Jethro Tull brings 40th Anniversary Aqualung tour to America

[JohnN]

Jethro Tull's '71 Red Rocks concert forged a place in rock history
By Ricardo Baca
Denver Post Pop Music Critic
Posted: 06/05/2011 01:00:00 AM MDT
http://www.denverpost.com/music/ci_18194571
Quote:
Forty years ago, Jethro Tull played an apocalyptic show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre amid tear gas, unruly crowds, hurled rocks, violent police officers and a swooping police helicopter.

It was to be the end of rock 'n' roll at Red Rocks forever. And for the five years after the concert, there was no rock music at the legendary mountain amphitheater.

"It was an overreaction by the police at the time, who had helicopters in the air," Tull frontman Ian Anderson said recently from his office in southwest England. "We charged through police roadblocks, and I ran straight onto the stage and talked to the audience. (The police) knew there would be a full-scale riot if they arrested me."

Anderson laughs about it now, calling it "a Top 10 strange/weird moment" while discussing his band's Red Rocks date, scheduled for Wednesday, only two days shy of that fateful show's 40th anniversary.

It's fitting that Tull is playing Red Rocks on this tour, also the 40th anniversary of the record they were touring then, "Aqualung."

So what exactly happened that night in June 1971? From 1,000 to 2,000 fans showed up without tickets to the sold-out concert, and they were directed by Denver police to a side of the mountain where they could watch the show. Some stayed there. Others climbed a wall into the venue. Others charged the gates en masse.

Back-up officers were called, and police chief George Seaton came out in the helicopter and dropped tear gas on the unruly masses himself. But the gas spread into the amphitheater, where Livingston Taylor was opening the concert, and suddenly a bad situation got worse.

"Backstage looked like an aid station, with doctors and patients sprawled out everywhere," remembered retired promoter Barry Fey. "Boy, did I (mess) up. I didn't realize how big they were. We should have done two shows."

It's hard to imagine now, but rock music wasn't always welcome at the Morrison amphitheater. It was
Ian Anderson brings Jethro Tull's 40th anniversary of "Aqualung" tour to Red Rocks on Wednesday. (Associated Press file)
already a hard sell in city-owned venues, Red Rocks included, because of a violence at an Iron Butterfly concert at the Auditorium Arena in the late '60s. But Fey had specially petitioned for the Tull concert, and he got it.

"Barry learned the hard way that you have to get three or four nights with an artist like that," said Jerry Kennedy, who was a captain with the Denver Police Department in 1971 and later a division chief.

"I was running the police up there, and the place was under assault by thousands of people who wanted to get in. They decided they were going to rush the place, and that's what caused the battle.

"They were throwing rocks. And I didn't see it, but I heard that some of the officers were throwing rocks back at them. It was the first real incident of that kind that I'd seen."

Amid all of this, Tull was devising a way to enter the amphitheater, which had been blockaded by the police. Anderson remembers charging through the police barricade and knowing that he was the only person who could calm the capacity crowd — which was swimming in tear gas at the moment.

"(The police) tried to turn us back and say, 'You're not allowed to go up there,' so we just charged the gate," Anderson said. "We jumped out of the cars and ran straight on stage to talk to the audience.

"It was like the Russians putting a flag on the ocean bed under the Arctic ice. Once you've done it, staked the claim, it's tough to dislodge you.
Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson calls the 1971 clash with cops "a Top 10 strange/weird moment." (Provided by Jethro Tull)
Once I was on stage in front of a microphone, they cops realized that they had to stand back."

Anderson soothed the crowd and told them they were going to get a full set of music. He told them to put clothing over their mouths, and he encouraged parents with babies and small children to come to the apron so they could access the makeshift hospital set up backstage.

An iconic moment is forged

"People were passing babies down through the audience," Anderson said.

It was a mess of an evening. But like Woodstock and Altamont before it, the concert was also a snapshot of America as it formed its relationship with rock 'n' roll.

"Back in the early '70s, they didn't know how to cope with rock concerts and rock people," Anderson said. "The big production and how the audience behaved. . . . People now have more understanding, and civil and social savvy. They have an awareness about what it all is."

Exiting the amphitheater proved to be as difficult as entering for the band, Anderson remembered.

"(The police) tried to get us on the way back down," he said. "They were looking for us, but we were hidden under blankets in the back of a station wagon. They didn't find us, and we got out of town."

But the band left a trail of controversy.

Police chief Seaton recommended a ban on rock concerts at Red Rocks. Mayor William McNichols said there wouldn't be rock shows there as long as he was mayor. And even Fey agreed, telling The Denver Post at the time that he wouldn't throw any more rock concerts there.

Of course, that didn't last long.

Fey sued the city in 1975, and a U.S. Circuit Court judge ruled in his favor. As Fey remembers it, the judge put this question to Denver leaders: "Who do you think you are, czars? You're going to tell the people what they should listen to?"

Rock returned to the Rocks in '75, and Fey's popular "Summer of Stars" found its start in '76.

"We went on to do hundreds of concerts there without a lick of problems because (Barry) got a handle on the problem," retired division chief Kennedy said. "But in terms of problems, I encountered at venues over my career, that ranks in the top two or three."

And it would have been worse if Tull had taken advantage of the act-of-God clause in its contract.

"The clause says that if anything crazy happens beyond the control of the band, they have the right not to play," Fey said. "But he did play, and he played a full set.

"Ian Anderson is still my hero to this day. He went up there and hopped around with his flute and actually played a full set in the middle of the tear gas, in the middle of everything."

Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394 or [email protected]; @RVRB on Twitter

Jethro Tull

Flute-driven rock, 40th anniversary of "Aqualung." Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. $60.50-$97.50 ticketmaster.com.


Four decades of Jethro Tull
By Clay Evans Camera Staff Writer
Posted: 06/02/2011 07:43:07 PM MDT
http://www.dailycamera.com/music/ci_18177401
Quote:
At a recent show by Zeppephilia, a Led Zeppelin tribute band, a partners-in-Zep friend was silent for a few beats after I told her my real favorite band is Jethro Tull.

"Jethro Tull," my intellectual friend finally said, "is for nerds."

Perhaps. Perhaps.

After all, the band -- whose first album, "This Was," was issued all the way back in 1968 -- has a certain Spinal Tapness to it. Tull has toyed with many styles and influences over the years, from blues to hard rock, album-length prog-rock opuses, a trio of English-folk inflected albums in the late '70s, synth-oriented stuff in the '80s, music tinged with Middle Eastern sounds ... you get the picture.

