Jethro Tull Every Album, Every Track by Jordan Blum

Jordan's put together a fine appraisal of the music of Jethro Tull, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the band. While I may not agree completely with all his assessments, that's what makes books such a good read, and what better subject than Tulldom? Be sure to pick this one up!

"It’s nearly impossible to discuss the history of rock music without praising the monumental quality, impact, variety, and boldness of Britain’s Jethro Tull. Named for an eighteenth-century agriculturalist – and not after their striking front-man Ian Anderson - the group almost immediately became one of the most ambitious, and significant acts in two subsections of the genre: progressive rock and folk rock. Officially formed in 1967, mastermind Anderson and company initially forged a blues course before veering in a more diverse, and expansive direction. Their early 1970s period – which is often considered their peak—took them close to progressive rock via iconic album cuts like ‘Aqualung’ and lengthy narrative suites like Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play, both number one hits in the USA .

Like numerous peers at the time (ELP, Rush, Yes, and King Crimson, to varying degrees), Tull then embraced the more commercially accessible demands of the 1980s– complete with a fair share of both synthesisers and hard rock. Moving album by album, this book will examine the behind-the-scenes circumstances and motivations for each release via a track-by-track analysis to acutely observe why Jethro Tull were – and always will be – of invaluable 'benefit' to rock music."