How many of the Tull reissues do you own?

[PK]

Is there a definitive list?

 

[edisonbaggins]

Most.

Stand Up needed.

Willing to trade.

Please help.

 

[kvsawilson]

I have all the originals that came out (with fixed TAAB) but didn't get the newer Aqualung or Benefit and still haven't picked up the new one. But I will get it soon.

K

 

[scooob]

I am at a stage where I am trying to de-clutter my life too. Spend my time and money on the things that I will really enjoy, and make it a point to do so. I have many times aimlessly wandered through playing discs (or Apple Music) and after 3 or 4 songs, asking myself, why am I listening to this, when I would rather be listening to X, Y or Z? I am trying to make a point to stop buying music from artists I am not familiar with just because others have raved about it. So yes, your thoughts resonate with me.

That being said, I don't think I will ever sell off any of my collection - that only leads to regret later on.

Thanks for the response. I don't want to sell any of my collection either (although I keep telling my wife & kids how much some of them are worth, in case I suddenly keel over). Just want to stop wanting more. I suppose that will be an ongoing tension in my life, but hopefully one I can work toward reducing.

 

[scooob]

Agree 100% but, whether a lot of us want to admit it or not, collecting music as much an addiction as it is a hobby. I often think that I could get rid of most of my collection and keep a core 500 albums that I really love and be just as happy. I have albums that I've barely listened to and probably will never listen to again. I have duplicates of albums. I could get rid of 2000 discs and probably never miss them.
On the positive side, as addictions go, there are a lot worse addictions.

Yes, collecting can certainly be an addiction. I have a couple thousand CDs, and a few hundred vinyl albums, surrounding my surround collection. Lots of them I haven't played in a decade or more. It's less than a lot of folks have, but still takes up a lot of space, and I have a big stack of my purchases over the last year just piled up next to my desk, because I'm gonna have to completely re-organize my shelves just to fit them in. So mainly I just want to curb my enthusiasm for acquiring ever more. Agree that as addictions go, this is much less dangerous than most... I've curbed most of my others, except for late night snacking (often while listening to music)... need to reduce my expanding waistline before I think about reducing my music collection!

 

[scooob]

I discovered Jethro Tull when Too Old came out. And lost interest after Broad Sword, but still going to add it, hopefully in July ! Saw them a number of times at the Spectrum in PHL. I missed on Passion play and never could listen to it and would only add it because of the Chateau sessions, which I've never heard. Turns out Too Old falls on the weaker side of the lot, but will have to pick it up to get close to 100%. As far as the hobby, I too have a growing list of unopened titles, but as I listen in my semi-heated garage, I need about 60 degrees before I will fire up my speakers. So, anxiously awaiting spring in New Jersey. Also, someone told me once to "Practice being satisfied", which, for me, does require work.

The Chateau sessions are really good I think, better than the Passion Play album itself.
Thanks for your thoughts on the hobby... "practice being satisfied" is a great mantra.

 

[scooob]

FWIW, I relate to this strongly... I used to say "nothing gives me a bigger existential crisis than the number at the bottom of my digital music collection showing me how long it'd take to listen to it all... even one time, let alone going back to things that move me..." And it can take a serious mind-shift to finally admit that you simply never will. Same as walking into a library and seeing all of those books... couldn't consume them all in multiple lifetimes even if you read constantly... and while that's initially a bummer, it's also kind of freeing, to then go "right, then where will I focus?" To be intentional about those decisions.

I recently read a book that I thought would seriously bum me out but really helped me deal with balancing out my collector/completist nature with reality and better usage of time/money/headspace—it's called "4,000 Weeks" (Amazon.com: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals: 9780374159122: Burkeman, Oliver: Books), which is, insultingly, how many weeks you're on this planet if you live to be 80. My dad, who had such a monumental impact on me and those close to him, had 2,600. I'm at 2,429. How do you spend them?