But via his cleverly incisive, poetic lyrics, Tull front-man Ian Anderson -- guitarist Martin Barre has been his sidekick since 1969's Stand Up -- has always been willing to poke fun at the world, and himself.

Poetic, certainly. Eclectic, yes. Adventurous and utterly unwilling to be stuffed into boxes, absolutely.

This is nerd music?

"Well, there are nerds and there are nerds," says the Scottish-born Anderson, 62, by phone from his home west of London. "Being slightly off center, left of center, is not a bad thing unless it ruins your life or relationships. ... If you like something a little unusual, rejoice in being different."

Still, the prolific singer, songwriter, flautist and guitarist -- he's written virtually all the songs on the band's 21 studio albums, not to mention a few solo projects -- grants that the world doesn't necessarily get what it means to be a Tull-head.

"I would agree that if you have a Jethro Tull shirt, don't wear it to the barbecue. You'll invite hostility," he says with a laugh. "Be safe and wear your Led Zeppelin shirt instead."

After all, unlike many others of his rock-and-roll generation, Anderson has never even dabbled in drugs (though he likes a good beer). And unlike almost any 1960s band -- Stones excepted -- Tull has never broken up, while outfits like Yes and The Beach Boys play on with some minor member or other retaining the label. The lineup around them may have changed, but Anderson and Barre have never left.

Talk to him for an hour and you'll also understand just how Anderson's native intelligence and humor informs his music. Consider his cleverly worded, electric-folk tune about an S&M encounter during a fox hunt ("Hunting Girl") or the Monty Python-like rip on rock pretentiousness (and even Tull itself), "Thick as a Brick," whose obscure, vivid lyrics are purported to be written by 8-year-old Gerald Bostock.

And, of course, there is "Aqualung," the band's most recognizable album among non-devotees. Anderson says Jethro Tull will play all of that classic during its June 8 show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Part acoustic, part hard-driving rock, "Aqualung" is an album of contrasts that aims a quiver full of barbs at some pretty contentious social issues.

"I think it's the album where Jethro Tull came of age. ... It wasn't just about romantic relationships, druggie, hippie, self-congratulatory love and peace and aren't we wonderful. It was about stuff," he says.

Stuff like homelessness and pedophilia ("Aqualung" and "Cross-eyed Mary") and, in the case of the entire second side ("Hymn 43," "My God"), "questioning -- in perhaps a thought-provoking way -- organized religion," Anderson says.

More than 40 years later, the album still feels relevant -- and impressively distinct from other works of the time. (When I bought it in the early '70s, one skeptical junior-high friend dubbed it "freak music.")

Anderson points to three key influences on his wide-ranging career with Tull: church music he heard growing up in Scotland, the American big-band tunes beloved by his father and the evocative images and music of Scottish folk music.

But in the end, despite its prog-rock and hard-rock classics, he says the band's four-decade catalog places them firmly in the folk-rock tradition.

And how's he feel about touring at age 62? Not bad, Anderson says, as long as there are comforting ports in the storm that is the American superhighway.

"We live for Red Lobster," he says, apparently in all seriousness. "It's there, kind of a comforting thing. You're barreling down the really scary freeways -- especially in the Northeast -- and it's such a welcoming thing. The menu's the same, the food's pretty reasonable. They've got Sam Adams beer. They're friendly and helpful. All's right with the world."

Though sardonic, funny and generous with his time, Anderson nonetheless expresses discomfort with the state of the world -- and his "comfortable" Western response to it. At times, he says, he can't drag himself away from the various disasters across the globe as they unfold on CNN.

"I watch this and part of me is feeling sorry for the individuals (in a disaster), and the other part is, how does this affect me, my convenience, my life? ... But these are real people living in countries we basically ignore all the time. It's a horrible duality," he says.

http://www.j-tull.com/tourdates/index.html
JUN 40th Anniversary Aqualung USA/Canada Tour
8 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheater - tickets
10 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre - tickets
11 Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre - tickets on sale 3/26
12 Valley Center, CA Harrah's Rincon - tickets
13 Anaheim, CA Grove of Anaheim - tickets on sale 3/25
14 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery - tickets on sale 5/9
16 Eugene, OR Cuthbert Amphitheater - tickets on sale March 19th
17 Troutdale, OR McMenamins Edgefield Concerts - tickets on sale March 11th
18 Woodinville, WA
Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery - tickets
19 Vancouver, BC
The Centre in Vancouver - tickets
21 Edmonton, AB Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium - tickets
22 Calgary, AB Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium - tickets
23 Regina, SK Casino Regina-Show Lounge - tickets
25 Minneapolis, MN
Orpheum Theatre - tickets
26 Chicago Chicago Theater - tickets
27 Chicago Rosemont Theatre - N/A - free WDRV radio show

 

[JohnN]

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/tull-304168-jethro-aqualung.html

Jethro Tull shuffles up 'Aqualung' at the Greek
By STEVE FRYER
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Jethro Tull’s performance Saturday at the Greek Theatre, just two nights ahead of a stop at the much smaller City National Grove of Anaheim, answered one question and posed another.

Ian Anderson’s latest quintet operating under the Tull name is a good one, still boasting Martin Barre on guitar (since 1969) and boasting the ability to transition easily and effectively from riff rock to Celtic folk. That answered the “can they still cut it after all these years” question.

This Tull tour is advertised as a 40th anniversary celebration of the group’s most popular album, the one that really cemented its stardom and is among the better albums in the classic rock genre, Aqualung. But anyone who attended Saturday’s show expecting to witness that 1971 staple played its entirety, track by track, might have been disappointed. While Aqualung’s songs were performed -- almost all of them, anyway -- they were curiously placed here and there across the menu of a 16-song, two-set show, except for one four-song string toward the end of the first half.

Thus comes the question: Why not do a proper re-creation of Aqualung? That full approach has worked for Cheap Trick, Steely Dan, ex-Pink Floyd leader Roger Waters and plenty others in recent years. Why not Tull?

[More...] Anderson in interviews refutes the notion that Aqualung is a concept album, insisting instead that it is just a collection of songs, of which three or four are thematically similar. Evidence to the contrary is there -- the album’s vinyl was divided into “Aqualung” and “My God” sides on the packaging, as if they were two acts of one play. Plus, the discography on the band’s official website places Aqualung next to Thick as a Brick (1972) and A Passion Play (1973) under the heading Prog/Art/Concept Rock, although Concept is in quotation marks.

A Jethro Tull show draws plenty of veteran fans, people who have seen the band multiple times, perhaps as far back as the early '70s. These are people who reflexively expect the final chord of the song “Aqualung,” which opens the recording, to be followed immediately by the yelled “Mary!” that precedes the album’s second song, “Cross-Eyed Mary.” These are the people who might have left the Greek disappointed.

