It’s been a logical progression for Ian Anderson who, having parted company with Martin Barre, seems to be not eligible for using the JETHRO TULL name anymore. But given his return to the “Thick As A Brick” line and the themes on “Homo Erraticus,” as well as his proclivity for folk and concept concoctions, it was only logical that one day the veteran would tackle the life of the agriculturalist whose name Anderson appropriated for his old band. Cue “Jethro Tull – The Rock Opera” which will find the 17th century nventor in the near future and is based on such classics as “Heavy Horses,” although a new setting required some lyrical tweaks from Ian and new songs to have been written. No word on a record as of now, only talk about live performances, with virtual guests on video, later in the year. Meanwhile, though, there’s a new entry in the classic TULL reissue series coming up: an expanded version of 1975’s “Minstrel In The Gallery” scheduled for May 4th release.
The “40th Anniversary: La Grande Edition” is styled as a book – just like its predecessor “WarChild” – and includes a smattering of bonus tracks, remixed together with the album by Steven Wilson, and a CD with the band’s concert in Paris’ “Palais Des Sports” on July 5th, 1975, mixed by the current KING CRIMSON frontman Jakko Jakszyk. A video of the title track, as performed there, makes it onto a DVD portion of the set, where the 5.1 mixes of all the content, and an original LP transfer, will be housed. The tracklist of it all is:
Minstrel In The Gallery –
40th Anniversary:
La Grande Edition
Disc One:
1. Minstrel In The Gallery
2. Cold Wind To Valhalla
3. Black Satin Dancer
4. Requiem
5. One White Duck / 010 = Nothing At All
6. Baker St. Muse
7. Baker St. Muse – Pig-Me And The Whore
8. Baker St. Muse – Nice Little Tune
9. Baker St. Muse – Crash-Barrier Waltzer
10. Baker St. Muse – Mother England Reverie
11. Grace
12. Summerday Sands (single)
13. Requiem (version 1) *
14. One White Duck (take 5) *
15. Grace (take 2) *
16. Minstrel In The Gallery (BBC version) *
17. Cold Wind To Valhalla (BBC version) *
18. Aqualung (BBC version) *
* previously unreleased
Disc Two – Live:
1. Introduction (The Beach Part 11)
2. Wind Up
3. Critique Oblique
4. Wond’ring Aloud
5. My God
a. Flute Solo incl: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Bouree/Quartet
b. Living In The Past
c. My God (Reprise)
6. Cross-Eyed Mary
7. Minstrel In The Gallery
8. Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day
9. Bungle In The Jungle
10. Aqualung
11. Guitar Improvisation
12. Back-Door Angels
13. Locomotive Breath with improv and incl. Hard Headed English General /Back-Door Angels (Reprise)
