Jethro Tull "A" (Side 1) First Time Reaction

[@L33Reacts]

What is your favorite Tull deepcut?

[@corawheeler9355]

Tull favorites change all the time .. for now, my favorite deepcut is Inverness Sleeper released on the Broadsword 40th Anniversary box set. On this album, my favorite is 4 W D (Low Ratio) ... earworm warning.

[@kenlawless7247]

Very untraditional deep cut: Thick as a brick. Everyone listens to pieces here and chunks there, but to appreciate all of the motifs and the complexity of the composition you have to hear the full song as recorded.

[@jstock2317]

Dark Ages and Urban Apocalypse.

[@hwinker]

So many, but from the classic era maybe "Up the 'Pool" or "Broadford Bazaar." From the '80s how about "European Legacy" (definitely my favorite deepcut flute riff) or "Heat" from the much derided and overlooked Under Wraps. Or the beautiful one-off Dee Palmer song "Coronach." So many others.

[@hwinker]

@@corawheeler9355 Yes -- 'Inverness Sleeper' alone justified buying that whole set! How the hell Ian slept on that till now I'll never understand.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Great songs. Album is definitely underrated

[@jimhardiman3836]

I had the great pleasure taking drum lessons from Mark Craney. We would jam along to tracks from Tull, Ponty and Vannelli. I still use the concepts he taught me to this day.

[@kevincorrigan7893]

Great reaction, Lee. I love this era of Tull. A lot of true Tull fans don't like the addition of synthesizers into their sound but I think it's fantastic. Like you said, it's the old plus the new. Some more great synth stuff on Broadsword and the Beast and Under Wraps.

[@GeoffCB]

And yet synths first made an appearance on a Passion Play!

[@sdrew2lboroacuk]

Love this album, in my top three Tull albums

[@shiannesmith6877]

Gotta love Tull Tuesday ❤

[@keithwatkins7908]

Love this album, bought it on cassette when it came out. Later bought the "Slipstream" VHS, a mix of videos and concert footage from the "A" tour, all excellent, and highly recommended.

[@andypr23ap]

'Everything in Our Lives' from the Heavy Horses Anniversary edition. I really like the base line of John Glascock. Its an associated recording that didn't make the album.

[@chrisamundson8653]

Fylingdale Flyers is easily my favorite track on this album and probably my fav post 1980 Tull track

[@SANPARR1]

Excellent participation by Eddie Jobson on keyboard and electric violin.

[@shirleybhs9zd6li5i]

Wonderful pick, Cora. Santa brought me a belated "gift" of the flu for New Years, so very happy to be catching up with Ian's great tracks. Love the reaction, L33. Hope 2025 brings all good things your way. Blessings all.

[@corawheeler9355]

Thank you Shirley. Hope you're feeling better soon.

[@hwinker]

Santa must have misheard you when you were asking for flute 😉

[@shirleybhs9zd6li5i]

@@hwinker LMFAO

[@geob3963]

I saw them this tour in the way back. Eddie Jobson!

[@relativetimeworx8459]

I caught this tour too... Spectrum, Philly. Never missed an Eddie Jobson performance - even traveled to NYC to catch UKZ in the 2000s.

[@benoitdesmarais2948]

I saw Jobson open for Tull with U.K. on their 78 tour, and he brought his chops and sounds to what , to me, is definately Tull music. You can find Working John on the Stormwatch extras, and Fylingdale sounds like a track from Songs From The Woods. Black Sunday is Jobson's showcase, Tull's hidden prog masterpiece. Their next to last great album, with Ian's voice still in fine form.

[@AirDOGGe]

Flyingdale Flyer (UFO sighting) and Black Sunday are my two favorites on this album. They released a multi-song video during this period titled "SLIPSTREAM' featuring some music videos of a few of the songs on this album plus some other favorites. I had the videotape in the early 1980s. Look for it. Rock on L33.

[@GeoffCB]

It's also available on DVD as a part of the Steven Wilson remix of the "A" Album.

[@FormulaProg]

Black Sunday easily the best track on A

[@corawheeler9355]

Tull's longevity is due to Anderson's adaptability. His collaberation with Jobson makes this a great album, IMO ... different, but still Tull.

[@fredjohns1869]

This was also released as a DVD!! Concert footage and videos! Lots of fun!

[@corawheeler9355]

That was terrific ... the whole side. Thank you Lee. Now, everytime I want to listen to 'A', you'll get another view : )

[@dominicschaeffer909]

Anderson laughed behind Jobsons back for wearing eyeliner on stage… hell i laughed at Anerson’s silly costumes from Warchild on.

[@philipsmith4321]

You should try and listen to Anderson's 'first' solo album, Walk Into Light. I bought it when it was released in 1983 and have always liked it.

[@csphoenix9]

It's a good album

[@sharondavid-melly1498]

Soothes the soul this one🦋

[@andremartin5446]

Working John, Working Joe is a reworked song that they recorded during the Songs From The Woods sessions, available on the Steve Wilson box set btw. And Black Sunday you would have already heard some parts included on the live version of Locomotive Breath you did at the beginning of you reacting to Tull

[@corawheeler9355]

Yes, that's what they're playing while Ian tosses baloons out to the crowd.

[@brianvernon249]

Wow! You’re entering the solo era! Starting with A, Ian became Jethro Tull.

[@corawheeler9355]

They were always the same

[@jimhardiman3836]

Ian always wrote all the material (save for odd bits from Martin and Dee and Jobson here).

[@corawheeler9355]

@@jimhardiman3836 All those wonderful melodies are Ian's

[@fredjohns1869]

Eddie Jobson toured for a year as well! Keys, violin, and shenanigans!

[@scotstevens5263]

Cry you a Song is my fav deep cut.