“Cross-Eyed Mary” was played, as were all other Aqualung songs except for one: “Slipstream,” which, granted, is the disc’s shortest track, at 1:13. So, sure, this was an Aqualung celebration of sorts.

Anderson’s flute playing was, as usual, the highlight of the show. His voice long ago became incapable of hitting the high notes of his own compositions, yet the 63-year-old Englishman has figured out a way to somewhat meet those notes halfway. The band -- including bassist David Goodier, underrated drummer Doane Perry and keyboardist/accordionist John O’Hara -- was tight and terrific. Any Tull fans considering getting tickets for Monday’s show at the Grove shouldn't hesitate.

They opened, by the way, with the condensed version of “Thick as a Brick,” long a familiar part of Tull performances; ran through Aqualung’s “Cheap Day Return”, “Mother Goose,” “Wond’ring Aloud” and “Up to Me” in succession, just like the album; and “Budapest,” from 1987’s Crest of a Knave, was once again given centerpiece treatment with a long rendition, appropriate for what is one of the group’s better live songs.

Jethro Tull's Aqualung 40th Anniversary Tour plays again Monday night at 8:30 at City National Grove of Anaheim, 2200 E. Katella Ave. Tickets are $79.50-$109.50. 714-712-2700. ticketmaster.com.

Setlist: Jethro Tull at the Greek Theatre, June 11, 2011
First set: Thick as a Brick / Songs from the Wood / Farm on the Freeway / Cheap Day Return / Mother Goose / Wond’ring Aloud / Up to Me / Bouree / Cross-Eyed Mary

Second set: Aqualung / My God / Hymn 43 / Budapest

Encore: Wind Up / Locomotive Breath / Teacher



Jethro Tull/Ian Anderson Visits FOX 10
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/morning_show/jethro-tull-visits-fox-10-06102011

 

[zabble]

I believe this thread belongs in the "Music Matters (Non-Surround)" section. Thanks!

 

[JohnN]

Last Night
Live Review: We Saw Your Parents Getting Lit at the Jethro Tull Concert
By Jena Ardell, Mon., Jun. 13 2011 at 11:47 AM


http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2011/06/we_saw_your_parents_getting_li.php

We're pretty sure we were getting a second-hand high from your parents Saturday night during the Jethro Tull concert at the Greek Theatre.

The audience was an eclectic mix of middle-aged fans, married couples, thirty-somethings and a few awesome dads who brought their sons to the show.

The tranquil, yet packed, Greek Theatre proved to be the perfect, whimsical setting for Tull to perform their Aqualung album in its entirety. We didn't have far to walk, but could only imagine how trippy Ian Anderson's swirly flute solos would sound during a moonlit hike through the foothills of Griffith Park. (Don't bother trying it with your iPod because it won't sound the same--and if a mountain lion or coyote doesn't eat you, one of the feral gold fish living in Griffith Park will).

This year marked the album Aqualung's 40th anniversary and Tull proved that quality songs from the '70s still stand their ground. Despite the album's age, societal issues found in the lyrics, like the plight of the homeless and discontent with organized religion, still resonate today.

The audience did as much rocking as could be done while seated, but once Tull started performing "Cross-Eyed Mary", nearly everyone was on their feet. Most of the audience sang along with the instrumental parts as well as the lyrical parts of the songs, which was entertaining.

We couldn't help but chuckle when we overheard this snippet of conversation while Jethro Tull performed "My God":
"Keith Richards could never write a riff this good!"
"Ozzie wishes!"

Jethro Tull kicked off their second set with their classic, and unarguably most popular, song "Aqualung". Once folks heard the infamous opening chords, they scurried back to their seats, trying not to spill their fresh cups of beer. A prism projection of the "dribbly-nosed voyeur" appeared behind the band and the ending of the song was met with a standing ovation.

Thanks to Rock Band 2, the ten-year-old seated next to us was able to identify "Hymn 43" and proceeded to rock out with his dad.

Anderson is still the same wide-eyed piper his diehard fans recall, often creeping across the stage and standing on one foot. The album Aqualung, which is revered as "one the greatest concept albums ever made", proved itself a timeless piece of musical histor, yet again.

Tull came back onstage for two encore songs, ending with "Locomotive Breath", a song both heavy on bass and guitar, featuring an extended guitar solo.

 

[JohnN]

http://www.vancouversun.com/enterta...ssic+tracks+road+Vancouver/4966828/story.html
Jethro Tull takes classic tracks to the road — and to Vancouver

By Mike Bell, Postmedia News June 17, 2011 6:02 PM
Jethro Tull:
When: Sunday, June 19, 8 p.m.
Where: The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts
Tickets: $82.75-$98.75 at ticketmaster.ca

Car wreck. Overdose. Plane crash. Choking on own vomit.

These are how classic rock stars are supposed to die.

Then again, Martin Barre, lead guitarist for legendary English act Jethro Tull, came close to setting a new standard for the Most. Awesome. Musician. Death. Ever. when he was out for a run a couple of years ago in his part-time home of Fernie, B.C.

“I got chased by a pack of wolves,” Barre says from a tour stop in Oregon. “Five wolves. They followed me, and I was very ‘bear aware,’ but this was in the winter so I thought bears weren’t really a problem, and nobody had ever told me about wolves. I thought they’d probably attack a small animal, but I was quite scared, so I got a big stick and they ran off into the woods.”

But rather than turn his own tail and pack up his Fernie abode for good, the musician is philosophical about his brush with furry, fangy death. And he actually points to it as one of the reasons he bought a home in this part of the western world seven years ago — after being lured there on vacation by his snowboard instructress daughter — noting that the beauty of the area is that “it’s an environment that belongs to nature and we’re the visitors.”

The affable Barre will be returning to this neck of the woods this week as he brings his groundbreaking rock band Jethro Tull to town. The act, which was formed in the late ’60s by frontman and flutist Ian Anderson, is currently on tour to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their classic album Aqualung, which they’ll perform most of during their stop in Vancouver Sunday.

Barre, who was brought into the British band three years before its release, says it’s satisfying being able to still perform tracks such as Cross-Eyed Mary, My God, Locomotive Breath and, of course, Aqualung, which opens with his signature monster guitar riff.

“At the risk of sounding pompous, I’m quite proud of it. It makes me feel good because I still love it and I’m lucky to be able to still do it,” he says noting it’s less about the number than it is about the material itself and what it did for the band in general, and himself, specifically. “As an album, it’s obviously incredibly important to us in every possible way. For me, I got most of recognition through Aqualung.”

