20 YEARS OF JETHRO TULL BOX

Jethro Tull did already a similar job with "Living In The Past".

We have lots of tracks which were left-overs (you know what a left-over is, right ?) from the original albums and which will released in the meantime on the remastered versions. It makes this collection set rather obslolete today (except for Disc III). This CD box turns out to be difficult to find and prices are not really cheap. Used version range between 39.99 $ (used - very good) to 79.99 $ (used - like new). For a new one, prices can get as high as 177 $.

The first CD starts with some radio recorded numbers (studio live) : "Song From Jeffrey", "Love Story", "Fat Man", "Bourée" and "A New Day Yesterday" . "Stormy Monday Blues" is unknown to me. The radio speaker introduces the band as the biggest attraction since the Stones !

Then we start with a long list of what are known now as bonus tracks on :

"Minstrel" : live versions for "Cold Wind..." (1'31") and "Minstrel..." (2'11"). In my review of this album, I already regretted that such short and cut versions were proposed to the fans. "Grace" from the same album is a ridiculous choice for a compilation. "Summerday Sands", "March The Mad Scientist" and "Pan Dance" (nothing extraordinary to say the least).

"Songs From The Wood" : "Velvet Green" (live) and "Beltane"

"Broadsword" : "Jack The Frost...", "Down At the End...", "Too Many Too" (not really the best ones IMO), "Jack-A-Lynn": this is a very good number as well as "Rhythm In Gold". The last numbers from these sessions are "Mayhem Maybe" and "Overhang" : not really good.

"Too Old..." : "Strip Cartoon"

"Stormwatch" : "King Henry...", "A Stich...", "Crosswords" and "Kelpie"

"Stand Up" with "Seventeen"

"For John Gee" from "This Was"

"War Child" : "Saturation"

"Heavy Horses" : "Living In These Hard Times"

We'll get a meddley from the Château d'Isaster Tapes ("Scenario", "Audition" and "No Rehearsal").

Several unknown numbers (at least from me) : "Aeroplane" and "Sunshine Day" : listening to these ones seems to transport you into the middle of the Flower Power ! Not the best tracks here, I can tell you ! "Coronach" on the contrary is a nice acoustic number. Very quiet. "Motoreyes" : a bit of rocking Oriental flavour. Good number.

"Part Of The Machine" is the best one. Classic Tull song : starts in an acoustic mood and little by little builds on crescendo with a very good Martin on the guitar. Light and nice middle part, with good fluting which turns into a solid rocking section. The Tull as I like. Very good. This was apparently a song being issued on a promotional 5 track CD. It will be featured in some concerts as well (definitely during their 1988 tour).

And, finally an untitled jamming blues (not at all my cup of tea). We'll also get some "remixes" and that's it for disc I and II.

Disc III also features some "remixes" but mainly live tracks : "Farm On The Freeway" (very good), the usual meddley for "Thick" (shorter and shorter : this one clocking at 6'38"), "Sweet Dreams" (average), "Clasp" (good track as well), the fantastic "Pibroch - Black Satin" instrumental medley with a gorgeous Martin Barre at work (but cut too soon to have it in its entirety). "Fallen..." is also nicely rendered (quite hard rocking I must say).

A few pieces of acoustic music are proposed : "Cheap Day Return" (studio) and "Wond'ring Aloud". Not too bad. But "Dun Ringill" has never been one of my fave (this live version will not really change my mind). "Life's A Long Song" was already available on "Living In The Past". This version is identical. Same applies to "One White Duck..." : a bonus track from the "Minstrel" sessions.

The rest of disc III is again live : "Songs From The Wood" (nothing to do with the poor and shortened version available on "Bursting Out"). This one here is rocking like hell and is quite different from the original. As Ian will say "Living In The Past" is resurected and extremely well performed. To close disc III we have the usual "Aqualung" (bizarre end) and "Locomotive" (unusal and hard intro; the whole track being a little too wild for me); its finale is also quite unusual but not bad. The recording for the last two tracks is not very good; Ian's voice not being super either. I prefer the versions available on "Living In The Past".

Disc III is far more interesting (IMO) since these live versions are "unreleased". The other ones being of no interest at this time (2007) or not significant enough to justify the investment (seven unknown numbers of which only threeare good). Even at the time of release, I wouldn't have it rated too high (three stars probably).

There is a down-sized US release for this "20 Years" : this one CD version can be purchased very, very cheap (from 3 $ + shipment for a used one) but you won't get the live stuff. For the casual Tull fan, this will not be interesting, for the die-hard fan, it was of course very nice to discover those unreleased tracks in 1988 (although, not a lot of them are from historical importance).

At this time, only two stars.

This is a boxset you have to see in its historical context. When it came out in the late 1980s, none of Jethro Tull's albums were available in remastered form, and most of the performances included here had never been freely available, although obsessive Tull collectors (which I am not!) may have been familiar with certain performances from old and obscure B-sides, E.P.s and the like.

For the enthusiastic (but not necessarily completist) Tull fan, 20 YEARS made a perfect Christmas present. It looked great (the box lid is adorned with ten irresistible black-and-white photographs of the band in various incarnations) and contained a well-written, informative booklet (LP-sized, as was then customary), chock-full of obscure pictures and featuring a Pete Frame-designed family tree.

The choice of material was idiosyncratic but fascinating, which indicated that this was indeed a set for true fans, not for beginners. Only nine classic Tull tunes were lifted from their respective studio albums - especially acoustic ones such as 'Cheap Day Return', 'One White Duck' and 'Moths'. (For some obscure reason, the totally pointless 'Bungle in the Jungle' was included as well.) Some of the band's best loved songs, on the other hand, ('Locomotive Breath', 'Songs from the Wood' and a shortened version of 'Thick as a Brick', for example) were represented by unfamiliar, and indeed substandard, live performances. By contrast, most of the BBC radio recordings (e.g. 'A New Day Yesterday', 'Velvet Green' and the classic 'Stormy Monday Blues') sounded superb.

In my view, the most obscure material was the best of all. The band's first single, 'Aeroplane'/'Sunshine Day', (originally released under the name Jethro Toe!) simply sounded SHWEET. Other unfamiliar tunes ( '17', 'One for John Gee' and 'Witch's Promise') were equally enchanting. And many previously unreleased tracks from the mid-seventies to the mid-eighties immediately cast their spell, especially 'Summerday Sands', 'Strip Cartoon', 'King Henry's Madrigal', 'Motoreyes', 'Blues Instrumental', 'Part of the Machine' and the gorgeous 'Jack-a-Lynn'. Most, if not all, of these tracks are now available as bonus material on re-mastered Jethro Tull albums.