Jethro Tull - The Rock Opera

[HIPster]

In 1967 Ian Anderson helped found Jethro Tull, naming the progressive folk rock outfit after an 18th century English farming innovator. Anderson has announced performances of his Jethro Tull Rock Opera based on the life the namesake agricultural pioneer. Joining Anderson is a band composed of bassist David Goodier, drummer Scott Hammond, keyboardist John O'Hara and guitarist Florian Opahle, as well as "surprise virtual guests." New songs like "Heavy Horses," "Farm On The Freeway" and "Songs From The Wood" will be played along with classic Jethro Tull tunes with slightly altered lyrics, including "Aqualung," "Living In The Past," "Wind-Up," "A New Day Yesterday," "The Witch's Promise" and "Locomotive Breath."



Here's how the announcement described the rock opera's structure:

The shows tell the story of the original Jethro Tull's life, reimagined as if in the near future and illustrated with Anderson's best-known songs from the rock band Jethro Tull repertoire. The performance is in a quasi-operatic structure with virtual guests on video and some additional newly-written songs to round off the elements of the story.

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/124581/Ian-Anderso n-Announces-Jethro-Tull-Rock-Opera-Performances




Ian Anderson announces November dates for his musical take on the life of the 17th/18th century agricultural pioneer whose name he borrowed for a band 40 plus years ago.

The subject of Anderson's opus is none other than Jethro Tull, who was an important figure in Britain's agricultural revolution. One of Tull's accomplishment was his work on the horse-drawn seed drill.
Now, after decades fronting the band Jethro Tull, Anderson is now looking at the man behind the name. Presented in a quasi-opera structure, the work reimagines the original Tull's life as if it takes place in the near future.
The story includes many Jethro Tull classics, such as "Songs From The Wood," "Living In The Past" "Locomotive Breath" and "A New Day Yesterday." In some instances the lyrics to the songs have been slightly adjusted to tell the tale. Expect new songs as well as surprise "virtual guests" appearing on video.
Anderson will be accompanied by bassist David Goodier, keyboardist John O'Hara, guitarist Florian Opahle and drummer Scott Hammond.




Nov. 1 – Chicago, Ill., Chicago Theatre
Nov. 3 – Detroit, Mich., Fox Theatre
Nov. 5 – Boston, Mass., Citi Performing Arts Center
Nov. 6 – Brooklyn, N.Y., Kings Theatre
Nov. 7 – Philadelphia, Pa., Academy Of Music
Nov. 8 – Mashantucket, Conn., Foxwoods Resort Casino
Nov. 10 – Port Chester, N.Y., The Capitol Theatre
Nov. 11 – Newark, N.J., New Jersey Perf. Arts Center


http://www.pollstar.com/news_article.aspx?ID=81745 3

[jochanaan]

Sounds like fun!  Jethro Tull is one of my favorite bands.  (You gotta hand it to Ian Anderson, who made the flute a popular presence in rock.  All of us who sometimes play rock flute are indebted to him.) -- Any chance of bootleg recordings going up?

[Karl Henning]

Big Jethro Tull fan, too.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Songs from the Wood was an album that made me perk up my ears. Look at the oddly contradictory way it's described in this promo material:

New songs like "Heavy Horses," "Farm On The Freeway" and "Songs From The Wood" will be played along with classic Jethro Tull tunes

[...snipped...]

The story includes many Jethro Tull classics, such as "Songs From The Wood,"

[vandermolen]

Saw the band live in my youth. 

[drogulus]

      I saw them at the Fillmore East. Cornick was playing his EB-3 through a Hiwatt or 2, the band was stupifyingly loud, of course, though not quite as loud as the headliners Grand Funk Railroad. Grand Funk! How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, Mandrake?

      Also on the bill was Noel Redding's Fat Mattress. Redding played guitar and sang. I liked them. They may have been one hit wonders but they were a good serviceable rock band.

      I must have been near the camera on the right side of the balcony.

      https://www.youtube.com/v/Hm0XT2cqzLI

      The YTer errs. This was Dec, 1969.