Barre’s signature playing is all over Tull albums such as 1972’s Thick As A Brick, the folkier ’77 release Songs From the Wood and even ’87’s Crest of a Knave, which infamously beat out Metallica for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance at the Grammys. And other than Anderson’s voice and lyricism, his guitar work is considered one of the most important elements of the band. It’s an element he’s also been exploring outside of the Jethro Tull element for the past decade and a half, releasing a couple of well received solo albums, such as 2003’s Stage Left, and he’s now working on another album that will feature acoustic versions of little known Tull tracks.

The latter is something he’s planning to distribute with an autobiography he’s concurrently writing, which he says will be “the normal, boring, everything I’ve ever done” type book, going back to his days in swinging London. In other words, don’t expect a Motley Crue-like tome, or even a Keith Richards mudslinger, especially not about his long-time partnership with Anderson, which, after 43 years, shows no signs of coming to an end.

“We have a very professional relationship,” Barre says. “I was talking to him this morning about it. You know, we’re not best friends, we don’t go to the pub together. If you examine our relationship, we have nothing in common. I go snowboarding in Fernie every year for three months, I go wakeboarding in the summer, I’m a runner, I’m sort of an outdoor person. And Ian doesn’t have any of those hobbies.

“But it’s healthy, I think. And bands that had a very close type relationship, historically they haven’t lasted. Because when you do have an upset, it’s on a very personal level. Whereas for me and Ian, when we have a glitch, it’s professional. . . . We’re all after the same goal, we all love playing music and Jethro Tull is a good medium to play music in.”

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun



And they can't see that we're just trying to be and not what we seem
__________________

 

[JohnN]

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2011/06/22/jethro-tulls-puts-on-a-solid-set-at-the-jubilee

There is a little-known third alternative to burning out or fading away in rock ‘n’ roll– and that’s just sticking to your guns no matter what anyone says.

Who could’ve imagined such a strange band like Jethro Tull could even exist, let alone last this long? Consider the singer who prances around like a mad stork, twittering and tooting and spitting into his flute, of all unlikely rock ‘n’ roll instruments. Marvel at the dense, complicated songs that skirt the lines between jazz, folk and heavy metal with lyrics that make as much sense as any art rock band – which is to say they don’t, unless you’re an English major, and also high. And goggle in amazement at the whole faux classical gas sound that evokes gnomes and elves scampering around Stonehenge in the moonlight. This band has to have been an inspiration for Spinal Tap. It could be completely ridiculous – and yet amazingly, it isn’t.

The main thing that saves Jethro Tull from becoming a parody of itself –a fourth way to go in rock ‘n’ roll – is that they’re so bloody good at what they do. The stellar musicianship made itself apparent straight away during the band’s show Tuesday night at the Jubilee Auditorium. Ian Anderson’s voice is pretty much shot – he might as well go for spoken word at this point - but he doesn’t seem to care. Nor did the 2,600 fans who sold out the joint. Besides, the showboating, occasionally maniacal flute playing was one of the most memorable things about the night. Five seconds into the show and Anderson’ doing that one-legged stork pose. Why? Who knows? It’s his trademark. And he’ll keep going it until he tips over.

With a show heavy on tracks from Aqualung, to mark the album’s 40th anniversary, the relaxed, elongated arrangements allowed solo sections of such complexity and dynamic range that one might almost forget what song you were in – until Anderson steps to the mic and warbles the closing verse. Oh, yeah, we’re back to Thick as a Brick. It sure was an epic version of that song. Few actually realize Anderson is also quite the guitarist. He had a strange little guitar to strum when he wasn’t flauting, but he knows how to use it.

There were no tricks here, no smoke and mirrors - just a solid set from this latest and one of the best incarnations of Jethro Tull. Yes, the question surfaces again as it does at almost every classic rock event: Who the hell is still in the band now? Anderson still has his right hand man Martin Barre on guitar, with Doane Perry on drums, David Goodier on bass and John O’Hara on keyboards and accordion. Now you know. The interplay, particularly between O’Hara’s piano and Anderson’s funny little guitar, was beautiful. Barre provided the “hard rock” portion of the show – while Anderson couldn’t resist bringing up Jethro Tull’s upset victory at the Grammy Awards in 1987, robbing Metallica from the hard rock award.

Before the inevitable Locomotive Breath in the encore, the band showed many moods. There was a stripped down interlude, call it “unplugged,” if you must, that included some of Aqualung’s lesser-known ballads, and a rendition of Bouree – basically Bach funked up and swung - to end the first set. If it weren’t for bands like Jethro Tull, how would rock fans learn about the great classical masters?

It helped a lot that the frontman was generous with witty self-deprecation. One of Anderson’s best lines came after he accidentally started a song in the wrong key. He laughed and told the crowd, “I do like it when I f--- up. I really do. For a moment, it makes me almost human.”

Well, that makes all the difference, doesn’t it?

4 out of 5


YOU SAID IT: Jethro Tull plays YEG
http://www.gigcity.ca/2011/06/22/you-said-it-jethro-tull-plays-edmonton/
Give them this: after four decades of blending folk and hard rock, Jethro Tull still know how to put on a tight show. Edmontonians caught the band Tuesday night at the Jubilee Auditorium.

Jethro Tull was amazing again!
CareyNash
Jethro Tull was actually pretty awesome. Only Ian Anderson can make playing the flute cool haha. What a guy lol
Chucker
Ian Anderson still has it! Great Jethro Tull show in #yeg Fab band #hippiemusic
Zurawell
The Band is best known for the single "Aqualung" but is also famous for beating out Metallica, to much surprise, for the first-ever heavy metal Grammy a few years back.
Love them in concert! Love them period!
CareyNash: Jethro Tull was amazing again!
jaymemontoya
Jethro Tull was incredible. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

 

[JonUrban]

Thanks for all of the info, Tootull!

 

[JohnN]

All cool, Jon. Cheers!



http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Jethro+Tull+blasts+fans+back+past/4991758/story.html
Jethro Tull blasts fans back to the past

By Mike Bell, Calgary Herald June 23, 2011 3:02 AM

Jethro Tull performed Wednesday night at the Jubilee. Attendance: 2,400 (sold out).
Apt.
And perhaps a little too easy, for fans and detractors -not to mention writers assigned the task of reviewing.

But, again, it's remarkably fitting that Jethro Tull should choose to open the show Wednesday night at the Jubilee with their 1969 song Living In the Past for a couple of reasons.

