At this point, Jethro Tull are already over halfway through their fourth decade as an entity, but this 90-minute documentary is a thoroughly entertaining look at frontman Ian Anderson and company’s first quarter-century.
While only Anderson remains from the original lineup (Tull actually began in ’68, DVD title notwithstanding), with guitarist Martin Barre having joined as of their second album, part of the fun comes from watching more than a dozen members past and present coming together at a genteel reunion party to be interviewed and share reminiscences. The DVD is also strong on concert performance and video excerpts, especially those from the band’s most successful period (the codpiece-and-minstrelsy ’70s stretch that yielded hit records like Aqualung, Thick as a Brick, and Songs from the Wood), in addition to more recent items, including their rehearsals for a 25th anniversary reunion tour. DVD bonus materials feature seven of those performances (including “Teacher,” “The Witch’s Promise,” and “Aqualung”) in their entirety.
1 Teacher
2 The Witch’s Promise
3 The Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles
4 Aqualung
5 Kissing Willie
6 Rocks On The Road
7 Living In The Past
Plus Excerpts From
8 Living In The Past – Brussels 1993
9 Nothing Is Easy – Isle of Wight 1970
10 Teacher – French TV 1970
11 The Witch’s Promise – BBC Top pf the Pops 1970
12 The Story Of The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles – 1973
13 Minstrel In The Gallery – Paris 1975
14 Aqualung – BBC Sight and Sound 1977
15 Thick As A Brick – Rehearsal 1992
16 Thick As A Brick – Madison Square Garden, NY 1978
17 Songs From The Wood – London 1980
18 Too Old To Rock ‘N’ Roll: Too Young Too Die – Promo video 1980
19 Kissing Willie – Promo video 1989
20 Rocks On The Road – Promo video 1991
21 A New Day Yesterday – Brussels 1993
22 The Witch’s Promise – French TV