Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Jethro Tull
Label: EMI Records
Release: 1972
Rating: 4/5
When Jethro Tull comes up in a musical (and not a historical or agricultural) context, the average, musically aware person usually pictures Ian Anderson, who most of the music crowd knows as the wacky, hopping, bearded flute-blower and occasional professional vagabond, and whom the band’s fans see above all as an unmatched musical masterpiece, a multi-instrumentalist and a charismatic frontman of a kind that’s getting rarer and rarer in the music world. Only after that do you notice his bandmates, who often stay in the shadow of Ian’s outsized charisma, even though when it comes to musical chops they’re not one bit behind him.
After colossal masterpieces like “Aqualung” (1971) and “Thick As A Brick” (1972), Jethro Tull undoubtedly found themselves among the hottest rock bands of the time (that is, the early ’70s). To cement their completely unexpected stardom (which they eyed with a healthy dose of cynicism, of course), they put out an excellent compilation around the same time, a cross-section of everything that shaped them into an unparalleled musical phenomenon and one of the main pillars of progressive rock. “Living In The Past” isn’t your classic best-of; it’s something far more interesting and exciting, and it could serve as an example to some other bands on how to put out a quality compilation. It collects all the EPs released up to that point, the B-sides of singles, two live performances and a few other goodies you couldn’t find on the studio releases at the time. Granted, thanks to the recent reissues of their albums, most of these can now be found as bonus tracks on the individual reissues. Even so, there are still a few pieces on here (two classics among them) that never made it onto the reissues, which makes the album interesting to collectors all by itself. It’s also a great selection of songs, because not a single one of the B-sides feels like leftover filler (as tends to happen with this kind of release); these are first-rate creations that could have easily landed on the studio albums. It’s also worth noting that the CD edition differs from the original vinyl in having four fewer tracks (“Bouree”, “Alive and Well and Living In”, “Teacher” and “Hymn 43”). But no need to panic, since all of those songs are on the reissues of the individual albums. And except maybe for “Bouree”, you can’t really say they’re sorely missed despite their high quality, though I don’t know why they weren’t included, since the total running time would have fit on one CD just fine. On the other hand, for any future releases of the album it wouldn’t hurt to consider a double version, with some unreleased live recordings from that era added as bonuses. But all of that is more daydreaming about how to perfect perfection.
The tracks follow each other in a sensible, chronological order of their releases, which also gives the listener a nice view of the band’s incredible evolution from a small blues band to heavyweights of progressive rock. “Song For Jeffrey” (This Was, 1968), that unforgettable, witty bluesy classic from their debut, opens the compilation just as it should – with the sounds of the master’s flute. An unseasoned listener will surely be surprised to notice how clearly Ian’s vocals differ from his singing on the later pieces. Since it’s a song they played a lot live in the early days, it’s really no big surprise, but I still think it’d be hard to pick a more inspiring and witty opener, one that belongs on every decent, comprehensive Tull compilation. “Love Story”, their last recording with original guitarist Mick Abrahams, is also one of their first pieces to show off their folk leanings. It can now be found on the reissue of “This Was”. The same goes for “Christmas Song”, an almost traditional Christmas tune that every true Tull fan surely listens to in winter by a crackling fireplace, with tea and a glass of mulled wine. It’s a piece that confirms Ian could easily replace Santa Claus or Grandfather Frost for all the future descendants of Tull fans as the central figure of the Christmas and New Year’s atmosphere. The title track, which came out as a single in 1971 and was one of their biggest chart hits, with its refined rhythm line, orchestral arrangements and Ian’s excellent flute, is surely one of their most recognizable pieces. He wrote it in 5/4 on purpose, to keep it from landing on the pop charts (rather than the rock charts). Next up are the bluesy “Driving Song” and the dramatic heavy rocker “Sweet Dream”, yet another of those band classics that fans happily whistle to themselves now and then. Both pieces now appear as bonuses on the reissue of “Stand Up” (1969). “Singing All Day” is a light, melancholy-tinged folk rock number, while “Witches Promise” is another of their early folk rock classics, bursting with energy. This one is the first to really show the listener