[@a.k.1740]

I really like the underlying tension that runs through the whole “A” album. Eddie Jobson has a lot to do with it, as it was credited "All tracks written by Ian Anderson with additional music material from Eddie Jobson". If you like Eddie Jobson, then I highly recommend the 1983 album The Green Album credited to Eddie Jobson and Zinc, as it's brilliant from start to finish (musically it's a cross between UK, Jethro Tull's “A”, and Yes's 90125).

[@BG-id2cv]

Easily Tull's most underrated album..the only track I don't care for is Working John, Working Joe. Bought it at the time; loved it from first listen...I was getting tired of the folky thing but unfortunately Barlow, Evan and Palmer went. John Glascock had died, replaced by Dave Pegg (who funnily enough is a folky). Pegg's bass on this album is masterly. I always thought that "Black Sunday" and "Further On" were both about John Glascock. Side 2 to me is a revelation. This week (!) I have A as #6 in my top Tull albums of all time. Love it.... Jobson was never going to be a permanent member. I wish Mark Craney had stayed though.....he was very Barlow in his playing.

[@bishopswoodcrafts]

Anderson wanted to release his first solo album with music that sounded far removed from the recognisable Tull sound... hence the heavy influence of the (80's) keyboards. He also enlisted musicians that fitted this new solo sound.... but contacted Martin Barre when he needed some guitar work. Hence the different line-up. Anderson said he wished he had done things differently when Chrysalis insisted he release this Album as a Tull album because Barriemore Barlow, David Palmer, and John Evan found out they were no longer in Tull, and were effectively sacked from the group and replaced by Mark Craney and Jobson, Dave Pegg also replaced Glasscock who had sadly died from his heart complications. Not the best way to change the line-up.

[@corawheeler9355]

It's my understanding that Barlow wasn't happy with Ian after Glascock's death and wasn't coming back. Some people suspect Slow Marching Band on Broadsword is aimed at Barlow who "played for me" and, "marched the band away".

[@dawntucker5052]

❤❤❤

[@scotstevens5263]

Saw the A tour. Isn’t my favorite album of there’s. It’s down there with Best of M.U. And Under Wraps. Eddy Jobson joined in on this with his electric violin which put a different sound which fitted in to the 80’s music.

[@williambaldridge1203]

A stood for Anderson

[@jstock2317]

Under Wraps is good 😁 you will be pleasantly surprised. eventually!

[@FormulaProg]

It's shite

[@tracymitchell7494]

With the dismissal of Barrie Barlow John Evans and D Palmer i always felt this was the beginning of the decline of Tull. This was the last LP, I bought new.

[@corawheeler9355]

Barlow left on his own after Glascock died. I'm sure L33 would agree you should have stuck around for their Grammy winner, Crest of a Knave. IMO, their next album, Broadsword and the Beast was one of their best ... will be my request next month .. please check it out .. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[@tracymitchell7494]

@corawheeler9355 I heard them, just passed on them because they didn't do anything for me. Ian's voice was showing wear and tear. Without Barrie superb drumming, and Evans keyboards, it semed trite

[@ThatSteven20]

“Scary Monsters invade Landsdowne Street” Boston Halloween 1980

[@uncleambient]

A isn't a bad album but per se but it followed Tull's great trio of folk rock albums (SFTW/Heavy Horses & Stormwatch) so was a bit poor in comparison, plus it featured a new line-up that didn't quie match the previous line-up. Even so, Black Sunday is one of Tull's greatest ever tracks.

[@corawheeler9355]

I think the synth and electronic sounds threw some fans off. But, IMO, they found a good mix of synth and folk in the next album BatB

[@whiskytalkauspetersschrank]

A has a great A- Side - Black Sunday is still one of my favorit Tull songs - the B Side alway let me down a bit but still got some good songs - I think the biggest problem of A back than was the shift in sound and the drama around all the other Tull memberes who were just out without even knowing it - This Lineup is Great but Jobson made it clear bevor that he was there for one projekt not as an member of the band. Anderson antet to do more electronic stuff - he did it on his "Into the Light" Solo and later on Under Wraps, but it never sounded as good as Jobsons Keys on A

[@jackadesman7143]

Nothing To Say!!!!

[@hwinker]

I don't know Lee, I'm gonna need some spectrum analysis or a Power Point presentation or something to figure out what's different about Ian's voice on Black Sunday. Sounds like his voice on the other songs here. Usually I think I know what you mean about the difference, where he's doing something exaggerated, but I honestly can't hear it on this one.

[@corawheeler9355]

I think Lee's really going to like the closing song, And Further On, for Ian's voice.

[@corawheeler9355]

Funny you say you like the album cover, while I've heard others say it's the worst. lol

[@davidschecter5247]

First Side is better than the second, but it's a solid album. One of the best of their "later" ones, with "Broadsword and the Beast" being the best, in my estimation. After that, the synths and awful production took over, and Ian started sounding too much like Mark Knopfler, which I don't consider to be a good thing.

[@lemming9984]

A is the third-worst Tull album IMHO. This Was, Under Wraps and A.

[@a.k.1740]

I happen to like all three! Just goes to show that taste is totally subjective.😉

[@FormulaProg]

I guess you've never heard anything after crest of a knave then? Broadsword and the beast was the last good Jethro Tull album. A isn't bad at all.

[@lemming9984]

@FormulaProg Actually, I do have Broadsword and saw them on that tour too. It's a great album. Replaced my vinyl with CD many years ago!

[@GeoffCB]

@FormulaProg So you're not looking forward to "Curious Ruminant", the next Tull album out in the next few months? 😅

[@GeoffCB]

@@lemming9984 All the Steven Wilson box sets are brilliant too.