The whole book is about embracing the fact that especially today, with the limitless amount of content you could be consuming, or unique experiences you could be having, at any given moment—you will actually miss out on pretty much everything. And that's actually freeing, because there's no point then in trying to consume or experience it all, it's impossible. There's a ton of stuff out there that we would LOVE that we'll never experience. That's being human, and it simply is what it is. So, when you make a choice to then listen to this or watch that or spend time with these people, it can be really powerful, affirming and poignant.

In high school I was the kid who "knew all the songs and bands". That was far from true of course, but I prided myself on that reputation and tried to listen to everything I could. I still have that hunger and always get a kick out of checking out something new... but as others have said, 1) If I'm a few songs in to something and I'm like "yeah, I get what they're doing here and I'm glad I experienced this but this isn't for me", I don't tough it out to the end like I used to, I feel fine with pulling the plug—at the end of the day there's no trophy and nobody cares. I also feel fine being glad I experienced something new but deciding I won't go back to it again. And therefore, making a conscious decision to not need it on my shelf. 2) Conversely, even though I've spent probably 100 or more precious hours listening to an album that is core to my DNA, I don't feel guilt for reaching for it once again when I could be listening to something else, because it makes me feel good and is simply what I'm feeling like in this moment. So hey, sure I know Aqualung like the back of my hand and it's the Tull album I've spent more time with than any other. I know how blasting Cross-Eyed Mary is gonna make me feel, and right now it's what the doctor ordered... put it on!

Wow, what a thoughtful, beautifully-written response! Thanks. Fully on board with everything you said, particularly about not being ashamed to spend time on favorites, no matter how many times you've heard them... music is all about the emotional response really. And now I have Cross-Eyed Mary blasting through my skull, and it sounds fucking great!

 

[scooob]

I have purged my music collection at a few points in time, usually repurchasing a small subset of what I let go. There is always some regret.
I have been able to reduce my obsessive purchase of every release by bands I follow so am slightly more selective these days; ImportCDs and Amazon may disagree.

Yeah, whenever I'm tempted to sell something off because I see how much it's going for on Discogs, or just shedding things I never listen to, I realize that I won't get enough money from that to make up for the possible future regret. But I wish I didn't keep wishing for The Next One that's always coming out. I love the QQ forum, with so many great people sharing their thoughts and enthusiasms, but it also tends to make my wish lists keep getting longer!

 

[Bill B]

... I love the QQ forum, with so many great people sharing their thoughts and enthusiasms, but it also tends to make my wish lists keep getting longer!

Yes, we all fuel each other's worst impulses when it comes to music.

 

[scooob]

I only buy stuff I want to and will listen to, so if it's not to my liking, I'll pass. That's why I only have three Jethro Tull (also three King Crimson out of the lot that were released). I have 87 surround releases and not much more I would like. My Discogs says I have around 280 albums (add to that the vinyl collection my father gave me because he doesn't listen to them anymore). Right, now in the process of thinking about which albums I could sell/give away to friends because I don't listen to them and because I don't like them.

That's great, sounds like you're already where I want to go... being happy with what you have to be happy with (that's a King Crimson reference, but maybe not one of the ones you own?).

 

[The56Kid]

I'm not a super-collector in general like some of you folks, but I really love classic-era Tull, so I have all 13 of the book-format releases (all open & enjoyed). Thick As A Brick has the corrected disc because I waited a few months to buy it after the initial release. I also have the 2011 large-format Aqualung with the Blu-ray (still works) and vinyl, and the original small-format Benefit.

Also have the TAAB2 (Anderson solo) surround release, if that counts. Skipped his Homo Erraticus altogether (any endorsements that might persuade me to change my mind?). Not really planning to buy The Zealot Gene, which I consider to be another Anderson solo project in all but name, unless it gets a lot less expensive... I've listened to it streaming in stereo and it's pleasant enough, but far from classic Tull. I look forward to the Broadsword book release, hoping it loses some of its 80s production edges, but that was the point where I really started losing my enthusiasm for Jethro, as much as I loved all the 70s stuff. I suppose I would buy the later book releases if Steven Wilson continues to mix them, but even then, do I really need Under Wraps?

