Written by In 2017 Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson guested on Tim Bowness’ solo album Lost In The Ghost Light. Two years later Bowness told Prog why Anderson was his prog icon – and speculated on why Tull didn’t seem as influential as might be expected.
“My first encounter with the music of Jethro Tull and Ian Anderson came through an advert placed on my school noticeboard in 1980. Somebody was selling a copy of Aqualung cheaply. Due to my interest in progressive music, I’d heard of Jethro Tull but at that time didn’t own anything by the band.
I walked across town in the pouring rain with pocket money in hand to collect the album. On returning home – wet, naturally – and hearing it, I was immediately impressed.
Aqualung’s dark atmosphere and eloquent lyrics appealed to me immediately. The artwork and the music also had an unsettling sense of otherness and antiquity. In some ways there was a connection with how early Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator appeared to me at that time.
The likes of Aqualung, Pawn Hearts and Nursery Cryme may have only been nine years old in 1980, but they seemed disconnected from the zeitgeist in an exciting and intriguing way.
I’m not sure my music has any Jethro Tull influence, though the excess of flute on 2017’s Lost In The Ghost Light may owe something to the band. I suspect that, a little like Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, Yes, 10cc, Joe Zawinul, Steely Dan and others, Jethro Tull have had a lesser impact on the music world than they should have done due to the complexity of their music.
There are imitators, of course – but it’s difficult to hear the band’s influence on the wider music world. Evaluating a legacy is hard; though it’s testament to the band’s immense talent and uniqueness that we’re still discussing and listening to their music, and they’re still playing to packed venues.
Ian is a true original in terms of his vocal phrasing, lyrics and compositional ability. His finely honed lyrical observations and sophisticated use of language are extremely underrated. I’ve always admired his eye for detail and his talent for ‘kitchen-sink’ realism.
Had Ian not gone down the band route, I’m convinced he would have been a successful singer-songwriter who’d have been retrospectively seen alongside gifted mavericks such as Roy Harper, John Martyn, Peter Hammill and Nick Drake.
I’ve always been amazed at how productive Ian was between the late 1960s and mid-1980s and how, despite an excessively busy touring schedule, Jethro Tull’s sound managed to change so dramatically so frequently. I think they always kept abreast of the times while remaining totally true to their idiosyncrasies.
From the blues rock of their debut through the hard folk rock of 1969-71, prog excursions of 1972-73, the slight Roxy/Bowie influences of 1974-76 and the electronic experiments of 1980-84, you can hear the band reflecting the times they lived through. Ditto the textures and rhythms on the likes of the much later Roots To Branches and J-Tull Dot Com.
The only period out of time is the folk rock trilogy of 1977-79, though even then the atmosphere and lyrics for Stormwatch are very redolent of how doomy the late 70s felt in the UK.
I told Ian where to play and in what style. What came back was better than I expected – and I expected a lot!
I really love the early trilogy of Stand Up, Benefit and Aqualung and the folk rock trio Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses and Stormwatch. I differ from a lot of fans in that I also think the electro-pop years were good. Under Wraps is a decent album with strong lyrics that very effectively updates the band’s sound without sacrificing their identity.
Personal favourite songs include Dun Ringill, Wond’ring Aloud, Up To Me, From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser, With You There To Help Me, Inside, Later That Same Evening and more.
I’ve seen Ian live a couple of times, but only in recent years. His flute playing is exceptional and has got better over the years. Outside of that he’s an engaging raconteur, and his current touring band is very strong and adaptable.
I’ve met him in person a few times, and of course he appeared Lost In The Ghost Light. Courtesy of sharing the same agent – Ian’s son – and Burning Shed hosting Jethro Tull’s online store, I’d been in touch with him for a few years prior.
Ian’s presence resonated strongly with the concept of the album – an account of a musician and the music industry between 1967 and 2017. I told him where I wanted him to play and roughly in what style, but what came back was even better than I expected – and I expected a lot!
He’s always been cordial in person and, as you’d expect from his music and lyrics, he’s an exceptionally articulate, intelligent and tuned-in person.”
