Jethro Tull Continues CD/DVD Reissue Series with “Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Includes New Steven Wilson Mixes
On the heels of May’s reissue of Jethro Tull’s Minstrel in the Gallery, Rhino and Chrysalis have announced the next volume in the labels’ ongoing deluxe series for the band. The roots of the concept album Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die can be found in Minstrel; now, Too Old… is scheduled for its own reissue on November 27 in advance of its own 40th anniversary next spring. It will be available as an expanded 2-CD/2-DVD set and as a standalone single-CD remaster of the original album.
Jethro Tull’s first album with John Glascock on bass and backing vocals, Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll had its genesis in an unproduced stage musical the band had been planning. It tells the story of Ray Lomas, an aging rocker who is able to buck changing musical trends to once again find success. The upcoming deluxe reissue features:
- An unreleased, alternate version of the album recorded for a British television special and remixed by Steven Wilson;
- Bonus tracks (18 previously unreleased), all mixed to 5.1 surround and stereo by Wilson;
- Flat transfer of the original LP mix on CD and on DVD at 96/24;
- Commercial debut of footage from the television special;
- Presented (like past volumes in this series) in a casebound book that includes an 80-page booklet with an extensive history of the album, track-by-track annotations by Ian Anderson, plus rare and unseen photographs; and
- Includes the gatefold cartoon from the original album drawn by comic book legend Dave Gibbons (Watchmen).
The first disc features a previously unreleased, alternate version of the album that the band recorded for a British television special. When the era’s union rules forbid the band from lip-syncing the original album on television, the band entered the studio in March 1976 to re-record the LP expressly for the TV performance! For this deluxe edition, Steven Wilson remixed that alternate version of the album, as well as five songs slated for the finished album, including “Big Dipper,” “From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser” and the title track. (Rhino notes that “several songs,” however, couldn’t be completely remixed due to missing multi-track tapes.) The second CD includes nine rare and unreleased bonus tracks like “Commercial Traveller,” “Salamander Ragtime” and an early version of “One Brown Mouse,” plus a flat transfer of the original album.
The first DVD commercially debuts the entire British television special along with several audio mixes of the show: DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, and Dolby Digital Stereo. The audio from the special is also included in 96/24 stereo PCM. The five tracks from the original LP are presented in DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM.
The second DVD includes mixes of a number of the associated recordings in DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM. Also featured is a flat transfer of the original LP at 96/24 stereo PCM, in addition to a flat transfer of the original 1976 Quad LP Production Master with DTS 4.0 and Dolby Digital AC3 4.0 surround sound.
Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die is set for release on November 27 and you can read the track listing and pre-order below! We are still awaiting an active link for Amazon U.S. orders!
Jethro Tull, Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die (Chrysalis/Rhino, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
CD1:
All Stereo Mixes by Steven Wilson
Re-Recorded Album for TV Special
- “Prelude” *
- “Quiz Kid” *
- “Crazed Institution” *
- “Salamander” *
- “Taxi Grab” *
- “From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser” *
- “Bad Eyed And Loveless” *
- “Big Dipper” *
- “Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die!” *
- “Pied Piper” *
- “The Chequered Flag (Dead Or Alive)” *
Five Original LP Tracks
- “Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die!”
- “The Chequered Flag (Dead Or Alive)”
- “Big Dipper”
- “From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser”
- “Bad Eyed And Loveless”
Monte Carlo Outtake
- “Quiz Kid” (Version 1) *
CD2:
Associated Recordings
# Mixed by Steven Wilson
- “Salamander’s Rag Time” * #
- “Commercial Traveller” * #
- “Salamander” (Instrumental) * #
- “Small Cigar” #
- “Strip Cartoon” #
- “One Brown Mouse” – Early Version (Original Master Mix) *
- “Strip Cartoon” – (Original Master Mix)
- “A Small Cigar – Orchestral Version (Original Rough Mix) *
- “Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die!” – Demo (Paris -July 1975)* #
Original Album (Flat Transfer)
- “Prelude”
- “Quiz Kid”
- “Crazed Institution”
- “Salamander”
- “Taxi Grab”
- “From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser”
- “Bad Eyed And Loveless”
- “Big Dipper”
- “Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die!”