First, there's the fact that the U.K. classic rock mainstays were celebrating the 40th anniversary of their landmark release Aqualung, and, as such were more than happy to rely on songs from that era -including latter evening entries My God and, naturally, the title cut -despite the fact they've kept chugging along, releasing new material, albeit songs that have been virtually ignored, for the past two decades.

There's also the idea that, well, the songs and the sound of the band, led consistently through its lengthy history by frontman Ian Anderson along with guitarist Martin Barre, is so positively quaint, so remarkably antiquated that at times it sounds like parody. Where, for example, will you see someone rocking the flute solo or kicking the mandolin these days, save for reruns of Anchorman and Spinal Tap, than a Tull show? And, obvious skill aside, it's often just as funny, just as ludicrous when it's performed sans irony. (If you can watch a Jethro Tull show without singing Stonehenge or picturing dancing dwarfs, then congratulations on your obliviousness.)

That's not to take away from the incredible musicianship of the act, which, really, is the reason the band is still able to do what it does -perhaps, staking claim to the title of Britain's jam band answer to the Grateful Dead (and, yes, there was the scent of weed in the audience, but it was seemingly cut with Ben-Gay and, perhaps, mead?).

As an oldies act, Tull can still deliver on that level, bringing their proggy, Goddy, classical roots stylings to life. No, it never rocked. Just politely rolled. And was content with that.

The best display of that came early in the evening's first half (the band played two one-hour sets, with a 15-minute intermission) when the quintet played a trio of Aqualung's quieter, more acoustic numbers -Cheap Day Return, Mother Goose and Wond'ring Aloud -and then kicked off the second half with Songs From the Wood. Still Sherwood Foresty in nature, they have a way of making it seem less Kevin Costner than Russell Crowe.

Making it even more palatable is Anderson, who, at 63, is incredibly self-aware and remarkably charming and entertaining, cracking jokes and offering light, easy quips about colonoscopy videos, the collective age of his arse cheeks and the aged bladders of the audience.

He, and the songs and playing were the show -the stage was empty, the lighting minimal -and, well, the success of which depended on where you stand: happily living in the past, blissfully unaware that time and music have moved on, or cognizant of the fact that 40 years is a long time to maintain anything, including a sound that you could ever hope to be considered contemporary.

Whatever the case, Living in the Past aptly summed the evening up for all parties involved.

http://www.leaderpost.com/entertainment/Timing+perfect+Anderson/4991476/story.html
Timing was perfect for Anderson

By Andrew Matte, Leader-Post June 23, 2011 3:04 AM

Jethro Tull
8 p.m., Tonight Casino Regina Show Lounge

Ian Anderson is not your average rock star. Known as an early riser with a penchant for clean living and exercise, Anderson believes he wouldn't be able to earn much of a living in music if he'd been born 45 years later.

The music of Jethro Tull, which is known for its unique blend of blues, rock and folk, would be of no interest to record companies today, he says, because it doesn't fall within today's definition of rock music.

"I most certainly would have never got a record deal," Anderson, 63, said during a 9 a.m. phone interview from a hotel room in Oregon. "Jethro Tull music is a little too esoteric."

Despite Anderson's view, Jethro Tull has sold more than 60 million records over more than 40 years. Aqualung, viewed by many as the band's best album and featuring songs like Aqualung, Cross Eyed Mary, and Locomotive Breath, made it to No. 337 on the list of the best 500 albums by Rolling Stone magazine.

Anderson believes he was born at the perfect time because he was a young man when British bands like Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and the Animals were creating the classic rock by putting their slant on American blues and bringing it across the pond. He believes classic rock sounds good today because it's what most current rock made is based upon.

"Classic rock sounds fresh because there is an innocence and simplicity about that," says Anderson.

"There is nothing really new in rock music. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's bad music. Sometimes it's good music but it's always a new take on something that's been around for a long time."

Anderson also believes that because technology allows artists to produce and distribute music without the help of record companies, Jethro Tull wouldn't have much traction if it emerged on the music scene today.

"The technology is a huge bonus for the kids making music. But the sad reality is that they're not going to get paid for it. Because in the world of Myspace and Facebook and web sites, there are literally hundreds of thousands of new entrants who are putting stuff into the public domain with absolutely no chance of ever receiving any income from it," he says.

Anderson believes the technology means that record companies no longer take chances on bands that are "esoteric" because the value placed on original music has dropped since the invention of the Mp3. The only way for a band to earn a respectable living is to tour lots and sell lots of t-shirts and belt buckles.

"This is the reality of a depressed music business. We're not experiencing a recession like the housebuilding industry or the retail food sector. We are part of an industry that was seriously on the decline 10 years ago. It will never return to an era where making records is profitable enough on its own for record companies or artists," he says.

Anderson is thankful that there is still interest in Jethro Tull music by fans who were in their teens and early twenties when albums like Aqualung and Thick As A Brick were released.

"We see this continued intake of younger audiences, whether they're attending concerts or buying records," he says.

"Suddenly, there is a large section of the audience who are in their teens. And they are waving copies of Thick As A Brick. It's not just happened to me or to Jethro Tull. It's happening right across the board.

"What we know as classic rock from the late '60s and '70s is going to be around for another 20, 30 and 40 years because we can see new audiences picking up on this music."








"Do you still see me even here?''

 

[JohnN]

http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/...-Review-Jethro-Tull-Aqualung-40th-1438898.php
Concert Review: Jethro Tull, Aqualung 40th Anniversary Tour, Centre for the Performing Arts, Vancouver, 6/19/11
By GutterCandy, BLOGCRITICS.ORG

Published Friday, June 24, 2011
In a recent interview, Rush drummer Neil Peart commented that stamina and smoothness are the key attributes he feels the 58-year-old version of himself has over the younger models. Jethro Tull, on the Vancouver stop of their current tour commemorating the 40th anniversary of their monumental Aqualung, proved Peart's hypothesis correct.

Working through various tracks from other albums while intermittently working through Aqualung, the 60-plus-year-olds demonstrated a steadiness and resolve that was the foundation of the evening.

Their meter and pacing were hypnotising and showed no sign of slowing down. The hour-and-45 minutes they were on stage rushed by, even with the half hour "pee break AKA intermission," which seemed more for the grey-haired majority in the audience than the musicians onstage.

Starting with "Living in the Past" could have been an ironic move, but its soft-jazz intro blossomed into a driving force complete with heavily articulated off-beats. The statement was clear: this is not your granddad's Tull! An odd sentiment, because the youngest song played was over 20 years old.

Age was a presence but never became an elephant in the room. It was addressed head-on by front man cum comedian Ian Anderson, who acknowledged that after his last colonoscopy he realized his backside housed a great view and was a good place to insert his prog-rocker head.

