Like so many risk takers,
Jethro Tull have had their share of both admirers and detractors over the years. To their admirers,
Ian Anderson and his colleagues did a lot to expand
rock's boundaries; to their detractors, they epitomized
progressive rock's excesses (especially during the '70s) and were a prime example of why the
punk movement was needed. It's no secret that
Tull -- like
Yes,
Pink Floyd,
Genesis, and
Emerson, Lake & Palmer -- were influenced by European
classical music (as well as
British folk,
Celtic music,
blues, and
jazz). So it comes as no surprise that on this live two-CD set,
Anderson celebrates that Euro-
classical influence by joining forces with a large orchestra.
Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull documents a December 2004 concert in Mannheim, Germany, where
Anderson (lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar) is joined by
the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt.
"Aqualung," "Locomotive Breath," "My God," and other
Tull favorites receive the
orchestral treatment, as do
Johann Sebastian Bach's
"Bouree" and the European
Christmas carol "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen." The arrangements are not only tasteful -- they sound perfectly natural given the
classical influence that has been a part of
Anderson's work for so long. Of course, these performances aren't
classical music in the strict sense -- even if one of the pieces is by
Bach.
Rock is still
Anderson's foundation, which doesn't mean that he cannot use some of the Euro-
classical vocabulary to his creative advantage.
Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull is unlikely to win over
Anderson's critics, but for
prog rock diehards, this double CD (which is also available as a two-DVD set) is a pleasing (if short of essential) demonstration of
Tull's ability to interact with the
orchestral/
classical world. ~ Alex Henderson
![A Beautiful Lie [LP]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602547993649_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "A Beautiful Lie [LP]")
