folk rock amazon “Hunting Girl,” and “Beside Myself,” one of the forgotten classics from the great album “Roots To Branches” (1995). They also nail the epic classics “My God” and “Budapest,” while on “Dot Com” Ian is joined on backing vocal harmonies by the enigmatic singer Masha. No single performance is a standout, but none falls below the usual quality either. The band was far more inspired during this show than, say, on the rather pale “Aqualung Live” (2005). The live atmosphere is great throughout, especially the positive energy between stage and audience, although it would have been even better if Ian’s colorful banter between songs hadn’t been cut from the official release.
Before the official release came out, I got to hear an unofficial bootleg version with almost identical, high sound quality. So I wondered why they hadn’t gone for an official release earlier instead of waiting almost four years. Some fans of the band won’t be thrilled to learn that there’s no radical difference between the two, except that the unofficial release has a real treat: the medley “Songs From The Wood/Too Old To Rock’N’Roll../Heavy Horses.” In my opinion, it’s precisely this classic trilogy, missing from the official release, that is the best moment of the whole recording, so I don’t approve of Ian’s decision to leave it out at all. Mostly thanks to Masha on backing vocals, who delivers a vivid, refreshing, at times almost comical backing performance, this great rendition shines in a new light. In the choruses she even drowns Ian out now and then. Maybe that’s exactly why he decided to keep it off the official release. A mistake. The same goes for the producers, who almost completely cut out Ian’s witty, often sarcastic and self-mocking remarks, which the unofficial version is positively teeming with.
“Live At Montreux” isn’t the best official live recording from the prog rock legends, but it’s far from the worst. In terms of quality, it sits in the upper tier of their live albums, because in every respect it manages to capture the essence: a legendary band that can still delight its followers live with flawless instrumental performances and superb stage chemistry between the members, caught in good spirits in the middle of their favorite place to play. The recording also contains no noticeable studio fixes, which Ian himself confirmed. Still, a slight grudge remains over the neglect of the aforementioned classic trilogy, which could have elevated its quality even further. Sure, Jethro Tull have fallen into a pretty dire studio slump over the last decade, but when it comes to their live shows, they’re still a feast for the ears of any music connoisseur. “Live At Montreux” confirms this successfully, at a time when even the biggest optimists are giving up hope for a new studio album and their live releases are slowly multiplying.
Lineup
Ian Andeson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, harmonica (1)
Martin Barre – guitar
Jonathan Noyce – bass guitar
Andrew Giddings – keyboards
Doane Perry – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Masha – backing vocals (9)
Production
Terry Shans / Geoff Kempin
Track list
CD1:
1. Someday The Sun Won’t Shine For You
2. Life Is A Long Song
3. Bouree
4. With You There To Help Me
5. Pavane
6. Empty Cafe
7. Hunting Girl
8. Eurology
9. Dot Com
10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
11. Fat Man
CD2:
1. Living In The Past
2. Nothing Is Easy
3. Beside Myself
4. My God
5. Budapest
6. New Jig
7. Aqualung
8. Locomotive Breath
