The very successful and long-running Jethro Tull reissue series--complete with new mixes from master mixer Steven Wilson--continues apace with the 40th anniversary of 1977's Songs From the Wood, celebrated in a new 3CD/2DVD edition due out this May.
The group's ninth album was the first in a loose trilogy of progressive folk albums that found the group trading in its hard rock sound for a more lush and experimental arrangement, in turn celebrating its medieval roots and heritage ("a reaffirmation of our Britishness," frontman Ian Anderson told Guitar World). It was the group's last Top 10 album in America (at No. 8, five slots higher than the band's U.K. chart placement) and has since become one of the most beloved and quintessential Tull albums.
And like albums past, it's stocked with bonus material. Wilson produced new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes heard in this set on CD and DVD, featuring not only the album but bonus material like rare and unreleased tracks "Old Aces Die Hard," "Working John, Working Joe" and "Magic Bells" (the latter first released on an EP for Record Store Day Black Friday) and the single mix of "The Whistler" and its B-side, "Strip Cartoon." As always, there's a flat transfer of the original stereo album master on DVD, as well as four of the original quadrophonic mixes, too.
Also included in the set is a healthy offering of live material. Two CDs, culled from shows in Boston and Maryland, showcase the band on its Songs From the Wood tour, with a DVD featuring the Maryland show in full. This unseen video footage, featuring 16/48 stereo LPCM and 5.1 DTS, AC3 Dolby Digital surround sound mixed by King Crimson's Jakko Jakszyk (himself a mixer of bonus material for Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Tull's Minstrel In the Gallery reissue), is sourced from the video feed shown to audiences from The Capital Centre as the concert took place.
As always, the book-style package is rounded out with extensive liner notes (96 pages total!), including track-by-track commentary by Ian Anderson, interviews with Jakszyk and studio engineer Trevor White, and essays and notes from writers Martin Webb and Steve Jeal.
This deluxe set is due out May 19, with standalone CD and vinyl breakouts to follow this summer.
Songs From the Wood: The 40th Anniversary Edition - The Country Set (Parlophone, 2017)
Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.
Disc 1: Steven Wilson stereo remix of original album and bonus material
- Songs From the Wood
- Jack-in-the-Green
- Cup of Wonder
- Hunting Girl
- Ring Out, Solstice Bells
- Velvet Green
- The Whistler
- Pibroch (Cup In Hand)
- Fire At Midnight
- Old Aces Die Hard *
- Working John, Working Joe *
- Magic Bells (Ring Out, Solstice Bells)
- Songs From the Wood (Unedited Master)
- Fire At Midnight (Unedited Master) *
- One Brown Mouse (Early Version)
- Strip Cartoon
- The Whistler (U.S. Stereo Single Mix)
Disc 1, Tracks 1-9 released as Chrysalis CHR 1132, 1977
Disc 1, Tracks 10, 11 and 14 previously unreleased
Disc 1, Track 12 from Chrysalis single CX 40, 2016
Disc 1, Track 15 from Too Old to Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young to Die (The TV Special Edition) - Chrysalis 0825646035519, 2016
Disc 1, Tracks 16-17 released as Chrysalis single CHS-2135, 1977
Discs 2-3: Live in Concert, 1977
- Wond'ring Aloud
- Skating Away On the Thin Ice of the New Day
- Jack-in-the-Green
- Thick As a Brick
- Songs From the Wood
- Instrumental
- Drum Solo Improvisation
- To Cry You a Song
- A New Day Yesterday
- Flute Solo Improvisation interpolating - God Rest Ye Gentlemen/Bourée
- Living In the Past/A New Day Yesterday (Reprise)
- Velvet Green
- Hunting Girl
- Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die
- Minstrel In the Gallery
- Cross-Eyed Mary
- Aqualung
- Instrumental Improvisation
- Wind-Up
- Back Door Angels/Guitar Improvisation/Wind Up (Reprise)
- Locomotive Breath
- Land of Hope and Glory/Improvisation/Back Door Angels (Reprise)
Recorded live at The Capital Centre, Landover, MD - 11/21/1977 and Boston Garden, Boston, MA - 12/6/1977 - previously unreleased
DVD 1: Mixes
- 96/24 LPCM stereo Steven Wilson remix of Disc 1, Tracks 1-16
- DD/DTS 5.1 surround sound Steven Wilson remix of Disc 1, Tracks 1-12 and 15-16
- 96/24 LPCM flat transfer of original stereo album master (Disc 1, Tracks 1-9)
- DD/DTS 4.0 surround sound flat transfer of original quad mixes of Disc 1, Tracks 1-2 and 6-7
DVD 2: Live At The Capital Theatre, Landover, MD - 11/21/1977
- Wond'ring Aloud
- Skating Away On the Thin Ice of the New Day
- Jack-In-the-Green
- Thick As a Brick
- Songs From the Wood
- Instrumental/Drum Solo Improvisation
- To Cry You a Song
- A New Day Yesterday
- Flute Solo Improvisation interpolating - God Rest Ye Gentlemen/Bouree/A New Day Yesterday
- Living In the Past/A New Day Yesterday (reprise)
- Second half of concert - Introduction
- Velvet Green
- Hunting Girl
- Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die
- Minstrel In the Gallery
- Cross-Eyed Mary
- Aqualung
- Instrumental Improvisation
- Wind-Up
- Back Door Angels/Guitar Improvisation/Wind Up (reprise)
- Locomotive Breath
- Land of Hope and Glory/Improvisation/Back Door Angels (reprise)
- Beethoven's Ninth (with original audio)
- The Whistler (promo footage) (mono)
Bob says
Are the DVD's NTSC? In other words, if I order from the UK, will the DVD's play in Canada? Thanks.
Tom M says
I guessing they will be as Aqualung was NTSC.
Mark says
It's too bad they don't use a single region-free blu-ray instead of the DVDs so there wouldn't be NTSC/PAL concerns. Plus that would eliminate the need for two discs.
Steve Bruun says
I've been very happy and impressed with the Steven Wilson Tull reissues. And a week after "Songs from the Wood," we get the expanded "Sgt. Pepper"! May is going to be a great month for box set aficionados.