- “Pied Piper”
- “The Chequered Flag (Dead Or Alive)”
(*) denotes previously unreleased track
DVD 1: Audio and Video
- TV Special Footage in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, and Dolby Digital Stereo
- TV Special (audio only) in 96/24 stereo PCM
- Five Original LP Tracks in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM
DVD 2: Audio Only
In DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and 96/24 stereo PCM
- “Salamander’s Rag Time”
- “Commercial Traveller”
- “Small Cigar” (Acoustic)
- “Strip Cartoon”
In 96/24 stereo PCM
- “Quiz Kid” (Version 1)
- “One Brown Mouse” – Early Version (Original Master Mix)
- “Salamander” (Instrumental)
- “Strip Cartoon” – (Original Master Mix)
- “A Small Cigar – Orchestral Version (Original Rough Mix)
- “Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die!” – Demo (Paris -July 1975)
Plus:
- Flat transfer of the original LP at 96/24 PCM
- Flat transfer of the original 1976 Quad LP Production Master with DTS 4.0 and Dolby Digital AC3 4.0 surround sound.
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9 thoughts on “Jethro Tull Continues CD/DVD Reissue Series with “Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Includes New Steven Wilson Mixes”
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Their 5th box set and from what we have heard Heavy Horses & Songs From The Wood will perhaps be next not sure what order and when and that will be final?
Ian Anderson and Steven Wilson have both indicated that “Songs From the Wood” will be next – they appear to be going in chronological order (with the exception of 2013’s “Benefit” reissue). Anderson has also indicated that Wilson is on board for the remainder of the 1970s studio albums, up to and including “Stormwatch.”
I am hoping that the “Songs From the Wood” package will include the BBC “Sight and Sound” concert, for which high-quality audio and video ought to exist. (Excerpts have appeared on previous Tull audio and video projects.)
Too bad about the missing multi-tracks from “Too Old…,” but it’s lucky for us that they re-recorded the entire album and THOSE tapes are still around. With luck, the tapes for the remaining albums are intact.
Steven Wilson’s remixes of the Jethro Tull catalog have definitely set a very high bar for expanded album reissues, and set an example for those artists whose idea of “bonus content” is a couple of B-sides and needledrop single edits.
I have a version of the BBC Sight and Sound in concert on DVD… but it has Japanese subtitles in-between the songs. But the musicianship and vibe of that concert was awesome. Anderson’s banter and knock-about fun was top-notch. BrittleDick indeed!
Looking foward to H. Horses and Stormwatch too… In fact I would like them to go forward and give this excellent treatment to all albums up to Roots & Branches- I’d love to hear Steel Monkey in 5.1!
Wait – only five tracks from the original album appear on CD in remixed version. We get the alternate one complete, along with a flat transfer of the original mix. Hard to believe that multis from six tracks on the original are missing.
You mean he multis (for the basis for a ‘revised’ mix), or the original master or the album and singles and strays??)
I have plenty of Tull vinyl, but only “Benefit” (not the latest, but a single disc issued a decade or so ago, with five or so bonus tracks & a brief note from IA)….All this remixing makes me nervous. Are the recent ‘big boxes’ of various Tull titles revisionism sonically? (yes I know there’s a ‘flat transfer’ which I hope is an accurate statement) …Maybe I get the more recent “Benefit” – hows the mastering? Then on to Passion Play, Brick, Stand Up if the sirens sings in pure tones!
I HOPE IN STAND UP-JEHTRO TULL REMASTERED BY WILSON !
I think these re masters are an absolute treat, and Wilson just outdoes himself each time. If there was any album that I felt needed the treatment it was Too Old to Rock and Roll, Too Young to Die. I always enjoyed the TV Special and was really excited when I heard it was included. Looking forward to Songs from the Wood next!
Ian Anderson and Steve Wilson should do a Deluxe Box Set of “Stormwatch.” It should included the original studio album of “Stormwatch” itself, a CD of the “Stormwatch” Tour from Hammersmith Odeon from 1979 and a DVD of the “Stormwatch” Tour at the Hammersmith Odeon from 1979. Make it happen, Ian Anderson and Steve Wilson.