To be honest, this kind of gets at a dilemma that I've been thinking a lot about lately. I have around 200 physical surround releases, plus a bunch that are digital only. I know it's a small collection relative to some of yours, but I've bought them selectively, meaning only getting items I really want to hear, not just for the sake of owning or investing in them. So what I already have is a load of riches that I don't have enough time to fully enjoy. There's things I haven't listened to in years, even though I really like them. I keep thinking that I should stop focusing on what I don't have, stop checking my Discogs want list and Amazon wish list, etc., and start looking through my collection more, and then... listening to them! Does this resonate with any of you, do you struggle to control the urge to keep buying more, and just enjoy what you have instead? For me it applies to a lot of things in my life really... the challenge to appreciate what's in hand, not yearn so much for what isn't. And it's not so much about the money involved (although that can really add up), it's more about stuff, and the procurement/management/maintenance/storage of said stuff, becoming as much a burden as a pleasure.

Sorry, didn't mean to get all philosophical and off-topic here, but I'd genuinely welcome hearing your thoughts on the joys and pitfalls of being a collector / consumer. I find the same thing happening for me with streaming, now that I have an Apple TV device: I keep adding surround albums to my Apple Music library as they come out, and while I've really enjoyed sitting and listening to some, mostly I sample a few tracks of the rest and move on, looking for more to add.

Amen to everything you wrote and then some.

 

[scooob]

Amen to everything you wrote and then some.

Thanks, I really appreciate everyone chiming in on this; sounds like these are some conundrums that a lot of us share.
@GOS, sorry for hijacking your thread!

 

[dr. simple]

Is there a definitive list?

Speaking strictly of surround, every studio album in their catalog from “This Was” to “A” has been issued in the book format. “Aqualung” was originally released as a super deluxe box with a blu-ray and vinyl instead of a DVD, and “Benefit” was originally released as a tri-fold, but both were later also issued in book format.

I believe some recent albums were also released in surround but I didn’t get them. Someone else may be able to complete that list.

 

[scooob]

Is there a definitive list?

This is probably a longer list than desired, because it includes videos with a multichannel soundtrack (and in some cases, multiple versions of each release):
https://www.discogs.com/search/?lim...ro+Tull&format=Multichannel&layout=med&page=1There have also been Ian Anderson solo releases in surround:
https://www.discogs.com/search/?lim...nderson&format=Multichannel&layout=med&page=1

 

[fcormier]

That's great, sounds like you're already where I want to go... being happy with what you have to be happy with (that's a King Crimson reference, but maybe not one of the ones you own?).

I don't have that one, only In The Court Of The Crimson King (three versions: 1999 CD, 2009 DVD-A and 2019 Blu-ray), Larks' Tongues In Aspic and Red.

 

[Marplot]

Great list but you need Discipline and probably Thrak to round out the Crimson range.

 

[paligap]

I have 10 of them, including the Benefit Collector's Edition, which some people appear to distinguish from the other reissues. Yes, it's smaller than the book-sized reissues and has a little less content, but there are also the super deluxe reissues, which I don't have.

 

[NYMo]

As I'm very late to the game, I just have Aqualung box set with the vinyl.
(But I do have 15 vinyl albums and have a few Wilson cd's and Tull DVD videos)

 

[madscot]

I just bought A la mode because it was half price in my favourite record store and had vouchers left over from xmas and my birthday, had never really heard Tull before although obviously had heard of them, I like it but not sure I like it enough to buy many more, unless someone can persuade me otherwise

 

[Mirsset]

A is not very representative Jethro Tull album.
Depends on which kind of music you like I can try to persuade or not.