To confirm his theory, the band wheeled out prog-rock classics, including a truncated 10-minute version of the 40-plus-minute "Thick as Brick" along with other 10-minute opuses including "Budapest" and, of course, the encore, Aqualung's FM hit "Locomotive Breath." With such communal appreciation from the assembled Tull-heads, these epics seemed far from self-indulgent.

This current trend of tours based on seminal albums must be close to running its course, though. While it might have been a great idea at one time - a fitting tribute to a deserving piece of art - two elements are making the practice seemingly less savory: 1) the sheer number of bands jumping on the bandwagon and 2) the tedious predictability of the setlist when the album is played in sequence.

Aqualung, on the other hand, was given its due this night, transcending the monotony of predictability. Tull's homage to "the snotted one" kept the show as fresh as their renditions of most of its 11 songs. Anderson's Behind the Music bon mots added a witty, self-effacing element to many of the featured tracks.

Instead of opting for a boring song-by-song linearity, the band's approach of interspersing Aqualung pieces in no particular order throughout the night kept the evening fresh. "Mother Goose" benefited from the revisitation as did guitarist Martin Barre's riff-heavy version of "Cross Eyed Mary;" second-set opener, the non-snotted "Songs from the Wood," seemed even more invigorated, possibly because it wasn't expected.

The set closer, the title track, and the aforementioned "Locomotive" encore were the only non-surprises, as most of Aqualung had been performed up to this point. While the whole show seemed spry, these two songs in particular were especially rejuvenated with the stamina, smoothness, and focus that can only come with age, experience, humour, and a "colonoscopic" point of view.


Setlist:

Living In The Past
Beggar's Farm
Thick As A Brick
Up To Me
Cheap Day Return
Mother Goose
Wond'ring Aloud
Farm On The Freeway
Bouree

INTERMISSION

Songs From The Wood
Hymn 43
Cross-Eyed Mary
My God
Budapest
Aqualung

ENCORE
Locomotive Breath / Teacher (snippet)

-Chris "Gutter" Rose

View the original article on blogcritics.org

 

[JohnN]

Happy Birthday to WDRV (97.1 FM)!! Jethro Tull and America
June 28, 2011 Roger Reis Chicago Live Music Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/live-music-...o-wdrv-97-1-fm-jethro-tull-and-america-review

Generosity at its finest! Chicago’s very own radio station WDRV (97.1 FM) celebrated their tenth birthday with some legendary musicians at the Rosemont Theatre. The classic rock groups Jethro Tull and America teamed up with WDRV for this amazing Monday evening. The ticket prices were quite reasonable as well as this was a free concert. The amount of fun that was to be had was truly priceless.

The spot on the dial has existed since 1955 when the radio station first came about as WNIB. So many changes to the station were made over the years, but on April 2, 2001 history was made. The air waves first broadcast the call letters of “WDRV.” They have been playing “timeless rock” for so many years that they have become a part of Chicago music scene.

The iconic voice of Steve Downs came out accompanied by Bobby Skafish to introduce the show. Downs discussed WDRV and how they have done this birthday celebration since they started and every year “it’s a free concert.” He handed the microphone over to Skafish who also pumped up the crowd that was ready for this show to start. A group of fans were singing “Happy Birthday” to “W – D – R –V.” As they hit the last line, “…. happy birthday to you,” the lights went out and it was time to start the show.

A classical sounding musical creation was used as an intro for the band America. These folk musicians started the show and went straight for one of their biggest hits, “Tin Man.” They played through every one of their classic hits such as; “Sister Golden Hair,” “Ventura Highway,” and “Lonely People.” Their set even included an incredible version of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock.” The group has harmonies that were so flawless within every song they did.

Their set seemed to go very fast as it was one hit after another that was being played out for the pleasure of the audience. Before you knew it they were doing the routine of pretending they are done while the crowd cheers for an encore performance. They conveniently left their biggest song until last, “A Horse With No Name.” Everyone within the place was singing along with every word.

Each of the bands had their own sound man for the show and the band America could’ve made a few minor adjustments. During some songs the bass guitar was over powering the acoustics that were strumming, while at other times the vocals couldn’t be heard clearly enough to sing along with. Overall America was a very good opening act and history was made with the two groups. This was the very first time America had shared a stage with Jethro Tull, but it was quite apparent after the intermission why they were the headliner.

The audience ran for the bathrooms and concession stands during the band change up in attempt to fulfill their needs. Crowds of people were there to help in this birthday celebration. The lights dimmed letting everyone know it was almost time to start the second half of the show. As people made it back to their seats Bob Stroud came out to pump up the audience. The voices of Chicago radio were present to witness a great music event.

The lights finally went out for the main act of Jethro Tull. It was time to witness the greatness of a highly underrated band. A spotlight lit up on drummer Doane Perry as he hit his sticks together for a few clicks to count the band in and start out “Living in the Past.” The entire band jumped in and the four musicians played as the man of the hour walked out with flute in hand. The one legged flute playing madman Ian Anderson came out playing the melody line on the flute and the packed house cheered. Ian’s eyes peaked over at the audience making motion that he was embarrassed by applause. Oh yes, he knows how to ham it up.

As soon as the song was over with, Ian started picking out the intro to “Thick as a Brick” on his small half sized guitar. The best show in town was well on its way. With the faithful steed of Martin Barre at stage left, this band couldn’t play a bad note if they tried. The sounds of a distorted six string were raging through the heavy songs and on the slower songs “Lancelot” showed his dynamics as he played with grace. He has been right by Ian’s side since 1969 through everything. Just an amazing individual and a class act that no other guitar player wants to follow.

The man on the skins kept the tick tocks in line all night long playing difficult drum lines from a top his riser. He looked down to the band mates making eye contact during climatic interludes. Doane Perry drove some of the heavier songs from behind the Premier kit with power and has been doing so with this band since 1984. To a lot of the true fans, it would not be a Jethro Tull show without the big-foot of the bass drum.

Off to stage right were the newest members of Jethro Tull, Keyboard player John O’Hara and Dave Goodier. O’Hara duplicated the difficult keyboard parts of his predecessors with precision. Every single piece that he played sounded like the albums within the vast Jethro Tull library. Goodier stepped up and filled the mighty big shoes of the low end masters that came before him as well. The band even played “Bouree” with a newer and more melodic bass solo in the middle. The solo from the record done by Glen Cornick had been swept away and replaced by a newer more intricate piece. WOW!

