Classic Rock Musings, Rants & Raves

If you read my review of Jethro Tull’s Jack In The Green DVD in May, you know the band is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Last night, I joined the party when Tull took over the spectacular Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and polished off some of their tastiest tunes from the past four decades.

As we waited for openers the Young Dubliners to kick the night into gear with their special brand of Celtic rock, I thought about my first Jethro Tull show, going back to 1978 at the L.A. Forum. It was behind Bursting Out, a makeshift live album, and they pretty much played the record note-for-note. The next year, I saw them at Long Beach Arena, this time in support of the highly underrated Stormwatch album. The presentation at Long Beach was unusual, with bowspirit netting dangling on the side and back portions of the stage. I think U.K. opened the show.

I didn’t see Jethro Tull at all during the 80s, but I made up for it with a couple concerts in the 90s. The first was at the Golden Hall in downtown San Diego in 1992, and the second one was at San Diego State’s Open Air Theatre in 1996. Emerson, Lake, and Palmer opened that one. They were winding down their reunion, while Tull continued to pull them in. They still haven’t stopped.

I’ve see them a bunch times over the past six years, and while they consistently play to the highest level possible, last night they owned the Greek. Just about every musician who’s ever passed through the ranks was featured on the backdrop video screen. It was like a musical history lesson as the images came up – Clive Bunker, Glen Cornick, Barriemore Barlow, Jeffrey Hammond, David Palmer, John Glascock, Dave Pegg. It proves that Club Jethro Tull is not strictly about Ian Anderson. Many from the group’s vast personnel have contributed, along with their exceptional musicianship, by way of personality and presence. Case in point: the woman sitting next to me was overjoyed by the sight of former keyboardist John Evan’s impish grin and over-sized white suit.

Aside from the visual enhancements, the stage at the Greek was pretty basic. Jethro Tull, over the past few years, has developed into a lean and mean touring machine without a lot of excessive baggage. So they hit the deck running, blowing the dust of early nuggets like “Living In The Past,” “Serenade To A Cuckoo,” “Nursie,” “A Song For Jeffrey” and “A New Day Yesterday.” Hearing “Too Old To Rock ‘N’ Roll” and “Heavy Horses” also produced favorable reactions before the group rounded the final lap with the usual standbys — “Thick As A Brick,” “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath.” But even the old reliables were executed with new, unfounded exuberance. Vocally, Anderson wasn’t struggling as much as he has in the recent past. Guitarist Martin Barre, drummer Doane Perry and newest recruits, bassist David Goodier and keyboardist John O’Hara, served each tune well, never failing to live up to the grand arrangements and nuances that give Jethro Tull’s music that timeless sheen.

I can hardly wait for their next milestone.

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