Jethro Tull: Rock, Folk, Blues, and Anderson's Magic Flute

P r o g r e s s i v e R o c k W o r l d

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Folk Rock

Jethro Tull is a British band founded in Blackpool in 1967 by Ian Anderson, who has led them to this day.

Named after the pioneer of modern agriculture, agronomist Jethro Tull, the band is renowned for its fusion of rock, folk, blues, and classical music, blending traditional and innovative sounds. Anderson, a virtuoso flute player, helped define the band's sound.

Their music is characterized by the dominant presence of the transverse flute, played by virtuoso leader Ian Anderson. After a debut album marked by blues influences, Jethro Tull has spanned the history of rock, experimenting with various genres: from folk rock to hard rock, from progressive rock to classical music.

A long and distinguished career in Progressive Rock and Folk Rock, with numerous lineup changes, makes for an active band that continues to perform and release music.

Their first album, This Was (1968), was recorded with the original lineup, including Anderson and guitarist Mick Abrahams. After Abrahams was replaced by Martin Barre, the band continued its career for over fifty years, with numerous other musicians joining the lineup.

After 1969's Stand Up, they released an impressive series of masterpieces, building on their success with 1970's Benefit, 1971's Aqualung, and 1972's Thick as a Brick, the latter two masterpieces not only of the band, but of progressive rock in general.

They would never reach the same levels of excellence again, but they continued to produce exceptional albums at least until 1978, especially with 1975's Minstrel in the Gallery, 1977's Songs from the Wood, and 1978's Heavy Horses.

Let's be clear: even the so-called minor works would be the aspiration of any rock band, always with the highest quality compositions and melodies, and this also applies to 1974's War Child or 1976's Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die!, which stands out for its melodic aspects.

From 1978 onward, albums of a medium-high standard that are always a pleasure to listen to, with one important characteristic: they are fundamentally self-referential, leader-led works.

Over the years, Jethro Tull has sold over 60 million records worldwide, achieving 11 gold and 5 platinum records in the United States alone. I have a strong feeling we'll be hearing more from them.

Jethro Tull has undergone numerous lineup changes since its founding in 1967, not only from one era to the next, but also over the course of various tours and recordings, with Ian Anderson as the only permanent member and constant leader of the group and one of its most important historical figures, Martin Barre, as its guitarist for almost 50 years.

Current Lineup

Ian Anderson - vocals, flute, acoustic guitar (1967–2011 / 2017–present)

Jack Clark - electric guitar (2024–present)

David Goodier - bass (2007–2011 / 2017–present)

John O'Hara - keyboards (2007–2011 / 2017–present)

Scott Hammond – drums, percussion (2011 / 2017–present)

Former Core Members

Martin Barre - guitar (1968–2011)

Glenn Cornick - bass (1967–1970; died 2014)

Clive Bunker - drums (1967–1971)

Jeffrey Hammond - bass (1970–1975)

John Glascock - bass (1975–1979; died 1979)

Barriemore Barlow - drums (1971–1980)

John Evan - keyboards (1969–1980)

Peter-John Vettese - keyboards (1982–1986)

Dave Pegg - bass (1979–1995)

Doane Perry - drums (1984–2011)

The Discography and the Reviews

This Was - 1968 - OTTIMO

Stand Up - 1969 - Coming Soon

Benefit - 1970 - ECCELLENTE

Aqualung - 1971 - ESSENZIALE

Thick As A Brick - 1972 - ESSENZIALE

A Passion Play - 1973 - ECCELLENTE

Minstrel In The Gallery - 1975 - ECCELLENTE

Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! - 1976 - BUONO

Songs from the Wood - 1977 - Coming Soon

Heavy Horses - 1978 - Coming Soon

Live - Bursting Out - 1978 - ECCELLENTE

Stormwatch - 1979 - Coming Soon
A - 1980 - Coming Soon
The Broadsword And The Beast - 1982 - Coming Soon
Under Wraps - 1984 - Coming Soon
A Classic Case - 1985 - Coming Soon
Crest of a Knave - 1987 - Coming Soon
Rock Island - 1989 - Coming Soon
Catfish Rising - 1991 - Coming Soon
Roots To Branches - 1995 - Coming Soon
J-Tull Dot Com - 1999 - Coming Soon
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (Fresh Snow At Christmas) - 2003 - Coming Soon
The Zealot Gene - 2022 - Coming Soon
RökFlöte - 2023 - Coming Soon

Curious Ruminant - 2025 - BUONO

Note: the links to the pages of the artists and bands mentioned here and their albums are available on the "Artists" page or using the TAG Jethro Tull