Jethro Tull had been performing the entire Aqualung album during this U.S. tour that ended at the Rosemont Theatre. Instead of playing the complete album as they had done on this tour, the band compiled a special set list just for this show. As the set included all but three songs from Aqualung anyway, not too much was missed that was seen the night before at The Chicago Theater. Slightly different version of “Mother Goose” and “Up To Me” were a refreshing change to hear.

A white spot light hit the stage and Martin stepped into it to play the six most popular notes from this band. The six notes that put them into a heavier music class than what they really were. The drums joined in and “Sitting on a park bench ….. “ was uttered. The man who was being classified as a dirty old man for years by the unknowing because of the lines in this song was now performing the bands most popular hit. The title track “Aqualung” seemed to be what everyone had been waiting for. The coolest guitar solo, heaviest guitar parts, and thundering drums went on for six minutes during this classic rock song. They finished and the band waved good bye for the first time.

The crowd cheered and John O’Hara finally made his way back to the keyboards for one last song. He made a gesture and played the opening piece to “Locomotive Breath.” Across the stage Martin joins in with his melodic guitar riffs until everything starts to build when the rest of the band comes in and jams the introduction to a heavy classic rock anthem. A chord is held and out comes the leader with flute ready. The song starts and Anderson rides the song all the way to the finish line. Complete with guitar and flute solo in the bridge that was performed to perfection.

The song finished and Ian waved “bye bye – bye bye.” The band took their bow with Ian representing his flute in a phallic like gesture. They took all their bows, waved goodbye one more time and galloped off for their dressing room. One of the coolest bands to ever hit the stage had just played and left a lot of people in shock as to how good they really are. They are a highly underrated band and it was quite clear how awesome they were as the crowd picked up their jaws that been sitting on the floor for the last hour.

The night wound down as the concert goers quietly made it to their vehicles. They walked past the parked WDRV promotion vehicle parked in front of the Rosemont Theatre as they said thanks to the radio station. The tenth birthday celebration was just an amazing time for everyone that attended. This was just a hell of a show to see. Jethro Tull and America? Together? …….. and it’s a free show? This is something that most music fans would have paid to see as it truly was worth the price of admission.

 

[JohnN]

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazi...Martin_Barre_Taking_Aqualung_on_the_Road.aspx
Interview: Martin Barre - Taking Aqualung on the Road
Max Mobley
The Jethro Tull guitarist discusses his tools of the trade, touring, and how his first take recording of the Aqualung solo was almost interrupted by Jimmy Page.

The rich and complex history of rock ’n’ roll, as expressed through the electric guitar, cannot be told authoritatively without the including the work of Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre. Barre's contributions are cataloged under classic Jethro Tull albums such as Aqualung, Thick as a Brick, and War Child to name a few. Tull, masterminded by writer/guitarist/vocalist/flutist Ian Anderson and supported by Barre's guitar work, added concepts and progressive riffs that expanded the electric guitar's boundaries established by British blues-rock—a genre that was in full bombastic bloom when Tull's Aqualung was released in 1971.

In spite of any perceived under-recognition, Martin Barre's masterful solo on Aqualung's title track consistently pops up in the top five of nearly every “greatest guitar solos” list. The solo is a great example of Barre's contribution to the medium and it exemplifies what makes a great rock guitar solo—the suspenseful melodic build up that peaks with intensity, a gorgeous tone, soulful expressions that sink deep inside the listener, and technique without the slightest whiff of wankery. Jethro Tull is in the US for a summer tour, and the band is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Aqualung by playing the album live in its entirety. Anderson and Barre have been playing together so long that, as Barre puts it, "Even if we're playing a song we haven't done in ten years, Ian and I will remember what we did, and where we move. It's like we played it yesterday." Anderson and Barre are the only original members touring, and the first time they played together in preparation for the US tour was sound check at their first show at Red Rocks in Colorado.

Visiting friends, family, and guitar shops in advance of the tour, Martin Barre sits down with Premier Guitar to talk gear, the tour, and his simple but effective approach to tone.

Are you excited about the tour?

To be honest, most tours are special and only a few are a pain in the ass. I don't like going to India because it's a very sad country, but I love playing in America. For me, America is really a second home and I can't even imagine how much time I've spent in here in the last 42 to 43 years. Playing Red Rocks will be great—I know where the dressing room is, I know the venue, I know Denver, and I know where to go for a run. I'll probably even recognize a few people in the crowd. I love playing anywhere—be it a small club in Germany, outdoors at a festival in Italy, or somewhere in America. It's always a labor of love.

What gear will you be taking on the road for this tour?

I'm just bringing my PRS 513s, which I've played for about 10 years, and a mandolin. Ian plays his acoustic, and for the few acoustic parts I play, I'll just use the 513. If I could, I would bring ten guitars on the road with me. But given the logistics of coming from England, it's not practical.

I'll be using Soldano Decatone amps. I have a good relationship with Mike Soldano, and I think I’ve worked with that same amp for 20 years now—they always do a great job. I fly around the world with them and they get thrown about, but you turn them on and there you are—they sound exactly how you want them to. My favorite setup is a Decatone with a Marshall 2x12 and 1x12, running the 1x12 at the front of the stage like a monitor. I take both cabinets off the amp so I'm in the middle of the sound. That's all I use, it's really simple with three channels—clean, crunch, and distortion.

Any effects or processing?

I use a tiny little Alesis PicoVerb for a tiny bit of reverb. It's about the size of a pack of cigarettes.

Picks and strings?

I use quite a heavy pick so I've got lots of control, and they're made for me in England. I have a great guitar shop in the UK called Manson's and they build guitars as well. They're friends and do all my repairs, make me a coffee and feel at home when I come in. For strings, I use GHS 10-46s.

Rumor has it that in early days of Jethro Tull, you used a Hornsby Skewes Treble Booster that picked up radio signals.

Yeah—that's true and I've still got it! It's the worst bit of kit ever made. [Laughs.] You open it up and it's got just a few bare wires and a capacitor. They were virtually wireless receivers. There were so many gigs in America where we'd be playing downtown, and atop of the concert hall would be a radio mast—just a nightmare. I used to neurotically look out the window of the car on the way to gigs, watching out for radio masts.

You have very pure tones on your recorded work. Do you use much processing or EQ in the studio?

No, I don't use any EQ. I only want the sound of the guitar coming out of the amplifier—nothing else. When I go to any studio, I insist the EQ is either turned off or set to null.

The tone on your solo work, while it doesn’t sound processed, is quite different from your tone with Jethro Tull.

Well, in Jethro Tull, I get one or two hours and that's it. If I haven't got it by then, then my solo is going to be a flute solo. On my solo albums, I have the luxury of spending as much time as I want to experiment with different guitars, different sounds, and mics. It's a different process and there is no pressure. With Jethro Tull, there's always somebody waiting to record their part, so there is a bit of pressure on you.

