Life Is a Long Song: Jethro Tull Celebrates 50 Years with Two New Collections

March 27, 2018 By Joe Marchese — 5 Comments

Jethro Tull, led by founding member Ian Anderson, is currently out on tour with a 50th anniversary show, and now, Parlophone is getting into the act with a pair of suitably celebratory collections.

On May 25, the label will release 50 for 50, a career-spanning, 3-CD anthology featuring 50 songs hand-picked by Ian Anderson from all 21 of Jethro Tull’s studio albums – eleven of which have been certified gold and five of which have gone platinum. Though the track listing provided doesn’t appear to reflect that, the press release states that the set will be arranged chronologically, tracing the band’s journey from blues-rockers to prog-rock heroes incorporating jazz and folk influences. The collection features three songs from the 1987 Grammy-winning Crest of a Knave and concludes with a pair of tracks from The Jethro Tull Christmas Album, the 2003 release that remains the band’s last new album.

For those looking for a slimmer introduction to the Tull oeuvre, Parlophone will release 50th Anniversary Hits on the same day. This single-disc overview culls 15 songs from the larger package including “Living in the Past,” “Bungle in the Jungle,” “Life is a Long Song,” and “Locomotive Breath.” On August 31, 50th Anniversary Hits will be issued on vinyl in a resequenced, 10-track edition that drops six tracks and adds “The Whistler” from 1977’s Songs from the Wood.

The current tour hits American shores on May 30 in Phoenix, Arizona, and wraps up September 12 in Wallingford, Connecticut. Look for the track listings and pre-order links for both titles due May 25 at the links below!

Jethro Tull, 50 for 50 (Parlophone, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada TBD)

CD 1

“Nothing Is Easy” – Stand Up (1969)
2.    “Love Story” – This Was (1968)
3.    “Beggars Farm” – This Was (1968)
4.    “Living In The Past” – Living In The Past (1972)
5.    “A Song For Jeffrey” – This Was (1968)
6.    “A New Day Yesterday” – Stand Up (1969)
7.    “The Witch’s Promise” – Benefit (1970)
8.    “Mother Goose” – Aqualung (1971)
9.    “With You There To Help Me” – Benefit (1970)
10. “Teacher” – Benefit (1970)
11. “Life Is A Long Song” – Living In The Past (1972)
12. “Sweet Dream” (Studio) – Stand Up (1969)
13. “Aqualung” – Aqualung (1971)
14. “Minstrel In The Gallery” – Minstrel In The Gallery (1975)
15. “Critique Oblique” (Steven Wilson Remix) – A Passion Play (1973)
16. “Weathercock” – Heavy Horses (1978)
17. “Cross-Eyed Mary” – Aqualung (1971)

CD 2

“Bouree” – Stand Up (1969)
19. “Dun Ringill” – Stormwatch (1979)
20. “Heavy Horses” – Heavy Horses (1978)
21. “Hunting Girl” – Songs From The Wood (1977)
22. “Bungle In The Jungle” – War Child (1974)
23. “Salamander” – Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! (1976)
24. “Pussy Willow” – The Broadsword And The Beast (1982)
25. “Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die” – Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young To Die! (1976)
26. “Songs From The Wood” – Songs From The Wood (1977)
27. “The Whistler” – Songs From The Wood (1977)
28. “Really Don’t Mind/See There A Son Is Born” – Thick As A Brick (1972)
29. “Moths” – Heavy Horses (1978)
30. “One White Duck / Nothing At All” – Minstrel In The Gallery (1975)
31. “Cup Of Wonder” – Songs From The Wood (1977)
32. “Ring Out Solstice Bells” – The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003)
33. “Skating Away” – War Child (1974)
34. “A Christmas Song” – The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003)

CD 3

“One Brown Mouse” – Heavy Horses (1978)
36. “Rare And Precious Chain” – Roots To Branches (1995)
37. “Kissing Willie” – Rock Island (1989)
38. “Rocks On The Road” – Catfish Rising (1991)
39. “Fylingdale Flyer” – A (1980)
40. “Paparazzi” – Under Wraps (1984)
41. “North Sea Oil” – Stormwatch (1979)
42. “Steel Monkey” – Crest Of A Knave (1987)
43. “Black Sunday” – A (1980)
44. “European Legacy” – Under Wraps (1984)
45. “Budapest” – Crest Of A Knave (1987)
46. “Broadsword” – The Broadsword And The Beast (1982)
47. “Dot Com” – J-Tull Dot Com (1999)
48. “Farm On The Freeway” – Crest Of A Knave (1987)
49. “This Is Not Love” – Catfish Rising (1991)
50. “Locomotive Breath” – Aqualung (1971)

Jethro Tull, 50th Anniversary Hits (Parlophone, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD:

1. “Love Story”
2.   “Living In The Past” (*)
3.   “Life Is A Long Song” (*)
4.   “Sweet Dream” (*)
5.   “The Witch’s Promise” (*)
6.   “Aqualung” (*)
7.   “Dun Ringhill”
8.   “Cross-Eyed Mary” (*)
9.   “Bouree” (*)
10. “Bungle In The Jungle” (*)
11. “Steel Monkey”
12. “Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll”
13. “Ring Out Solstice Bells”
14. “Farm On The Freeway”
15. “Locomotive Breath” (*)

(*) denotes track also appears on vinyl release

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Rock

Tags:

Jethro Tull

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others.

Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams.

Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.

Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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5 thoughts on “Life Is a Long Song: Jethro Tull Celebrates 50 Years with Two New Collections”

David Bradley
March 27, 2018 at 3:21 pm

Salamander is not from the album Songs From The Wood

Reply
1. Joe Marchese
  March 27, 2018 at 3:37 pm
  
  Thanks. The track listing is directly from the press release, but we will amend accordingly!
  
  Reply
Steve Bruun
March 27, 2018 at 9:29 pm

It’s not exactly Jethro Tull going out on tour – it’s Ian Anderson touring to commemorate the band’s 50th anniversary. Jethro Tull ceased to exist as a band in 2011, with the departure of Martin Barre and Doane Perry.

Tour programs distributed in the UK said that “50 for 50” would include live material. Has that changed? Or are some tracks mislabeled, as was the case with “Salamander”?

Reply
John Manning
March 28, 2018 at 2:22 am

Here’s the track listing from Amazon UK – why on Earth have the much more recent Steve Wilson remasters not been used (where appropriate)? Seems a very retrograde step…

Disc 1:
Nothing Is Easy (2001 Remastered Version)
Love Story (2001 Remastered Version)
Beggar’s Farm (2001 Remastered Version)
Living In The Past (2001 Remastered Version)
A Song For Jeffrey (2001 Remastered Version)
A New Day Yesterday (2001 Remastered Version)
The Witch’s Promise (2013 Remastered Version)
Mother Goose
With You There To Help Me (2001 Remastered Version)
Teacher (US Version) [2013 Remastered Version]
Life Is A Long Song
Sweet Dream (2001 Remastered Version)
Aqualung
Minstrel In The Gallery (2001 Remastered Version)
Critique Oblique (Stereo Mix)
Weathercock (2003 Remastered Version)
Cross Eyed Mary

Disc: 2
Bouree (2001 Remastered Version)
Dun Ringill (2004 Remastered Version)
Heavy Horses (2003 Remastered Version)
Hunting Girl (2003 Remastered Version)
Bungle In The Jungle (2002 Remastered Version)
Salamander (2002 Remastered Version)
Pussy Willow (2005 Remastered Version)
Too Old To Rock ‘N’ Roll (2002 Remastered Version)
Songs From The Wood (2003 Remastered Version)
The Whistler (2003 Remastered Version)
Really Don’t Mind/See There a Son Is Born
Moths (2003 Remastered Version)
One White Duck/010 = Nothing At All (2002 Remastered Version)
Cup Of Wonder (2003 Remastered Version)
Ring Out Solstice Bells
Skating Away (On The Thin Ice Of The New Day) (2002 Remastered Version)
A Christmas Song

Disc: 3
One Brown Mouse (2003 Remastered Version)
Rare And Precious Chain (2006 Remastered Version)
Kissing Willie (2006 Remastered Version)
Rocks On The Road (2006 Remastered Version)
Fylingdale Flyer (2004 Remastered Version)
Paparazzi (2005 Remastered Version)
North Sea Oil (2004 Remastered Version)
Steel Monkey (2005 Remastered Version)
Black Sunday (2004 Remastered Version)
European Legacy (2005 Remastered Version)
Budapest (2005 Remastered Version)
Broadsword (2005 Remastered Version)
Dot Com
Farm On The Freeway (2005 Remastered Version)
This Is Not Love (2006 Remastered Version)
Locomotive Breath

Reply
1. Todd
  June 2, 2018 at 2:27 am
  
  I totally agree. The Steven Wilson Mixes really bring out the best of all of these classic albums. Ian Anderson asked Steven to mix these albums, like Robert Fripp asked Steven to remix The King Crimson discography…I don’t know if Yes worked with Steven on the remixes he did, but Andy Partridge worked with Steven on the XTC mixes….Marillion on Brave and Misplaced Childhood, Gentle Giant the same… Point is, I believe Ian Anderson likes the Steven Wilson mixes better, so I can only think this has something to do with the record company and profits. I strongly encourage folks who love all this great music from The Golden Era of Prog, to check out the Steven Wilson mixes, (nee “remasters” he takes the original masters and remixes and improves audio.) Pink Floyd and Genesis have their own guys, but for the rest of the core of classic era prog: King Crimson, ELP (Trilogy/Tarkus), Gentle Giant, (everything where they could get the masters), Yes’s first five albums, Jethro Tull, a couple of Marillion albums….get these! Get them on Blu-Ray and if you have the equipment you can listen to a lot of these in Surround sound. The stereo mix’s are brilliant. A few of these bands’ records were remixed by Jakko from King Crimson, and he has done a great job as well. http://headphonedust.com/?v=7516fd43adaa# Be on the lookout for new stuff: https://www.facebook.com/swremixes/. As far as I’m concerned Steven Wilson is the best Rock/Pop producer working right now, and El-P the best Hip Hop producer, these guys understand sound staging, how to avoid “The Loudness War”, and even how to get the best of a good Codec. Audiophile Discussion of his work at The Steve Hoffman site: https://www.google.com/search?q=Steve+Hoffman+Steven+Wilson+site:forums.stevehoffman.tv&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjt1fa_rLTbAhWIjFQKHcPkCPAQrQIINCgEMAA&biw=1920&bih=1116
  
  Reply