how big a step forward Tull had made from their bluesy beginnings. The light “Inside”, which brings back a bit of their early work thanks to its bluesy guitar, is a somewhat odd choice, since the same version also appears on the studio album “Benefit” (1970). “Just Trying To Be” is another short and easygoing acoustic ditty. These four tracks are now on the reissue of “Benefit”. Then come two live pieces recorded during the band’s show at Carnegie Hall (NYC). The ten-minute-plus “By Kind Permission Of”, which isn’t on any studio release, is full of piano solos and classical improvisations (most of them drawn from classical composers like Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Debussy) by the superb keyboardist John Evans, who did it as his solo spot at shows back then, though the rest of the band joins him for the finale in the last minute. The extended, wound-up-to-the-limit and spiced-up version of “Dharma For One” (This Was, 1968) impresses above all with its outstanding organ intro and crazed rhythm line, the heavy, booming riffs of guitarist Martin “Lancelot” Barre (don’t forget that Abrahams played on the original) and even some fairly atypical-for-the-band multi-part vocal acrobatics. I’d say it’s nearly impossible to recognize next to its psychedelic-tinged original, which shows that lineup of Tull as superb live improvisers. Worth noting that these two performances were their first live glimpse up to then, since the first official live album, “Bursting Out”, only came out in 1978. “Wond’ring Again” is a very interesting version of “Wond’ring Aloud” (Aqualung, 1971). I’d say that thanks to its slightly more intricate acoustic passages, this version is even better than the one on the album. And of course it wouldn’t be a serious Tull compilation without their best-known and best-loved piece, “Locomotive Breath” (1971), where the band puffs away on their instruments at full steam. To close out the compilation come five more treats you’ll look for in vain on the reissues of the studio albums. The acoustic-leaning and utterly serene “Life Is a Long Song”, where Ian once again shows off his command of the acoustic guitar, and “Up The ‘Poll”, dedicated to Ian’s hometown of Blackpool, are true Tull classics that still turn up on a setlist now and then. “Dr. Bogenbroom” is a cynical, witty creation leaning folk and hard rock. “For Late” is a short but energetic instrumental, marked above all by its many transitions and the interplay between Barre’s guitar and Ian’s flute. And “Nursie” is a very short, cheeky little idea from Ian on acoustic guitar, evidently meant for one of his many female fantasies. The old wolf will keep turning out pieces inspired like this in the future, too.
“Living In The Past” is like a goblet stuffed full of colorful, delicious goodies, showing nicely what a unique and excellent band Jethro Tull were already in their first years of making music, and how they progressed all the way to the early ’70s, when they waded into progressive rock waters. It’s one of those very rare compilations I can say is truly worth its weight in gold: it rewards the listener with something new while guaranteeing consistent quality across all the selected tracks, which include some of the best pieces in the band’s history. So besides all the true fans of the band, who of course have had it in their collections for ages, I recommend the album above all to music connoisseurs, who can’t afford to miss one of the best releases in the band’s history, and also to those who don’t know the band very well, since there are few more fitting albums for getting acquainted with the original legacy of Jethro Tull than “Living In The Past”.
Lineup
Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, mandolin, balalaika, hammond organ, acoustic guitar
Mick Abrahams – electric guitar (plays on tracks 1 – 3)
Martin Barre – electric guitar (plays on tracks 4 – 21)
Clive Bunker – drums, glockenspiel, percussion (plays on tracks 1 – 11 and 13 – 16)
Glenn Cornick – bass guitar, hammond organ (plays on tracks 1 – 11 and 13 – 15)
John Evans – piano, celesta (plays on tracks 9 – 21)
Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond – bass guitar, backing vocals (plays on tracks 16 – 21)
Barriemore Barlow – drums (plays on tracks 17 – 21)
David Palmer – orchestral arrangements and conductor (7)
Production
Ian Anderson
Tracklist
1. Song For Jeffrey (3:24)
2. Love Story (3:07)
3. Christmas Song (3:09)
4. Living In The Past (3:23)
5. Driving Song (2:44)
6. Bourée (3:47)
7. Sweet Dream (4:06)
8. Singing All Day (3:07)
9. Teacher (3:59)
10. Witch’s Promise (3:49)
11. Alive And Well And Living In (2:48)
12. Just Trying To Be (1:36)
13. By Kind Permission Of (live) (10:10)
14. Dharma For One (live) (9:58)
15. Wond’ring Again (4:16)
16. Hymn 43 (3:19)
17. Life Is A Long Song (3:22)
18. Up The ‘Pool (3:15)
19. Dr. Bogenbroom (3:01)
20. For Later (2:08)
21. Nursie (1:36)
Album length: 79:54