I don't spend a lot of time doing guitar parts, because I want them to be fresh. But I think that if something doesn't work in one or two takes, that bit of music doesn't work or you've got to completely rethink what you are doing. You can't just keep bashing away at the same idea.

Do you prefer humbuckers or single-coils?

I like to switch around and don't use one tone for very long—I go through the catalog of what's available. I always had a humbucker in the bridge and then a couple single-coils so I could get both the sweet Fender sound and the full-blown humbucker sound. When listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robben Ford, you can really tell when they're digging in with their right hand. You get a different kind of compression on a single-coil than a humbucker. You can sort of overdrive it with your fingers—I love that sound. And I love that sound where you need to bite in to get that sustain.

Speaking of single-coils, you used a 1958 Les Paul Junior on Aqualung. Why that guitar?

We did a tour with Mountain. Back then, bands weren't particularly friendly with one another, and Mountain was the first band that we really became friends with. I just loved Leslie West's playing and they truly were a great “feel” band with the way they fed off each other live. He's probably the only guitarist who has influenced me directly. He played a Les Paul Junior, so that's why I bought mine.

The solo on the song “Aqualung” has received as many accolades as any rock guitar solo in existence. Was that composed, one take, or a composite?

It was a one-off and I did it first take. I've never learned licks—especially at that point of my career—and I never, ever used the blues licks. All the other guys were doing that and I wanted melody. In my mind, I can hear a melody, and then I can play it. That's what I've always loved about playing an instrument. You hear where you want to go in your head, and your fingers can go there for you—it's sort of a direct connection. I don't have any sort of hang-up about having to play a B.B. King or Freddie King lick. I love the blues as well, but in those days, it was a very free approach. I just played.

Led Zeppelin was in the same studio as Jethro Tull when you were recording Aqualung. Did you guys ever drop in on each other's sessions?

We were Led Zeppelin's support band in 1969. They were a wild bunch of guys as you can imagine, but we got along well enough. In the studio, we both got buried in our work for some reason. I hadn't seen Jimmy Page in over a month in the studio, but when I was doing the solo for “Aqualung,” he coincidentally decided to come upstairs and say hello. I was in the middle of the solo and he was in the control room waving at me. I thought if I waved back, I'd have to play the solo again. So I just carried on playing and grinned, and that was the solo used on the album.

Your audition for Jethro Tull went badly. What happened?

It was in this huge basement room. For some reason, they had a drum kit and an amp in the middle of the room, and all the guys auditioning sat in chairs all the way around the room. There were like 30 or 40 guitarists waiting for their turn to play, and everybody was watching everybody else. It was just horrible and I don't think anyone could play well under those circumstances. It was so much pressure and I played awful.

Yet you got the gig.

Because I read the music press in England, and a couple of weeks went by with no news, I had a feeling that Ian hadn't found anybody. I called him, asked if he had found someone, and he said he had—Tony Iommi. But Tony had an accident in a factory, and the tops of his fingers were cut off. He couldn't play many complex chords, but fortunately for Tony, he did go on to make it huge with Black Sabbath. Since he couldn't do the Tull gig, I asked Ian if I could have another go and he said yeah. This time was just me and the band spending a whole day of playing together. Obviously, that went a lot better.

Ian wanted a guitarist that with no pre-conceived style. He didn't want a blues guitarist. He had already had one in Mick Abrahams, who went on to form Blodwyn Pig. Ian wanted someone with an open mind who would try stuff out and go to a different place without questioning it. So it worked out perfectly.

As a self-taught guitar player, how were the complex parts that make up a Jethro Tull song communicated?

I knew everything they knew. I was taught flute professionally before I joined Jethro Tull, so I could read music and I understood music. We were all at the same level musically.

I was in the middle of the solo and [Jimmy Page] was in the control room waving at me. I thought if I waved back, I'd have to play the solo again. So I just carried on playing and grinned, and that was the solo used on the album.

Talking about your early rock ’n’ roll days in the late ’60s, you said there were two types of players—those in the Gibson camp, and those in the Fender camp. Can you elaborate on that?

At that age, it was a style thing. If your favorite player played a certain guitar, that’s what you aspired to. There was no real advantage of one over the other from the information we had about guitars back then. Once you've gone down the Gibson road, that sort of neck profile and design stuck with you. But by the mid-’70s, I was playing Fenders as well. By then I was more aware of what you could get out of the instruments. At that time, many guitarists wanted both because they wanted to expand their library of sounds.

What drove that shift from traditional electrics?

I met and got to know Paul Hamer. Paul used to come around to all the big rock bands and sell vintage guitars. When he started building his guitars, he brought one to a show for me to try out. At the time, my Les Pauls were becoming so valuable that I didn't want to take them on the road—so the Hamers were a perfect replacement. They played like a Les Paul, they sounded good, and if you lost one, you could get another one. It was also a relationship thing. I got to like Paul so much that I wanted to support him. When Paul left Hamer, I played Tom Anderson and Ibanez guitars for a short time, and then Mansons, Schecters, and Fenders. Now, I’m playing PRS.

All these people I've dealt with have been really good people—Tom Anderson, the guys at PRS—we got along so well. I never asked for anything—we all just had a common love of music and a love of good guitars. That's why I use them and why I've got a lot of them. I've bought most of my guitars from a local shop in England.

Many established players prefer vintage guitars. Like your guitar work, you tend to go your own way on that trend.

I don't tend to play vintage guitars and I only own a couple—they aren’t practical. Vintage guitars are a bit more temperamental, but I do appreciate them. There's this guitar shop in Mississippi where the guy in the shop—an older guy—has a huge collection. I’ll go to his house, sort of dive through his cupboards, and I always find something nice in there. I bought a blonde Gibson ES-140 3/4 from him, and on this last visit, I got a 1962 Gibson mandolin.

Inevitably, I always compare myself to somebody like a carpenter with a toolbox. He's got his favorite tools, and they're not valuable other than being able to perform the task he asks of them. That's like me with guitars. I ask a lot of them, and put them through a lot of adverse conditions and temperature changes when touring. I ask them to sound perfect every night, and if they do, then I have a great respect for them. Listen to someone like Jeff Beck. He can play any guitar through any amp, and he will still sound like Jeff Beck. Guitars are tools.

Martin Barre’s Gearbox

Guitars
Paul Reed Smith RS 513

Amps
Soldano Decatone
Marshall 2x12 and 1x12 cabs

Effects
Alesis PicoVerb

Strings
GHS